Interview with archviz artist Nicklas Byriel

I hope to see a lot of interest in our new archviz courses! Both from students but also companies in the industry.

You’ve taught students in both a physical classroom and online. What are some of the benefits of learning archviz online?

The obvious benefit would be time. Learning archviz (or any subject for that matter) online makes it possible for students to learn during the times that suit them best. It also allows you to juggle other commitments, like work and family. 

Studying online opens up more opportunities for students to hear and learn directly from industry pros.

For example, one week you could learn from an expert based in Germany, who happens to be really good at lighting and storytelling, and then be taught by a mentor from the US who’s great at composition and color the following week! In a physical classroom, this would be a lot harder to achieve.

Usually, being in a physical classroom helps with community, however, we at CG Spectrum have an excellent community focus. Our online community includes amazing technical assistants facilitating discussions and troubleshooting, students providing constructive feedback on each others’ work, and mentors running open sessions, and so on!

You mentioned you also run your own creative studio—what does having current industry experience mean for your students? 

I think industry experience is always important to bring to students. Having my own studio obviously helps me understand what certain clients need and what they are looking for.

3D visualization by CGS archviz mentor and industry pro, Teodor Vladov.

It’s still very important for me to keep talking to other companies in the industry and hear what they and their clients are doing. These are valuable, real-time insights I can share with students.

At CG Spectrum, we are always interested in hearing what the industry has to say, what skills they want from new hires, and where they think the industry is headed. We are constantly striving to ensure our course curriculums match current (and future) industry expectations. I would invite anyone who owns or works at a studio, who I haven’t talked to yet, to reach out and tell their story.

You’re also a Certified V-Ray Instructor. 

I am. I’ve been working with Chaos, the company that makes V-Ray, for a long time now. And most companies in archviz usually use V-Ray or Corona (also made by Chaos) for offline rendering. Being a certified V-Ray instructor means I have industry-standard knowledge of this rendering software, which I can then pass on to my students. 

CG Spectrum also has an academic partnership with Chaos to ensure our courses are kept as current and as industry-relevant as possible.

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What does the future of archviz look like, and why should people get excited about it?

It’s always hard to predict the future, but I think it’s safe to say that we will see even more advancements in real-time rendering solutions, with technologies like virtual production, VR, and even Web3 also getting more and more traction.

Archviz artists will definitely be needed for all sorts of projects in the future—expect lots of new and exciting challenges to come!

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in archviz?

A good archviz artist is someone who understands composition and color. Look at what others do, and try and analyze what it is that makes their renders (or photographs!) work. Composition is one of the most important things in archviz; it is usually also one of the hardest things to really master, so getting a good head start in understanding it will benefit you!

Learn archviz directly from 3D visualization experts like Nicklas!

Learn 3ds Max, Substance Painter, and V-Ray from professionals who actively work in the industry. As Chaos Academic Partner, our courses (coming soon!) are designed to teach students the latest techniques in archviz to help get you job-ready for a fulfilling career as an archviz artist.