I started the post three times and changed my mind each time. However, here it goes.
This client is asking for such wrong things for his image. Having the camera too high off the ground, and the sun behind the camera are two things that drive me crazy; he requested both. The design is strange, and the material choices are equally as odd. I almost thought that I was being punked. I advised him against things, and he said that he was an ex-Disney art director and I needed to listen to him. He wanted people, and I said they tend to look like zombies when close up, but again, he had total creative control.
He was rude and disrespectful in his speech. So much so that I tried to fire him; he apologized, so I wrapped the project up. Am I being a cranky old man, or is this as bad as I think?
Since I wanted something I liked and could share, I did a version for myself. I went with monochrome colors, to balance the over-the-top design. I didn’t want to spend a lot of time redoing it, but I thought it had so much potential.
LOL…great way to start my morning…thanks Bobby.
Your version’s better, he’s an idiot…nothing to see here 
Thank you for the confirmation!
I did some more work on it last night. I also replaced the sky in PS, which didn’t do a good job; you can see missing tree limbs. As the saying goes, trying to put lipstick on a pig.
I read his email this morning, on Thanksgiving morning, about everything wrong with the image. I spent over a week asking for clarification on his garbled emails. He would respond with, “This is taking far too long.” I would reiterate that I can’t move forward without him verifying things and nothing! After almost two weeks, I said I would do what I could to decipher his comments, and any changes after would be per hour; sure enough, things were inaccurate. He refused to use my review site, which eliminates most of the confusion, and I got scribbled napkins as notes; this guy wants you on the phone so you can move the mouse for him to make decisions as he goes.
There were some early red flags, which I am usually good about using to avoid these clients. He said he fired his last three rendering guys because they were idiots, and he would have to say things ten times before they “got it!”. Well, buddy, what is the common denominator here?
I admire your efforts to try and represent the design as your own version of the render Bobby, but there’s no saving the design. It’s almost like what an Architect in the 1950’s would imagine a house to be in the year 2000.
Hehe, yeah you nailed it. Very unusual for sure.
Your version is way better. The client sounds like the all time worst and I know your pain.
I just finished a project that was somewhat frustrating in a similar way. The client was not rude and is someone I know. He had no plans. He had sketched the most messed up floorplan, not to scale amd wanted an exterior and interior renderings. I had to essentially argue with him every step of the way to convince him his stairwell would not work and other basic architectural issues. He thinks he’s an expert but…..not. I designed the kitchen, fireplace/entertainment surround, picked the furniture and set up the furniture layout. He beat me down on price up front. It all came out OK, he is happy amd we remain on good terms but……it drove me mental. I will post the images here tomorrow.
So, you gave him $40,000 in design services for free? I don’t feel so bad now :).
Well…probably 6-8 hours to get him on the right track. That’s 6-8 hours too many for sure.
I look forward to see the images.
“The design is strange, and the material choices are equally as odd. I almost thought that I was being punked. I advised him against things, and he said that he was an ex-Disney art director and I needed to listen to him.”
Did he also design the house? Terrible. You do get some crazy clients.
I am not sure. He had CAD files, so I think so. I waited for his “CAD guy” to send them to me.
