Scale figures for architectural renders: a practical guide
People give a render its scale, its story and its mood. This guide covers how to choose them and how to make them in a couple of minutes, free in your browser.
Why scale figures matter
A building without people is hard to read. Figures tell the viewer how tall a ceiling is, how wide a door is and what the space is for. Even a handful of simple silhouettes in a section, an elevation or a render can make the drawing instantly understandable.
Choose the right level of detail
- Silhouette: a single flat tone. Best for sections, elevations and competition boards, where the people should not compete with the architecture.
- Flat colour: clothed figures in solid colours. Good for diagrams, presentation drawings and collage-style renders.
- Shaded: lit figures with soft shadow. Best when you are compositing into a photographic or realistic render.
- Outline: a clean single-line figure for line drawings and plans.
Make a figure in four steps
- Open the studio and pick a render style.
- Choose a pose. Everyday, sitting and sports poses are included, plus props such as a bike, a wheelchair and a camera.
- Turn the figure with the rotation ring until it faces the right way for your scene, and use the Randomise Figure button when you want something unexpected.
- Set the scale and export a transparent PNG. Sizes from 0.25× to 2× are free.
Placing figures in your image
The exported PNG has a transparent background, so it can go straight onto any layer in Photoshop, Affinity, GIMP or Procreate. Match the figure's viewing angle to your camera: a figure seen from above on a low-angle render will always look wrong. For a quick match, switch the studio to the same projection (perspective or isometric) as your drawing.
Tips for believable people
- Vary heights, clothing and direction. A group of identical figures looks like a copy-and-paste job.
- Keep figures a little desaturated so the building stays the hero.
- Add a soft ground shadow that matches your sun direction. The studio's drop shadow and sun dial help with that.
- Do not overcrowd. Five well-placed people read better than fifty.