SketchUp Organic Bench Modeling: Our Professional Series Begins!
With our SketchUp organic bench modeling lesson, we started a new era on our channel. From now on we continue with both basic SketchUp series and, in between, high-level professional lessons. In this first professional lesson, you see how to model an organic bench of the kind we often use in landscape projects. In this article we cover the topic of the lesson, our approach to organic landscape elements and some tips you’ll find useful.
SketchUp organic bench video
The lesson runs about nineteen minutes. You can follow every step on screen from start to finish.
YouTubeWhy did we start a professional series?
For a long time we focused on basic lessons. But our followers started asking for more advanced lessons too. So we decided to keep the basic series going while adding professional lessons in between. Organic bench modeling is the first lesson of this new era. (The video is in Turkish; this guide walks through the key steps in English.)
As we mention in the video description, we built the groundwork for a professional landscape modeling course with these lessons. In the course we cover the most essential SketchUp extensions. That way we make modeling enjoyable and show the most detailed parts. If you’re looking for a more complete course, take a look at our professional course as well.
Why do organic landscape elements matter?
In landscape projects, flat and angular elements start to look monotonous over time. Organic benches, seating groups and planters bring a natural, flowing feel to the scene. Especially in park, plaza and garden projects, elements like these define the character of the design.
Organic elements also catch the viewer’s eye right away in presentations. A curved bench gives a much richer image with light and shadow than a straight one. So learning organic modeling takes your landscape work up a level.
How to approach a SketchUp organic bench
You can’t model an organic bench in a single step. Instead, you build the form in several stages. Here is the general method:
- Define the plan line: Draw the bench’s top view with arcs and curves.
- Prepare the profile: Create the section of the seat surface and the backrest.
- Build the volume: Sweep the profile along the plan line to get the body of the bench.
- Smooth the surface: Turn sharp transitions into smooth surfaces with the help of extensions.
- Assign the material: Pick a suitable material such as wood, concrete or composite.
We collected the extensions you can use for this in our article on the 8 best extensions for organic design. To download extensions, use the official Extension Warehouse.
What to watch for in a SketchUp organic bench model
The biggest trap in organic models is too much detail. Splitting arcs into too many segments makes the surface look smooth, but it makes the file heavy fast. Imagine using dozens of copies of the same bench in a landscape scene. A single heavy model then slows down the whole scene. So make the bench a component and keep the segment count balanced.
Also keep dimensions like seat height and depth close to reality. Even an organic form looks fake in the scene if it doesn’t fit the human scale. Placing a human figure in the scene is the easiest way to check the proportions.
Copying and varying the bench in the scene
A single bench is rarely enough in a landscape project. You usually design several seating areas in a park or plaza. Preparing the bench as a component makes this much easier. You copy the component into the scene as many times as you like and the file stays light.
But if every bench is exactly the same, the scene looks monotonous. So prepare a few versions of the same form. For example, make one version with a backrest and one without. Also try different materials. Wood, concrete and composite-clad versions create a look that is varied but consistent within the same scene. That way your landscape project looks both rich and orderly.
Keep going with organic modeling
If you want to try organic forms on a different piece of furniture, our organic table modeling series is a good exercise. Subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss new lessons in the professional series. More subscribers means more content for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SketchUp organic bench lesson suitable for beginners?
This lesson is part of the professional series. If you know the basic tools, you can follow it easily.
Do I need an extension for an organic bench?
Extensions are very useful for smooth surfaces. You build the basic form with SketchUp’s own tools.
How do I use the bench in a landscape scene?
Make the bench a component and place copies of it around the scene. That keeps the file light and applies changes to all of them.
