I am an Architectural Illustrator and Digital (3D) Reconstruction Artist based near Edinburgh in Scotland. I work on heritage projects right across the country, from Caithness to Cornwall, and a few places further afield. I began my career as a graphics artist in the early 1990s, and in the following decade, I applied my expertise in digital 3D techniques to heritage visualisation, earning a reputation for delivering high-profile, academically respected work.
Methods and Technologies
My digital reconstructions are evidence-based and research-led. I develop these through close collaboration with Architectural Historians, Cultural Advisors, and Archaeologists. I carefully analyse information from measured survey drawings, laser survey data, GIS, landscape (height and contour) data, archaeological reports, historical building records, and historical images and engravings. Many of the heritage sites I reconstruct are complex, fragmented structures that pose different challenges for visual interpretation. The process typically requires several months of effort, dedication, and careful planning, but the hard work is always rewarded with an image that can withstand academic scrutiny and better inform audiences.
Digital 3D models are the cornerstone of my visual reconstructions. The models provide unlimited flexibility for showing a building's chronological development, producing intricate cutaway visuals, different perspectives, animations, and immersive Virtual and Augmented Reality experiences. Each model is tailored and adaptable, ensuring it meets the unique needs of every project. My Portfolio contains many of my past projects and commissions.
A brief guide to commissioning my work
Download this short guide to commissioning my services (PDF, 1MB). It includes some frequently asked questions and lists some of the information and resources I usually need to be able to estimate costs and timescales. Contact me by Email.
The role of AI technology in my work
I am committed to producing original work and prefer NOT to use generative AI to create my reconstructions for personal, practical, and ethical reasons. While AI technology supports some elements of my workflow in an assitive capacity, I am uncomfortable outsourcing my creative and critical thinking to a machine, since it diminishes the rewards and enjoyment I experience as a professional artist. AI's 'black-box' architecture makes it unsuitable and unreliable for historical reconstruction, because its sources are difficult to verify and trust. Additionally, it does not offer the same level of flexibility or fine control that I achieve with 3D models. There is increasing pressure to adopt AI technology to produce work more efficiently, and as its capabilities evolve, I continuously re-evaluate its role in my work.
News & updates
In addition to this website, I usually share news of my recent work and projects on LinkedIn and Bluesky.
A huge part of where we are is down to your help, Bob. People can see the broch, picture it in the landscape and get a step closer to being a part of the Iron Age experience. It really has helped us so much in realising our dream. Thank you!
Chris Aitken. Caithness Broch Project
This is such a fantastic addition to our most visited visitor attraction in Bury St Edmunds. It will massively enhance visitors' experience of the ruins by showing them what the Abbey would have looked like at each location within the ruins. It's a brilliant addition to such an important site.
Sue Warren. Brand and Marketing Manager, visit-burystedmunds.co.uk
I had the good fortune to work with Bob on the reconstructions of Orford Castle. He combines excellent skills as an artist with valuable knowledge of historic buildings and impeccable communication skills. It’s a delight to watch his illustrations evolve draft by draft and Bob’s style gives his work a feeling of authenticity. He is adept at both exteriors and interiors, with an excellent appreciation of composition and the use of light. Not only does Bob produce outstanding reconstructions but the process from start to finish is smooth and clearly articulated.
Richard Nevell. Properties Historian, English Heritage