I have the good fortune to work for a construction company. Flat line drawings are boring. For many years is was the only way to draw. The third dimension was always there. Once modelling became possible oh around the time ghz processors and gb memory pools were affordable in around 2000 my interest immediately shifted toward it. This site engraf.com is the last remaining vestige of the desire to try to make a business out of it. This image is a rendering of a view of a building. The building was an existing one. The ductwork is new. It was the purpose behind creating this model, which for the most part was never actually seen as one. So, I still get to model and work on those skills everyday. It great even if its not glamorous. Obviously it would be great fun to do more advanced work.
I do work on stuff for my own amusement. this simple little house is an example. This image probably took a couple of hours from start to final render. I remember doing it to try out the latest install of my software. Most people do not seem to realize just how time intensive this is, nor do they have an appreciation for the body of knowledge required just to get to the point where an idea can go from thought to finished product/image. Its not Automagical a lifetime can be spent just to become mediocre at it.