Car Design Education Tips

How to draw wheels on a car sketch by Future Elements

2012-01-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I received via my Facebook page several requests to view sketches asking for a critic. Most of the sketches I saw were not too bad at all except for wheels sketched with the wrong perspective.
So i did correct few of them sending back via email the correction explaining the reasons of my corrections, however I found this great tutorial video made by Fututre Elements that explains really well how to do it.

Check this out, too: Hot Rod Art Book to learn all about good proportions

Have fun!

How to draw a car sketch in side view

2012-01-21T03:15:00.000-08:00

Tutorial by Luciano Bove

Dear friends,

I just made this quick car sketch in side view and I wanted to share it with you hoping that it might be of help. This sketch is the very first step to draw a quick car sketch in side view using the tyre as a reference to control proportions length and hight of the car.

First step

This car is a sort of small compact coupé type and to do it I just 3 and 1/2 tyres between the front and rear tyre to set up my wheelbase, after almost 3 tyres to set up the hight.

Second step

Second thing I did was the base (floor line) of the car (just a little lower than the wheels center) and its shadow on the floor to give a bit of perspective (in fact shadow's outline is in perspective). the rest was kind of easy because after the first 2 steps I could see the overall shape I wanted to sketch.

Now I should re-draw it giving a bit of extra balance to make it a bit more elegant and stretched to improve my car drawing. This is for next time!

Now if you want take my quick drawing and try to re trace it with your style and have fun!

Car Design styles.

2012-01-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

Alfa Romeo rendering by A. Masera

Dear friends,

today I would like to provoke you on a very delicate subject: Car Design styles.

When we have a new car project do do in school as well at work we start doing our research to understand more about the project mission and how it should be done not to miss it, not to be off subject.

We make a benchmark of what other car makers do in the same segment of cars and then we decide how we intend to use our creativity to make our project to be better and different.

When we start sketching, doing our ideation or brainstorming stage, we explore several design style directions with new proportions.

After this stage we must make our choice about what direction we want to take to better answer to our breafing. This is the moment when we decide the Design style codes to use for our creative execution: more emotional or more structured? More muscle car or more minimalist?

According to my experience we go following our instinct and heart and in my specific case I love more the emotional side of muscle car design philosophy (my American influence from ACCD I guess). This is the reason why I chose the Alfa Romeo illustration made by Alessandro Masera for this post.

I think that car design is successful when provokes an emotional reaction (positive one) to people. This emotional reaction is provoked by body sections and proportions that create really cool light reflections on the car making it a sexy one, a seductive volume expression.

To make sure we do get the right result we must be very careful to overall proportions (full of energy, dynamics) and how the light reflections will lay on the body (side, hood, back tale).

Another important thing to care, like a little delicate baby, is: detailing details like front lights and rear lights, door handles, plus all various decorations. the last important thing to do to reinforce the emotional effect and the quality of this sexy design is: materials choice and paint finish (mat and glossy, bi-color or monochromatic, chrome or alluminium finish, graphics)

Please do not forget that the overall wise use of all those element will make your emotional design expression a real winner...so: no overworking surfaces, no over detailing, no chrome exaggeration.

A nice balance is a must!

Driven Mavens on AutolineDetroit TV

2012-01-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

My friend Arvind Ramkrishna guest star via Skype on AutolineDetroit TV to explain his DVD project to learn "How to draw cars now".
I am happy about his initiative and project, check out the video!

Chris Bangle Design Challange

2012-01-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

The most “notorious” car designer of all times is inviting you to design challenge. Winner will have a choice between a Bangle workshop in Italy or € 2000 in cash. Additionally, winner’s illustrations will be published in Chris Bangle’s book.

“I have written a fiction book about Car Design and the prologue takes place 25 years in the future. It contains some concepts I have been working on, and this contest is to see what YOU would make of them”. This is Chris Bangle’s invitations to students of all disciplines of design - not just Car Design students – who are not currently working as a paid professional in their field. The designs in Chris’s story are not included, students must do that!

To have all infos just go on Cardesigncommunity.com

How to draw a simple side view car sketch: basic steps

2012-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

a long ago I made this simple tutorial for a side view of a car drawing. By surprise this tutorial got already 11,000 hits! Thank you!

How to draw a simple side view car sketch: basic steps

Ferrari design proposal by Samir Sadikhov

2011-12-29T02:52:00.000-08:00

Great Ferrari design proposal by designer Samir Sadikhov, Samir is a very talented designer that recently uploaded on his blog some beautiful supercars design illustrations and renderings.

Please check his works at: Samir Sadikhov Car Design Mania

Merry Christmas from Luciano Bove to all of you!

2011-12-23T02:33:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

2011 has been a great year for this blog and myself. Almost a year ago I decided to open the first page for this blog on Facebook and today we are 1748!
In August 2011 I opened my professional page "Luciano Bove car designer" on FB and we are 289, via Feeds 753 people read this blog via email or google reader or other systems online, via Google Firend Connect I have 254 followers, via Linkedin several friends follow and comment my posts on car design education.

Professionally it has been also a very good year with lots of interesting stuff...

So I would like to wish you the best Christmas ever, most of all THANK YOU for following this blog. I keep on writing because you are there and our objective is to make this blog grow more to serve you better...so spread the word in school and between your friends.

Thanks for visiting Roger Blanchard automotive artist

Merry Christmas!

Luciano

How to draw cars now! DVD tutorial by Driven Mavens

2011-12-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Driven Mavens just told me about its new hot tutorial DVD project order NOW your DVD!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by to check out my educational product,“How to Draw Cars Now! Analog vs Digital Drawing Techniques 2 Disc Special Edition”
The 2 Disc Special Edition DVD set is an introductory course designed to help train you to acquire the fundamental drawing skills taught in some of the most prominent design schools in the country!
It is geared toward two main groups: Hungry design students and aspiring drawing hobbyists serious about accelerating their passion to learn fundamental drawing techniques that can take their own skills to a new level.
What are you going to get?
Disc 1 Contents
Analog Drawing Techniques –It all starts from the basics! I’ll take you through the process that involves the following:
a. Basic Sketching exercises – training your arms and hands to acquire consistency in your line work
b. Applying Sketching techniques –learn cross hatching techniques and how to apply them to a sketch
c. Thumbnail sketching – A process used for exploring ideas and subject matter
d. Basics in Reflections – I’ll break down reflections in simple terms and how to apply it to the main rendering.
e. Proportion – You’ll learn the fundamental guidelines for creating realistic looking cars that are well proportioned and balanced
f. Marker Rendering – You’ll learn how to create a fully detailed marker rendering that incorporates all the principles from the lessons above!

Keep reading and order your CD click: How to Draw Cars Now CD Tutorial!

BLAST new illustration book by Scott Robertson

2011-12-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

soon we will have a new book by concept designer and educator Scott Robertson the book is BLAST! Publication is previewed in March and here 2 pages of it.

However, for those cannot wait, it is possible to make a pre order (a reservation), here few words from the author of the book:

"BLAST is now complete and off to press! I'm very happy with the book the guys put together. We expect it to arrive back here for sale in March. It's nice to have it all..." Scott Robertson

So keep on reading here to see lots more pictures and all infos to reserve a copy, click: BLAST!

UMEA University of Design, Umea Sweden

2011-12-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

Study in Umeå from Umeå Institute of Design on Vimeo.

Dear friends,

some of you recently are asking me about Umea University of Design and the Master program in Transportation design. As you might remember I visited the school in july this year discovering a very good school with motivated teachers and students. I saw good quality projects and I promised to them and to myself that I will go back again.

here a very nice video that describes the school activities and ambience, enjoy!

Volta BCN Design story - the electric motorcycle by Anima studio design & IED BCN

2011-12-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Volta Bcn is the 1st electric motorbike unveiled by Volta Motorbikes at EICMA last November born from the collaboration with the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) & the Design & Innovation studio Anima Barcelona.

Volta. The Project Volta Motorbikes is the new full electric motorbikes brand founded by Marc Barcelo, Industrial Engineer with a big experience in automotive field, with the main aim of creating environment friendly urban motorbikes without renouncing to brilliant performances & seductive design. (Source Cardesigncommunity.com)

Here the all article with lots of photos about the design story and also IED design school BCN students working on the project. Click: Volta design story!

Lincoln Continental rendering by Anthony Sims

2011-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

Anthony Sims is a car designer graduated from Art Center College of Design Pasadena in 2009, he is very talented just look at this Lincoln Continental interior rendering... This is just a very good rendering, however to see more projects from him I invite you to click:

Anthony Sims portfolio

Lancia Stratos by Julio Lozano

2011-11-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

This Lancia Stratos Concept is work of Julio Lozano a car designer from Spain, Julio did a great job on his illustration with a very professional approach. The rendering is respecting all good drawing and illustration basics, from perspective to warm and cool colors, from focal point to a punchy effect.

I invite you to check his portfolio on his blog click: Four Wheels

Credible Creativity and free style expression

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Creativity has to be credible or pure and free?

In school and at work the problem seems to be the same about the creativity level we should propose, in oher words should we sketch free and open or should we always remember that we are sketching a car?

I would say that we have probably two designers cathegories: designers that need to have strong references with the automotive world and designers that need simply to draw influenced by everything they see and like around.

We have those that sketch thinking how it coul be made their side fender and others that do not really care because are more focused on the overall result and the impact they can generate, Car Design is possible because both cathegories exist! Yes, both skills at the end of a normal process generate the real car.

To be creative is yhe most important thing for a talented designer, specially at the beginning of a career our creativity is very demanded. It all starts in design schools where in a given project faisability is less important then creative expression. This is correct because in school we learn how to know our creative limits, it is thanks to this discovery process that we understand how far we could go and what kind of talent we have.

When we become car designers and start working in a real automotive design studio we start again the same process: we work showing our creativity, at the same time we start learning how really a car design is conceived from sketches to final presentation model and this aspect starts giving us the cultural "experience" of designing a car.

Moving on with our career we become more mature and learn how to use better our creative skills, our technique background helps us to be real designers because we start understanding how a car is put together and how we should use our creativity to make a preatty and sexy car without problems. For example we can design a preatty and sexy car without encreasing its cost and reducing its quality.

During a designer professional life we will see pure and free creativity as well as more realistic and credible creativity , the process is made of very creative periods confronted to very realistic periods during which there are many problems to solve about cost/quality/timing. Often in a designers' team we have diferrent roles: thise that are "pure and free" and those that apply credible recipes to the project, it is both activities that make a car project a good one.

This aspect is valid also for your portfolios in which you should have higher rate of pure creative works and a smaller rate of more credible creative work.

In conclusion, it is extremely important to be pure and very creative as long as we are able to turn it into credible creativity.

Car drawing tutorial by Fabio Ferrante

2011-10-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Source Fabio Ferrante

Dear friends,

a new car drawing tutorial this time made by Fabio Ferrante from Italy. This is just the first step of nine and to discover the rest with the final result just click: Fabio Ferrante's drawing tutorial

Steve Jobs' lesson for us.

2011-10-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Steve Jobs' death left a big emptiness in all of us, Steve was a lot more than just a brilliant gadget creator or business strategy example to follow. Steve Jobs is a sort of idol for all people that dream to become one day like him, those that try to learn from him, from his seminar speeches. From what he has accomplished and the way he did it.

We will never forget « Stay hungry. Stay foolish ».

Passion, talent, fight hard and try again, work work work, don’t give up, check it again, quality, look for quality, have a strategy and apply it, check for details, be a manager do not follow, be in action stay awake, be a leader, think… use your hearth and after your brain.

What does it take to be like this? What does it take to behave for succeeding in life and be a main actor to change things in better? Of course many people can succeed in life, however only few have that extra something that makes the difference.

Car designers and students should follow Steve Job as an example because there are many aspects in common compared to Design mission and Car Design in particular. In the automotive design field we had several idols whom inspired many of us, in Italy Pinin, Giorgetto Giugiaro or Nuccio Bertone, and few others. Internationally recent times I can think easily of Chris Bangle or Patrick le Quement for the change they were able to make in very traditional automotive companies succeeding with their intents (new Design politics and business strategies with passion, professionalism and love).

In Car Design schools also we have few good examples. In my case Art Center College of Design performing, since its born, as a closed philosophical group founded on a specific Design philosophy & strategy, made of sacrifice, hard work, discipline, creativity, talent, mission, quality, management. Teachers like Harry Bradley, Strother McMinn, Ted Youngkin or Joe Farrer are still today great examples to follow for their lessons as human being and design professionals. I am sure that all of you have similar examples from your schools.

Steve Jobs' death has to help us to move on thinking about what we can still do in our small everyday life, what I am trying to say is that the best way to honor Job’s death is not going to buy next Apple gadget (even if it is worth doing it..) , the best way is thinking about his messages and thinking about us.

To « stay hungry and foolish » we have to give all ourselves for what we do with honesty, being humble, being correct, giving and helping. Most of all we do not have to loose the hope that we can make it too! To do so we have to sketch many times that perspective assignment because it is the only way to learn it, we do not have to get tired too quickly because the project needs the quality and if we have to redo a detail it is better if we do it again, at so on… ( I already wrote too many articles about portfolios and mistakes to avoid….)

Steve Jobs was also about things like this, if you read books about him you will discover a maniac of perfectionism, someone could not sleep if all details on his project where not well finished, Jobs was very demanding with himself and naturally with all people working for him…and everybody loved and still love him. That is how he built part of his success.

We should be very demanding with ourselves this is about « Stay hungry » or curious and never be happy with what you are doing because you think already about how to make it better. Our creativity should be expressed without psychological limits because we want to « Stay foolish » ,too.

It is thanks to « Stay foolish » that great ideas come to life Vs pre-ordered creativity which puts a cultural frame to ideas. Of course both qualities « Hungry & Foolish » will be key elements only if strategically managed as Steve Jobs did very well at Apple.

However it is also about cultures, Jobs was an American and what about us Europeans or Asians or Latinos? What about our cultural backgrounds? How much our History is negatively forcing us not to be « Foolish »?

My conclusion and suggestion to all young designers and students reading is: try to remember Steve Jobs for his lessons more than his Apple products, by learning his culture and strategy we might hope to get a little closer to him…in other words work your ass off with passion and professionalism!

Steve Jobs dies at 56 and the world looses one of the few best persons on earth

2011-10-06T01:53:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

today Steve Jobs died at the age of 56. Today is a very sad day we lost one of the few persons on earth that really dedicated his life to improve ours. Steve Jobs was a designer, inventor,creator,visionnaire to make life become easier, his objectif was what every designer should aim to do and realize. Design for improving everybodys life.

Since Jobs came back to Apple (incredible adventure started in a garage...) he made a real business revolution thanks to his vision and incredible intelligent electronique devices such as lap top computers, I-phones, I-pads and I-pods.

Our life changed in better, many everyday tasks became easier to accomplish, the art of communication radically changed, Jobs is a good example for many of us.

God blesses him!

Jobs in car design are difficult to find, some considerations before starting your career plan

2011-10-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

Car design sketch via Diseno-art.com

Dear friends,

many of you are writing to me asking for info on master Programs in Transportation Design. Many of you come from car design schools and engineering universities, many asking about their age to make sure it (the age) does not become the negative element to stop them from finding a job in car design (risk to be too old).

I often wrote about the importance of your age in order to arrive to the car design job market at the right age to avoid spending money and time with the big risk of failing at the end because of your age. Car design job market has a very specific age window for this type of job, it is between 23 and 28 years of age.

However, another element is making me think about you is that everybody seems to be worried about the age and not about their real "talent" to be a car designer.

It is good to have a strong will to finish engineering and then follow a master program in car design to finally make real a dream since you were a kid, however it is more important before doing so to make sure that you do have the talent to do so...to make such a choice which has a cost and some risks.

Now I want to remember you what my teacher told all of us at school on the very first day: "Remember that many of you will not find a job as car designer because there aren't many out there, competition is high and places to work very few". Since that day I understood that to become a car designer was going to be extremely hard and competitive!

This was in 1986 and today, after 25 years, situation is not changed much. It is true we have more design studios around the world but we also have many more design schools around as well...the effect is basically the same thing as 25 years ago.

What does this mean? It means that what it counts to get a job in car design is your talent and your determination to make it! Simple as that, you can have all the Masters from best schools around and be an excellent creative engineer...and you will not make it into car design cause your talent is not as extra as the young student of a normal design school working hard every day to make it for 4 long years.

So before choosing to follow a Master Program in Transportation Design please check with an expert, show your sketches, show what you do by yourself, get a feedback to be more confident about your career plans in car design.

Michelin Design Challange 2013

2011-09-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Michelin announced the new Design Challenge for 2013, the title this time is: " Half! Lightweight with a passion ". The objective is to create a lightweight family vehicle, registration will begin on 1st of October.

As consumers and governments push for dramatic gains in fuel efficiency, the automotive industry is looking to design and develop lightweight next-generation vehicles.
Designers create the inspirational forms that drive desire for vehicle ownership, but they will also contribute to lightweight vehicle development through materials choices and using the most effective manufacturing techniques. Successful design relies on closer cooperation between design, engineering, manufacturing and planning than ever before.
Participants are asked to explore lightweight vehicle development by designing a family vehicle capable of transporting between four and six people, meeting consumer demands for safety and comfort, usable on the current road infrastructure, and production feasible using materials, powertrain solutions, or manufacturing solutions that are in use today or in development for use in the foreseeable future...

Continue reading and discover all rules for registration clicking: Michelin Design Challenge 2013
Info via Carbodydesign.com

Book: Learning Curves by Allan Macdonald and Klara Sjölén

2011-09-26T03:29:00.000-07:00

Learning Curves is a new book that shows step by step how to draw and make a car project, lots of images of different steps to follow in order to learn and improve our skills.

In 177 pages Scania Trucks senior designer Allan Macdonald and studio engineer Klara Sjölén go through all the aspects involved in design sketching, presenting a rich collection of information, tips and inspiration, alternated with explicative sketches from 60 designers working in different fields, from automotive design to product and fashion design.

Starting from basics of drawing to important tips about complex renderings, great illustrations to demonstrate in a real clear way how to do!

To see this book description with lots of images just click: Learning Curves review

Info via Carbodydesign.com

Audi A2 Concept exterior sketches by Audi Design team

2011-09-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

The Audi A2 Concept sketches (Concept ready for Frankfurt) show good design and very good skills in sketching a car from basic proportions to details.
The light sections on the hood (center line) and on doors (side sections) help to understand the 3D development of this Concept, the body is fairly simple with cut by strong graphic fascias on the side to hide door handles and give a sense of continuity and fluidity to its design, the down part is a protective zone which graphicly makes the overall car very stable and well seated on the ground.

These elements are key factors to obtain a good proportioned car body and adding the light sections on body makes the sketch very believable. All details like front grille, logo and lights graphics plus the alluminum alloy wheel design give that artistic touch to the illustration and credibility at the same time. Last but not the least is the choice of bakground dividing the page in two parts with a black upper area and a medium dark lower area...this type of background is very appropiate for white color sketches enhancing the car and its dynamic design. In other words a real positive support to the car illustration.

I hope that all of you can try to copy this style to exercise your skills and learn a new way to render and represent your projects.

For all sketches interior and exterior click: Audi A2 Concept sketches

Line drawing is important tutorial by Jason White

2011-09-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

How a simple line drawing can become a great illustration like this one made by Jason White?
One of most interesting tutorials made by designer Jason White in his latest book "Old School Wiscom" is dedicated to the importance of a good line drawing.
This tutorial is all about it!

"If all the lines in a drawing are the same thickness, the drawing comes across as primitive and static. This drawing of the Apollo 11 modules is intended to illustrate the benefits of using different line weights in a drawing."

In other words we cannot pretend that it is enough to draw lines to make a shape in good perspective to obtain a good drawing and illustration...we do not have to forget that our drawing is always in perspective and to give that effect of depth we need to change the thickness of some lines according to the technical drawing rules. So the thicker lines are the border objects (basic shapes) ones and the lighter ones are the inner lines (like cut lines and graphic lines). In this tutorial it is very clear how and where to variate lines, so I suggest you to go check all images step by step of this excellent tutorial to understand and learn...start doing the same from today to your sketch technique to improve it and bring it to a professional level.

Click: Jason White's linedrawing tutorial.

Inkling by Wacom a great drawing tool for us!

2011-09-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Wacom just came out with its new technological drawing tool called Inkling.
Inkling is a new system to interact with a computer to use your sketches for anytype of use, it is a drawing device made of a digital pen with which yiu really sketch on paper and another element with wich you can transfer your drawing on your computer for further use (modifie your drawing , change colors, give effects and send it or whatever...)

To me Inkling can become the very first technological tool for all young design students, the reason is simple: Inkling makes you draw for real on paper!

In other words we often say that everybody runs on computer to use sophisticated softwares for special drawing and illustration effects...forgetting to take the time to learn how to draw correctly on paper. Now, thanks to this new system by Wacom, you will start drawing on paper before going to rework your drawing on your computer .

Lets monitor how Inkling will be appreciated...I believe very well!

Sketch Fighter Design Contest by Cardesigncommunity.com & SPD Milan school

2011-08-27T03:04:00.000-07:00

Cardesigncommunity.com in partnership with Scuola Politecnica di Design (Milano) launch International Sketch Fighter Contest for transport designers.

The competition is based on Cardesigncommunity standard: the participants have 1 hour to perform their task. The «Sketch Fighter SPD» will have 5 rounds with a final one which will identify the winner. On September, 9 all the works of the final round, which takes 24 hours, will be evaluated by SPD representatives.

The winner will take 100% educational grant in one of the best schools of design – Scuola Politecnica di Design (Milano), Master’s course, 2011/12. The participants who get the 2nd and 3rd places take 50% educational grant and 30% allowance for education.

For more infos click: Cardesigncommunity & SPD Milan design contest