A few renderings done in Illustrator to evaluate paint options and minor body modifications. Still a work in progress so I left the details to a minimum until final lines are set.1953 Studebaker Champion
I wanted to retain the classic European inspired lines of the car while giving it a HotRod edge. Left, is the final design with the color options following.
Website/Presentation front end Project
The gauges below where done for a local custom shop here in southern California. The concept was to have their website look and nearly function as would the dash of a car. Including, a "start button" ignition, as well as functioning gauges that could be interactive. In addition they wanted the same look applied to a presentation template. I essence, asking PowerPoint to function more like a flash website than a standard click-through presentation. Combining on-screen presentation work and cool cars, yeah I was all to happy to help!
"Shifty6" Project
The customer wanted to modify his 96 1500 chevy pickup. As you might well imagine not exactly what I usually dream of starting with as a designer of as a fabricator. The 90's were just well, a bad and boring time for automotive design. Anyways, the concept was to mildly modify the truck with elements from a 56 BelAir. I suppose it figured if you really want to make a mid-ninties truck cool it might need more than just a set of tailights and some trim.
I started with a blackline drawing to get the overall shapes where I wanted them. The front "bumperettes" are functional intakes for the engine. As you can see the rocket age torpedos of the original have been replaced with venturi style inlets.
The first version was done in a copper pearl at the customers request. At this point no revisions had been made to the body from the first drawing. Also since wheels still hadn't been chosen the Foose's kept their place.
A 57 version was done as well at the customers request. But in the end the 56 style prevailed. I was happy with this coice. I felt like the 57 stlye was a little too iconic and gave the truck more of a copycat look rather than letting it stand on it's own design.
The majority of the design and fabrication work was on the rear of the truck. As you can see from the rendering subtle 56 style fins have been added as well as reshaping the tailgate to pick up styling cues from the Nomad. Also the customer changed his mind on color to a deep red feeling that the copper was a bit too flashy.
When the project was brought to me the interior upholstery had already been not only designed but actually built. It was at that point a basic recover using the original truck components wrapped in a tan leather. I felt that to carry the theme and design through a new interior design would be needed. The customer was hesitant to start over on the interior but he agreed that if I could "whip" something up quick for him to see he would conceed the point. I did this quick render to show him what I had in mind and he agreed tan leather door cards from a 90's era truck simply wouldnt look right.
Automotive Illustrations
The difference, for me anyways, is that illustrations are just for the fun of drawing or sketching. Where as renderings are vehicles that I am actually building. I personally prefer the loose hand drawn style of the illustrations. You dont really have to take fabrication or engineering into account. You just draw what you want to at the moment.
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| I am pretty sure that if one vehicle is required of any designer it would have to be the "Duece." This sketch was really more about getting back into the habit of illustration than the design of the car itself. I have plans to revisit the 32' again soon from a more era correct approach. |
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49 Merc hand sketch I did a while back.
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| More variations on the 49 theme |
Braun Color Studies
Color studies to evaluate potential end user assumptions of the product. For example does yellow make the product feel more sports oriented.
