Drawing Cars – Blown Dodge A-100!

Car Concept Drawings that’ll blow your mind!

This little Dodge A-100 has been the one piece of my work that gets me more emails, calls, letters and requests for re-prints than any other I’ve sketched. This car concept drawing’s just got that something that makes people grin, and everyone just seems to get it. It’s fun, it’s irreverent, it’s obnoxious… It sums up my earliest inspirations and daydreams in one bright orange, low-slung package, and looks like it just did something wrong… And, frankly, it doesn’t give a shit. It’s my inner child, street machine-style, hyped-up on orange soda and pizza.

I began drawing cars after a career move from cubicles to cubic off-road insanity. I was designing project cars and doing car concept drawings for clients at night and on weekends, and managing them during the day at that new job. My personal artwork was taking on a realistic appearance out of necessity, but the wild style within still wanted to play. One day in late 2006, I let it out in the form of this orange hued bit of my ID, now simply known in the studio as the A-Tona, which I sketched up for a Truckin’ Magazine Radical Renderings feature.

Recently, I went in a touched a few things up. Here’s a look at the original A-Tona car drawing for reference:

There were just a few minor details that were glossed over on the first go-round, due to excitement of getting it on paper, as well as squeezing in the sketch to make a magazine deadline. I never felt like it was finished at that point, and toyed with things like detailing, touching-up the reflections, and getting the stance perfect… not to mention those wild, concave wheels. This thing had to have them to portray that feeling of Hot Wheels car coming to life.

I set aside a few moments here and there over the past year, and just picked away, and decided to release a few prints into the world again. After all, it’s been good to me! This mighty little ass-hauling chunk of evil deserves to go back into circulation with some fitting dignity… Even if it chooses to muscle its way into my mind each day. You don’t argue with a big man carrying a baseball bat, and the A-Tona was not to be denied.

These will be limited to 150 pieces, and will be signed (I’ll personalize yours, if you’d like!), and retired once the last print hits the mail. I wanted to offer one on MyRideisMe.com because it’s been Craig’s site and friendship that have provided a ton of inspiration to me over the years, and what better place to let this thing run wild? The design and art are a part of me… very fitting, considering that MRIM is all about that connection between man and machine.

Thanks for reading along, and here’s hoping that you continually find that enjoyment and excitement in your life, and make the most of whatever it is that inspires you. And if you’re like me, and your imagination is running wild on the streets during your commute, look for me. I’ll be the guy in the wildly-raked, screaming yellow ‘Cuda with the fire bellowing out of the side pipes.  Give me a wave over at ProblemChildKustoms.com

Book Review: How to Design Cars Like a Pro

Famous Car Designers Say How it’s Done

Have you ever attended a manufacturers’ auto show and wondered what it takes to design a modern automobile? Then, Motorbooks’ new title “How to Design Cars Like a Pro”, written by Tony Lewin and Ryan Borroff, is for you.

This totally revised 2010 edition of the classic first released in 2003 takes you into the world of auto design. It includes interviews with top designers and top car makes such as Marek Reichman of Aston Martin and Adrian van Hooydonk of BMW. It also includes the design inspirations of such modern vehicles like the Chevrolet Camaro and the Volkswagen Scirocco. Find out what a typical week looks like for a designer by following chief designer at Land Rover, Oliver le Grice, as he goes about his week.

Motorburg Design Center at 41st NSRA Nats

Meet the Artists and Participate in the Working Studios!

Motorburg announced that it would be presenting a “Design Center” attraction at the 2010 N.S.R.A. Nationals in Louisville, KY – August 5th through the 8th.

Motorburg.com, the online resource for automotive designers, artists and enthusiasts, with an emphasis on rods & customs, will be heading up this uniquely entertaining venue.

Motorburg.com features art and design galleries by an associate group of some of the hottest artists and designers in the industry as well as a thriving Forum of international talent. Increasingly, it’s becoming the “go to place” for an ever-changing array of articles and tutorials for all who appreciate the form and function of the American style of custom built automobile.

Motorburg’s associate artist list reads like a “who’s who” of rod & custom art and design and includes: Darrell Mayabb – Thom Taylor – Jimmy Smith – C. Cruz – Greg Tedder – Ralph Burch – Brian Stupski – C. Smith… as well as CARtoon greats Nelson Dewey and Errol McCarthy. The Design Center gallery will display art by these associates as well as prints and portfolios by Motorburg’s talented forum members.

Additionally, the exhibit will display several rods and customs designed by the stylists, along with drawings and illustrations involved in the actual build.

The exhibit will feature the Charlie Smith designed 1941 Buick Centurion Roadster :

This 1986 design by C. Smith will be on display at the “Design Center”.

…a removable-top beauty built by the late Egon Necelis and still turning heads after more than twenty years “on the road”.

Of special interest will be the display of the “Invader” :

… America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in both 1967 & ‘68 and the subject of a Motorburg Forum design challenge.

You’ll also get to watch as artists work in the exhibit’s two design studios, in traditional and digital fashion. The public is invited to get up close and personal as the designers do their magic on paper and monitor.

So, stop by and “talk shop” with the artists, builders and industry guests at the “Motorburg Design Center”. They’re in space 1001 through 1003 at this year’s NSRA 41st Annual Street Rod Nationals August 5 – 8, 2010 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

* Join the Forum and read more about the Design Center HERE.

1320Designs – Hot Rod Concept Drawings

Drawing Cars with My Buddy Joel

This blog post is a long time coming.  We at MyRideisMe have shown off a number of talented hot rod artists.  Joel Nelson of 1320 Designs is most definitely on that list.  I mean, just dig these drawings below.   Asking Joel how he got into drawing cars, he said:

I got into drawing cars from watching The Dukes of Hazzard on prime time and Smokey and the Bandit. Thankfully CarTOONS was in full circulation too and that really put me over the edge! Then during the late 80′s and early 90′s, I really got into drawing Pro Street cars. Nothing was safe from becoming “pro street-ed”. You could make anything look nasty by dropping it and adding a set of big ‘n’ littles!  I like to work with markers and pastels mostly but have been known to do hand painted work in Photoshop too. Nothing beats pencil and paper though!

This first one is Joel’s latest and is our own Pikesan’s 1961 AMC Rambler Wagon gasser concept drawing.  You’ll be seeing more of this concept from Joel in the future as he fine tunes Pikesan’s ideas onto paper for his project Rambler.  Like a budget Chip Foose if you will, drawing Pikesan’s project car ideas, allowing him to visualize and try out different mods, looks, paint jobs, wheels, etc. I’m amazed at the skill involved to do drawings like this.

Why “Ameripan”?  Well, Rambler American Wagon + Japan sourced engine (aka Nissan Titan truck 5.6L V8).  “Ameri – pan”.

The ’61 Rambler wagon looks so right as a gasser, don’t you think?

On to some of Joel’s fine hot rod art…these were his favorites.

Joel says if he didn’t have his other projects and had a little more time/space, this is what he’d build.  I can see why!  Very cool and clean rod.  I dig the brown color with the white walls and bumperless frontend.

Joel drew this ’66 ‘Burban for friend and fellow MyRideisMe.com member, Mr. Freeze.  He says these are 20″ Boss 338 wheels.  Shows great detail on the wheels with the chrome lip and gray centers.  The orange and white creamsicle 2-tone paint scheme flows nicely with this body style.

I personally love these 60′s GM short bed hot rod trucks.  This “Chebbie” is drawn more as a Custom with the black scallops, mini white walls on chrome Astro Supreme wheels.  Notice the ride height of all these rides.  Just hugging the ground. That’s the way Erock, another MyRideisMe.com member likes it!

Dig this funky Ford Econoline pickup. It was no small task to bag the stock suspension.  The rear meats almost look pro-street.  I love the detail in the pug-nose grille and headlights.  Stance and wheels can make anything look rad.  Even check out the decal in the rear glass.  You gotta stare at these renderings by Joel, there’s all kinds of details. This one’s also buddy Erock’s ride.

I love these old fenderless hot rods.  This is a 1936 International Harvester, an old friend of Joel’s built this.  Thanks to Facebook, they are back in touch after 20 years.  Check those Rallye wheels.  Check the weather and rusted paint details and aluminum fuel tank in the bed.

Now, I think I personally prefer the hand sketched/drawn hot rods with pencils, markers and pastels, but I have A LOT of respect for the skill to do digital renderings.  Joel says on his website that a buddy used to own a ’78 Ranchero.  If Joel got a hold of one, this is how he’d do it up.  Cool retro paint scheme and big Keystone mags.  Digital allows you to do beyond real reflections and shine.  Boom!  That’s wild!

Well, this was just a taste of Joel Nelson’s skills.  Hit him up with your project ideas or just go check out his other work on his website which also includes pinstriping.  Ya, he has some radical pinstriping skills too!  Lucky!!!

1320 Designs Blog

Thanks Joel for sharing your art with us.  Can’t wait to see the progress of Craig’s Rambler Gasser in the future.

6 Basic Steps to Drawing Hot Rods

Words and Drawings by Ryan Hadden

See more at thehaddenhotrodshop.blogspot.com

I am no Chip Foose, but I do like to draw cars. I have no formal education in drawing automobiles, but I did leave some killer renderings in the back of a few school books when I was younger! I hope that this quick tutorial will help you to do something a lot of guys / gals fear they cannot do.

A few “tools of the trade”. This is a shot of some of the tools I have collected over the years while drawing. Included in this photo are markers, colored pencils, pastels, a metal ruler ( I prefer them over wood or plastic), ball point pens, and erasers. Art supplies are expensive. If you are just starting out don’t let a trip to the local hobby shop scare you. Honestly all you really need to begin drawing is no more than a pencil, paper, and a good drawing surface.

It is also helpful to have reference material. This can include magazines, books, posters, photographs, internet (including websites like myrideisme.com, haha, thanks for the plug Ryan!), or 1:1 subject matter (aka the real thing). Here is a small sampling of my printed reference material.

Step 1:  Start off with a really loose sketch of your subject. Go wild and add-in anything you think you may want in the finished piece. Our subject in this short tutorial will be the Scion Chris Hecht (hechtspeed) has had bouncing around in his melon for several months now. Our goal will be to get his ideas down on paper before he shells out the bones on completing the car.

Step 2:  After I have all the ideas thrown out I like to come back and use the previous sketch to make a tightened up line drawing that will be the basis of the finished piece. As you can see we have narrowed down where the final rendering is headed.

Step 3:  I’m going to start this sketch with the roof. Chris wanted a white Scion with a red metal flake roof ( a first time task for me). I blocked in the darkest areas with marker and then faded into the center with pastel and pencil.

Step 4:  I am now going to block in the darks (tires, shadows, and reflections) with a black marker. I have also added in the Moon discs at this point.

Step 5:  Now I have started to add a little more detail. I have started to bring in headlights, shadows on the body, more definition to the shadows and highlights in the windows, and some foreground. This was all done in pencils and pastels.

Step 6:  Added the last of our details and sign the work.  Note: The door art and door handles were actually added after Chris saw the previous version of the drawing.  Door handles since he is a family man and the door art well… just ’cause he digs it! And that is why a concept drawing is a useful tool in any build. It allows you to see an idea before you commit to it only to later find out it just doesn’t work for you.
This is a very simplified tutorial, but it gives you the basics to start your own concept work for yours or your buddies next build.

Dig other blogs about Ryan and his hot rod sketches

Haddens Hot Rod Drawings

5 Steps For Painting Vintage Hot Rod Door Art

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