The Traditionally Non-Traditional Hot Rod

 

I know what it looks like- "Hey arent you just using the same content from IG and FB here?". Technically yes, but also no. What I've learned from my years as an artist on social media is that I basically have to do the abbreviated version of everything on those platforms. Two sentences explaining why what I do should hold your attention is quite difficult, especially every day the way I do it. And pieces take hours and sometimes days, yet Im still to try to fit it all in to this minimalist typed space because well, people dont social media to read long posts. At least not on my posts, as I've found. So that brings be back to the beginning here- part of what I had loved about writing blog posts years ago here was that I could be as long format as I want, share photos, videos, links, prints, paintings... pretty much anything without feeling constrained. In fact, some of the best things I was writing 10+ years ago was right here, long before I joined the IG and FB. Ahhh it was a different time. A simpler time. In truth, I loove to write long posts over explaining things and sharing more of who I am comes with a lot more words. 

Maybe now I can finally get around to the actual post here- the artwork it self. This drawing is from 2016, and is one of my favorite pieces of content to share on social media almost purely because of the style. A loose sketch done using a Blue Erasable Prismacolor pencil followed by marker tones done using Chartpak markers, a little airbrushing courtesy of an Iwata with Golden Fluid Acrylic paints, and final details done using White Acrylic Paint for highlights. What I like about this drawing is that it is incredibly simple, but also thorough enough to show the hot rod idea I had at the time. And even being a 4 year old drawing, to me it still holds up. Some of my paintings from last year dont age as well as this has. But that's the simplicity of sketching- ideas dont have to be the full story, they are more suggestive. In fact, the more you leave to the imagination, the better (up to a point). When I'm drawing/painting, im often trying to figure out what to leave out, not how to add more in and just make noise. Simplify Simplify Simplify. That doesn't mean dont add details, that means add details where it matters. Sure, a more fully realized painting is going to have more details, and it should. But a concept sketch should leave some room to move forward with. Even here I probably got a little carried away and in truth I often do. At the very least if I start really simple it's much easier to ramp up then starting with so much detail that it's overwhelming to keep going and it can just feel like it's endless. 

Well that's my ramblings for the day on this one. Already super excited to rediscover there's a place on Ocean Avenue... oh wait that's a song. What I meant was there's a home for all my wordage that I never get to use anywhere else. Doesn't even matter if no one sees this, Im still glad to be able to do it anyways. Admittedly if more people did see it it does make it easier to keep at it, so there's that. Also if you made it this far and are even remotely interested in a signed and numbered print of this particular piece they are available right here: https://www.pinstripechris.com/store/Traditionally-NonTraditional-Hot-Rod-p90495235

Have a good one!

#carsketch #cardesign #drawing #sketching #hotrod #concept #sketch #rendering #hotrods #markerrendering #designstudio #creative #process #carart #industrialdesign 

Quick Sketch & Render to start the day; Dodge Viper

Quick sketch & render to start the day here of what a Dodge Viper might look like in a parallel universe. This is also a good example of why I think versatility is very important; With the amount of tools available now it seems unwise to limit yourself to only those tools you understand best. Branch out, try new things, try new mediums, and make mistakes- it's all part of learning. I think there's a lot of misconception about staying true to a medium, technique or style and this is part of what limits some people from doing more then what people already recognize of them. I think medium and technique changes are a fantastic display of knowledge, and in the design & render world versatility is really important right now. I work with a number of builders that prefer a digital platform for their renderings to give some design flexibility and space to make changes more easily. I also work with lots of builders who prefer a hand drawn traditional illustration- it's all personal preference, but if you havent opened your mind to the idea that you can offer your services in a variety of ways, wake up! When I do my digital renderings I am using a Wacom Cintiq which allows me to use a pen directly on to the screen where I select marker & airbrush tools to create artwork that very much has the look and feel of what I would do on paper. The bigger advantage at times is complete range of colors (im not limited to what markers are available) and no dry times so I can put in a dynamic, saturated background to enhance the concept with no apprehension. With that said, the digital platform isnt yet my go-to, even tho I do it regularly when jobs call for it. But as the technology improves I will likely get more involved with it to keep up with the times and because I love learning new things.

Okay I'm done ranting- just remember to try new things and dont be discouraged if you dont get it on the 1st try! 

2013 Camaro Sketch & Render

Working on a quick render this morning of the 2013 Camaro Convertible sketch I posted last week. Since I sorted out quite a bit in my initial sketch, the final render went much faster as I already knew where to place everything. Although it seemed like I spent a little more time then usual doing some basic shading on the blue pencil sketch (which I rarely do), it saved me any time I would have spent thinking about how I was going to light & shade my final render. It's just like picking out all the markers, paints and tools I'm going to use before I get started- now I have everything I need to move forward 1 time, which is ultimately the biggest time saver. As far as lighting & shading goes, I always create what I call my own "Lighting Model" to simplify the shapes & contours in the render rather then complicate them with unnecessary reflection 'noise' that you might see in a lot of photographs. The lessons here, Less= More, and planning saves time. And of course, always have fun, and never stop learning.

Enjoy!

Dodge Magnum Srt8 For #TBT

For #TBT here's form that one time I did a Magnum SRT8 rendering- a lot of education happened during the process of this one. Markers/Airbrush/Acrylic/Pencil on Marker Paper