Planing on Becoming a Car Designer. Accepted into College!

[iName]

The goal is there, and I feel I can really do it. I plan on going to college for vehicle design, but I need to start building a portfolio.

Fast.

Help me out here. Give me a brand and vehicle type. An example would be "Ford - New FR sportscar".

Critique every bit of the drawing, and help me chose what to put in the portfolio.

Spoiler: Basic Sketches

 

[BKGlover]

Sports cars and Supercars are great fun to think about, but you'll likely need some variety. Also, if those are rough drafts you're already off to a good start. I envy your skill.

How about...FF Chrysler sub-compact?

 

[iName]

Sports cars and Supercars are great fun to think about, but you'll likely need some variety. Also, if those are rough drafts you're already off to a good start. I envy your skill.

How about...FF Chrysler sub-compact?

Just the kind of thing I was hoping for.

Practice makes perfect...

Critique literally anything, but don't look at the one on the right The hoodline derailed toward the end, but it's pen; what's done is done.

At some point I'll hit "the one". One thing to note: I've noticed that the angle of the camera can greatly alter the look of the drawing. In person it may look prettier.

 

[05XR8]

Variety is good. I submitted a future Mustang, a large 4x4 and a sedan(similar to these with way more detail in pencil. Forgive the crudeness), in my architecture portfolio back in '89. I also brought my sketch books of everything and anything.

I came across some good car design books back then. YouTube have plenty tutorials. From learning to draw wheels to full render presentations.

I believe there are some designers and pretty dang good tablet artists here, in the gtplanet community. Hopefully they can aid you in your portfolio.

Go for it. Just keep drawing! 👍

 

[Castrol96]

Been making a portfolio for a few years now. I'll show some of my work.


Here's a example of a Freehand drawing

Spoiler: F

CG Modelling and Rendering.

Nismo GT-R Z-Tune

Self-designed. The design is very generic by today's standards, working on a new one.

I've dreamed about being a Car Designer for many years. I thought about using two ways from designing cars from paper and later modelling that car. I though about this a few years back and felt impossible, now I design and virtually craft. I have designs on the new Supra and R36 which I'll upload sometime.

Try designing something like a MR2. Observe designs and think of way to make them fit in the modern era.

 

[BKGlover]

Spoiler: No offense intended, pure jealousy within

I despise you all. Y'all can do this, I manage to screw up stick figures.

OK, better now.

Try designing something like a MR2. Observe designs and think of way to make them fit in the modern era.

@iName I've got a challenge based on this then...two actually. #1: Design the first truly new DeLorean in 35+ years; or #2: A creation that is inspired by pre-WWII cars...basically, how Daimler-Chrysler SHOULD have built the Prowler.

 

[iName]

I'll get to work on those suggestions! I'm glad to see that it isn't impossible. Been drawing cars my whole life, so after months and months of soul searching, I decided to just go with my gut and fight for it. My only grey area is CAD-related stuff. There's a growing market for it, but I'm sure if I end up at a college they will have at least one course on it.

 

[iName]

Math class was slow today, so I started drawing, and one drawing finally clicked.

@BKGlover suggested a re-designed prowler.

The rear end gets wacky, but the front is about 80% nailed. It's a pushrod suspension, just gotta fine tune the drawing of it.

 

[BKGlover]

@iName that's a great start for sure. The headlights are always gonna be a pain, but even with a solid front bumper that looks evil, and I love it.

 

[eran0004]

I suggest that you study perspective and practice drawing ellipses, because those are key to making your drawings look realistic. Now you're basically drawing by free hand, right? You should try constructing the perspective first, to get the proportions right.

 

[xyloscissor]

Keep all your work and never be ashamed to show it. Perfecting a craft takes a lifetime of dedication, hard work, and enjoyment 👍

 

[Castrol96]

I have a few Car Designers as Friends on IG.

Plus I'll keep in touch with this thread.

 

[iName]

Haven't forgotten, I'll get to the MR2 and DeLorean

I've been studying the fundamentals, and in general taking it down a notch. It's like learning to shred on guitar; gotta go slow before you can go fast.

I feel it paying off, and after a couple sketches, I may have stumbled upon a future portfolio contender.

Gonna have to polish this up, but I really like the front end. Design may look a bit dated, maybe pre-2010 looking... if that's considered dated nowadays.

 

[Terronium-12]

I like the idea of this thread, and I've got one for you: Cadillac - Supercar.

What I'm thinking of in particular is a redesign of the Cien, but the extent to which you do so is entirely up to you.

 

[iName]

I feel myself getting better with every drawing. It's been duds for a while, with the occasional "woah" when I get a design that looks right. Recently, duds have become less common. I'm slowly inching my way to the level where you can hand me a pen and paper, and I'll nail a sketch first try. Like this:

It's far from the prettiest thing I've ever drawn, but I drew that in less than two minutes. That's a huge improvement compared to a couple weeks ago.

With the suggestions, the MR2 and DeLorean still got me stumped, but I find them a good challenge. The Cadillac, however, was much easier for me to design. Cadillacs have sharp edges, so basically grab a ruler and go nuts.

I'll get a 3/4 view sometime.

I'm also experimenting with color. I don't have any good markers, and my art class doesn't have those Copic markers that are used in renders. Color pencils with have to do (good for learning fundamentals).


Side view:

I also noticed that the car looks a bit too stubby.

And with that Aston-Maserati looking car:

Here I really started to figure out how you can manipulate the shape of the car purely by color. I also learned the importance of a good sketch. This drawing has issues, and those issues can be augmented once color is added into the equation.

I need a solid sketch before I can render.... noted

Next up might be the DeLorean. Got an idea for it. Toyota's current designs are really out there, so making my MR2 look like a Toyota is pretty challenging.

 

[Castrol96]

I feel myself getting better with every drawing. It's been duds for a while, with the occasional "woah" when I get a design that looks right. Recently, duds have become less common. I'm slowly inching my way to the level where you can hand me a pen and paper, and I'll nail a sketch first try. Like this:
View attachment 629616
It's far from the prettiest thing I've ever drawn, but I drew that in less than two minutes. That's a huge improvement compared to a couple weeks ago.

With the suggestions, the MR2 and DeLorean still got me stumped, but I find them a good challenge. The Cadillac, however, was much easier for me to design. Cadillacs have sharp edges, so basically grab a ruler and go nuts.
View attachment 629617
I'll get a 3/4 view sometime.

I'm also experimenting with color. I don't have any good markers, and my art class doesn't have those Copic markers that are used in renders. Color pencils with have to do (good for learning fundamentals).


Side view:
View attachment 629618

I also noticed that the car looks a bit too stubby.

And with that Aston-Maserati looking car:
View attachment 629619

Here I really started to figure out how you can manipulate the shape of the car purely by color. I also learned the importance of a good sketch. This drawing has issues, and those issues can be augmented once color is added into the equation.

I need a solid sketch before I can render.... noted

Next up might be the DeLorean. Got an idea for it. Toyota's current designs are really out there, so making my MR2 look like a Toyota is pretty challenging.

The first one reminds me of the new Ford GT.

Second car looks great. Nicely colored too.

Third car looks good, although you could add a few more design elements to the side.

 

[AOS-]

Here's something about car design....

Unless your ideas are way up there, your execution and presentation skills are so good you can make anything look sexy and believable, AND the kind of stuff clients want to see, you could very well much be stuck designing only a part of the car... you could be spending your days just drawing only tail lights... or only the front bumper... or the side mirrors...

Well that's the most depressing part of it.

Source: I took Industrial Design originally with the intent on being an automotive designer: peers sharing stories from their connections, and what a professor laid on me.


On the flip side, if you do have refreshingly new ideas, and have developed a practice on how to generate ideas, you could be able to be designing fictional cars.


IMHO, that should be the first thing you want to think about.

If you want to get ahead of the game quickly, I'd start practicing how to make CAD models right now. Don't put your hopes on the one CAD course in post-secondary. It's not going to make you proficient at it. Intro classes are designed to teach someone who has absolutely no idea how to even use the program. If you have a car design scribbled down on paper and you have laid down how the car's form comes together (like... every detail), then start trying to use any CAD program you have access to. The idea you have is what will drive you to discover the tools available, and you will get exposure to all the weird and quirky things a CAD program does and how you communicate with it to do what you want.

Aside from learning CAD, I'd be sketching everyday. Everyday. Everyday, sketch a car, try out new things. Prioritize getting your proportions correct over anything. Your drawing isn't going to look any better if the car doesn't look right. Worry less about dressing it up to look nice until you've gotten better with your shapes. One immediate example I can tell you that makes a drawing look amateur immediately is the lack of proper ellipses. I've drawn cars when I was a kid all the way up to mid-university, and whenever I look back at those drawing and see those fenders don't look round, it really puts me off.

Find particular shapes or angles you have trouble drawing or visualizing on paper, and work on that.






To critique what you have currently presented:

1) Get those ellipses down.
2) Try to reduce the amount of short strokes. Get in the habit of making use of your entire arm to move rather than sitting on your wrist. Of course there will be times where pivoting the wrist is perfect for a particular line, but you'll know when you should and shouldn't in time.
3) To add on #2, get comfortable with moving your arm, and commit to your lines with more confidence. As a sketch, worry less about messy work. Focus on getting the right line in one stroke. As you get more comfortable , you can start to produce cleaner work with less lines.
4) Look up examples of drawing you think are extremely well done in conveying what the car looks like, and ask yourself what they did to achieve that. You can incorporate their techniques into your practice.

 

[iName]

Been only three months, but it feels like a year. Been a bit on the inactive side of things on here, but I haven't given up. Some recent events have been keeping me on edge, such as the errands you go through after graduation, and how you only have one chance to get them done (learned that pretty quickly). Also moved from Hawaii to Maryland, and that was as easy as it sounds... All that said, my college app only needs a portfolio, then it can be sent. I decided on Lawrence Technological University, as it's the closest and cheapest. No plan B college, this or military.

But everything still seems to be okay, aside from one thing - in the process of packing, some of the artwork (big ones) I had got boxed up. Idiot me didn't think of this, so now it's either wait until the end of July to get them back, or try to build back the good part my portfolio in one month with limited supplies. With college housing deadline being July 18th, I'd say I have until two weeks prior to make up for the lost work. With one pencil, couple sheets of xerox paper and a thick book to draw on, I guess it's do or die if I want college before Spring semester (which is vital - long explanation why). Hell, I don't even have an eraser yet.
Side question - I do have pictures of the work, but they aren't really 'good' pictures. Looks like the type you send to friends with it being in the center and of bunch of stuff in background. Would that be good enough?

It seems dire, but I'm used to these types of situations, as I'm sort person that does this stuff to myself . Spirits took a beating, but some quotes from here continue to keep my head in the game.

Unless your ideas are way up there, your execution and presentation skills are so good you can make anything look sexy and believable, AND the kind of stuff clients want to see, you could very well much be stuck designing only a part of the car... you could be spending your days just drawing only tail lights... or only the front bumper... or the side mirrors...

On the flip side, if you do have refreshingly new ideas, and have developed a practice on how to generate ideas, you could be able to be designing fictional cars.

Everyday. Everyday, sketch a car, try out new things

Sports cars and Supercars are great fun to think about, but you'll likely need some variety. Also, if those are rough drafts you're already off to a good start.

Variety is good. I submitted a future Mustang, a large 4x4 and a sedan(similar to these with way more detail in pencil. Forgive the crudeness), in my architecture portfolio back in '89.

I believe there are some designers and pretty dang good tablet artists here, in the gtplanet community. Hopefully they can aid you in your portfolio. Go for it. Just keep drawing! 👍

Try designing something like a MR2.

Haven't yet

#1: Design the first truly new DeLorean in 35+ years

Haven't yet

You should try constructing the perspective first, to get the proportions right.

Keep all your work and never be ashamed to show it. Perfecting a craft takes a lifetime of dedication, hard work, and enjoyment 👍

Third car looks good, although you could add a few more design elements to the side.

I was expecting some "Looks good" and "Cool" type of responses, and even then maybe one or two, but I got this many responses and this much support and it blew me away. I'm not used to this. This is one hell of a community.

----------

Focusing on task at hand, after a bunch of throwaway sketches, my stack of xerox paper is starting to go thin. I decided to stop my style of "draw fast and hope for the best", and start to actually think about the drawing a little bit more. It has resulted in this:


Sort of a Jeep

Sort a Caddy

I've since practiced eclipses, perspective lines, and in general trying new ideas. My currents issues that have shown to be consistent, is angle of bottom line of front following perspective (see Jeep) and where to end the front view (see circle on Jeep). When the car is boxy, the latter is augmented. Another reoccurring issue is how big the wheels are in relation to the body. I feel as if I almost nailed it with the jeep,but you can see with the Cadillac that it got a bit out-of-hand in the front. I've realized that this is either correct first go around, or you re-draw the whole car to get it right. Currently working to sort these problems out.

That's it for now, so far it's still been a steady incline in regards to ability. I'm at the point where instead of ten burner sketches before a good one, it's one or two sketches until I get a good one. Muuuuch less stressful now.

 

[AOS-]

Foreshortening is always a challenge. Sometimes it will help you get a solid image of it if you draw it at a different angle where you can convey the forms more easily and then go back to the tricky angle.

 

[iName]

I haven't gotten along with Copic markers, mostly with the precision and line commitment needed.

That's my best of three attempts so far. Trust me, you don't want to see the first two

After realizing the learning was even more steep than I had anticipated, I decided to go grass roots with my rendering. To my amazement, it turned out pretty damn good.

Wanted to get that picture before give the wheels a shot, history has shown that to be my weak area. My shading still has the problems of contrast that have plagued my drawings since middle school, and by that I mean I only have 3 shade values throughout.

After the wheels get drawn, I'll tighten up some lines and erase the typical smudging around the paper. Other than that, I believe this will be going in my portfolio. I am genuinely proud of that car.

 

[iName]

So a couple weeks ago I had finally submitted a portfolio. It took me three days straight of drawing to finally get my last piece.

Spoiler: Portfolio

My portfolio was accepted a couple days later, and the next week I was fully accepted in Lawrence Tech. Right now I got about 17 days until I head to Detroit.

Just wanted to thank you guys for helping me on this, it has been an extremely intense year for me. Graduated, moved halfway across the world, and now I'm on my way to achieving my childhood dream. I still can't believe it, there has been so much anxiety that it feels weird not having it

January:


July:


Thank you guys.