Are cars quite technical to draw?
Cars are quite complex objects to draw, and learning how to draw them takes lots
of practice. They have specific lines, shapes, and rules that apply to them. There are
many different profiles and many subtle curves. The early Jaguars have very subtle,
smooth-flowing curves, whereas your modern Cadillacs have very sharp ‘angular’
lines. There are lots of different angles and shapes to pull together to get cars looking
right.
You also have the whole thing of wheels. This is probably the biggest stumbling
block for most people. Getting the wheels right at their correct angles and getting
the ellipses right are critical and are actually quite a challenge.
Adding to their complexity are the reflections you need to bring in – different
surfaces like glass; being able to see through the glass; replicating the high-gloss paint
finishes, metallic paint, and chrome; dealing with reflectors and headlights – all these
different influences. There are quite a lot of different textures, shapes, and elements
to be dealt with in drawing cars. This is what makes them complex.
Do I have to add a lot of detail to my drawings?
Adding detail depends on what you are setting out to achieve. You can add as much
or as little detail as you like. A quick sketch showing overall form and flavor needs
little detail, whereas a technical illustration – where every detail on the car needs to
be shown – needs lots of detail. Drawing a hot rod with an open engine and lots of
chrome needs lots of detail. Drawing a car with a very smooth, clean surface like a
Porsche needs less detail.
If you like the challenge of adding in a lot of detail and if that is what you are into,
then go for it. Other people like to go for more of an impressionist type (Figure 9)
of approach by doing an atmospheric-type drawing or giving a flavor of the shape,
reflection, or form, which does not actually require too much detail at all. Therefore,
it is really up to the individual whether they want to add a lot of detail or to stop at
something light.
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| Fig 9 |
Following are two illustrations that highlight the different levels of detail. One
is of a cutaway, which includes a lot of detail. This uses a technique similar to a
technical illustration approach, where a lot of detail is shown and defined. The
other is a very simple sketch with a basic outline shape – maybe a headlight graphic,
a grille graphic, the position of the wheels – and that is about it. It is more of an
atmospheric type or an impressionist type drawing.
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| Fig 10 |
The cutaway in Figure 10 is a very technical illustration. It started as a cross sectional
on the drawing board with lots of technical details and that print was rendered up.
There was an effort to show as much detail of the suspension, engine, and gearbox as
possible.
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| Fig 11 |
Plymouth Barracuda., so let’s just call it a Cuda. The drawing of the Cuda appears
like quite an elaborate drawing with the use of the markers and the use of color and
highlights, but if you get in closely and look at the actual drawn detail, it is quite
light on. There is not a lot of detail in the grille. There is actually not a lot of detail
like badging and fine detail in the bodywork. The shape and form is described more
through the use of color, as well as some appropriately placed highlights and little
splashes of wet paint, than the use of line drawing. It is a drawing that is very quick
and very loose and probably took under an hour to do. The use of color and the
placement of highlights and lowlights are what bring out the form. So it is not too
detailed, but it appears as though it is.
Will previous drawing experience be of benefit in drawing
cars?
Previous experience always helps. Practice always helps too, but you know you have
to start somewhere. Everyone has drawn his or her first car at some stage, so if you
have never drawn a car before, you know you need to start somewhere. Here is a
good place to start. If you have been drawing for years, you will know that every
time you draw a car, you learn something new. When you get that little bit of extra
practice in, the next time you draw a car, you know something else about it – such as
what to avoid or what else to try.
I have no drawing experience, but can I learn to draw
cars?
As previously mentioned, anyone can learn with practice and interest. You have to be
interested in it. If not, you are not going to want to do it so there is no real point in
attempting. But certainly, if you have never drawn a car and you are interested, you
can learn how to draw cars. Constant practice, though, helps you become good at it
eventually.
Take a look at the series of drawings that I have done throughout the years of my
life. I think that the first one was done when I was about 7 or 8, and the next one
again about 8 or 9 through age 12, up to the 40 Ford delivery van I did when I was
about 14. At around this time, I was starting to learn about tone and color – adding
tone and shading. I think I learned this from my big brother. He was a pioneer and I
was always following in his steps.
At age 15, I learned how to do chrome and also started doing my own little
designs, drawing a big turbo V8, for instance, with little wire front wheels. By age
16 I learned to use new mediums such as watercolor, and it’s apparent that the
shading, the drawing of the wheels, and other techniques were becoming a bit more
competent. So, as you can see, I have been drawing cars all my life. I also went
through a phase when everything I was drawing was trucks. Back then, I tried to
finish exams early so that I could draw cars during the time that was left of the exam.
It involves a lifetime of development, as it’s all about practice…and more practice.
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