Green Toaster's Car Sketches
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Thanks - I'm finding I can knock one of these out in maybe 15 or 20 minutes, no problem. When I start adding all the details, moving beyond a simple "body shape", I find myself spending about an hour - edges for doors, windows, hood, trunk, scoops, lights, windshield wipers, mirrors, et cetera. Then, assigning materials & setting up lighting - I currently need at least another 20 to 30 minutes to setup a KT rendering. This puts the total time around 90 minutes - am I doing something wrong? This doesn't even include the "realistic" looking details that the pro's do. How long does it take them to do a "photo realistic" car - anyone have a clue?
In school, working towards my Industrial Design degree, I really enjoyed idea-generation sketching. Today, I'm finally at a point where I can begin using SketchUp for the same purpose, making simple body shapes for cars. Sure, I still have a long way to go, but I'm totally diggin' it, thanks to everyone here.
Happy Sketching,
Brad
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Something to end my work day with . . . now the real fun begins . . .
Happy Sketching,
Brad
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LOL! They didn't get the color right though, eh?
Visually, that Scion is strange in some areas while very pleasing areas in others. I like it.
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I'm NOT speaking from a lot of experience here, but I think there are two separate but related skills.
One is car design. That's a challenge whether you are using a pencil, a computer, modeling clay or sheet metal. Another challenge is getting SketchUp to produce what is in your mind's eye.
If I were trying to learn to be a car designer, I would spend some of my time sketching interesting off the wall ideas and part of my time trying to duplicate high quality designs for real cars which already exist. Working from plastic models using a caliper might be a way to go. I learned a lot by trying to duplicate my wrist-watch in excruciating detail.
I think that combining those skills help you make it possible to express what is in your mind.
My thoughts - any others are valid.
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Another 5 minute sketch . . . and just so nobody gets the wrong idea, I loathe mini vans . . .
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It's Saturday and this is the only thing I could get done so far today . . . a 10 minute unfinished quicky . . .
. . . anybody wanna come over & cut my grass & change my oil . . . ?
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Words of wisdom - thanks TIG. One of my college photography instructors said that if you're really trying and you know what you're doing, out of 100 photographs, maybe you can expect one or two to be really good. I tell my students that once you really know how to use the s/w it becomes like a language - when you express your thoughts, you don't have to figure out what words to use - when you're great with CAD, you can model geometry to reflect the ideas that come into your head.
Having said this - I'm convinced nothing will replace the writing instrument and paper - hand-generated sketching is something I'll always enjoy.
I managed to get a wee bit more done with this one . . . I like a few of the lines, others are downright awful . . . I'm just now getting to the point where I'm able to tweak the shapes much easier and I'm actually starting to end up with the shapes that pop into in my head . . . I don't mind ripping stuff out and replacing with something different . . . I feel like I'm in the process of turning a corner with a gigantic radius . . . still having more fun than frustration . . . that's the goal, right?
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What a great thread this has become for me GreenToaster.
Reading it when I first joined and following it as it continues. I’m a newbie here now
but I tried SketchUp when it was a 19 MB dnldand liked it. I didn’t do much with
it back then because of the many “no organic shapes”comments. Your Pickup Truck
others have developed is so exciting to see.I must say your tut mentioned on page 12 of this thread was truly a SketchUp changing
moment for me. http://www.sketchucation.com/forums/scf/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6584
It helped me produce my first rounded shapes using SketchUp. It challenged me yet led me
forward to learn these techniques, I even made my own wheels. I hope your students
appreciate what seems to be a considerable teaching gift, not to mention your remarkable
design and drawing skills.I still don’t know about “rubies” and am trying to figure out what “hand stitching” means
but I’m inspired thanks to you and the other people posting here, thanks!Bob C.
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Thanks for the nice comments.
I'm at a point where I should really begin to "show" some of the things I've learned by making some tutorials. The one you mentioned can get someone started with shaping but there is much more to it than that tutorial shows, of course.
Honestly, every time I make a body for a car I learn something new - I'm always trying something different - it's very satisfying when something actually works. One key to mastering amorphic shapes is the transition between two areas. This can really make or break an otherwise good looking design. I know this because I'm struggling with it but I'm getting better with it and have learned some helpful tips.
I've been writing tutorials and teaching mostly adults how to use CAD since 1988. I am looking forward to sharing what little I know about this stuff with some through tutorials.
I'm not sure if "stiching" is the right word, but I use this word to describe the "manually defined surface geometry" which seems necessary when defining the transition between two shapes - among many other uses. Imagine two spheres on a table - a grapefruit touching a golf ball. How would you create a nice looking surface that joined the two shapes together? That's one of the tutorials I'm doing.
Happy Sketching,
Brad
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Remember...
A professional photographer takes thousands of pictures... but you see the few really good ones in the press...
A professional car designer has thousands of ideas... but you see the few really good ones...
Keep making those ideas... WE can see some good things evolving. You need to have dozens of ideas until you think that you have the right one. You WILL know when it's right.
Don't confuse the process with the idea. What you portray in SUp [or anything else] is only a tool to explain your ideas to others (and sometimes yourself!). You need to get that idea out of your head and down your arm and into your fingers and into your keyboard etc and thence into the program... so we can see it too...
.
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. . . this doesn't really look new, but I was trying a new technique to get a smooth transition between concave & convex surfaces so, I built this quick front end and this technique is a bit quicker than what I usually do . . . and I'm satisfied with the results - it should look great if I poured more time into it . . . I call this "surface modeling snack for thought" . . .
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But still no finished cars......
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Maybe some of you know this maybe not. I am 13 and will be 14 next month. I want to get as far possible with me designing cars with sketchup. I was just hoping any of you have any tips. this is my latest car and ive been rendering it with kerkythea. I am no expert. Any advice is welcome. I made an animation also Heres the URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgCsxohyNtQ&fmt=18
[flash=425,355:1g64gtxa]http://www.youtube.com/v/hgCsxohyNtQ&hl=en[/flash:1g64gtxa]
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@unknownuser said:
But still no finished cars......
. . . yes . . . here's another form study . . . I already ripped out the area under the windshield on either side of the nose hump . . . again, just something quick . . . I might finish this one . . . nahhhhh . . .
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. . . a minor adjustment . . .
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. . . more fiddling . . . S/U is sort of like a surfacing spreadsheet - very easy to do lots of what if's . . .
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. . . did this one while on the phone w/relative that has no life . . . TMI, TMI, TMI . . .
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. . . little more . . .
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This turned out to be the most hideous thing I think I've ever done with CAD. The shaping of the body was a really great learning experience - but I feel like I just baked a cake and mixed in sand instead of using sugar . . . yechhh . . .
. . . this is dead dog ugly . . . oh well, on to the next one, eh . . .Happy Sketching,
Brad
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you really don't have much patience do you? 
....at least you inspire us often.
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