[ValarianROOT]

Hi again, please take a look at this painting I'm working on. It's one of my new roomates' Galant. He had a pic of it laying around and has been asking me to draw his car for a while... so here's how far I've gotten. Let me know if you see some errors I can fix and how you like it in general. I'm kinda proud of it, it's the first painting I've done from a ref shot in a long time.



J. M. Nitz
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Sleep is for the weak!!!

[Ian Jones]

Nice start.

You certainly chose a difficult set of reflections. I'll get to those in a sec. I think there is a little problem with the perspective. It looks like the body sort of bends away from the viewer slightly towards the back of the car. Almost like the steering is happening from the back of the car... to exagerate my point. I think the rubber of the rear tire is ok, it is just the ellipse that defines the rear hubcap that gives this perception that the wheel is turned away a little. Another thing to note with the perspective is the wheels and the comparative distance from the viewer to each one. The front wheel is closer to the viewer so should be slightly larger than the back one (it is already a little). I would say that I noticed this by comparing the space between the wheel arch and the wheel. Have a look yourself and you'll probably see what I mean. You were probably led slightly astray with it from working with the reference. Sometimes you just have to stand back and kind of think about the structure of the scene and perhaps forget about what the reference is telling you for a moment.

With the reflections, I would suggest you take a look through scotts website, http://www.drawthrough.com. Specifically look at his tutorials and you'll see he makes an interesting point of seperating his rendered layers, especially with car paint or shiny product surfaces. This is because car paint has two layers, one is the underlying matte surface with the colour and the other is a clear coat which reflects its own set of highlights. Its a layered effect and that is why scott used seperate layers in photoshop. It makes it a lot easier this way. A two layered approach to car paint is commonly used in 3D design aswell, for example. In 3DS MAX for example I think this material is called 'shellac' and it lets you define two surfaces for the one object.

Other than that, you have a good start.

I hope that helps.

[ValarianROOT]

Thank you Ian. This is my first real attempt at drawing a car with PS. It's been exciting and challenging. The link has been loads of help understanding perspective drawing an auto. I'll keep in mind how it looks like it's bending around as I finish it.

Sorry it has taken me sooo long to reply, I'm kind of switching gears, no pun intended, into my Christmas card for the year.

J. M. Nitz
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Sleep is for the weak!!!

[[666]Flat]

I once had a Galant too... I recommend you to get it with automatic transmission, 'cos the manual trsm. ain't very sturdy... Sucking big time, if I may say so. It get's frickin' inaccurate after ~ 100 000 kM, I tell ya. Very reliable car, tho. The shape and the design of the car seem pretty appropriate to me... more details and reflections and stuff and you're good to go.
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[ValarianROOT]

YO! thanks flat. Yeah it's a manual transmission, you wouldn't know by the way he drives it though. I'll see what I can do.

J. M. Nitz
_________________
Sleep is for the weak!!!