Click onto the image above to see a 20 step tutorial for this Bricklin SV1.  More tutorials can be viewed on the Old School Viscom Facebook page.

Our good friend Michele Leonello has posted another helpful tutorial for those who are looking to learn the basics of drawing cars.  This one employs a simple grey marker technique to depict a classic vehicle, the GT40.  Click the image above to see Michele’s process from start to finish.

Dating.  Cars.  The only time the two subjects go together even remotely well is when we pick up our dates in our 1991 BLAZING red Chevrolet Lumina Z34.

Our friends over at Pick Mi Date have put together a considerably better method of linking the two.  The team recently attended the 2011 NAIAS and have selected the selected several vehicles that center on specific topics, like running over your ex-boyfriend or picking up laundry after a Jersey Shore gym session.  The team focuses on specific details that make each vehicle unique.  It’s not exactly what the Designers were thinking when creating the cars, but Pick Mi Date help us see the wonderful ulterior uses that our designs can inspire.

The full article follows below, and can also be found on their site.

Car-ma: Pick Mi Date Man-Handles the 2011 Detroit Auto Show

Arguably, one of the best things about Detroit (with PickMiDate being a reaaally close second), is the Auto Show at Cobo Hall every winter.  Dubbed the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show), it highlights the best vehicles from around this blue ball bearing which we call Earth.

AND speaking of Mother Earth, each manufacturer had a (battery) pack of electric/hybrid/green/juiced/cell vehicles in their lot, as well as the tried and true dinosaur fossil eating combustion engines.  The last statement isn’t a slam, as I love my V8 and would cage fight a T-Rex to keep it forever.  Call me old school.

In regards to sexy designs and functionality, the new school was in full form this year with some just-plain-gorgeous cars that make us want to install a drool cup holder in every car we keyed in on.

With the NAIAS, comes the press and critics, with their reviews and very yawn inspiring and traditional “best of” categories.  Well at PickMiDate (PMD) we are not-so conventional, so Erin, Kyle and I (Sean) created our own list and personal reviews with a PMD twist.

Obviously, the cases below are meant to be taken lightheartedly (as if you don’t already):

1. Best Car/Truck To Run Over Your Evil “EX” In:

Erin: Dodge Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Edition.

The image speaks for itself as it has a side gun rack above the wheel well.

Kyle: GMC Sierra All Terrain (concept). Will it get the job done? Yes, and it will do it in style.  The All Terrain 2011 GMC Sierra gives you the luxury to squash your evil ex in any terrain, be it snow, mud, sand, or the urban sprawl of Detroit.  Therefore, there is no possible way that your pesky ex will be able to get away. Lastly, because you are such a nice person and don’t like to end things on a bad note, the Sierra will provide your ex with a beautiful site as he/she is being run over with its nicely crafted grill and undercarriage.

Sean: Mercedes SLS E-Cell.  Ok, probably not the vehicle you’d expect here, but every time I see the gullwing doors up, I think of the Karate Kid, and his patented “crane kick.”  That move is so famous, it would make any ex of mine create more yellow lines down the road, without actually damaging the car.

2. Best Car/Truck for GTL (Gym/Tanning/Laundry… Courtesy of Jersey Shore):

Erin: Ford Escape Hybrid.  When running errands, you want a great stop and go vehicle that is good on gas mileage.  It also has plenty of room to transport your gym and laundry bags (second row seats fold down), a moon roof that allows for good ventilation and extended tanning time, along with running boards to help Snooki sized guidettes an easy and safe entry and exit into this SUV. With color options like “Lime Squeeze Metallic”, you can easily coordinate with your closet full of Ed Hardy, Affliction, and MMA attire.

Kyle: Lincoln Navigator.  This is a perfect automobile for carting around both your Guido bros and your Guidette hoes.  This vehicle provides: a state-of-art sound system that is essential to “beat up da beat”, multiple compartments ideal for storing hair gel and tanning spray, and plenty of head room for the girls with the Snooki poof! The best news is that the back seats can fold down, great to cart your drunk friend home from the bars or eliminating room to avoid grenades!  Also, without the seats, the Navigator can convert into the “Smush Room on Wheels”.

Sean: Chevy Camaro Convertible. Gym: this thing has plenty of muscle, to go with your “muscle.”  Tan: Who needs to go a tanning bed, when this thing has one built-in. Laundry: this may not have the storage room for your baskets, but has all the flash to hide your “dirty laundry”…for the time being.

3. Best Car/Truck to Sell Medical Marijuana:

Erin: Cadillac Escalade Hybrid.  This has enough cargo volume & payload to make Mexico pale in comparison for selling potential.

Kyle: Kia Soul. This is a perfect mixture between your current hood rat ways and your hippy parent’s past.  The sleek black interior, window tints, and the unique shape are sure to be formidable while transporting tall plants to various locations.  Not only will you be rolling in style, but also with minimal attention drawn to you.

Sean: I keep having flashbacks to the Chevy (ice cream) truck in the movie classic, Cheech and Chong’s Nice Dreams, so I decided to go with a Chevy HHR Panel.  With a few graphics and a clown head, this thing is destined to be up in smoke.

4. Sexiest Thing with Batteries (Less Vibration is Preferred):

Erin: Tesla 2.5. It’s sexy inside and out, goes from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, without requiring a drop of gasoline.

Kyle: Inizio.  Look sexy while saving the environment. This beautiful car can reach speeds up to 170 mph…without gasoline! The car can range about to 200 miles before requiring a recharge and the approximate charge time is only around 8 hours! Although one may fall in love with the Inizio, please note that it does not accept fluids of any sort.

Sean: Porsche 918 RSR.  This race car is just sexy, but the battery is just so cool, it makes me want to put this right in my living room. Basically,the battery looks like the flux capacitor was resurrected in the movie Tron.

Honorable mention: OSU’s Buckeye Bullet. This electric land rocket, looks similarly to a giant, battery powered vibrator.

5. If You’re Gonna Steal a Car/Truck…This is the One Worth Going to Jail For:

Erin: Audi R8 Spyder. Holy Sexy and FAST.  Upon purchase, this  car really should come with any equally hot guy that does not speak a word of English.

Kyle: Audi R8 GT. If you think that you have mastered Grand Theft Auto and are planning on taking up as a profession, let me please suggest starting with the Audi R8 GT. This automobile contains so much sex appeal, horsepower, and awesomeness that it will make for one hell of a rush! Clocked at a top speed of 198 mph, it will surely fulfill that adrenaline addiction that any junkie may have while drawing the eye of the opposite sex. However might I suggest that you pick a prison cross country and drive yourself straight to it because it will be impossible not to break 20 traffic laws as soon as you hit the gas!

Sean: Ferrari 458 Italia. If you’ve never heard the sound of a Ferrari engine before, then you are truly missing the sexiest sound ever produced.  As they cart me to jail after stealing the 458, I keep thinking of the quote Andy Dufresne said from The Shawshank Redemption: “That’s the beauty of music. They can’t get that from you.”  The sound it makes is music to my ears, and worth the 5-10 years.

6.  Best vehicle to MAKE a family in (and keep it FOR your family):

Erin: Audi Q7. It has seven passenger seating capacity with…..wait for it…..28 seating “positions,” and a panoramic sunroof for late night navigating of the big dipper (hopefully). Also included: tinted windows for privacy (or roll them down for the adventurous types), carrying capacity (aka its really roomy) and a Bang & Olufsen sound system (to set the mood).

Kyle: Kia KV7 (Concept.) Are you adventurous in your sexual escapades? If so, the Kia KV7 concept is the perfect car for you to give in to your wild side.  The sleek and roomy interior allows one to be creative.  Try the sofa. Try the rotating chair. Try the table. Try the floor.  The options are unlimited in this sex machine on wheels. WARNING: 4 car seats is the limit. So, we at Pick Mi Date would like to remind you to act responsibly.

Sean: Cadillac CTS-V Wagon.  The CTS-V stands for Coital Tryst (in a) Sophisticated Vehicle.  This V takes the word “quickie” to a whole new level, with over 550 hp, it can take you from zero to sexy, er, 60 in 3.9 seconds. Nothing to be proud of in the sack, but quite impressive when needing a fast run for prophylactics or diapers (when the kids eventually arrive).

7. Best Car to Impress Your Shallow, Materialistic Date:

Erin: Bentley Continental GT.  The sexiest luxury car in the world.

Kyle: 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. What better way to impress your date then show him/her how wise you have been with your money!  Not only have you chosen a car that is reasonably priced, but you have also shown your knowledge about our environment and have decided to go for a much greener approach. In the Prius you will be able to drive up to 13 miles on electricity and also cruise at upwards to 50 MPG when switched to gasoline. Make sure to pack protection in the glove box because the prius is sure to accentuate your intellectual and green side!

Sean: Bentley Mulsanne.  This vehicle is green. Not environmentally friendly, green…but the color of money. This car had linen seats, which made me want to sit in there naked, from the waist down.  Which, in any other car, would hurt my chances for a potential future date…just not in the Mulsanne

A Few Other Honorable Mentions:

Best Name for a Vehicle:

Dodge Ram Big Horn & Long Horn.  This vehicle is already huge and most definitely over compensating for something, so, I guess why not add in an extra few centimeters.

Best Sound System to Play “Bed Intruder” Song & Best Navigation System to Get You to that Bed (to intrude):

2011 Mustang (Dub Edition) – For Shaquille O’Neal. 4 Amps, 12 Speakers, 4 Subs…. Nuff’ said. Speakers loud enough to remove every article of loose fitting clothing.  Just think, Shaq is about the size of 2.34 average males.  Were talking height, people.

As we Journey off in to the sunset in one of these vehicles (one day…no, really, we will), we should add that, in addition to our own personal presentations (above), the car you drive matters. Single people agree that cars make an impression on a date. We are not just talking about the kind of vehicle, but how it’s presented, too.  Like most things on your body…keep it clean.  Nobody wants to see your fast food wrappers or your stuffed teddy bear in the back seat.  Your car is an extension of your soul…your life…and if you treat your car with respect, it will come full circle in your relationship.  Consider it Car-ma.

Rendering a yellow car on yellow paper is not as simple as it looks.  Careful, methodical  application of color is the key to making it work.   Click on the image above to see the twenty step process…

I decided to ring in the new year with a bit of an experiment.  Click on the image above to see the twenty steps for this McLaren — you may need some orange gouache 

In the world of racing art, styles tend toward the photo-realistic or the impressionistic, and vary rarely in-between.   But recently, one unique series caught my attention — Nicolas Cancelier’s vintage F1 renderings on Canson.  Nicolas employs a  sparing, mixed-medium approach in his work, and doesn’t always let the color of the paper determine the color of the car — a technique that can be difficult to master.  He also works in a variety of other media, most notably oils, watercolors and gouache.  If you’re on Facebook, you can see the rest of his Canson work by clicking the Gurney Eagle above.  To see his complete collection, you can visit his website or his blog.  Our special thanks to Nicolas for permission to display his work on CDF.

If you don’t need any work done then still be sure to check out their website to view the amazing amount of Sketch P*rn loaded on the site.  If you need any rendering reference they have it all.  Skills cover everything from pencil sketches to highly polished renderings.  Click after the jump to see an assortment of images and the formal press release.

Press Release:

Hydra Design Labs, Southern California’s newest Automotive Design Studio has officially launched. Featuring a team of automotive design veterans; Jon Hull, Mike Desmond, Gary Ragle, and Chris Schuttera. Together they have worked on over 25 concept vehicles and over 20 production cars.

Hydra Design Labs focus is to provide all design services needed to take the clients project from ‘ideation to fabrication.’ In addition to their experience designing automotive exteriors and interiors, motorcycles, and products, Hydra also offers full CAD services, reverse engineering including laser scanning, prototyping, and manufacturing. Hydra Design Labs is also registered as a Government contractor. Their website offers up their portfolio in the form of the largest collection of work of any automotive design group featuring over 800 images.

Jon Hull, the President and one of the designers of Hydra Design Labs is very optimistic about the new studio saying “We’ve put together a unique studio in terms of talent, an all-star team of designers where each member is strong enough to run a studio by themselves.” According to Hull, this opens up new possibilities in terms of running projects. “Each designer could run an entire project, or collaborating together they could provide a devastating amount of talent.”

Hydra Design Labs takes its name from Lernaean Hydra the mythical creature, and like its namesake is also a multi-headed beast. The company is comprised of four designers each of whom has been working as a professional automotive designer for at least the last decade. Each designer was hand picked to form a new kind of design studio, an allstar team of the hottest automotive design talent. Each designer has worked on both Production programs and Concept cars, designing both exteriors and interiors. Individually each designer can stand alone, running an entire project from ideation to manufacturing. But bring the designers together and the full force of the studio can be felt by having all the designers collaborate on one project.

Hydras’ design team has an arsenal of skills ready to attack any project. Their designers specialize in many different aspects of vehicle design including concept and production cars, custom cars, eco-friendly vehicles, motorcycles, and movie concepts. Mike Desmond, the former Design Director at West Coast Choppers, not only brings his experience as a professional automotive designer, but his motorcycle design skills as well. Gary Ragle has worked as a car designer in California, Japan, and Detroit. Gary has designed numerous concept and production vehicles and his ability to distill design to its essence while always bringing something new and fresh to the table is a great strength he brings to the team. Chris Schuttera has worked for several automotive design houses, and has also designed airplane interiors. Chris’ knowledge of interior design and ability to rapidly develop themes for even the most complex design challenge is unparalleled in the industry. The design team was put together by Jon Hull who has had over 14 years experience as a professional automotive designer. He has worked on both exteriors and interiors for concept cars and production vehicles and is also a CAD specialist with a background in plastics engineering. “I feel very excited to be leading such a powerful team,” says Hull, “and can’t wait to show the design community what we are capable of.”

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You’d think they’d have learned by now, but our friends at RoundAbout Show asked us to be on yet again!

“Why were you on the show,” you ask? Well, I was asked to be a part of it to discuss all things E3, from the gadgets and games to the car-influenced gaming that I had the opportunity to try out.

Click above to listen or watch, or go to the podcast page here:

http://www.roundaboutshow.com/home/2010/6/27/roab-41-the-body-episode.html

… and nevermind my often flailing arms. It can be hard to showcase what Kinect does over the air.

[Special thanks to Eric, Craig, Ben, Michelle, and Colin for having me on!]

A few weeks ago, we featured formfreu.de as our Web of the Week.  This blog has generated quite a buzz in design circles, most notably for its amazing photos and great attention to detail.  Formfreu is the brainchild of German designers Thomas Sälzle and Markus Haub.  They recently took a quick time out to talk to Car Design Fetish about their process, their vision, and what drives them as designers…

CDF:  Tell us a bit about your backgrounds.  Where are you from, and where did you go to school?

Markus Haub: I am from Mainz, near Frankfurt. I studied Transportation Design with Thomas at the University of Applied Sciences in Pforzheim. That‘s where we met back in 1993. Thomas is from Ulm in the South of Germany.

CDF:  Were you both always this interested in cars, or is this a passion that built over the years?

Thomas Sälzle: Yes, for sure. My passion for cars started with toys. I was always collecting car brochures from various local dealers my dad took me to. I remember the 1983 Fiat Uno having a big visual impact on me. The car was so different from all the other cars on the street. So clean, so light…

M: I‘ve always liked cars. I read all the magazines I could get, especially about sports cars like Ferraris or Lamborghinis. I was about 12 or 13 years old when I started drawing them. First I copied existing cars, then I started my own creations. I still have them stored somewhere.

T: I think I was sketching doodles in the magazines on top of the photos. This means I was transforming three-box-cars, for example, into fastbacks or station wagons or doing some kind of restyling (laughs).

CDF:  What provided the impetus for you to start FORMFREU.DE ?

M. : We always travel to all kinds of events and take pictures. The amount of photos was just getting bigger and bigger, so we were looking for a way to archive and share these photos.

T: There are so many cool things to capture – architecture, life in trendy cities like Berlin and Barcelona, fashion shows, some hip happenings, and of course, cars.

M: I remember talking about the project for a long time. One night out at a bar in Wiesbaden, the idea and the name was born. FORMFREU.DE, which means something like the enjoyment of shape. But also plays with the DE ending. The blog provides the perfect format for our idea.

T: That was the Haltbar Pub at Neugasse in Wiesbaden. We should go back there one day. I haven’t been in a while.

CDF:  The depth of your blog’s content is quite amazing.  How many people do you have working on your site?

M: Basically it’s just the two of us. Sometimes we have friends and contributors who provide us with special reports, like Simon Grand from Turin or Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani from Rome.

T: Fabrizio recently sent us some amazing pictures of Mille Miglia cars in an underground parking garage in Rome. Super cool!!

CDF:  What kind of cameras are you using to capture these photos?  Do you use any special lenses?

M: No, nothing special. I only used a small Casio Exilim and a Canon PowerShot for years. Just recently I bought a Nikon D5000. That increased the quality of the images quite a bit, but in general, I think that the camera is not the important thing. It’s the eye for the object and the situation.

T: Markus convinced me to buy the Nikon, too. And I love it! I am also surprised about the quality of pictures done with the iPhone. Somehow, they have a special feeling about them.

CDF:  Many of your galleries are presented in portrait format.  Is there a specific reason you tend to favor this orientation?

T: Maybe it’s just different and unexpected…Cars are usually photographed in horizontal format. Sometimes we focus more on details and composition. I like it better this way.

CDF:  When you attend a show or a gathering, what do you two look for when you’re taking photographs?  What catches your eye?

M: I try to look for the beauty in the object. The composition of the photo is very important. The backround, the sharpness, the color. The object itself becomes sometimes secondary. Beauty is everywhere..

T: Perfect explanation, Markus.  (smiles)

CDF:  How many events do you cover in a given year?

M: We don‘t count or plan. We usually attend Geneva, Frankfurt and Paris as car designers. But there are also classic car shows and other events. We don‘t go always together. Thomas lives in Germany and I live in Barcelona, so we also cover our local events. This way we get a large variety of stuff. Basically, it’s just a hobby.

CDF:  Are there any places or events that you haven’t visited that you’re dying to see?

M: I would really like to go to Goodwood Festival of Speed.  I have been to the Le Mans Classic, the Mille Miglia, the Pebble Beach Concours d elegance, but not Goodwood.  Someday…  And I would love to go to New York again. Last time I visited there was almost 10 years ago, so it’s time to go again.

T: We should definitely try to make the Mille Miglia next year.

CDF:  What has the reaction been to your work since the site was founded?

M: We‘ve gotten a lot of good feedback and we’ve also made some interesting contacts — like the guys from the German INTERSECTION magazine. Now we collaborate with them, write articles and share photos.

T: Every month our number of visitors grows – and it’s people from all over the world. The success also requires a lot of discipline our side in order to feed the website regularly with cool stuff.

CDF:  Of all the photo collections you’ve posted, do you have any personal favorites?

M: I liked our recent series of posts about the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (see below). We had so much great material that we had to devide it into several sub-categories.

T: Markus took some amazing pictures at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring (see below).

I remember some exciting moments taking photos of the Bierpinsel building in Berlin or visiting the former Tempelhof Airport. These places are full of history.  Berlin is so inspirational to me. The best pictures are still on my harddisk and are waiting to be published! (laughs)

CDF:  Have you considered publishing a hardcover book of your photographs, as a sort of coffee table book?

M: Yes, this is still one of our favorite ideas. It‘s nice to have all the photos on the web, but we think a book would be a nice thing to have. We also thought about a magazine or even an exhibition. There are so many possibilities.

T: I think a book would be an interesting challenge; we could mix up pictures so there’s some cool and unexpected dialogue inbetween them. Markus and I also have a second project in the pipeline. We have been collecting hundreds of old pictures from flea markets that show people with their cars. Most of them are black and white. Taking photos at that time was only for very special moments. So you can really see the pride of the people in front of their own cars.  We would like to evaluate these moments and emotions and put together something really stunning.

CDF:  The bulk of your work concerns classic automotive details.  What are your feelings about the details found on automobiles sold today?

M:  Most of them are not so interesting. But maybe that‘s because you see them a lot on the street. Classic car details are rarer.

CDF:  What role or purpose do you believe details should play in the world of auto design today?

M: It’s not the main thing, but a nice car with bad detailing is a pity. On the other hand, nice details won’t help a bad car. The design should be coherent.  The love that went into the designing of the car should be apparent as well.

CDF:  Of all the auto companies out there, who do you think really understands the role that detail plays in design?

M: I think that Audi or Porsche pay a lot of attention to details and quality in general. Recently, I also found nice details on Ferraris, which are usually lacking in that respect. I remember the doorhandle of the Fiat Barchetta. Everybody talked about it. Or the Mini swichtes on the center console.

CDF: Who are your favorite automotive designers, past and present?

T: My heros are Hans Ledwinka (the man behind the streamlined Tatras of the 30s) and, of course, Giorgetto Giugiaro. From my times at Fiat I remember in particular Mike Robinson, today’s head of Stile Bertone – a great character and fantastic coach, encouraging and stimulating his designers with care and respect for their creativity.

M: If I have to pick one, it’s probably Giorgetto Giugiaro. The amount of great concepts and designs he’s done is just amazing, especially in the 70s. The Maserati Boomerang, the Bora, the BMW M1, the Lotus Esprit.. But also the De Tomaso Mangusta, or the De Lorean DMC-12 in the 80s. Or the Alfa Romeo Brera in 2002. I also had the luck to work at Design Center Europe (Volkswagen Group) with some outstanding designers, which I admire a lot. Jean-Pierre Ploue (who did the Renault Argos or Laguna concepts back in the 90s and the Renault Twingo I. He is today head of design at Citroen/Peugeot). Another designer was Davide Arcangeli, who has unfortunately passed away. He had an outstanding sense of proportion and volume and a beautiful drawing style. He designed the BMW 5er (E60) or the Peugeot 406 Coupe from 1996. I learned a lot from both, not least of which from their character. Later, while working at Renault I met fantastic designers like Stephane Janin, Francois Leboine or David Durand …there are so many more I could mention.

CDF:  Your tastes seem to be very wide ranging and eclectic, but are there any designs that you simply cannot stand?

M:  Carwise, I really dont like the Citroen Picasso (1999) and I never understood how it could be successful in the marketplace.  Also, some american cars of the 80s and 90s. It’s not my taste.

CDF:  What’s in the near future for FORMFREU.DE ?  Do you have a list of shows to attend this summer?

M: In the summer I will be in Germany, mainly. We will take part in the famous Sachsen Classic Rallye in August. I will also try to go to the Oldtimer GT at Nurburgring and some other events. And the Paris Motor Show is in October.

T: I am really looking forward to my trip to Berlin this week. The DMY Design Festival is taking place in the hangars of the former Tempelhof Airport, and there’s also the ILA Berlin Air Show in Schönefeld. And Berlin Fashion Week is coming soon…

CDF:  Do either of you have any advice for future or aspiring car designers?

M: I teach at the Instituto Europeo di Design school in Barcelona, so that question comes up often.  I think that they really, really have to love what they do. They also need talent, a good knowlege of cars and whats going on the the design field. You have to be aware of what the top level students are doing these days and what you will have to do to compete with them for a job. Its an international business, so good english is necessary. You might get a job outside of your home country.

CDF:  Will we see either of you in Detroit anytime soon?

M: I have no plans so far. It would be a big trip for me, and the Detroit show has lost a bit of its importance recently. But I have a good friend there, so that might be a good reason.

CDF:  Thank you both very much.

*all images used with the kind permission of formfreu.de