Designers like Matt Swan have rightly pointed out that highly distorted sketches with 24-inch wheels are not very useful for design management to make decisions from. They are helpful for developing ideas but not helpful in persuading the company to invest hundreds of millions of Dollars, Pounds or Euros in your idea. And if you are working freelance for clients who don’t have an industry background you really need to keep the drawings convincing.
I have put together a number of pages of design sketches, only one or two show examples where something like Photoshop has been used for some addition of color. But it would be quite possible to reproduce those drawing styles using just ballpoint pen, pastels and marker pens. The sketches that are the most interesting are those where there are differing line thicknesses in the drawing. Heavier lines are used to highlight some important design features or are elements that are closer to the viewer. It’s a good technique to experiment with.
A page of sketches should tell a ‘design story’ so that other people can see your method for developing ideas. A sketch page should not be just a random group of different types of vehicle with no explanation, it needs to lead the viewer in a way that makes your ideas development seem clear and logical. And pages of interesting details are always a good way for young designers to demonstrate their creativity. When using color it is best to only use one or two colors, keeping the sketching technique simple is always the best way. There will be plenty of time to show off later in the program.
I have not credited most of the designers whose work I am showing in this post, except for a couple, all will know who they are. I would like to thank them all for the opportunity to show their work here.
About Peter Stevens
Peter Stevens is a world-renowned vehicle designer and former Visiting Professor of Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art in London. Over the course of his career, he’s been chief designer at Lotus Cars, McLaren and Lamborghini and design director for MG, Mahindra and Mahindra and Rivian Automotive. He’s also worked as a design consultant for Prodrive, BMW, Williams and Toyota.
Image credits to:
Paul Nichols, Samir Sadikhov, Arseny Kostromin, and Maxim Shershtnev
