[The Insane Lemur]

Hey guys- I've been looking for a suitable way to draw cars lately, been referencing from video game camera modes (lol) and life when i have the whim to go to a dealer (supercars and exciting stuff easy to find). The problem I've come up with is that there are a few ways to handle the difficulties of placement.

I would like to know a working way of measuring out the angles and building an accurate "skeleton" of the drive train/wheel layout, cause that makes sense in a form way which is how I understand the human body- but from reference lots of times I break down and start trying to measure panel shapes, which become wonky with something so dependent on a correct base of perspective. I've been playing with using a wheel as a measuring tool, like the human head with measuring body segments, it seems to be the best, but the wheel size diminishes as it recedes with perspective...maybe I just have a patience problem

the other way I was experimenting with was measuring the outside boundries of each side of the form and trying to work it out like a big cube based on those, but I decided to come here and ask people who know how to draw these things. Also I figure it will help with drawing anything to learn some methods for constructing something so maddeningly basic as a vehicle.

sorry I don't have any examples of my drawings, camera is out of battery and it just occurred to me to ask about this

[Matthew Is Godzilla]

Cars are mostly repeating, and more repeating(Mileage). A box is a good way to start, then do the box with ellipses in many different views with different perspective.
Perhaps not the kind of advice you are looking for.
I think what you are looking for though is an easy way to build the skeleton, I would go with the box.
Many books around the subject, usually you go with a simple base and then keep building.

[The Insane Lemur]

thanks- gonna go practice- its never a completely easy answer, but its never complicated either

[Matthew Is Godzilla]

You heard of Scott Robertsson? he used to be around in these parts in the early days if I remember correctly......

Some of his older stuff above.

He used a tecnique similar to Loomis at least in some of his drawings from way back, they used it in architectural aswell. Make a silhouette and then work that one into your box.
Not sure if that is the way they do it in art center?
But beware of technical, it all looks the same.
Draw with a flow instead.

later

[Matthew Is Godzilla]

Judging by some others aswell you can go from setting down the wheel axis early in perspective and then build the hull from that.

[The Insane Lemur]

thanks again matt! Didn't know about Scott Robertson, sijun was a different place back in the day

[Matthew Is Godzilla]

Thou Shalt Not Bump, now pray damnit.

[T_England]

agh why not, interesting topic i say

Yeah cars, pretty damn difficult. As a generalization I think solid draftsmanship underpins it all, leads to good growth, its the structure we can build on. Everything cascades under ones ability to draw, under its many guises and facets. In my opinion good drawing is good observation. Its understanding how one relates to the other, proportion.

With cars in my opinion (and im no expert btw. far from it) The most important thing is its design, informed by its proportion and poise, cars like humans all look a little different from each other, yet all share structural similarity, Wheel base being a major one, the distance from tail to rear wheel, the height of the car in relation to its wheel height, distance from front bumper to front wheel. angle of the wheel arch in the front, and the shape of the window, how those relate, how this all ties into headlights and details that echo or break the overarching structure. If one analyzes sports cars, sedans, pickups, one will find that by analyzing measurement generally they all fall into average ratios unique to their classes, on a number of levels.

One can take "sports car" ratio thresholds ,(how one relates to another max/min) from actual sports cars, and then design within those boundary's and start to tie in new ideas and inspirations, or even totally break the rules, its best to be aware of them first however. I was told good design is two thirds based on reality.

On a purely technical standpoint, understanding the ellipse is very powerfull. its major and minor axis define a plane in space, and this can instantly inform perspective. Find a good guy to study from and learn off and practice like mad. Its the only way. Loomis and scott robertson as you said Mathew, cant go wrong with those two!

Its nothing without the practice however. But i do feel strongly practice should be well directed. Get a lot more millage this way imo
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[Matthew Is Godzilla]

Ohh what a paradox. There was a spammer posting above before I posted whom bumped the thread, that post is now deleted so hence I became the shameless bumpee lol.