Favorite Automotive Concept Artists?

[JollySipper]

I read a lot of the Hot Rod magazines in the '90s (when it was still a good magazine)... they featured a bunch of Thom Taylor concepts and drawings, usually every month, and a lot of his designs went on to become real cars. He quickly became one of my favorites.....

You guys care to share some of your favorites, and maybe some of their work?

 

[Richard Bartrop]

Without a doubt, it's Syd Mead.  He has a talent for making concepts that manage to look both otherworldly yet plausible.  His work is what got me drawing more science fiction.

[Casey]

Syd Mead: http://www.carstyling.ru/en/entry/Sid_Mid_Syd_Mead_Retro_Future/images/3654/

Edited October 31, 2019 by Casey

[Jon Haigwood]

Steve Stanford 

[Richard Bartrop]

This Syd Mead concept is almost identical to Gene Baker's Stiletto custom.  It would be interesting to know the story on that.

 

[espo]

Thom Taylor always had some great ideas for hot rods and customs. He was an outstanding artiest.  An interesting note on this subject. Most of these ideas and drawings were just that, drawings. I used to work with a guy years ago who was and had been a graphic artiest. I asked him why he had changed his career since he did several drawings as sort of a fun thing at work. He said that cad drawing had put his job in the history books as the cad drawings were so much easier and companies could pay a cad arties less money than someone who could do a drawing more or less free hand. 

[JollySipper]

Casey, who was the artist that you posted work of some time back? I remember the Charger concept among others..... I really enjoyed seeing his work, just can't remember who it was....

[Casey]

4 hours ago, JollySipper said:

Casey, who was the artist that you posted work of some time back? I remember the Charger concept among others..... I really enjoyed seeing his work, just can't remember who it was....

Hmmm, I vaguely remember that...I probably found it on Dean's Garage?: http://www.deansgarage.com/

I'll see if I can find it.

 

 

[chepp]

I'm not sure if he could be described as a concept artist, but Steve Swaja designed a lot of streamlined dragsters and Tex Smith's XR-6.

See https://www.hotrod.com/articles/drag-racings-twilight-zone-streamline-dragsters/ .

Read more about him at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Swaja

Edited November 2, 2019 by chepp

[Matt Bacon]

If you’re interested in auto concept art, this looks great:

https://www.daltonwatson.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IMAGINE

best,

M.

Edited November 1, 2019 by Matt Bacon

[gotnitro?]

Dave Kindig 

[Greg Myers]

Kendigit

[gotnitro?]

1 hour ago, Greg Myers said:

Kendigit

That's a mistake spelling his name if I ever saw one..lol

[Jantrix]

Gary Campesi has always impressed me with his imagination.

[djflyer]

2 hours ago, Jantrix said:

Gary Campesi has always impressed me with his imagination.

 

 

Gary is definitely a favorite - his style with old stuff, new stuff, hot rods, trucks, fantasy builds, etc  Lots to be inspired by in his artwork - I would love to build many of his designs.

[bisc63]

That Syd Mead stuff is on another level; such an artistic presentation. Every inch of his composition is considered, and his work is so visually rich and engaging; more than simple illustration. Thank you, Richard, for reminding me of his work!

[Spex84]

Several of my faves are already listed here...Syd Mead, Thom Taylor, Steve Stanford.

For modern concept artists, I also enjoy Gary Campesi's concepts!

In the past...I always thought Harry Bradley's pencil lines were the sweetest around, and I love the Da Vinci-like cutaways, sections, diagrams, and notes that would frequently accompany the car designs.

 

And Darrel Mayabb's artistry is (was??) spectacular.  http://www.automotivegraffiti.com/galery_main_page.html

I've posted some images I like, but he also did more concept-y designs.

 

I'm not sure if I'd call Jeff Norwell a "concept artist" as he seems to mostly draw cars inspired by real-life examples, but his style has a lot of the liveliness that I admire in Mayabb's cartoons.

Oh, and of course, the fabulous kandy-koated kreations of Keith Weesner:

 

 

 

 

[MrObsessive]

Syd Mead is right up there with me as one of the best, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Gary Campesi's work!

Here's a couple I'd like to have on my work table someday..................

Now I've done vacuforming in the past and it's turned out well.........If I can just figure out a way to get that double bubble top formed. ?

Meanwhile, I do have a rather derelict '60 Corvair just lying around.....................

[alan barton]

Bill, for that double bubble, blow molding might be the trick!  Get a piece of particle board, cut a hole out of the middle in the shape of the outline of the interior and then form a vertical spin out of another piece of wood and fasten it down the centre line, You then have to organise the clamp the sheet between the mould and another piece of board that has just one hole in  the middle that you can place an air hose of some description. Heat the plastic, clamp it between the wood, blow air in the hole and you should end up with the shape you want.

That crazy guy on Full Custom Garage, Ian??? did the same thing full size for his 62 T Bird project.

 

Cheers

Alan

[afx]

Great thread!

[Bugatti Fan]

Don't have any pics to put up. but how about Virgil Exner who's 1960's concepts of Bugatti, Duesenberg, Stutz, Packard etc actually became real concept cars as well as Renwall making a small series of kits based on his designs.

[MrObsessive]

11 hours ago, alan barton said:

Bill, for that double bubble, blow molding might be the trick!  Get a piece of particle board, cut a hole out of the middle in the shape of the outline of the interior and then form a vertical spin out of another piece of wood and fasten it down the centre line, You then have to organise the clamp the sheet between the mould and another piece of board that has just one hole in  the middle that you can place an air hose of some description. Heat the plastic, clamp it between the wood, blow air in the hole and you should end up with the shape you want.

That crazy guy on Full Custom Garage, Ian??? did the same thing full size for his 62 T Bird project.

 

Cheers

Alan

Alan, thanks for the tip! That would seem to work well with other oddball shapes. That double bubble top on that illustration is just too cool to ignore............probably impractical for the street but sooooo nice to look at!

[djflyer]

Its interesting with past artists like Syd Mead, the future was supposed to be long and sleek and low-slung (love that gull-wing limo) but what the car makers are leaving us with is the exact opposite - big metal boxes of SUV's.....yuk.....

Another concept artist who's work I find amazing is Bo Zolland.  His digital creations cover everything from street rods to muscle cars to boats.  Lots of things in his portfolio I would love to have on my bench...and in my garage.  Sometimes not-too-subtle enhancements to a old design, sometimes more a complete re-imagining, but always close enough to say "build me".  And some have been, like the new-gen Trans Am.

.

 

Edited November 2, 2019 by djflyer

[MrObsessive]

3 minutes ago, djflyer said:

Its interesting with past artists like Syd Mead, the future was supposed to be long and sleek and low-slung (love that gull-wing limo) but what the car makers are leaving us with is the exact opposite - big metal boxes of SUV's.....yuk.....

Maybe his vision is a bit further down the road than we'd like at the moment!

I'm not a big fan of the whole SUV/CUV things either..........I'd like to see the market swing back to actual cars someday which it ultimately will. I kinda see today's trend as what tailfins were back in the late '40's through the early '60's. Just about everyone jumped on the bandwagon, but the public eventually tired of them and wanted something else.

They won't ever completely go away as they are helpful when it comes to moving people and things.....I'm looking at the next wave of folks however that will be buying vehicles come the mid to late '20's. I don't think they'll want to be driving what they're parents are driving. They may rather want just the opposite which is an actual car.

[Richard Bartrop]

In some ways,  we've gone back to the 1920s with the tall and boxy look.  Give it another generation, and maybe we'll back to chrome plated rocket ships.