Anyone knows how to be a car designer step by step?

"RotaryLover" (rotarylover)
09/26/2013 at 20:27 • Filed to: Car Design

This is a design I did back in 2008 and the last finished drawing I did ever since (needs work on the perspective I know).

I decided to clear all my debts by the end of next year to have a fresh start, and I wanna realize this childhood dream that I neglected over the past 5 years. But I just don't know where to go, or what to do.

Does anyone have a guideline that I could follow to achieve it? If you want more of my designs, I can post them, I got a HUGE portfolio.

DISCUSSION (23)

phenotyp > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:32

Start with a school like Art Center, College for Creative Studies, Royal College of art, or similar. Bust your ass to be the best at it. Get internships while you're in school. Make sure you graduate at a point in time when companies are hiring.

Source: CCS grad.

Burner2202-6 > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:36

"Oh... at least he's doing what he loves..." jk. But wont you need some form of engineering degree to be in charge of designing the layout of a car?

Milky > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:40

Just send your portfolio to some art schools your interested in. It can't hurt anything and they will give you feed back plus maybe even offer you some scholarships based off your work. BTW this s**t is expensive.

Source: CCS Senior.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:41

I like it but the hood is a little too.....new bug.

Lets Just Drive > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:45

You designed the Alfa 8C?

Heh.

RotaryLover > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
09/26/2013 at 20:45

hahaha yeah true...it's quite big now compared to how I saw it back then.

PowderHound > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:45

Get a well designed website. Get new designs up as often as you can (read: at least one a week). Make sure they are good. and just really get your name out there. You may want to add supplementary notes to it as well so that it is more than just drawing a new car design. Really try to work out the engineering aspects of it with labeling what each vent does and what the benefits of the visual aspects are of the car.

I'm not saying I am an expert in any way, because I'm not. But really try to take things above everything else if you really want to go places. People are always looking for something different so if you are turning out car designs you really need to step above all the other people out there and make a name for yourself.

RotaryLover > Lets Just Drive
09/26/2013 at 20:47

I thought it was more of an attempt at a Audi R8 that melted.

RotaryLover > PowderHound
09/26/2013 at 20:54

That's what scares me...the engineering aspect. The good thing is since I'm a mechanic, I can try to show that I'm making the life easier for the mechanics by putting components at the right place for a faster repair.

The man in the iron mask > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 20:55

Kinja'd!!!

well i know this is one of the last steps

Kinja'd!!!

RotaryLover > Milky
09/26/2013 at 20:56

How expensive? I did Art school but I never finished not because of Art classes, but the other classes that didn't involve art...I was young back then and didn't care much but now I'm much more serious and I'm sure I can hit high scores now.

RotaryLover > The man in the iron mask
09/26/2013 at 20:57

Told you man...that's my dream! I'm gonna fix Acuras! hahahaha

RotaryLover > Burner2202-6
09/26/2013 at 20:58

That's the thing I wanna know.

RotaryLover > phenotyp
09/26/2013 at 21:01

Lots of CCS grads here. I'm gonna see which arts schools I have around Montreal.

Milky > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 21:07

I wonder if you could transfer the credits still? But CCS is 34k a year in tuition alone & Art Center is a little bit more. Those are the only two schools I really looked at it for auto design. Obviously other art schools have I.D. programs that are cheaper but (and I'm not trying to sound uppity) probably not as good.

P.S. - I haz sooooo much debt.

P.P.S. - Don't worry about being a engineer, at CCS at least you only take 2 classes that are kind of on that side of the subject. Really its 99% sketching and rendering with having a package that is believable.

RotaryLover > Milky
09/26/2013 at 21:12

34000 a year!!? :O how many years?

phenotyp > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 21:15

I can assure you, art school and design school is not the same thing. Car companies pretty much only hire from ACCD, CCS, RCA, Coventry, Pforzheim, Umea, Graz, and Hongik, although I think Academy of Art's reputation has grown. Not that I'm trying to dissuade you at all, it's just the way it is. There are far fewer car designers than there are pro athletes.

Milky > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 21:18

Four, just like a normal degree. And yea, I know. I went to a cheaper art school for a year first to get some credits & because 34k scared me off.

RotaryLover > phenotyp
09/26/2013 at 21:25

Hum...looks like I'm gonna have to crank it up a notch. How can I improve myself?

RotaryLover > Milky
09/26/2013 at 21:29

How about industrial Design in Universities?

phenotyp > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 21:40

Draw. Lots. And draw more. If you're serious about doing it, there's nothing you can that will help you more. Not that that's the only thing, you really need to understand composition, typography, and getting good with photoshop and illustrator. The schools will teach you the specific things, like packaging, ergonomics, tape drawing, and clay and digital modeling and rendering, but instruction only goes so far. It takes a huge amount of self-motivation to push what you're capable of. Learn as much as you can about design history and current trends.

That's a start. If you search the sketch tag, I (and others) have posted stuff.

Milky > RotaryLover
09/26/2013 at 21:43

Honestly from my experience its hit and miss. The school I went to, Kendall College of Art and Design (Grand Rapids, MI) had a pretty good I.D. program. But that was in furniture design, and quite frankly for car design I learned roughly nothing.

However ... every year GM has a international design competition and CCS has 1 or 2 winners out of the 4 categories. But last year my room mate was actually beaten by some one out a Toronto art school I.D. program.

So I guess do more research than I did at which school will be best for you. Ohh and just FYI the school I used to goto was 12k a year.

RotaryLover > Milky
09/26/2013 at 21:47

Now that is doable!