car design thread | Page 464 | FerrariChat

car design thread

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by jm2, Oct 19, 2012.

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  1. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Interesting query. Honestly can’t answer that question. Guess I never tied car enthusiasm with sketch orientation.
    Would make for an interesting study.
     
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  2. 330 4HL

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    I am constantly amazed by how little we know about design and motivation, and how little time we have spent studying it -
    For me it's a constant interrogative.
     
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  3. jm2

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  4. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  5. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    This is a great discussion by a sculptor regarding the clay process and the human touch.
    A hand-made career in design
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    Hand-made models at Scholpp Design (1997)

    The way we make things nowadays has changed drastically with software and automation compared to the not so long ago era of hand-made products. Are we losing our most valuable tool, the human touch?

    The surfboard

    I grew up in a surf town on the coast of Australia. The first time I saw a new surfboard I was in complete awe. It wasn’t because I needed a new board, it was because it was the purest form and shape I had ever seen. It’s satin white translucent coating and finish was so smooth and perfect that it felt like I was going to get yelled at for touching it. I couldn’t believe someone had made it with their bare hands. Surfboards are carefully shaped in different shapes and sizes depending on wave size and speed, maneuverability and your height and weight. There’s so much knowledge about form that goes into them. Although there are still specialty surfboards shaped by hand today, a lot are now mass produced and imported.

    But that first experience became the basis of everything that I strived to achieve throughout my professional life. And because of it, I’ve always enjoyed making things by hand that inspire creativity and helps others connect to their abilities.

    Discovering your talent

    By the age of 10 I realized I had some creative talent. The technical boys college I attended had art classes, wood working and a metal fabrication shop. The school was strict and we wore uncomfortable uniforms. They hit us with a bamboo cane or a leather strap if we got too far out of line. This disciplinary action was widely accepted, because the school had a reputation for delivering talented young adults into the workforce. There used to be a Ford Motor Company engine plant in our town, so the local technical schools were setup to prepare high school students for a career in manufacturing and engineering. At night after school I took community classes with adults in oil painting and later photography using 35mm film.

    My family moved to Stuttgart, Germany in 1989. High school was tough because I was learning the language at the same time. Because of this, I leaned more heavily on my hand skills to launch a career. The way the German school system works is that it supports high school students in a tiered system to further their academic studies, or it provides other avenues to become highly qualified in a trade at a younger age than a college graduate. I wanted to work in design, so I met with local design schools and set up meetings with designers at Porsche to discuss my options. I soon knew that sculpting full size cars in clay was what I wanted to do like nothing else before. I loved the idea of making those smooth curves and surfaces by hand just like the ones on that surfboard. The only problem was that no school in the world teaches the craft of automotive clay modeling. You have to fall into it by ways of a transportation design degree, get a lucky break with a car company after learning a trade or know someone.

    Learning skills the traditional way

    In 1992 I was accepted into an apprenticeship program with the Italian car design company Pininfarina as a pattern maker to make master models of full size cars. MyMeister, Herr Beck, had a reputation for being strict, but he knew the trade inside out and I respected that about him. We started work at 7am sharp daily and not a minute later which felt like the middle of the night in a German winter. I was the only apprentice entering the program that year, but I worked alongside several other apprentices at higher levels. The qualified pattern makers had a name for us, “Stift” which means pencil. I never quite understood the full meaning behind that name, but I figured it refers to the fact that a pencil needs to be sharpened over and over again just like an apprentice learning new skills of the trade. The tradesmen pushed us around and there was an underlying feeling of being hazed for years to earn our rank. Herr Beck followed my work very closely and for the first year, which felt like ten, I wasn’t permitted to even go near a machine to do any kind of work, because everything had to be made completely by hand.

    Pattern making (1992)
    Pattern making is the craft of making a master model from a technical drawing of a metal casting, but in wood. The wood pattern or model is then used to create an imprint in sand at a foundry, a lot like a 3D stamp. Molten metal is then poured into that imprint to create the final piece. A master pattern can be made for something as small and simple as a door handle or as large and complicated as an engine block casting requiring dozens of pieces. For 5000 years we have been making all kinds of things in metal this way and in the last 30 years a large part of that process has changed to digital.

    I was taught the traditional way of using wood working hand tools and how to manually sharpen all of them. My early wooden practice pieces (shown in the images above) were cut and shaped to within 0.2mm by hand from 300 pound boards of Beechwood or Maple tree. We practiced making other things like a perfectly flat and evenly thick board with all square sides using only a wood plane. It would take days to get even close to getting it right. Wood shaving after wood shaving fell to the floor and if the piece was even slightly out of square or off measurement using a vernier caliper, Herr Beck would just throw it in the trash bin and tell me to start again. Every Friday like clockwork we cleaned the entire workshop. The most experienced of the apprentices would wear a white glove and walk around looking for dust on his finger. At times I felt like I was in hell and so many apprentices had quit before me under the pressure. They were trying to break us so that we would submit to the process. Years later I realized that’s how our skills are passed on and there’s so much at stake if we get it wrong. Those same rules apply to the likes of musicians, chefs and architects etc. There’s just no room for mistakes.

    As the years went by, there were no new apprentices following in my footsteps. The company was expanding in other ways by installing new CNC (computer numerical control) machinery. By the mid 90’s I realized traditional pattern making was a dying trade. That only reinforced my motivation to finish what I’d started because I felt like I was lucky to be one of the last.

    I eventually reached my goals in clay modeling and have worked for 30 years making models of all kinds of things across the globe in automotive design, product design and fine art sculpture.

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    Tesla Model S (2010)
    Car design in the digital age

    Today, design studios around the world are full of glowing computer monitors and drawing tablets. What was once an analog process is now mostly digital and more automated with 3D rapid prototyping. Clay modeling by hand as an art form is still practiced in design, but not as widely as it once was because car companies are using 3D modeling software and CNC to make their concepts. Huge, high definition screens called Powerwall’s are used to review and rotate digitally created 3D models as stunning images. Engineers and designers sit for hours in dark viewing rooms staring at a cinema like experience discussing iteration after iteration. At some point we decided that human interaction and touch is no longer as important, because we can do things faster, more efficiently and more cost effectively with software. This has many benefits when it comes to engineering a car that’s made of thousands of pieces, but it also has its setbacks at times for designers. What you see on a screen doesn’t always translate well in the real world.

    By removing that human touch and hand-eye coordination from the design process, we tip the scale. A design then starts to rely on the software’s capabilities and it inevitably becomes more engineered and digital in appearance. We begin to lose track of the humanity in what we’re creating.

    Working with form and the humanity of touch

    World renowned architect Frank Gehry appreciates the value of human touch in design. His buildings are wild shapes and sculptural forms. It’s the origins of what inspires him that make his designs so special, unlike the majority of computer generated architecture that’s standard practice today. He says that we should always be connecting with the humanity in what we do. His team hand makes dozen and dozens of scaled down models by hand from wood before reaching his final concepts. The curves and folds are influenced by guys like 17th century Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Dutch sculptor Klaus Sluter from the 14th century. What’s amazing to me is this timeless translation and dialog of those hand sculpted forms that can inspire modern day architecture. Sculptures hand chiseled in stone will continue influencing works in hundreds of years from now because they will always represent what it means to be human no matter how advanced machines and technology become. He says, “The machine on its own will eliminate the humanity, left to its own devices”.

    Jeff Koons is well known for his Inflatables that are replicas of balloon dolls and plastic blow up toys made at a huge scale. His sculptures are created from digital scans and then meticulously rebuilt in 3D on a computer screen. Every fold and every tiny crease is then carefully cut at a larger scale with a CNC machine into stainless steel. The pieces are then polished to a mirror finish and painted with a translucent color giving them a metallic reflective finish. He calls his references “readymades” which was a term coined by artist Marcel Duchamp in 1916. Although the original balloon doll was twisted into shape and quickly made by hand, the large sculptures are created completely in the digital world and cut by robots essentially. One could argue that it’s impossible to make a sculpture in stainless steel like them without the use of modern day technology and that’s probably true. I’ve stood in front of these sculptures with that same feeling of awe that I had with that surfboard. They are amazing and Koons has achieved something unique with computers and software. He’s recreated the real world by reverse engineering that bursting tension we feel when we touch a balloon. Paradoxically he’s redefining, but also dehumanizing, the definition of an artist on a global stage. His 3ft tall “Rabbit” inflatable sculpture fetched over US$91 Million as the most expensive artwork sold by a living artist at a fine art auction. Koons is a designer, an engineer and an artist combined and his work speaks for itself. What this also shows is that branches within the art world have accepted computer generated sculpture as an art form.

    In Japan there’s still a deep respect for hand crafted things. Traditions are passed down through generations and they are so driven to perfect their skills that they reward the craftsman, not the thing he makes, but the individual with the title of being a living national treasure. It’s not the Katana (Samurai sword), but the Samurai Blacksmith himself that is considered one of the countries rarest treasures. A lifetime of slamming tradition with a forging hammer into steel, day after day, folding and bashing and reheating metals over hot coals to the perfect temperature to make something so unique that he himself is more valuable than what he makes. This level of passion and monotonous dedication is very rare and it should be nurtured and protected. It’s an invaluable human condition with endless possibilities.

    Seeking out art and appreciating the hand-mades

    When I saw a collection of the dutch masters paintings in person I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was amazing to experience 400 year old paintings and appreciate what they teach us centuries later. Something like that can only be communicated through human touch and human interaction. A computer will never generate a painting like a Vermeer or Rembrandt.

    Our human potential is infinite, yet sometimes we underestimate ourselves and disconnect from that potential by allowing machines to do our creative work for us. Technological advancements and automation are very important, but it’s also our responsibility to protect what it means to be human, just like the Samurai.

    The art of making something by hand is what keeps us connected to the long lineage of highly skilled ancestors now gone. That will never change.
     
  6. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  7. VigorousZX

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  8. jm2

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    Sketching Thoughts: The Sincerity Of Drawing
    Jan 27
    Written By Fabio Filippini
    Pen and pencil shall never become redundant, argues Fabio Filippini.
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    The personal stroke ( photo © Fabio Filippini)

    The great sculptor Alberto Giacometti used to say: «If we master a bit of drawing, everything else is possible.»

    Design and art are fundamentally different disciplines. Yet also in the case of car design, drawing is the basis of everything. Even in our digital era, drawing with a pencil in one’s hand remains the most natural and expressive gesture: one that permanently fixes our thoughts on paper (or digital tablet, that is). This is particularly true for the discipline of automotive design.

    In fact, the gesture of drawing acts as a filter, as our ideas are transmitted from the brain to the hand. As the mind works, the lines take the time necessary to gradually lead us to seeing things clearer and eventually fixing them on paper, in a defined form.

    It happens though that sometimes these lines do not fully correspond to one’s expectations - by which point we should just start drawing again, looking for the desired shape. Indeed, the opposite can also happen: the drawing created by the pencil surprises us, unexpectedly showing an idea or a latent form much more interesting than the one imagined by the brain. In fact, it is in the very nature of ‘creation’ to try to escape rules and codified process.

    During my own professional design career, I have met many a designer who were very good at drawing, including some absolute talents: people whose every little doodle turns into a masterpiece of unmistakable style. I could name a good dozen of them: from the one who draws very fluid and perfect lines, to the one that can express complex and intricate shapes in every view; but also someone else who can trace all the cars in history by heart; or another one who can spontaneously sketch cars upside-down, turned towards the observer.

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    Subject on a par with illustrating technique (image © ItalDesign)

    I have always admired these people’s talents. Particularly of those who can express their ideas through few simple strokes, hence betraying an amazing capacity for synthesis and clarity of thought.

    However, I also realised that extreme talent can sometimes result in being overwhelmed by this natural gesture. There’s the risk of expressing ‘only’ what flows spontaneously from the pencil - without any attempt at trying to question oneself ever during the process.

    For me personally, this creative process has often worked somewhat differently. I always perceived drawing as an activity that involves a variable dose of suffering and satisfaction. Over time, I developed a fairly defined technique, allowing me to achieve some kind of natural graphic expression - in spite of some initial difficulties, such as my rigid and peculiar way to hold the pencil: I always remember Stefan - a very talented colleague of mine during my early Japanese years – staring at me with a serious face and telling me with his typically German sense of humour: «I wonder what you could really achieve if you just knew how to hold the pen properly.»

    Beyond these personal quirks, my training as an architect has always led me to start with a phase of ‘mental construction’ of ideas and forms, followed by numerous steps towards bringing the image traced on the sheet progressively closer to the thought that originated it. Sometimes I would proceed quickly, but rather frequently, the process turns out to be particularly difficult and painful.

    There is probably no single method which is better than the others; everyone must develop the technique that suits them best. In design, it’s the final result that really matters, and above all, the quality and value of the idea being expressed: we should not confuse the media with the objective.

    A good suggestion would be to experiment with several different processes and techniques, and never rely on a single one exclusively. Changing tools and media helps developing new ideas, sometimes with unexpectedly good results. During the early days of my career, various colleagues and I enjoyed exchanging techniques and design styles respectively, forcing each other to come out of one's own skin and get into someone else's. The results were often surprising, and they stimulated beneficial interactions, which could be applied later, as part of our own established drawing methods.

    In sharp contrast, I’m also aware of some very talented designers who spent years copying the drawing technique (and design style) of their mentor, to the point of not being able to spot any difference - and then, suddenly, transforming and becoming fully self-confident over a single drawing, finally creating their totally new and personal design style.

    Obviously, all thoughts expressed above are specifically referring to traditional freehand drawing, which is the first step in true creativity expressing itself. These notes may relate only partially to the creation of 2D or 3D digital renderings that are the common expression of designers today. So much so that these spectacular digital images - because of their artificial construction, as they employ paths, layers and filters - sometimes deflect the ideas and hence help disguise the real ‘talent’ of the author. This might prevent the observer from understanding the true original creativity, or appreciating the time spent to achieve the final representation of the idea. All of which are important aspects of the actual task.

    So, among automotive design professionals, it is particularly useful to request freehand drawings when receiving applications from young talents - even today. In order to be able to evaluate the real creative skills of those candidates, on the basis of their quick sketches on paper, by pencil or pen, where true creativity is expressed in its clearest and most sincere way, without any added artifice.

    As Salvador Dalì once said: «The drawing represents sincerity of art. It is not possible to cheat. It is either good or bad.»
     
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  9. Jeff Kennedy

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    When the various car satellite studios in So Cal were being created the recurring refrain was asking about knowing about experienced clay modelers that could be hired. Getting designers was not the problem.
     
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  10. anunakki

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    Back in the early 90s in LA i was approached a few times to work as a auto clay modeler. I did one project, a body kit on a civic, and went back to FX. It was fun but not as fun as FX.
     
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  11. jm2

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    Mr. Sketchmonkey does the new McLaren
     
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  12. of2worlds

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  13. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    That color is a combination of the old stand-by Sublime & Fancy Grass. I'll wait for the Structural Blue edition, next!
     
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  14. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Its probably my fav out of the modern Mclaren designs. Nice to see them get rid of the boy-racer stuff. I like clean designs.
     
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  15. bitzman

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    Are general shapes of car designs patented or copywrited? Although the final car won't be shown until Feb. 23rd it seems Porsche might have something to say about the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 which if this one publicity PR handout photo is correct looks a lot like the Porsche Taycan electric car.Hyundai says it's based on their 45 cocnept csr which was unveiled in Frankfurt in 2019. I don't recall the Porsche guys worried about design infringement then, then. i am sure it will be much cheaper. Maybe the back is totally different (this is the only shot available now).I think the Germans may have trouble with the South Koreans copying every successful car they have if there haven't been any successful lawsuits over design infringement.
    By the way Porsche calling one model of the Taycan a Turbo is stretching the use of the English language, Maybe it is as fast an an internal combustion engine with a turbocharger but if it ain't got a turbo it's jerking our chain
     

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  16. jm2

    jm2 F1 World Champ
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    Yes body designs are indeed patentable. However, it is difficult and the company has to want to go through the laborious process. They have to prove that it is a unique and original design. That can be difficult to prove in a court of law. Companies do it, but it's less common than you might think. I personally don't think Porsche would have a case, but a judge or a jury would have to make that decision. It gets very complicated.
     
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  17. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Yeah I agree. I dont see the Hyundai ripping off the Taycan any more than the Taycan ripped off Tesla.
     
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  18. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Lighting, too.

    IIRC, someone had a patent for headlights mounted on fenders. This is why most cars hung the headlights off the radiator well into the 1930s.

    Then there are "hidden headlights." I believe Cord was the first with that design.

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  19. jm2

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    Several yrs ago I was retained as 'an expert witness' in a design patent lawsuit between a large car company vs a Chinese lamp mfg. The Chinese firm was literally duplicating a truck headlamp from the domesticOEM mfg and selling them to bodyshops as 'replacement' parts for collision repairs at a significantly reduced cost. The OEM had a design patent on said lamp and were suing the aftermkt company to cease and desist. Unfortunately I got sick and dropped out of the legal proceedings but a colleague of mine was retained and went to testify in the court proceedings. It was a slam dunk for the OEM. My pal was never called to the stand to testify. Im sure the Chinese firm just went on to copying other parts. They were shameless.
     
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  20. colombo2cam

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  21. jm2

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  22. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
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  23. Qvb

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    Doesn’t look mid-engine. Doesn’t look like a Corvette. Doesn’t look like a Chevy. Otherwise it’s alright
     
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  24. tritone

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    Certainly not an improvement.....and I don't really like the original.
     
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  25. of2worlds

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    Looks like an Aventador after cost cutting by VW and to make matters wore somebody sat on the model...
     
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