When Lowrider Arte Editor Lonnie Lopez asked me, Michael Leonhard of Yspertal, Austria, to draw a '60 Chevy Impala lowrider for the magazine to demonstrate my technique, as a regular contributor to Lowrider Arte, I was only too happy to do so. Of course, you don't have to draw a '60 Impala, but you will need good reference material, which is one of the most important prerequisites for a good illustration. Therefore it's best to collect many different reference pictures and study them thoroughly. If you're ready, let's go to the drawing board.
Step 1After I've studied the...
Step 1After I've studied the reference material, I take a sheet of A3 200-g paper especially for airbrushing. I start sketching the '60 Impala with pencil. To get the most visual impact, I decide to draw the car at a skewed angle. I use guidelines and a box in which I draw the car to keep me in perspective. Guidelines are very helpful, so as to have the right proportions in the end.
Step 2When I'm satisfied with...
Step 2When I'm satisfied with my pencil sketch, I use French curves and fine liners to redraw the lines. When I've finished, I rub away all pencil lines. You will notice that I do not draw all of the lines in the same thickness. For example, you can detail the grille with stronger lines. The car throws a shadow to the ground which I color with black marker.
Step 3I usually do my artworks...
Step 3I usually do my artworks with an airbrush, therefore, I mask off the surrounding area with masking film. Then I start coloring the interior, windows and tires. I use masking film and paper masks in my technique. Start with the interior and then finish with the windows. It's helpful to study window reflections on photos.
Step 4The car body is basically...
Step 4The car body is basically a mirror, reflecting everything around it. We want to establish our environment reflections first because they are the darkest values on the body. I cut exact paper masks and spray the unmasked area carefully. To the horizon line, the color should always have a stronger value.
Step 5Now we color the rest...
Step 5Now we color the rest of the body. The areas which reflect the sky get their color. The hood and the roof get colored very softly (much light from above) while the side gets more color. Note that the gradation gets lighter to the horizon line.
Step 6Lowriders usually have...
Step 6Lowriders usually have many gold-plated parts, and, in this case, we're going to do excessive gold plating. Gold behaves like chrome. It reflects the sky and the ground. As I told you before, look at some photos and analyze them. The basic colors for the gold look are yellow, orange and brown. The principle is always the same: sky reflections, horizon line (dark) and ground reflections.
Step 7The car seems to be...
Step 7The car seems to be almost finished already. Now I give my airbrush a break. In order to add some finishing touches to the Impala, I add some highlights with white gouache. With black pencil I accentuate the horizon lines on the body and gold-plated parts. The roof and side trim section (yellow-gold) get some random dots to create the image of metal flakes.
Step 8To create atmosphere...
Step 8To create atmosphere and room, I do a simple background with markers. Our Impala lowrider is finished now. It's a hot-looking beauty, isn't it?