This project is an idea of a little durable electric car that is shared in urban environment. It is a modern imaginary concept branded for Byton, shaped practically with some excitement in forms but staying quite conventional. For a shared car it needs to be semantic so everyone knows how to use it.

The project started from a short moment when I was sketching and thinking about which brand would make an extremely durable, electric maintenance-free little car that lasts 2 million kilometers and looks nice and and practical. Most of the users would probably use it individually so I kept the rear door small and easy to open in narrow spaces for luggage. Most of all this was a Photoshop routine to keep a good touch on its tools.

In this Photoshop-project I exported a scanned freehand sketch to Adobe Photoshop. I added the sketch on multiply so it removes all white of the image and can be used on top of the rendering.
(photo 1) The rendering started from a freehand sketch from a quick sketch session about the topic.
(photo 2) The process begins by coloring the background by big brushes. Giving enough light I keep the rendering fresh and breathing. The rendering is all about a reflection of the environment into a surface that has quality and color pigment.
I started making a good "stance" for the car. This is a very important part of the whole sketch, how it sits and is it in perspective. I usually spend some time on this because if something is wrong in the rendering, it is probably the stance and it is hard to change afterwards.
The second part is masking other graphics, like windows and the mask to keep them clean in shape and you can focus on understanding the body shape.
(photo 3) Horizon-reflection is the most important part showing the side. There is many ways to do it but this is very simple in half-matte color. Then I add general roundness and shape thinking how the light comes from different angles: ground, background, horizon and top. In this case I didn't focus very much detailing the interior so I just added a rough shape for it inside the car to make the sketch much lighter.
When the direction of the surface changes, the lightness of it changes. This basic light and shadow process goes through the whole sketch. To make a difference to surfaces, I add some contrast to right places. On the front of the shoulder I added darkness because in theory it could be in shadow of the car in this image.
(photo 4) In the end of the process I added some "shut lines" to figure out the doors and lines to express some edges. The light on the door handle is an idea of giving a strong experience when opening the doors and stepping in. It can also shine when the car is free to use as a sign.
When finishing the image I added contrast by dodge and levels tools and also added the logo as well by warp-tool.

I usually post on instagram (instagram.com/olliseppalaofficial) and other social media channels and I get positive feedback and likes as in this one as well. Of course every sketch teaches you but also it keeps me active and gives more experience on seeing light and shadows in different environments. The focus in design sketches is usually in the product, not on the image but training how to communicate the product is an important skill.

This project is done as a tutorial-like process and I hope you liked it! Making a short project like this includes some eye on detail but also thinking, when there is no time and long process behind, just a quick sketch and a rendering. This concept is a very conventional car project and I also tend to explore some more futuristic themes as well. Keeping basic skills up-to-date by car sketches is a very good practice!

Olli Seppälä

I am a mobility designer graduated from Royal College of Art interested about transport industry and new ways of mobility of the future. I am currently working as a teacher, designer and a freelance illustrator.

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