I’ve been in a funk lately. Doing the same thing over and over. Sketching the same way, looking at things the same way. I hate getting stagnant. So, in an effort to change I’ve been doing these. Each one took roughly between 7 & 15min. These arent the greatest and ive seen concept artist do them faster and cleaner, but its been fun and it’s a great exercise.

In the next week or two I’m going to throw up a  video showing a few of these. (If I have enough time Ill clean one up and add some detail) Keep your eyes peeled!

These videos are a bit idealistic…and sales driven. But there are some great points and reminders on how to design products with sustainability in mind.( It’s nice exciting to see more companies focus on this.) However, im ultimately posting them for the sketches. “Mr. Imagination” does a pretty good job about communicating complex ideas with simple visual elements. (portfolio fodder!) You can see more at Autodesk Edu.

Chip foose throws down some old school hotness for a vw golf sketch.

Don’t let the web address fool you - http://almostawesome-joshnerd.blogspot.com/ – is the website of Interior Automotive Designer Josh Reed. I worked with Josh at GM back in 2007 and his work is really exciting and inspiring. I really love his sketch style. If you’re looking for some fresh inspiration or a ice in the pants, be sure to check out his  (soon to be daily) sketch blog!

So I’ve had this dream for some time now of writing a textbook or guide or some kind of reference guide for my way of sketching. Coming up with a  path to that dream has been pretty confusing. Publishing isn’t something I am used to, comfortable with or have any idea about. Enter Apple.

I love apple products, always have. I was surprised to see this morning that apple has announced a product that brings me one step closer to my dream of encapsulating and sharing knowledge with you guys in the form of a book. iBooks author is Apple’s new FREE, yes FREE, tool for authoring rich content eBooks that can then be distributed on their platform. Granted, the format would be limited to iOS users, but the idea of having a rich content eBook for sketching has gotten me really excited.

So with that, I’m taking the first step on my path to composing a sketching reference book. I can’t promise constant updates on the project, but as I do make progress and have something I like, I’ll be happy to share. I’m really excited about how this really puts a powerful publishing tool in the average man’s hands.

It’s already funded, but check How to Draw Cars – Marker Rendering and Digital Painting by Arvind Ramkrishna. How to Draw Cars – Marker Rendering and Digital Painting is a 2 Disc DVD set for those interested in getting into car design sketching and car design in general. Let’s face it, most of us have tried to sketch a car at least once, or maybe you once dreamed of being a car designer. Either way, How to Draw Cars – Marker Rendering and Digital Painting, seems to be a good deal and a good starting point for anyone looking to sharpen up their design sketching skills.

Not only does the kickstarter deal come with the awesome dvd’s, but Arvind is also throwing in a 20 page reference book for quick tips on proportion, lines, and value shading.

Arvind is no stranger to the car design industry in Michigan. Be sure to check out the following links for more info and support this educational product!

Kickstarter:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1459036307/how-to-draw-cars-now-two-disc-special-edition

HTDCN Website:

www.howtodrawcarsnow.com

My blog:

www.drivenmavens.com

Sorry about the lack of posts. We have had a few technical difficulties with our servers and what not. Its been a pain.

Anyway, here are few sketches I’ve done over the month or so. Hopefully you find them useful…and inspirational. If not let me know.

(More will come. I didn’t have time to scan and post everything.)

This year I was invited to attend Autodesk University as a presenter in the Creativity Lounge. It’s been an exciting trip so far, well as exciting as a flight, and quick check in goes! Tomorrow (the 29th) will be my first day on stage presenting to a (small) group of avid sketchers. My workshop is titled, “Back to Basics” and will be focusing on key techniques in design sketching visualization.

The other session I’m in charge of is called “Sketch to Death”, and you can expect just that, people dying from sheer excitement and hysteria. Okay, not really, but this is where I promise to bring out the big guns and go out with a bang.

In between session, you can find me in the lounge here at the Venetian in one of the many creative sketch pods for ONE ON ONE sessions.

So if you happen to be around Vegas at Autodesk University, pop on by and visit me. I’d love to meet you!

Spencer Out. Check out this link for more information about the Creativity Lounge at Autodesk University 2011

http://www.sketchbooknews.com/news/creative-studio-calendar.html

I know this is a sketching site but…I manage the content. So, here is a range of “how things are made?” videos.  If these don’t do it for you and you were hoping for a cool sketch or inspiration then check out the robotic arms. They are seriously cool….and dont forget to “watch those fingers!”

Like sketching on your Tablet and want a nice Stylus? Check out our review after the break.

Edit:Well, Elton made his goal and wanted to thank all those who contributed.

Last week we received a new stylus from a Elton @ GreenBulb. He is an independent designer who asked us to do a review and get the word out about his new stylus. Obviously we gladly accepted.

I have spent some time with the Xstylus and I have to say it’s very well made. I’ve always struggled with all the cheap stylus’ out there and this is definitely not one of them. The pen is made using the standard stylus tip (the squishy rubber ball…eh.) and a combo plastic/metal body (yea!). The body of the stylus has a very solid weight and feel, and when you combine the weight with the expandability of the stylus you get a very comfortable experience. It feels like you’re holding a normal pen and the flexing plastic provides a nice finger rest. This really helps out when you’re using it for long periods of time. The Xstylus also comes with a magnetic Ipad dock that is suprisingly secure and useful.

My only complaint is the squishy tip; it doesn’t provide an accurate sketching experience. I mentioned this to Elton and he did mention he already made the change to a firmer tip. Overall, it’s enjoyable to use and if you like sketching on your tablet then I would highly recommend looking into the XStylus.

Being on your own and getting one of your ideas into production is very tough.  If you are interested in the Xstylus and want one, or just want to help out an independent designer, go and check out his IndieGogo page and contribute. http://www.indiegogo.com/XStylus-Touch