Welcome to a journey where the past meets the future, where the classic lines of a 1928 Essex Super Six four-door car, whose chief selling point was “affordable luxury,” intermingle with the art of modern graphic design. I recently had the incredible opportunity to photograph this rare American vintage beauty in the car park of the historic Richmond Workingmen’s Club in Christchurch. Note that the gallery of images from the photoshoot is at the foot of the page.
Capturing the Essence:
The Essex Super Six, with its three-box, closed-body shape and vintage charm of fenders, running boards and wooden spoked wheels, was a sight to behold against the backdrop of the trees around the club’s sunny car park. I aimed to capture not just the car itself but the story it tells. Each photograph was taken with the intent to highlight the car’s unique features—from the elegant chrome accents and fully sculpted bas-relief dashboard to the wood-spoked wheels that seem to whisper tales of Norman Rockwell’s 1920s America.
From Shutter to Screen to T-shirt:
Transitioning from photography to digital illustration is where the magic happens. The first stage is to collaborate with the client to select the most compelling short list of images to serve as the foundation for our design. The process involves enhancing the car’s features, playing with light and shadow to bring the best look. This stage is about making the vehicle’s classic beauty pop in a way that’s both true to its era and appealing to today’s audience.
Designing the illustration for the print:
For the t-shirt, I envisioned offering the client a choice of several designs that would not only celebrate this vehicle but also capture the idea of the motor car being the essence of American life the Art Nouveau, and the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s.
AI as a Junior Art Director, Illustrative Graphic Designer
Much as was my role as a Junior Art Director at the beginning of my career in advertising, I incorporated the specifics of the car make and model into an AI prompt or brief to shape its creation of imagery that resonates with the specific period in US history in which the Essex Super-Six was marketed as affordable luxury, and the relatively high power of its engine for its time celebrated.
For example, first taxi off the rank, producing a Norman Rockwell style Saturday Evening Post illustration and a Gustav Klimt Art Nouveau Style portrait creating a fusion of art and history. The AI assisted digital illustration process allowed for the freedom to quickly render a variety of visuals of the car illustration, where I could experiment with action-packed images of the car in motion in various settings in the era and artistic styles. The end goal is to make a skilled photo-composite of the client’s car merged into the AI generated eye visualisations.
The Final Product:
The final result is going to be a graphic design process of consensus building with the client.
I have set out a few examples of creative themes for the final design as talking points to demonstrate to the client that their t-shirt print can be one that tells a story, that elevates their prized possession.
Auto Restorations of Century Old Vehicles are Great
I have observed that in some cases the owners of auto restorations I have met have lovingly restored their car its former glory with their own hands and a single-minded vision of what can be.
An automotive art print that embodies a celebration of heritage, innovation and pragmatism of the ordinary suburban men of the 20th Century who maintained and restored cars for the love of the oily rag, passed-on to them by by their mechanically gifted fathers.
Custom automotive art, It’s not just about wearing a piece of clothing; it’s about wearing a piece of history that resonates with the client. So I’m excited to share these raw photographs and first set of rough illustration visuals to mark the beginning of this journey from photo to an amazing print with my client. Stay tuned for more posts where we’ll dive deeper into the technical aspects of bringing these designs to life!
The Photoshoot Gallery
Unlocking the Past: Research for Perfect Illustrations
Imagine you’re a Graphic Designer, but instead of painting just any picture, you’re creating a special image for someone else that is centred on their prized possession. You need to know exactly what they love, right? That’s where visual and historical research comes in! It’s like being a detective, looking for clues about what makes their heart pump. If they adore vintage cars from the 1920s, we explore old photos online. library books and magazine and newspaper advertising from back in the day. We even visit car museums to see how those cars looked, felt, and moved. Every line we draw, shape we make and colour we choose is based on this treasure hunt, making sure the illustration isn’t just cool but also tells a story that’s true to its time.
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