Sketching a Mini Cooper
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and are charged up for 2014! We will be going through some changes for the blog coming 2014 so be sure to signup for our newsletter to keep up with the updates. We start the New Year off with a Mini Cooper Sketch.
Gotta love the Mini Cooper. Terrific little car with a lot of character and polish.
Brief History:
The front wheel drive, 2 door Mini was realized by BMC or British Motor Corporation and has been considered an icon since the 1960s. It’s often been compared to it’s more modern looking Volkswagen Beetle which experienced the same popularity in the States.
The Mini was marketed under the name of Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor which was later changed to Austin Mini in 1962. Austin and Morris maintained the brand name until 1969.
John Cooper, the owner of the Cooper Car Company and designer of rally cars and Formula 1 saw some opportunities for the Mini to enter into racing competitions. He approached BMC and was able to collaborate on a new project that spawned the Mini Cooper which debuted in 1961.
Fast Forward to the year 2001 and the “Mini” was redesigned and sort of “reborn” with Cooper and Cooper S variants. Since the year 2001, the Mini Cooper has gone through dramatic changes and improvements that not only addressed the needs of today’s market, but also retained the character worthy of its design heritage.
Sketch Notes:
1. Before you begin your sketch. Research the subject matter and learn some history as it will add more depth in your understanding of the subject and your design.
2. Practice Sketching Loosely – Sketch loosely. Don’t labor over your lines. This takes time and patience but be diligent about practicing these steps.
3. Understand the proportions. Start with the Wheel Base (Distance between front and rear wheels measure by wheel diameter). This will ensure you have the correct proportions.
4. Work on on section of the car at a time – If it get’s difficult understanding the entire shape – then only draw one particular section of the car. Maybe it’s the front 3/4 quarter, or just a headlamp shape. Take little steps at a time.