Renderings?

[chassisguy]

Whats the best beginner software for automotive renderings? Please chime in? Thanks Mickey

[bhcustomdesigns]

I have searched around and all I could come up with for beginners is gimp it is free to download it is easier than photoshop but if there is anything better I would also like to know.Takes alot of practice

[carterhickmandesigns]

What kind of rendering are you wanting to do? Paint and wheels or major body redesigns?

[SRD art]

When I first started out I used an old version of Photoshop. I've heard a lot of folks say good things about gimp. Best thing to do is choose a program and play with it A LOT. The more you play the more you learn. Now is a good time to start out too because there's so many tutorials online, so if you're wondering how to do something you can usually find a tutorial video or blog entry.

A tablet is a great digital tool. A good inexpensive alternative is an Aiptek -see link. I used a couple year older model and enjoyed one of these for 2-3 years before I got my Wacom. The Wacom is about 4-5X the cost but really is better, especially in pen pressure sensitivity. But Aiptek has a new model and I'd imagine it's been improved on since mine.

Aiptek-Slim-12-1-Inch-Tablet (http://www.amazon.com/Aiptek-Slim-12-1-Inch-Tablet/dp/B000RAHUOW)

If it's not in the budget you don't need a tablet, I did this Nova with a mouse in Photoshop 6.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/07/final06tshirt5copy-1.jpg

Now I use Adobe Illustrator. It just works for me. Again, it just takes playing with the tools to get the results you want. Here's a Pro-tour car I did a couple years back. You can see where some of the different features and styles of each program stand out.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/07/Leguna1copy-1.jpg

Also check out www.motorburg.com and go to the furum/design desk. There's a bunch of great artists that pop in on there and can add insight.

Hope that helps!

[chassisguy]

Thanks for the info guys....Im just wanting to start offering some renderings through my shop. Also i been looking to get back into art. My plan through highschool was to be art teacher/wrestling coach but one thing led to another and i missed that road. But now im building racecars for a living and we are expanding quickly and i feel i will benefit from capabilities of renderings. Thanks Mickey