Painting Cars

Alfa
Oil on Canvas Panel
11 x 14 in/27.9 x 35.6 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2015

After a Cobra Rallye
Oil on Canvas Panel
11 x 14 in/27.9 x 35.6 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2015

Last week I painted a subject I almost never paint--cars, and they're today's images.

"Why?", you ask.

Well, the annual Auto Show was in town, and although I didn't attend (I think $10 to park--at an auto show, no less--in addition to the cost of admission is just not worth it), it did inspire me to paint a classic car.

I also like looking at how other painters paint cars. For the most part, cars are usually portrayed as just a nondescript dimensional shape with a light spot for the windshield. They are almost never detailed enough to tell the make or year, although you can usually tell if it's a sedan, SUV, or truck by the general shape. That's OK in most paintings where the car is not the focal point, only a prop, because you don't want it to distract the viewer.

However, if the car is the reason for the painting, then the car should look like what it's supposed to be. My paintings are of a 1957 Alfa Romeo Guiletta Spider and 1965 Ford Shelby Cobras (I think).

I do admire Colin Page's car paintings. They are painted in his painterly style, but are almost instantly recognizable as to brand and year. In one recent painting, he painted a 1955 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, which is a classic to car aficionados. Also, check out his classic VW bugs and vans.

Anyway, if you don't usually paint cars, give it a try, it's a lot of fun.