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Race Vehicle Concept Design

Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator & After Effects Workflow with Chris Beatty

Description

Design a near-future racing machine in this conceptual vehicle design workshop by veteran 3D artist and concept designer, Chris Beatty. Over the course of 8 hours, Chris guides artists through his entire design process, which he has honed over two decades of experience working in the industry designing high-profile concepts for motorsports such as for the world-famous Indy 500.


Chris shares his extensive knowledge, skills, and techniques with artists of all levels who are looking to master a practical “form follows function” creative process. Grounded in real-world engineering considerations, you'll learn how to style a race vehicle with a touch of science-fiction for added artistic license.


This workshop uses Blender as the primary production tool. Chris demonstrates his Blender modeling techniques to sculpt the vehicle's form, showing how to maintain maximum creative freedom throughout the process. He also details how to extend the commitment point as far as possible before reaching the final modeling and rendering stage. The creative process is also complemented by Adobe Creative Cloud’s Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.


By completing this workshop, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of how to create vehicle concepts that balance function and artistic flair, leading to greater believability in the final results. These principles can be applied to any vehicle genre, whether a real-world race car or your next spaceship project. You should emerge from this workshop feeling accomplished and knowledgeable in the art of vehicle design.


The Scene Asset Animated Environment, Bike In Studio, and Bike Studio Turntable are provided as learning resources with this workshop. All HDR images are sourced from HDRI Haven; the rigged body model was sourced from CGTrader, and the motorcycle shock absorber model also came from CGTrader.


Duration: 8h 22m

Format: HD 1920x1080

Chris Beatty

Design Consultant & 3D Artist at Chris Beatty Design

Chris Beatty is a designer and 3D artist from England, specializing in conceptualizing vehicles and products for both real-world and futuristic applications. With two decades of experience in product design, visualization, and 3D animation production, he combines technical expertise with creative vision to deliver high-impact designs.


Chris has contributed to high-profile projects in the motorsport industry, including leading the styling of racing cars currently competing in the Indianapolis 500 and collaborating with multiple Formula 1 teams in a creative capacity. His work blends aesthetic innovation with functional design, making him a trusted designer for both competitive and concept automotive projects.

  • Aesthetics play a huge role in the appeal of race cars, and the universal aero kit for the 2018 season, designed by Chris in collaboration with series head of aerodynamic development Tino Belli, helped to make IndyCar one of the best-looking race series on the planet over the last two years.

    - David Malsher-Lopez
    Editor of Motorsport Magazine, Editor-at-large for Racer at Racer Media & Marketing, Inc.

  • Incredibly talented 3D designer. He digested and expanded upon the briefs we gave him for the Formula 1 exhibition. Chris made our lives so easy with pre-visualizations, and conceptual artwork, before rigging up detailed models of the inner-mechanics of a Formula 1 car, the likes of which nobody has ever detailed before. He's a pleasure to work with, and the work itself is always stellar.

    - Mark O’Leary
    Co-Founder & Creative Director at Jam Creative Consultancy

  • IndyCar’s secret weapon! His expertise was recognized when the prestigious award for the IndyCar Universal Aero Kit, a complete aero and body package used in the 2018 Indianapolis 500, was presented to engineers Tino Belli from IndyCar, Andrea Toso and Antonio Montanari from Dallara, and Chris Beatty from Chris Beatty Design Limited.

    - RaceTech Magazine
    racetechmag.com

  • Chris is an incredibly talented 3D designer. He digested and expanded upon the briefs we gave him for the Formula 1 exhibition. Chris made our lives so easy with pre-visualizations, and conceptual artwork, before rigging up detailed models of the inner-mechanics of a Formula 1 car, the likes of which nobody has ever detailed before. He’s a joy to work with, and his work is consistently stellar.

    - Mark Anthony O' Leary
    Co-Founder & Creative Director at JAM Creative