Fun with Photoshop

[streamliner]

So while I was looking for a suitable pic to doctor, I stumbled across this one at Ford Inside News (http://www.fordinsidenews.com/). Now that's a great "chop job". My compliments to "artandcolour"...

[Tucker Fan 48]

I WANT ONE !!!!!!

[Tucker Fan 48]

Do they come in Waltz Blue?

Art and Colour is in Queensland Australia.

Did they need #1045 for a before picture?

[jnbgoch]

So while I was looking for a suitable pic to doctor, I stumbled across this one at Ford Inside News (http://www.fordinsidenews.com/). Now that's a great "chop job". My compliments to "artandcolour"...

Looks like they started with either a Prius or an Insight...

[John K.]

What a beautiful car! Sign me up! I'll take Waltz Blue, please...

[Tucker Fan 48]

The only thing I don't like is it has the "wrong" hubcaps.

[Natalie]

"Fun Size"...just in time for Halloween.

[streamliner]

If you've got a few hours to burn up, Photoshop will be happy to make it go by quickly. After looking at VizualTech's ALMS Camaro, I thought I'd bolt a few of their pieces onto the Tucker. There's plenty of details wrong with it (like I mounted the tires inside-out) and you could spend three times the hours fixing them, but it's actually a lot of fun and takes tons of concentration. Give it a try, if you've got the time...

[Larry Clark]

Great photo edit picture. Just think what Alex Tremulis could have done "in the day" with just this capability in designing a car for Preston Tucker.

Larry

[streamliner]

36 years ago, Alex wrote about using computers to do styling (Tremulis on Tremulis, 1974):

"Now, much of the styling is done by computer, but one thing is still true: You must program a computer. But it still takes a designer to give it the information. I think the old adage of “garbage in, garbage out” is what the computer really gives us. When it comes to three dimensions, there isn’t a computer in the world that could take a combination and extrapolate it. It would lose the absolute finesse that only a designer or excellent sculptor can interject into the design. A computer can only analyze. A computer operator once fed a question into the computer: "Where is God?" was the question. The computer started clicking and cinching around for a while, finally hesitated and then typed out “I am God!”

A few weeks ago I had the honor of having lunch with Tom Matano, Chief Designer of Mazda's MX 5, RX 7, and the "M-Coupe" concept car. He's a Director at Academy of Art University in San Francisco for their design program. It sounds like they still develop some talent the old fashioned way with airbrush, French curves, and clay. So rendering by hand and building scale clay models is not a lost art and probably provides a stronger appreciation for design and a more solid foundation, even if you're bent towards Computer Aided Design.

If you've got that rare, extreme talent and a good work ethic, I don't think it matters whether your tools are the computer, an airbrush or Crayola crayons, you'll rise to the top.

[jnbgoch]

If you've got a few hours to burn up, Photoshop will be happy to make it go by quickly. After looking at VizualTech's ALMS Camaro, I thought I'd bolt a few of their pieces onto the Tucker. There's plenty of details wrong with it (like I mounted the tires inside-out) and you could spend three times the hours fixing them, but it's actually a lot of fun and takes tons of concentration. Give it a try, if you've got the time...

I actually like the look of this! Good work!

[Natalie]

36 years ago, Alex wrote about using computers to do styling (Tremulis on Tremulis, 1974):

"Now, much of the styling is done by computer, but one thing is still true: You must program a computer. But it still takes a designer to give it the information. I think the old adage of “garbage in, garbage out” is what the computer really gives us. When it comes to three dimensions, there isn’t a computer in the world that could take a combination and extrapolate it. It would lose the absolute finesse that only a designer or excellent sculptor can interject into the design. A computer can only analyze. A computer operator once fed a question into the computer: "Where is God?" was the question. The computer started clicking and cinching around for a while, finally hesitated and then typed out “I am God!”

A few weeks ago I had the honor of having lunch with Tom Matano, Chief Designer of Mazda's MX 5, RX 7, and the "M-Coupe" concept car. He's a Director at Academy of Art University in San Francisco for their design program. It sounds like they still develop some talent the old fashioned way with airbrush, French curves, and clay. So rendering by hand and building scale clay models is not a lost art and probably provides a stronger appreciation for design and a more solid foundation, even if you're bent towards Computer Aided Design.

If you've got that rare, extreme talent and a good work ethic, I don't think it matters whether your tools are the computer, an airbrush or Crayola crayons, you'll rise to the top.

Awesome insight.

The modern design environment may allow for execution not possible in the past, but it also makes for enormous amounts of clutter and rewards eye-candy and mass appeal over true creativity. Extreme talent and work ethic may be enough to stand out. But, depending on your definition of success (respect among those in your field, independence, money, etc.), it may not be enough to get you to the top.

I perceive the work of the Tucker “dream team” as very organic and their accomplishments only possible in a time long gone. Tremulis was 19 with no formal training when he joined ACD and their chief stylist at 22. In this day and age, he wouldn’t even get past HR for an administrative assistant position without a college degree! By the time he got his Master’s and software certifications he’d probably have a job designing iPads (or going into a completely different field) to pay his student loans & bills while doing design as his high-level “hobby.” And Tucker? He’d have a hard time getting approved for a Bloomingdale’s charge account never mind authorization for an IPO.

My question: in a time where so much has changed (not just design tools...but the economy, the world) and has been “done,” would Tremulis in 2010 be “Tremulis” or just a guy in the cubicle across from me who has a weird fascination with jet packs?

Perhaps this is taking this to a bit of a crazy level, but that’s what I do best.

[Prototype]

That's cool! I was going to say I want one in Waltz Blue, but after studying the picture for, Oh..like 20 minutes (literally) I have grown quite fond of the "Tin Goose" Maroon. I'll take Two, One to drive and one to put in the barn for the kids to find in 30 years. I'll hide it behind the garden tools, they'll never find it! Just don't hide it near the T.V., it would be discovered by Noon! Man..If I had a Flux Capacitor in my Delorean, I'd take my laptop back and give it to Alex in say, 1946 or so. Can you imagine what he could do or even say about the technology???Now THAT would be cool!

[TuckerCar]

Computers will never catch on. They are a passing fad, just like cell phones.

[Prototype]

Computers will never catch on. They are a passing fad, just like cell phones.

Perhaps they are...Hopefully they will last longer than the punks with their pants hanging down and boxers sticking out like they jumped up off the toilet to answer the telephone! Oh, I forgot nobody has a land-line anymore....I do..it's hooked to my vintage facsimile machine. Ahh, Drat...I had a kid ask me if I built the Delorean myself after I saw the movie. ???? I told him no....He then asked if was real!?!?! He was NOT kidding!