x·taon

ART CAR TEXTURING CONTEST

 

THE PROJECT

X-TAON is a concept car designed by the talented automotive designer Takumi YAMAMOTO in partnership with the 3D modeler Frédéric GASSON. This car model is staged in a community painting competition provided by Substance by Adobe. The theme of the art car is based on the principle of a collaborative work between a car manufacturer and a generally recognized graphic artist. One of the most iconic art car was the 1979 BMW M1, painted by Andy WARHOL.

Here is my own version of the X-TAON show car.

Surfacing and texturing: Thomas CHARIER
Concept & design: Takumi YAMAMOTO
Modeling: Frédéric GASSON

The road eraser took 4th place!

~ 2018

 

Made for @Allegorithmic's X·TAON Art Car contest. Textured with Substance Painter. I tried to match the beautiful curves while breaking some parts as the front headlights and it was rather convincing! This car can outperform any supercar thanks to special tires and a light body.

 

texturing an art car

Substance formerly Allegorithmic provides texturing tools for production studios but also for independent digital artists.

Theirs clients includes the video game market, the film industry, but opens the door to other sectors such as object design, automotive and interior design.

X-TAON is for the acronym of The Art Of Noise. This name comes from the very first Substance engine prototype of the founder of Allegorithmic, Sébastien DEGUY.

The 3D model of the concept car was provided by Substance and was part of the X-Taon Art Car contest. The entries of this competition are judged according to criteria of artistic quality, of originality, of creativity and finally of technical execution.

the art of the noise.

Automotive design is an artistic field with a rich graphic and historical background. This practice enjoys an emancipation of design but also ideas. A car may be more than just a means of transport.

Concept cars are at the forefront of design. Their futuristic spirit fascinates amateurs and visionaries. Their aggressive curves shape the face of the automotive world of tomorrow. However, certain aspects of the car remain fundamental and impose themselves as obvious constraints.

An art car is usually the transcript of a canvas on a body. The artist composes with his favorite palette by caring or not the curves of the model. He rarely worries about technical components such as air vents and rims.

My minimalist vision refines and colors the model in a juxtaposition of geometric shapes. The codes of the traditional car are broken, the existing curves are sublimated.

xtaon artcar front 02 3D render
xtaon artcar front 3D artwork
xtaon artcar back 02 3D artwork
xtaon artcar back 3D artwork
XTAON_ThomasCharier_Hood_01.jpg

This concept car gets rid of details considered too contemporary to leave more space for expression in flat areas.

Geometrical asymmetry in black and white is reminiscent of a minimalist process. Solid colors are not just colors, but striking textures and plastic surfaces.

The work unfolds as the camera gets closer to the subject and detail of the bodywork. The model thus benefits from distinct profiles according to the point of view of the viewer.

 
Who needs carbon when you have gum!
xtaon turnover car 3D

The road eraser looks like a race car. The tires are revisited by color and a logotype work. The rims are restricted to their primary form reinforcing the raw side.

The body unloads as much weight as possible, favoring light materials. The gum is in the spotlight! Subtle stickers and typographic flats remind us of the name of the X-TAON concept car and the competitive universe of the race.

This car can outperform any supercar thanks to special tires and a light body. A superior grip on the road is always synonymous with victory.

xtaon minimalist modern tires
xtaon rear closeup soft
xtaon tires closeup
 

technical breakdown

Pre-production was decisive in the choice of the final concept thanks to the in-depth study of the curves. This first draft is similar to the stages of creation character design where all the angles of the character are studied.

The different views were extracted in 3D and then reworked digitally.

The biggest challenge of this concept car was to completely rework the front bumper. The modification of the 3D modeling was forbidden in this contest urging us to push the boundaries of texturing. Side ventilation grids has been transformed into headlights and the license plate has been modified into a front radiator.

The personality of a car is mainly in its headlight set. My graphic strategy tries to cover and hides LED headlights. The spirit of this racing car is metamorphosed by a new orange and intimidating look.

xtaon wireframe headlights basemesh
XTAON Headlights textures 3D render
XTAON substance painter wip Screenshot
XTAON SideView dark 3D render
 

conclusion

The road eraser took 4th place!

The conceptualization of the shapes and the general appearance of this car fascinated me. The aim was to sublimate Takumi YAMAMOTO's curves with elegance and precision while appropriating some of the emblematic parts of the car.

This type of competition is unique because of the relationship it establishes between design personalities and independent creatives. A tension-free competition atmosphere is the most rewarding experience for a designer.

A book is being written on the history of the X-TAON car itself - the reasons for its creation, the practical aspects of its design, etc. But also on the role of 3D technology in car design overall, and how the Substance toolset can help to achieve this kind of 3D transformation.

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