Modern Vespa

I've had this grainy jpeg image saved on my computer for years. I love these old print ads. This is a mid sixties promotion for a Vespa 150 Super, built by Douglas for the UK market under licence from Piaggio.

I always liked the low angle from which this photograph is shot, and I planned to make a drawing of it one day. 'One day' has gone by hundreds of times. I thought if I post my progress here in public it might force me to keep some momentum going.

So, let's draw scooters.....
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Starting with a very loose sketch and quick lines to get something down on the digital page. Kind of like a marker pen drawing. I'm using an old Wacom graphics tablet and Adobe Illustrator here. It's been ages since I drew with a graphics tablet, and there's always a sense of disconnection between the pad and the monitor. My lines are pretty rusty for now.

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Wow Ironfoot, that is awesome for a "loose" and "rusty" sketch.

Here's my attempt. MS Paint with computer mouse.

ha! Strick you have got some mad skillz. It's a good job you signed and dated it. That will stop people stealing it and passing it off as their own work!

Strick. That... is just awesome.

More sketching. I've gone a little heavy on some of the line work but I can paint it out later.

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I suck at drawing scooters, but I have been painting a lot lately.
I did this one two weeks ago for a class

^^ Nice work!

In Photoshop now. I've slimmed out some of the heavy lines and am beginning to paint in the body. Still using the Wacom pen and drawing with quick strokes. I'm liking the immediacy of this rough style.





Penned-in the rest of the scooter and added some tone to the body. I'm going to leave it here for a while and decide if/how to take it any further.

It's not bad as an informal sketch. It's broken the deadlock I found myself in.

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I, for one, think it looks splendid the way it is Ironfoot.

Oh...and Froggie..that's an excellent painting of a jar of Marmite. On the plus side, if you ever get tired of looking at it, you can eat it and it will taste about the same.

I never liked the lines of the Super, but I do yours

drew mine ages ago as an idea of what i was gonna build ...... i think i managed it ..........

Looking at my sketch now I notice the left side cowl is missing. It was obscured by the woman in the reference photo, but I'm pretty sure it should be visible from this angle.

Bitza, those hover wheels are badass. How did they work for ya?

hahahaha ..... cunt

I've got an Etch A Sketch drawing of my LXV coming up. Stay tuned. Give it a while, though. It's 3rd in line- I promised my kids Frozen drawings first. Just about done with Elsa and Anna on paper and getting ready to transfer it to the Etch A Sketch.

My brother did this for me, not sure how or with what....

Ironfoot, can I join your posse?
People often ask me where my inspiration comes from.
I draw from life... from life...

I believe the word you're searching for is doh!

just pretend it's a Lambretta and it fell off

Hi-
I'm looking for someone that can put our name in a drawing of a vespa
with the name of our restaurant being the lines of the vespa.

Tony & Alba's Pizza and Pasta.

Does this make sense?

My fun version in ink and watercolor-

Nice...wait...you actually washed that scoot?

As you can see from my own original work, it is nothing like Strick's.

It even says so in the signature

Yes, can't you see the droplets? 8)

I think it looks great right now (and I like the yellow seat better of the 2 as it gives better contrast with the background). Then again, I have a severe lack of graphical abilities, so I don't feel like I have much to contribute there. My attempts would make Strick's look like Rembrandt in comparison...

If you're wondering whether or not you should try to add the left cowl, ask yourself if you'd be content with it the way it is now or if it'll always bug you.

As I said, I think it looks great now, but if you're not happy with it, keep working it until you feel it's right.

Mark

For real? Etch A Sketch? Wow! Nice work! If I'd only known there was such talent around here I'd have started a drawing thread years ago. I remember that Italian Family Festa poster you showed us last year. I really liked it, maybe you could start from there? Class!

Now, that's just...mean. And damned funny.

Ironfoot: I'm hoping there's a T-shirt coming from all this. Like it a lot. Which reminds me - time to order that GTS shirt from you guys. Going to order it right now, in fact. (See what you made me do?)

It's "Tao Tao", but yeah, North Carolina is not exactly leading the way in scooter culture. Now that I'm at the coast, there are alot more scooters, but more police harassment also. This from a person who came from Charlotte. SMH.

Nice drawing.

Well...had a long conference call so I thought I would contribute one rather than mock others (Bitza). Here you are....a PX.

I think this looks great as is!

Nice! Digital.

Ironfoot - Amazing work. The yellow seat scooter is my favorite.

What a great thread, so many different styles from a lot of talented people.

Except dmpawley. You will be hearing from my lawyer soon.



I think you actually improved my painting!

Fine. I will pay you in children. 3 or 4 should do it.

If I may ask a question without totally changing the subject...What is the Douglas connection? First I've heard of it. Would love to hear a little more. Thanks in advance.

Look here, 2nd page Factory Photos ~Picture Thread~

Back on topic, I'm no artist but I do know a few...

Early Vespas were built under licence at several places around Europe. The incentive for the trade was avoiding heavy import duties.

There's a good write up here about the Douglas company:
http://www.veteranvespaclub.com/1008.html

Ah, deadlocks. Know the feeling

Yep, definitely feeling a T-shirt out of this one. Will just have to content myself with one o' these from youse guys right now: just ordered it, in fact. (Damnit...meant to add a set of "Anno 1946" stickers to that. Next time, promise.)