Cool Cars #04

Learning how to draw cars isn't as difficult as you think it is. In fact, it's not difficult at all. All you need is a little practice, and a few pointers to get you going. With practice and the right guidelines anyone can master drawing cool cars. And as you're reading this article, I'm betting you want to learn how to draw cool cars.

Obviously, the first thing you need is a piece of paper. Next thing you need is a good pencil. Now it's important to know one thing. Awesome drawing supplies WILL NOT make you an awesome artist, though it doesn't hurt having a good pencil to work with. A good pencil, a piece of paper, plus a will to really get this down is all you need. Keep practicing every day, and keep everything you draw. After drawing for only 10 days, go back and look at your previous drawings. Studying them will give you the motivation you need to keep on going.

An important thing to think about is your environment where you're drawing. To draw at your best, you need to be comfortable where you're at. You also need a good surface to draw on. Whatever you do draw on, you have to make sure it doesn't wobble, and that it's level.

The actual drawing process is easy. Start out with the basic shape of the car. If it helps, draw squares and circels to help you out. You can always remove them later. Do not focus on the little details too early. That is a mistake most beginners make. If you made a square, start in the square with drawing the basic shape of the car. Don't be too hard with the pencil, as you might want to erase the lines and make everything perfect later. The best thing to to is probably to draw so that you barely see it, and make everything more visible later on. When doing that you won't have to start over when making a mistake.

When you have the basic shape of the car as you want it, you should work on the wheels. Should they stand out compared to the rest of the car? Should it be more subtle? Start out with a complete circle, and then remove the part that is under the car. When you have the basic shape of the wheel ready, go on to the next part. I'll say it again, save the details for later. You want to make everything to fit together, and you should have that clear before moving on to the details. When everything is ready, you can start on those details. After all, it's the details that are important when learning how to draw cool cars.

One of the most important rites of passage for any teenager is when they get their first car. It is something that marks a real change in their life - having practiced and worried for months about whether they would even pass their test, they suddenly have a kind of freedom that they have never had before. Inevitably, any teen will want a new, cool car. Equally inevitably, sometimes that just isn't possible and they have to make do with a second-hand car or a cheaper model. Whatever the case, our first car is an important moment in our life as much for what it represents as for what it is. If the car itself is not the coolest you have ever seen, then you can at least make it look, sound and feel a bit classier.

One of the first things you can do if you are making a gift of an older car for the newly-mobile teen is to get the car thoroughly cleaned inside and out by a professional. The benefits of doing this are clear. It may not be a new car, but thorough valeting or detailing can make the car look new, or nearly new. Customizing the car is also a step worth taking. This does not mean that you have to add lights and tinted windows and make the vehicle look like a spaceship. What it does mean is making the car "feel" a little bit more like the teen that is going to be driving it. If they are interested in sports like swimming and canoeing, they may well need to put wet equipment into the car come the end of the day. Waterproof seat covers are a godsend in this situation. If their interests are more diverse, the customization can be equally so.

Alternatively, a remote car starter, which retails for around a hundred dollars, can be the little gift that really keeps giving. Starting your car on a cold winter morning before the heater comes on, or on a hot summer morning before the air conditioning has had time to weave its magic can really make a difference from a comfort point of view. There is nothing to beat getting into a warm car on a cold morning, or vice versa. Starting it remotely can allow you this little luxury - and if you give the teen in your life this opportunity they may not get it at first, but on that cold winter morning they will suddenly think you are the greatest!

You will have read the above ideas and may be thinking that the "cool" factor is conspicuous by its absence. It is true that practicality is the major concern of these tips, and this is necessary because there are few teenagers who will go straight to the practical when they are buying things for the car. Nonetheless, as a first car or a driving license often coincides with a birthday it can be a nice thought to get a present that your teen can enjoy rather than one that they need. An iPod docking station or GPS kit can serve a purpose here.