UPDATED: vintage concept sketches

The economy of linework and gesture in the last four sketches is wonderful…so evocative of the stance and personality. Adding some foliage and a bikini - will remember that tactic for the future…

Yah, that is some amazing stuff. I had to preserve it in here for posterity!

I follow a few accounts on Instagram that frequently post some vintage gold

from the drawing boards…


a designer at his desk at an early downtown Detroit GM design studio (which is now CCS by the way) and a little Syd Mead.


Saab 92 sketch by Sixten Sason (c. 1947)

some very cool alternate nasa space shuttle concepts from MustardVideos’ recent piece on the Soviet Space Shuttle: Did The Soviets Build A Better Space Shuttle? The Buran Story - YouTube

wow, look at this draw, it feels completely contemporary… the solid block colors, no fancy shadowing… it could easily fit with the recent graphic/product design feed on instagram :smiley:
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that sason sketch sits perfectly with the current cultural debate. It predates the Simca Bagheera ads by 3 decades.

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I am just blown away by the generosity of my friends and clients! My good friend and first client of my new studio bought me this fantastic Syd Mead print he picked up in a vintage shop in Palm Springs. I’m adding it to some of my other Mead gear. When I was a design student in the 90s I was lucky enough to meet Mr Mead and get him to sign my copy of Studio Image 1, his self published book series. Can’t wait to hang this print in the studio!

TBT. Saab 92 sketch by Sixten Sason ~ 1947

1985 Volvo 480ES rendering by Steve Harper. Derwent pencil, AD markers, Conte pastels and BIC Biro
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1940, Rockefeller Center, New York. Reinhard & Hofmeister, Cobett, Harrison & MacMurray, Hood & Fouilhoux architects

Porsche 993 from 1985


1992 ItalDesign Columbus
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change is the only constant. A few pics of what drafting rooms used to look like











When I was taking drafting in high school I used the desk’s pictured in [life-before-autocad-2.jpg]

Me too Will. My college had them as well.

Great article on the core77 homepage about architectural images being made public by the Library of Congress:

Some fun vintage sketches from the archive.



Elia Russinoff, signed “Russ, 10/12/89”
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