Art Center College of Design

The Art Center College of Design, nestled in the hills of Pasadena, CA is one of the world's leading institutions in the design industry. Well known for all Art related disciplines, but especially notable for automotive design, the college has produced some well known experts in the field. Just a few well known alumnists include:
Larry Shinoda - 63 Split Window Corvette, Z/28 Camaro, Boss 302 Mustand

CHip Foose - Overhaulin' TV series and countless custom cars

Jay Mays - Ford GT

The school has a high standard for acceptance and consequently the student body consists of the cream of the crop when it comes to talented and creative young design prodigies.

If you'd like to learn more about the institution, here is their web site http://www.artcenter.edu/

Our turnout consisted of Bill and Montse, Dave and Dorreen, Glen and Nancy, new members Kent and Cathy Yarborough and Mike Becker.

Special thanks to Glen Chancellor, whose business association with this institution (they are one of his customers) afforded us with a unique opportunity for a behind the scenes look at this very interesting place.

Our host, Michael Plesh introduces us to the college by showing a fantastic collection of recently completed design projects produced by students. Our visit coincided with the end of the current term so the lobby was filled with students' final projects. The quality was incredible. The inginuity was evident. The talent in these students is amazing.

Painting is one of the skills that the students learn and we received a private session with an accomplished proffessional custom automtove painter. He showed us how a perfect finish can be produced with the right equipment.

The clay modelling studio was abuzz with students working at various stages of completion on their pride and joy, their final projects. The designs were amazing, the room absolutely oozed creativity. We were clearly among some future stars in the automotive design industry...

A concept drawing hung on the wall in front of a workspace where it will soon be rendered in clay

Our incredible host Michael explains the process of forming a scale model representation using various techniques, including foam and clay.

With this student's concept drawing in the backgound and the buck mounted to his work surface, he begins the painstaking process of applying clay on top of the foam. A series of cardboard templates guide him in the application of the clay.

This student is very near the final stage of the clay modeling

This student is working with several small pieces that were rendered using 3D modelling machines. He meticulously sands and adjusts the pieces which will utimately be cemented together to form an unreal looking motorcycle.

Looks like Bill has his eye on what could be a future design. This particular model was rendered from several large blocks of a very very dense foam product. The process starts with a big block of foam and then the CNC machine slowly carves it into the shape of the car based upon the student's CAD drawing that gets fed into the machine.

Dave and Doreen pause for a photo op.

Glen and Nancy Chanellor look on as Glen's 3 dimensional printing device works away to create a solid object from a, well, from virtually nothing. It uses ink like an inkjet printer, but it prints upon a fine particle substance instead of paper. The substance looks like a fine powder. Once printed upon, a small amount of the powder becomes solid. It really is an amazing process. If you were at the July 14th Escondido Cruise night, you may have seen the miniature Panteras produced by this very machine, by Glen. Glen's company sells these amazing machines. Want to learn more about this technology, check out their web site: http://www.zcorp.com/

The finished product, produced from virtually a pile of dust in a mere 10-156 minutes!

CNC machines busily work carving student projects out of blocks of wood and dense foam.

A student and instructor attempt to use a vacuum forming system to produce a giant sized beer can. The item was to be used as a prop for a production company in the filming of a commercial.