© Randal Birkey - 1960's Chevy - Watercolor Painting

I took a watercolor class in the 1980’s at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and Irving Shapiro was the instructor. I did this watercolor painting for that class. I had the honor of having it featured in his book on Watercolor.

Randal Birkey put together this self-promotional ad for the 1997 Black Book.

It features:

• Pharmaceutical Product Logo
• Globe – Product Illustration
• Retouched and digitally altered 5 dollar bill with 2 Abe Lincoln’s
• Close-up diagram of a chain product used in a road grader
• Watercolor boot
• Watercolor tractor
• Nascar line drawing sketch
• How to measure for a swimsuit diagram
• 3D clock tower projecting from a 2D blueprint
• 2 whimsical vector art graphs

1997 Black Book Ad

Randal Birkey put together this self-promotional ad for the 1998 Black Book.

It features:

• A series of vector line art icons
• A Nuclear Fission Reactor Core Vessel
• An Atomic Level Fission Nuclear Reaction Diagram
• A Medical Doctor Digital Vector Illustration
• Youth Science Fair Project
• Automotive Engine Turbocharger See-Through Cutaway
• A Harris Branch Bank Architectural Line Illustration

1998 Black Book Ad

An automotive aftermarket manufacturer required a diagram illustration to show how a new type of cellulose fiber could filter automotive oil better than previous competitive products. This is a sepia line art drawing on D’Arches watercolor paper, with Windsor & Newton watercolor washes added by hand.

Oil Filter Diagram

Randal Birkey created this quick felt tip ink line sketch showing the location of a “piston pin” in the layout of an automotive V-8 engine.

Automobile Engine Piston Pin - Technical Sketch

Randal Birkey illustrated this Aiwa car stereo unit for an ad agency in the early 1980’s.

Aiwa Car Stereo - Technical Line Illustration

As a part of developing a technical illustration business in the 1980’s, Randal Birkey did many illustrations as “self-promotion.” These projects were designed to push skills and abilities further, and to show prospective customers what could be done.

This pen and ink line art illustration of a Renault Elf Formula One racing car was carefully constructed by the illustrator using a scale model as a reference. The right front and rear tires were shown transparently to reveal the brake systems. The top body panel was rendered transparent to reveal the driver cockpit area. The top rear body panels were also shown transparently to reveal engine intake and exhaust components.

Randal went on to finish this illustration in color and it was used on a number of his self-promotion ads during the 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Renault Elf Racing Car - line art

Renault Elf Racing Car - Color

Dodge Viper

Randal created this automobile illustration of a Dodge Viper as a self promotion portfolio piece, mainly because he really likes that design of this automobile. It is reminiscent of the AC Cobra design by Carroll Shelby, another car favorite of Randal’s. It was done in Adobe Illustrator.

1972 Datsun 240Z - Technical Cutaway Illustration

Randal once owned a car like this (see photo below) and used his personal knowledge of the car along with his technical illustration skills to create the “transparent” style cutaway line art illustration, focused on the engine and front suspension details. The 1972 Z-car is regarded by many as the best classic year of any of the original series made by Datsun, which later changed its name to Nissan.

Randal's '72 Datsun 240Z

Randal created this concept car illustration in Adobe Illustrator using a Apple Macintosh and Wacom tablet. It is what it is.

Concept Car - Automotive Illustration