Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of making an “old French car” in Blender. I’m not a pro or anything, just a guy who likes to tinker. Here’s how it went down:
Getting Started
First, I googled a bunch of pictures of old French cars. You know, Citroëns, Peugeots, Renaults – the classics. I wanted something that looked kinda boxy but also elegant, if that makes sense.
I picked a few reference images that I liked and threw them into Blender as background images. This helps a lot with getting the proportions right.
The Basic Shape
I started with a simple cube. Yeah, a cube. It’s amazing what you can do with a cube. I used the basic modeling tools – extruding, scaling, moving vertices around – to block out the main body shape. It looked super rough at this stage, but it was a start.
- Extruding faces to create the length of the car.
- Scaling parts to get the width and height right.
- Moving vertices to shape the curves (very roughly at this point).
Adding Details (and Getting Frustrated)
Then came the harder part – adding details. I tried to model the headlights, the grille, the bumpers… Man, it’s tricky! I kept messing up and having to undo things. There were a lot of “Ctrl+Z” moments, let me tell you.
I spent a good chunk of time just trying to get the curves of the fenders right. It’s those subtle curves that really make a car look good, and they’re a pain to get perfect. I think I remodeled them like five times.
Wheels and Tires
The wheels I created separate and I used the array modifier and curve for the wheels. Pretty simple, but it does the job. I added some quick materials and * added the tire by using a simple cylinder.
Giving Up (Temporarily)
Honestly, I got pretty frustrated at a few points. It felt like I was spending hours and it still looked like a potato on wheels. I almost gave up a couple of times, but I took some breaks, watched some tutorials, and came back to it.
Making it Look (Slightly) Better
I added some basic materials – a glossy paint for the body, some chrome for the bumpers, and so on. Nothing fancy, just enough to make it look a bit more like a car and less like a blob.
I also played around with the lighting. A good lighting setup can make even a mediocre model look decent. I used a simple three-point lighting setup (key light, fill light, back light) and it made a big difference.
The Result (So Far)
It’s still a work in progress, definitely not perfect. But hey, I learned a lot, and it’s kind of cool to see something I made from scratch, even if it’s a bit janky. I might keep tweaking it, or I might just move on to something else. That’s the fun of it, right?
I’m also added plane for a floor with some materials and colors, after that I used HDRI for the background.I think it is necessary.
So, yeah, that’s my “old French car” adventure so far. It’s been messy, frustrating, but also kind of rewarding. If you’re thinking about trying 3D modeling, just go for it! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that’s how you learn.
