The Automotive Artwork of Makoto Ouchi

Automotive Artists > Makoto Ouchi

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I have had a long-standing admiration for Mr Ouchi's airbrush illustration work. He is one of a small group of great masters in the art of traditional Airbrush Automotive Illustration. The level of detail and precision in his airbrush artwork demonstrates a degree of craftsmanship and love for the art-form that is rarely seen today.

Makoto Ouchi was born in 1949 in Mito city, Japan. He had a passion for cars since he was a young child. After graduating from Hosei High School in 1965 he embarked on his career path working for Subaru in their automotive design department. Expanding on his knowledge of automobile design, Makoto began to develop his skills as a technical illustrator and airbrush artist. Among his early clients were Yamaha Motor Company, Fuji Heavy Industries, and automotive magazines.

In 1977 Makoto journeyed to Munich, Germany to continue his study of technical illustration under H.Schlenzig. In 1979 he returned to Japan where to this day he continues to work for some of Japan's leading automotive, motorcycle, and industrial manufacturers.

Methodology

Makoto starts out with rough pencil studies for various parts of the car (frame, engine, suspension, wheels, etc.). All of the individual detail drawings are drawn to scale and given registration marks. Using the registration marks as a guide, Makoto then transfers each individual sketch into a final line construction on illustration-board or scans them into Photoshop to paint digitally.

With the line construction completed, the painting phase begins. Makoto's airbrushed color work is created by spraying Liquitex or Nicker acrylic water-based paint onto Crescent NR110 Illustration board. Makoto uses a masking film or masking sheets to cut each shape, which is sprayed using one of several Hohmi airbrushes.

Several of Makoto's more recent works have been painted exclusively in Adobe Photoshop. These Photoshop images include his Ferrari 166MM, and Nissan Grand Prix Car illustrations (above), and the Alfa Disco Volante (below). When Makoto works in Photoshop his image file size is approximately 20 inches (7000 x 4800) at 350 dpi.

To view more of Makoto Ouchi's artwork please visit his own website or the Japanese Automobile Artist Association (JAAA) websites referenced here: Makoto Ouchi's Home Page or the JAAA Japanese Automobile Artist Association.

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