Classic cars. Vintage posters. Christmas. What's not to love? 

Since the dawn of the automobile age, people have raced cars. To promote those races, illustrators and artists were commissioned to create posters that would draw crowds in. 

The one that started it all.

In 2001 I decided to create this Lancia-Ferrari D50 with Santa driving as my personal Christmas card. It was a quick sketch using ballpoint pen, Chartpak markers and some prismacolor pencils, the classic toolbox of a car designer at the time.

Breakdown of an illustration

The sketch process for the 2011 card (and several other years) involves a combination of Autodesk's Sketchbook app for the car and Adobe Illustrator for the background landscape. Getting the car right is always a priority for me, with hours of research into a specific model carried out before I even touch my pen to the digital tablet. I tend to start with fine line sketches, whcih are then built up layer-by-layer to add color, depth, and movement. For some cards I also use period poster references to attempt to recreate the feel of the original techniques as closely as possible.

For every year a story

While the narrative always changes, each card reflects a personal mood, location or moment in time. From holiday destinations to concours inspiration, the illustrations at the foundation of each card say something about that time and place. Layered on top is a fictional race that sets the tone for the style of the drawing, the typefaces used, and the medium I use to create the art. 

The 24 Hours of Christmas
1955 Lancia-Ferrari D50

As a Lanciaphile, the story of the D50 has always fascinated me. The beautiful grand prix car's tragic and unusual story inspired my first card in the style of Geo Ham in 2001.

Natale
1934 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Monza

This spectacular Alfa Romeo caught my attention at a Concours d'elegance in 2002 and became the basis of my first digital illustration, created entirely in Adobe Illustrator.

Noël
1939 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Graber

I had just met the woman who would eventually become my wife, and the warm glow flowing through me inspired me to paint this card. Done in acrylics on canvas, it still hangs in our home every year for the holiday season.

Grosser Preis van Weihnachten
1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR

Reading a book about Stirling Moss inspired this card, set in Rothenburg, Germany during a fictitious road race. The illustration was created entirely in Adobe Illustrator.

La Carrera de Navidad
1955 Ferrari 410S Scaglietti

I saw this car at a concours d'elegance and decided it needed to go on the card. It was intended to run the legendary Carrera Panamericana, so Mexico became the location of the 2005 card.

Les 24 Heures de Noël
1970 Porsche 917K

Looking to move into a new era, I decided to paint the incredible Porsche 917K (in the evocative Salzburg livery) in acrylics on canvas. This painting now hangs at a Porsche restoration shop in Pennsylvania.

The Twenty-Four Hours of Christmas
1939 Lagonda V12 Le Mans

A trip to London and the incredible Lagonda V12 Le Mans came together to create this design. Digitally drawn in Autodesk Sketchbook.

Noël de Luxe
1929 Bugatti Royale

My honeymoon in Southern France inspired this previously unpublished cars set in Isle sur la Sorgue, France. Digitally drawn in Autodesk Sketchbook.

24 Hours of Christmas
1957 Jaguar D-Type "Longnose" Ecurie Ecosse

The Henry Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia inspired me on a regular basis as I drove under it, while the curves of the classic Jaguar echoed the bridge's arches. Digitally drawn car on Adobe Illustrator background.

Grote Prijs van Kerstmis
1933 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix

Digital art using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for the Bugatti and Adobe Illustrator for the background of my adopted hometown of Leiden, Netherlands.

Weihnachts Rennen
1925 Alfa Romeo P2

An ode to the Swiss Klausenrennen, the 2012 card was inspired by a trip to the alps and created entirely using Adobe Illustrator.

Targa Natale
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B "Le Mans"

Inspired by my favorite holiday destination—which also happens to be where my great grandparents were born—Abruzzo, Italy. Artwork in Adobe Illustrator.

Venticinquemila Miglia di Natale
1955 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

One of my favorite car designs of all time, I drew this Lancia Aurelia B20GT driving along the mountain roads above the car design center of the world, Turin. The "Twenty-five thousand miles of Christmas" a reference to both Santa's trip around the world, as well as the great long-distance races of the past such as the Mille Miglia.

A Very London Christmas
2015 Aston Martin Vanquish

A commission from a friend and long-time customer, this card reflects his personal vehicle and a special moment in time for him—in this case an Aston Martin Vantage in London's Carlos Place. For the frst time, I used Affinity Designer on a both an iPad and Mac to create this art.

Noël (An Ugly Christmas)
1939 Bugatti Type 57C "Tank"

The car was chosen specifically for its unglamorous appearance to reflect an "ugly" year, personally,  professionally and globally. This digital sketch was created on Procreate for iPad, and the return to pixel-based Art Deco beginnings seems to have resonated with many people.

An Unusual Targa Natale
1919 Peugeot EXS

In a year of lockdowns and unusual circumstances for us all, I created this card based on one of the most unusual finishes in racing history, when Georges Boillot crashed in the final meters from the finish line of the 1919 Targa Florio.

Crimson Natale
1939 BMW 328 Mille Miglia

A year without specific automotive inspiration let me choose a car just because it's fascinated me for years. The BMW 328 Mille Miglia was a formidable race car and a one of the last of a breed of extraordinary pre-WWII cars that have provided me inspiration for years.

Rally Merry Christmas
1963 Austin Mini Cooper S

An homage to the amazing Paddy Hopkirk, who won the 1963 Rallye Monte Carlo in the diminutive Mini Cooper, cementing both the car and driver's place in motorsport history. 

A set of cards

While all of my designs are intended to recreate vintage racing posters (and look great on the wall at Christmas time!), they have also serve as my personal Christmas card in the year they are created and then become available for sale in limited numbers to anyone who is interested. If you would like to purchase a poster or cards of my designs, please contact me to find out more.

©2022 DREW MEEHAN + VIACELLI
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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