Sketching a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
Artists receive a warm welcome at McGinty Motorcars classic car showroom.
A week ago I was surprised to learn (via a social media video post) that a vintage car showroom, garage, and dealership called McGinty Motorcars exists right in the heart of Reading, Pennsylvania, just below our famous, mountaintop pagoda, and a short distance from the arts center where I often teach! After telling friend Becca about it, she arranged for a few of us to go sketch the beautiful vehicles (thanks, Becca!)
Warm welcome and tour
Upon arrival we were welcomed by mechanic Tim, who was restoring the electrical system of a vintage car, one of about fifteen vehicles in a spacious, 1910 garage that once housed the City of Reading’s horse-drawn trolleys. The smell of oil and gasoline hung heavily in the air.
Tim showed us the front showroom, bright and decorated with vintage auto ephemera. Two, early-1930s coupes occupied the center of the room. Along one wall were coffees and beverages that we were invited to enjoy; a driving-themed arcade cabinet stood against the opposite wall, with a bag of quarters on the console for guests to use.
Too many to choose from!
It was hard to pick the right vehicle to draw. But my Apple Music has been auto-playing 1970s rock lately, and so I chose a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge which had the body shape of many early-1970s muscle cars (if interested, it’s yours for about $80,000). Becca and Jake drew a VW bug, and Brian selected a smattering of close-up views of several vehicle parts like rims and fenders.
The Pontiac GTO Judge, I was told by Tim and Robbie, is a relatively rare, enhanced-trim version of a regular GTO. The term “Judge” is a pop culture reference from the TV show Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.
Sketch process
Cars are full of undulating curves, ellipses in perspective, reflections—quite challenging subjects! I decided to photograph the Pontiac and to do the initial contour sketch from the photo with a red, water-soluble pencil. My proportions were a bit off, but I tried my best. I included main reflection shapes in addition to the form of the car itself.
Then I turned my attention to the real car and used water brushes filled with diluted gray inks to establish the darkest shapes, followed by midtones. Sometimes I deepened the tone using several layers of ink. I spent about two and a half hours on site, and finished later at home with fountain pens and white gel pens.
All good things
By two o’clock my back was hurting from sitting on a camp stool, and I was getting hungry. Jake had an important appointment to get to; Brian was on his way home already, and Becca needed to visit the farm market. If I could have stayed longer, I would have. But alas, all good things must end. I look forward to more visits, and to bringing friends along to McGinty Motorcars in Reading, PA.
A big “thank you!” to Pat McGinty and his team—Tim and Robbie—for so kindly hosting us at McGinty Motorcars located at 1041 Washington Street in Reading, Pennsylvania.
This is so interesting! I’ve driven past the storefront for years and always wondered about the business that had beautiful old automobiles in its window. What were they doing and how did they get the cars in there? So glad to learn about it and I look forward to the artwork you’ll create. Thanks!