Artist Blog: Kunal Anand on Amby's Inspiration

This iconic machine is an Indian design cult classic. Serving us from 1958 - 2014. Its a relic from the past that captures great adventures, nostalgia and a very Indian ideal.

Collage of research of the various models - from the original Morris Oxford series III See more here

What I love about the ambassador is how it still plies on the road across Kolkata, Kerala and Delhi, simultaneously signifying different things in different parts of our massive country. My research led me to discover old user manuals, enthusiast forums, DIY repair techniques, nostalgic stories from friends and the insightful work of Raghubir Singh's Way Into India, a beautiful anthology of life through the form of the Ambassador.

Original Mark 3 user manual

The Amby's form is full of cues such as its iconic back window curve, lights, bonnet and grill. I tried to amplify these elements in my design an keep the rest quite minimal to capture the overall silhouette. I wanted the artwork to come across as if the vehicle was either deconstructing or reconstructing depending on the eye of the viewer.

For parts I scoured the web and was happy to find a host of references to work from.

 

I geeked out on the grill as it took a few techniques to build up the detail. Another special bit was creating the headlight through just a few simple layers. The type in the background was one of my starting points to wrap the form and elements around. My favourite part of the process would be staying true to the representation of the curves of the bonnet and reminiscing about sitting in the back seat watching the world flash by through the curve of the window arches.

Here are a few interesting links to check out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassadorhttps://www.pinterest.com/rakeshkk/ambassador-car/ https://www.facebook.com/LandmasterAndAmbassadorFanClubhttp://skyline.skg.in/index.php?controller=post&action=view&id_post=13http://www.cartoq.com/indian-cars-you-grew-up-with/

Check out more of Kunal Anand's work here.