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If you don’t own a car with a custom stereo or any type of musical instrument than you probably are not aware of what an amplifier is and what it does. An amplifier is simply a piece of electronic equipment that takes the sound produced from a musical instrument or a stereo and increases or amplifies that signal and that electronic output comes through the speaker.

An amplifier is necessary for many musical instruments in order to connect them to speakers. Amplifiers also help produce unique sounds that you hear many musicians play, most notably guitar players.

Most guitar players can people with car stereos basically just want an amplifier to produce very loud sounds without a lot of distortion of the sound.

How good the amplifier is depends on a number of specifications. The gain is the ratio between the output and the input and is usually measured in decibels.

Bandwidth is another important specification to consider. It is the range of frequencies that the amplifier can produce.

Another quality to consider it the efficiency, especially for car stereos. The efficiency tells you how much of the power that goes to the amplifier is actually applied to the output. Class A amplifier are the most inefficient, while Class AB amps are the best.

The bottom line is that people use amplifiers to make their cars and musical instruments sound very allow. More sophisticated musicians buy amplifiers to produce a higher and richer sound than what the instrument could produce just by itself.

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Source by Luke Blaise

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All of you must be aware of the fact that brakes are quite an important safety feature for cars and that is the reason as to why squeaky brakes can easily cause a driver to panic. Sometimes squeaky brakes can be a cause of genuine concern as it may signify that our brakes are going bad and at other times there may not be any reason to worry. However, it needs to be noted here that certain sounds from the car’s brakes are quite normal and are caused by different driving conditions. For example, conditions like severe braking, dusty or sandy conditions or even humidity can cause various noises from the car’s brakes.

Some of the common causes of brake squeaks in the car are the following:

Rust on the Rotors: This is quite common and it has been seen that disc brakes of car have a tendency to squeak if they are parked out in the open air throughout the night. Most brakes squeak after sitting overnight because the moisture from the rain or dew or condensation collects on the surface of the rotors. When there is moisture on the surface of the rotors, a thin layer of rust forms on the surface. As the rotor turns, the pad scrapes the rust off the rotors and then the rust easily gets caught on the leading edge of the brake pad. The fine particles of rust get embedded into the leading edge of the pad which in turn causes a squeaking sound.

This squeaking sound will continue until the rust is removed from the rotors.

Brake Pads: Another cause of squeaking brakes can be thinning brake pads. This usually happens when the brake pads are worn out and has become extremely thin. In fact, this is an effective warning that the brake pads are in a bad condition and needs to be replaced soon so that it does not cause an untoward incident on the road.

High Metal Content: It has been seen that high metal content in brake pads also cause the squeaking sound. However, it is natural that there is some amount of metal in the brake pads but some of the cheap varieties are manufactured with high metal content. In fact, large chunks of metal are embedded into the pad material. The result is that the large pieces of metal drag on the rotor and causes the brakes to squeak while the car is on the move.

Lubrication: Sometimes a squeaking sound from the rear brakes are also heard after pushing the brake pedals. It indicates that the shoe-to-backing-plate contact points need to be lubricated. Once the contact point loses lubrication the metal begins to rust. When such a thing happens the shoes will scrape against the backing plate, which in turn causes a squeaking sound while the wheel rotates.

If your car brakes are squeaking, it is best to get your vehicle checked by a trusted car mechanic and get his opinion on the condition of your brakes and the reason as to why they are squeaking. Remember, car brakes play an important role in maintaining the safety of the vehicle while on road and so it is always better to be safe than sorry!

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Source by Tanya Campbell

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The term is thrown around quite often, you hear it all the time in conversations or in anger for times when a car is not performing as well as it should, but what is actually considered a junk car? Many people picture an orange rusty old little car sitting on a lawn or in the driveway, I mean that was the first thing that used to come to my mind before I became so fondly familiar with this field. It never occurred to me that anything beyond that mental picture could be called, and let alone considered a junk car. Just some old parted out “thing” that had no purpose for anyone whatsoever, see I still can’t get that image out of my head, but in many peoples eyes a car can be considered junk because of numerous different reasons or conditions.

Besides the image ingrained in my mind from way, way back when, a car that simply doesn’t run anymore is considered junk by many as well. You could probably just imagine a person kicking the tire of their car because it just stopped working in the middle of a highway. It’s the car on the side of the road because the transmission started grinding and just broke down, or the radiator just blew because something caused the car to overheat, or the car in the driveway for some odd reason that just doesn’t seem to want to start. Also cars that have been in accidents can be considered junk cars too, especially when they appear to be beyond repair.

Generally, any car that has little or no value to its owner is considered a junk car. Whether the car won’t run, got wrecked in an accident, or the cost to fix a broken down car exceeds the owners perceived value of the car, it is considered to be a junk or salvage car. Besides peoples perceptions, many states have the power the declare a car junk, salvaged, rebuilt, etc as well. Normally this happens after a car has been in an accident and was sold by an insurance company to a dealer because the total amount of damage and cost for repairs exceeded 75% of the current value of the vehicle. Most people don’t know this, but when a car is bought from insurance companies it is considered totaled, and most if not all states will be declared junk and be branded with a junked, salvage, or rebuilt title, and to get a car with this type of title registered in many states requires a separate anti-theft inspection on top of all other state requirements which is not a fun task at all.

I hope you found this article useful and have discovered how many people, businesses, and even states can perceive a vehicle as being junk, salvaged, or rebuilt.

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Source by Mike Frantel

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The type of car you drive has a huge impact on how others perceive you. For an example, I used to drive a 1992 economy car and I was constantly pulled over by the cops. However, now that I drive a new Mercedes Benz I have never been pulled over. Not one single time. My driving style has not changed whatsoever. Certain cars simply exude more respectability and status. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen luxury cars pulled over before; it just hasn’t happened to me yet.

I have also noticed that most individuals are not very knowledgeable about cars in general and will automatically assume that you are wealthy because you are driving a luxury car. This is a complete fallacy since all of the luxury brands have entry level vehicles that are very affordable and probably cost less than most SUV’s. However, the majority of people don’t think twice about someone SUV but will automatically assume you are wealthy just because you drive a Mercedes. There is a huge difference between a C-Class and S-Class.

I read about a recent study which stated that the type of car you drive doesn’t lead to happiness because most people do not consciously think of what type of car they are driving all of the time. Personally, I am constantly aware of what type of car I am driving and I never forget. I always felt self-conscious driving a more modest car but I feel so much better about myself now that I drive a luxury car. Maybe I’m more self-aware than others but I never forget it.

Let’s take a look at a few common stereotypes. People who drive luxury cars are generally perceived as snobby and status conscious. SUV drivers are usually thought of as adventurous, sporty and fun loving while anyone who drives a minivan is usually family oriented. Folks who drive high performance cars are usually considered aggressive and show-off’s.

Want a nice car but don’t want to spend a ton? Why not consider a used car?! Most regular people (if they aren’t car fanatics) won’t be able to tell the difference between a brand new car and a used car that is just a few years old. Used cars depreciate in value a lot less too and many have been reconditioned to be in great condition. There are many options available including used sedans, SUV’s, used trucks and coupes. Visit a used car dealer in order to find the best deals.

All that matters is that you are happy with your own car. It doesn’t matter if you drive a Chevy, Kia, Chevrolet, Buick, Honda or Ford.

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Source by Jacqueline Star

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When it comes to utilizing your vehicle to make a profit, the possession of a van may go a long way. While many companies and other services offer the use of rented vehicles, many do not offer assistance. For jobs that require an extra helping hand, establishing a “man with a van” service is just one of the ways you can make a profitable use of the van you own. Customers may opt to select your services because you can help them with aspects of a move or item transportation that they are unable to handle on their own.

The price to rent a truck from a major company can sometimes cost an arm and a leg. Even the use of a van from a local business for only a few hours may seem a bit pricey. When you are able to deliver a better deal to individuals in need of this type of service, a small business or making extra cash on the side is the result. To further contend with the competition, you may also offer your services after hours when other companies have sent their workers home.

Who Needs Van Service?

Moving companies are known for making a bundle packaging, loading, and transporting items from point A to point B. For local moves, a “man with a van” service might be just what a family needs in order to stay within their budget limitations. Sometimes, the use of the van is all that is needed and for that reason, you may offer two different options with your business: van only service and van with assistance service.

As college kids shuffle to the realm of higher education, some students don’t move far from home. Transporting all of their belongings to the college campus may prove too overwhelming for the family car to handle. The use of a van for a short period of time is just the thing to make sure as few as possible trips back and forth to the college are made.

Sometimes a heavy-duty round of spring-cleaning has created a need to transport unwanted items to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, local charity, or junkyard. Old couches, sofas, dining room tables, and other sizable household goods simply do not fit in the back of a car, calling for the use of a larger vehicle. A “man with a van” service not only helps individuals load these items, but also charges a small fee for delivery to their intended destination.

The use of a van is also needed when large household items are purchased from a furniture store and there is no way to transport the objects back to a home. A “man with a van” service not only solves this problem, but also helps consumers bring the items safely inside of their home.

Spreading the Word

To get the public interested in your van services, you have to let people know that your services exist. When individuals are in need of help or the service of another, one of the most commonly used resources is the local Yellow Pages. Placing an ad or listing with this source is highly suggested in order to make your business a competitive venture.

The local newspaper is also a popular mode of advertisement, which helps to drum up business. Also, as you ride about town in your van, eye-catching advertising splashed on the side of your vehicle will alert the public of your services.

Once you have established yourself then word of mouth will spread if you give a good service, then you can think about expanding your business and taking on staff to cover more areas, then the world is your oyster!

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Source by Steve J Carter

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The authorities you need may vary depending on; where do you want your business to travel to and from? Will you be hauling truck load, less than truck load (ltl), and/or expedite. If you only obtain a licensing for an Expedite Business you will not be limited to the vehicles that you can run and the weight you are able to haul.

Who must register for Authorities, also known as running rights? All Companies that intend to use heavy commercial vehicle power units (including leased, rented and owned) having a gross weight or registered gross weight of more than 4500kgs.

Below are some examples of various authorities that are needed to start-up a company in the transportation industry

o CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration) Canada(under the transportation act valid insurance is required)

o USDOT (United States Department of Transportation) Number is required to haul goods into the us MCS-150,MCS-150A,MCS-150B,OP1

o FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) Certificate is requires to haul freight, for hire, or under contract, into the U.S. regardless of the weight

o BOC-3 filing form (us processing agent will file your form)

o UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) is required if you have a USDOT Number. You must select a base state where the fees are to be sent. This new registration program has replaced the Single State Registration Program (SSRS)

o SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code) is required to produce a PAPS code (Pre-Arrival Processing System)

o FORM 2290 (Heavy Highway Use Tax) must be filed for every vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight in excess of 55,000 lbs. or 25,000kgs., which will travel over 5,000 miles on highways in the U.S. during the registration period, July 1st to June 30th of each year

o EIN/FIN (Employer Identification Number, also referred as a Federal Identification Number is required in order to file a Form 2290

o W-8BEN is a Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Withholding Tax. You will be asked to submit this form to most U.S. entities that you do business

o IRP (International Registration Program)

o IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)

o OPTIONAL PERMITS – KENTUCKY (KYU tax license number), OREGON (registration#),

NEW YORKSTATE (NY hut tax license #)

You could pay a consultant anywhere from $2500.00 and up to apply for your authorities and be your go between. I have been helping owner operators, expedite drivers; dispatchers and people genuinely interested in the transportation industry start up there own company.

I came up with three different packages/business kits that give you the cost cutting edge with simple step by step instructions. I did this to make it more affordable and enables a wider availability so anyone that is interested in starting their own business can access it. Having a better understanding of what’s needed when you are starting up, is a big advantage once you get going!

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Source by B. Hathaway

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The snow cart business might sound great, but any smart person’s going to ask the same question whether it’s snow cones or any other business: how much does it cost to start? This is a big question since not many of us have a ton of cash on the side…if we did we wouldn’t be looking for an awesome cash business like snow cone stands!

Licenses

In most states, and even in some counties and cities, you will need to make sure you have all the business licenses available to operate. In some states these cost as little as $50 total, while in many others it may run up to a couple hundred, but it shouldn’t run any more than that. The cost also varies if you have a lawyer draw up business papers for you, or if you choose to do it yourself and hand the application into the courthouse personally. These fees can usually be made up with one or two good days.

The Snow Cone Cart

Prices can vary greatly depending on what type of a cart you buy to get started with. In fact, this expense is the single biggest factor in determining start up costs. Snow carts range anywhere from $400 to $4,000 for brand new shaved ice carts. There is also a ton of variety between these two extremes, but many people decide to start out with snow cone carts that are well under $1,000 starting out, and many make their money back in short time with just a few really good cash days.

While many people will do very well starting out with a small cart, don’t rely on price alone. There’s nothing wrong with starting cheap and working your way up (especially with how often the shaved ice business doesn’t even feel like work), but what if the early demand for your snow cones is three or four times what you can provide? Not only do all those profits walk away, but you will end up having to buy a larger and more expensive snow cone stand anyway. Take the time to make sure you’re making the right decision on this one.

The Shaved Ice Machine

The next most expensive piece of equipment is the shaved ice machine itself. The machine, along with your stand, is one of the cornerstones of your business starting out, and entry level machines are most commonly found in the $400-$600 range. The best place to find a good shaved ice machine is from an actual vendor or online website that specializes in them. Many of these sites will actually have several machines for easy comparison, making it easier for you to look at the deals available and decide on the best one for you.

Buy Supplies Wholesale

While prices can vary for the supplies you need to run the snow cone business, most of these will at least be in the same price range. For materials like paper cups, plastic spoons, or Styrofoam cups, never be afraid to look around locally for a Sam’s Club, Costco, or other wholesale store that might give you the best deal. These types of overhead materials are cheap, and when bought wholesale they often cost only pennies per snow cone sold.

Snow Cone Syrup

Out of the actual overhead supplies, the concentrate syrup for mixing ingredients will cost the most, and a gallon of this can run anywhere from $30-50 depending on flavor and vendor. The good news is that one gallon of concentrate can make 8 gallons of syrup, or anywhere from 640-800 snow cones, leaving tons of room to make a boatload of profit. Look around for sales, especially when buying in bulk as some places offer steep discounts for bulk orders.

What’s This All Mean?

The up-front costs do add up, but a snow cone business has some really amazing profit margins, and it doesn’t take that many little league games, flea markets, or big days to make up a good chunk of that initial investment. It only takes a few good days to bring in enough cash to make up for all your investment, and after that it’s pure profit.

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Source by Jason Brasfield

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If you own a mobile truck washing, pressure washing or mobile car wash business you may wish to consider washing postal vehicles. They have one of the largest fleets in the world and they are relatively easy to wash. Yes, like all quasi-government agencies they pay slowly, but you know you will get paid as long as you show up to wash.

Pressure washing companies should consider a wide market mix to protect them from sector rotations or downturns in their economy. You can wash things like things like wheel chairs at hospitals, shopping carts at Price Club and bus stop enclosures. The postal washing contracts generally last two-years and can automatically renue up to five times if the VOMA Vehicle Operations Manager Assistant likes you and gives you high scores for service. My company, The Truck Wash Guys was washing jeeps when the new LLV’s Long-life vehicles really were jeeps even though many are now Ford Winstars. This can be a very good niche for your cleaning service.

After working with USPS, we’ve discovered other niches at the Post Office such as steam cleaning mail trays, racks, even postal boxes and transfer boxes on corners. We’ve cleaned off holiday window paint. We’ve steam cleaned loading docks, trash areas, walkways and sidewalks; We’ve cleaned entire annex stations, air cargo containers, aircraft, ground equipment, you name it. If the USPS owns it, we’ve cleaned it somewhere. Any pressure washing company would be happy to have all that work and you really should look into becoming a certified USPS vendor.

Over the years EPA laws have changed, insurance requirements have changed, labor laws have changed, even the USPS needs have changed. So we too have changed. Customizing our services to their needs is our true specialty and I recommend that all pressure washing companies do the same. What do you need cleaned? Should be your mantra. You must be standing ready with waste water discharge permits, worker’s compensation insurance, city licenses and a million dollar liability policy and state of the art equipment to sell to the post office, but once you get the account these same requirements make for barriers to entry for your competitors and you stand to have these accounts for up to 10-years. You can prove your commitment to USPS, by offering to wash all the postal boxes on every corner in your zip code for $1.00 each and then offer to wax them for free as an introduction to your services. The local Post Master will generally take you up on the idea and then you can prove how good you are and get your foot in the door. It’s all about image in the delivery business and the USPS is no exception. Think about it and Wash On!

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Source by Lance Winslow

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Almost every financial organization has a workout department. Their names are as varied as Problem Loan Administration; Central Loan Department; or Special Assets Department. A dealer may be assigned to one of these special departments, or a member of the department may start appearing at meeting with the dealer’s regular bank officer.

The courts have consistently upheld the rights of lenders to have workout teams and to have those teams, within broad parameters, take affirmative actions to protect the lenders’ interests.

Matching the average dealer’s experience with work-outs, to that of the lender’s experience, would be equivalent to matching a high school football team against a professional team. The professionals have played the game hundreds of times. They have seen and heard hundreds of presentations, arguments, excuses and reasons for a dealership’s problems, while the dealer, lacking experience, is encountering the trauma for the first time. Realizing the dealer will probably be a neophyte, with respect to workouts, the following rules are provided the dealer, as a plumb line, to be followed throughout the workout procedure:

1. Do Not Confuse Friendship with Business. Factories and lenders have seen and heard most of the workout plans any dealer could suggest. The have probably seen versions of each plan which have been refined over generations by some of the best minds in the business. Their experience, however, cannot help the dealer get the best benefits for the dealer.

Employees of the factory/lender have an obligation to their corporation and in turn to its shareholders, to get the best contract for their corporation. There is nothing wrong with that; they have a legal duty to their shareholders and creditors to protect them, not you.

They will, however, indicate whether or not you workout plan is “acceptable” or “unacceptable” to them. If the proposed plan is “unacceptable”, one of two things can happen. The dealer can keep proposing plans, until one is accepted, or the factory/lender might suggest an acceptable alternative.

If the factory/lender suggests a plan acceptable to them, it means just that: the workout plan is acceptable to the factory/lender. It does not mean, and should not mean, the factory/lender will not approve some other plan, which may be more beneficial to the dealer, if the dealer knows what to request and how to structure it.

2. Do Not Confuse Optimism with Confidence. Optimism means expecting a plan will work. Confidence means knowing what to do if it does not. Never act without confidence.

3. Do Not Value a Dealership by the “SOT + Assets” Formula. The odds against that plan working are about the same as the odds against winning the lottery, except the ante is higher.

4. Do Not Say “SOT”. Sometimes a dealer talks in terms of SOT (Sold Out of Trust) or OT (Out of Trust) with the factory or lender, when the dealer actually has SAU (Sold and Unpaid) units. Once the dealer refers to an out of trust situation, it puts the factory/lender in a precarious position. All sorts of rules then come into play, both legal rules and company rules, which would not have had to take effect if the dealer used the phrase SAU. The factory/lender can’t read minds to know the dealer really meant SAU, instead of SOT. From the moment the phrase SOT is used, the only thing the listener knows for certain is, if there is a law suit and the listener were asked if the dealer said he or she were SOT on such and such a date, the listener would have to answer “yes.” Don’t put them in that position.

5. Do Not Lie. Don’t lie to yourself; don’t lie to the factory; don’t lie to the lender.

Dealers, who lie to themselves about their problems, how they got there, or their ability to solve them, base their entire solution upon a lie and, without exception, compound and complicate the original problems.

A lie to the factory/lender will alienate the only entities which have both the ability to help and the most to gain, besides the dealer and the dealer’s family, in finding a workable solution. When in doubt, remember what Mark Twain said: “I never got hurt by anything I didn’t say.” He also said that when he was ninety, he recollected he had worried about a lot of things in life, most of which never happened.

6. Do Not Panic. There are many challenges in business, and being short of cash is but one of them. Numerous dealers have been there before and numerous dealers have survived.

Analyze the problem as if it were someone else’s problem, and compose a short letter as if you were giving advice to another dealer. The advice should be to get professional help. A storm at sea, calls for seasoned sailors. No one would want a crew with little experience in storms, unfamiliar with navigation, no charts, no radar and no one to call upon for advice. A dealer with a SOT problem is in a big storm, except it won’t go away with time. Without help, the dealer’s family, friends and employees will all be affected. The dealer has to make tough decisions, or time will make them-and the dealer will not like the decisions time makes.

At the time the lender has the second meeting, referred to above, wherein the lender wants the dealer to sign the work-out agreement, the dealer should be prepared to structuring of the work-out plan, the handling of a keeper, the method of repayment and such.

As soon as you know you are OT, your first call should be to us (or someone as experienced as us) and your second call (after visiting with us, your attorney and accountant) should be to the credit company. Telling the credit company you have sold and unpaid units before they tell you, is vital to establishing a foundation upon which to build a work-out plan. At the same time, Automotive Advisors’ experience is vital to the dealer and the dealer’s attorney and accountant, in providing constructive suggestions and in planning and recognizing realistic options.

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Source by John Pico J.D.

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So why is painting a picture of a car so hard compared to say a flower? Well, the main thing here with cars is if you don’t carry out every line in perfect proportion, if you just happen to make one little mistake then it can completely ruin the whole painting. The reason behind this is our brains are very good at remembering shapes and details around it. While a pink tulip can have different shades, come in different sizes, have different leaves etc, a car model remains the same, so when faced with a difference our brain will tend to spot it right away.

The idea is when you decide to start your next car painting, try to take your time and don’t rush the early stages, i am referring here to the part where you try to get all of the proportions right before starting to shade or paint your creation. Don’t let it get you down if you are not extremely talented with shading techniques or not the even the best with colors when you draw cars. The fact of the matter is, if you don’t manage to get the proportions right at the beginning the end result is usually a disaster. So you need to understand before going any further how important it is to get the proportions right. Which leaves us with the question of How do you do it? How do I do it?

Your first step is to start out with a clean sheet of paper, most preferably a pretty big one. Then go and find a picture of a car that inspires you to draw, a good picture of a car. This picture will now be used as a reference for your car painting or drawing.

Start of by drawing some soft lines on the paper, you want to try and get the general box proportion right. By box proportion I am referring to the most basic lines of the drawing such as the roof and bottom of the car. After having accomplished that, then start by adding on to your picture the front or rear of the car. This will probably be determined by how the car is positioned on your reference picture.

When you feel like you have done this and feel as if you have really nailed those lines well, then the next step will be to move on and start adding the small details to your picture such as the door handel’s, windows and the headlights etc. The next tip here is to not start doing the wheels to early because those are usually the hardest part. When you are happy with your overall lines of your car painting/picture then do the wheels. Then you need to take a well deserved break. Yes you heard right, make a cuppa take a time out. Why you might be asking? Well, this is an important step of the creation process as when you come back in an hour or so you will probably start to notice little things that need to be corrected which you didn’t happen to notice while you were drawing the car. So now add the small details and remember don’t start to shade and paint the car until you feel very satisfied with the cars shape and details. When you fell like you are happy with your design, then I would suggest you start to shade it carefully. Now how you shade it correctly is whole other topic topic, which I will be covering on my next article.

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Source by Lilly Jay