About the Datsun 240Z
The Datsun 240Z, dubbed the ‘Fairlady’ and sold in Japan as the S30, was a graceful, clean-lined coupe that drew from the aesthetics of the Jaguar E-type. Its a long bonnet, aggressive, sharp-nosed profile, and angled quarter windows completed the sporty look.
The 240Z redefined sports cars of the early 1970s, and its impressive engineering helped Japan enter the sports car market. A wider dealer network than many competitors including Fiat and Porsche made maintenance readily available and affordable. Independent rear suspension and high-quality disc brakes quickly defined it as a competitor to even high-end sports cars.
With exceptional handling for its price point, the 240Z quickly captivated young car lovers around the world. It quickly became one of Datsun’s most popular cars, with a lasting legacy. Elements of its styling can still be seen today in the Nissan 350Z, 370Z, and the recently announced Fairlady Z.
Creating the vector painting
I improved my process from working on the first version of my Mazda Miata vector painting, by teaching myself how to use Adobe Photoshop’s vector tools. This let me create much cleaner shapes, with crisp edges and smooth curves.
Once complete, I adjusted the colors for all stock colors the 240Z was sold in, saving a final rasterized file for each.
Improving my artwork
Shortly after finishing the original artwork, I added to it by creating a second view of the car, this time of the rear quarter. This makes it a much more balanced composition while also showcasing the car’s full styling.
As I’ve improved as an artist, I periodically revisit my older work to update and improve it. The ways I’ve adjusted this vector painting include:
- Removing the visually overwhelming 240Z banner splashed across the top
- Changing the background to solid black to allow the paint color to really pop
- Adjusting the highlights and shadows of the rear view to better match the front view
- Adjusting colors, shadows, and highlights to better represent the true paint colors
Color gallery
