I’m a 1980 born artist from Finland, Scandinavia. I have drawn cars all my life but at the age of ten it was time to focus more on hot rods and customs. US magazines included sketches from guys like Thom Taylor, Steve Stanford and Chip Foose. I tried to copy their drawing styles, but it was very difficult because I had only colored pencils to use and their sketches were done using markers and airbrush, which I didn’t know at the time. Originally, magazines were almost the only way to find new inspiration but today, the Internet has broadened the spectrum of automotive possibilities. I found Car & Design Magazine a couple of years ago and it has been a great resource for illustration techniques and new designs too.


My interest in cars has encouraged me to study industrial design. At this moment I am studying Industrial Design and I'm in my 4th year at Lahti Polytechnics Institute of Design. Before this I was in art school for one year, but found I was more interested in designing than general art studies. From the beginning I have always built model cars and such, and "kustoms" were a pretty natural thing for me. My favorite era is the 40’s and early 50’s, including clean 60’s stuff also. Of course I'm partial to the old style, but I like the older cars built with modern touches as well and I even like to try my hand at new car styling too.


I’m willing to do custom concepts and illustrations for private customers. I am also very open to taking on company clients too. In most circumstances, we'll discuss the overall assignment and I'll then suggest my general ideas about the project. When the customer and I come to an initial agreement, I then start working on the visual presentations. I use mostly Copic and AD markers, colored pencils and Copic ink with airbrush. I also do traditional paintings with water, oil, and acrylic colors, so I handle pretty much all kinds of technique. I can also do graphic T-shirt designs should that be required.
Through the years I've built several full size cars too. I have ’47 Ford club coupe, which is chopped, channeled and converted into a hardtop. Another of my cars is a Volvo PV 544, which I chopped myself eight years ago. Obviously, both cars will be kustoms when finished. I have done a couple of top-chops for my friends too. Right now though, most of these projects are on hold, as I concentrate on my automotive art and design career.

JANNE KUTJA

janne.kutja@gmail.com