Elegant Concept Art for Volkswagen’s SEDRIC – CEBIT 2018
Commissioned by CMV Cross Media Verlag GmbH, Hamburg
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In 2018, I was commissioned by CMV Cross Media Verlag GmbH (Communications. New Media. Content.) in Hamburg to create a series of highly refined concept illustrations to accompany a journalist presentation surrounding the Volkswagen Group’s autonomous mobility concept, SEDRIC.
Working under the direction of Barbara Kuerten, Creative Art Director at CMV, my role was to transform a provided storyboard into a polished visual sequence that would elevate the presentation while remaining precise, accurate, and on-brand.
Art Style & Technical Approach
The illustrations were created in an elegant hybrid style: precise linear drawing paired with subtle, tasteful digital watercolor washes. While the visual tone evokes hand-rendered concept art, the entire production was executed digitally using a Wacom Cintiq and Adobe Photoshop, with careful attention to line consistency, tone balance, and presentational clarity.
This was not vector art. Instead, the intention was to preserve a more organic and expressive quality while maintaining visual control and fidelity across environments, vehicles, and architectural structures. Each vehicle—including the fully autonomous SEDRIC model—was illustrated to match official design specifications, with uniform color treatments (down to details like tie stripes) and accurate location rendering for scenes such as Autostadt Wolfsburg and Potsdam.
Communication Objectives
The final illustrations served as visual supports for a high-level press and PR presentation at CEBIT. While the storyboard structure and narrative flow were provided by CMV and their client, my task was to ensure that each image not only followed that narrative, but elevated it—communicating tone, environment, spatial clarity, and automotive design innovation in a visually compelling, editorially aligned format.
This is a case where the distinction between “illustration” and “visual storytelling” is especially relevant. These images had to communicate instantly, function in a sequence, and maintain both realism and style. The linework reflects architectural precision while the color handling supports emotional cues without overpowering the core message.
Date: July 2018
Project Context
- Client: CMV Cross Media Verlag GmbH – Hamburg
- Project Lead: Barbara Kuerten, Creative Art Director
- Event: Volkswagen SEDRIC journalist presentation at CEBIT 2018
- Role: Concept Art Illustrator
- Deliverables: 11 sequential illustrations based on supplied storyboard
- Tools Used: Wacom Cintiq, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, digital brush set (custom), calibrated color palette
