5 Vintage Cars Hand-Painted to Look Like 2D Comic Book Drawings in Real Life

5 Vintage Cars Hand-Painted to Look Like 2D Comic Book Drawings in Real Life

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Los Angeles-based contemporary artist Joshua Vides has made a name for himself with his innovative “Reality to Idea” technique. By meticulously painting black lines onto white surfaces, he turns regular objects into something that looks straight out of a sketchbook. For his first-ever museum show, Vides transforms a gallery full of cars into an immersive black and white illustration.

The exhibit, titled Flat Out: The Art of Joshua Vides, has taken over the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery at the Petersen Automotive Museum and turned it into a garage unlike any other. On display are five hand-painted vintage vehicles. These life-size, 3D cars are made to look like 2D comic book drawings in real life. But beyond this artistic transformation, the artist has also added his creative touch to all of the other elements in the space, including stacks of wheels, mirrors, gas pumps, and even a vending machine for soft drinks.

“I’ve had the opportunity to paint numerous vehicles and create galleries before, but to bring ‘Reality to Idea’ to life in a gallery at the Petersen is a dream come true,” Vides admits. “Every vehicle provides a unique canvas, as do the spaces they are set in. Doing this at the Petersen was such an honor, and I am excited for the public to experience this exhibition.”

The cars featured in the exhibit include a hand-painted Ferrari 308 GTS, a Porsche 944, and a De Tomaso Longchamp, making this fantasy garage one packed with timeless elegance. In total, it took Vides nine days to create this exhibit, a life-sized trompe l’œil where art lovers and car aficionados can step inside. The result is a mind-boggling union between the automotive and art worlds.

“What Joshua Vides has done by transforming this gallery into a real-life sketchbook is truly remarkable,” says Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “Utilizing the canvas of multiple unique automobiles, he has created a space unlike anything we’ve ever had at the Petersen, which will provide inspiration for our guests.”

Flat Out: The Art of Joshua Vides is now open at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles through July 5, 2027. To plan your visit, check out the museum’s website.

For his first ever museum show, artist Joshua Vides has transformed a gallery full of cars into an immersive black and white illustration.

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

The exhibit, titled Flat Out: The Art of Joshua Vides, has taken over the Armand Hammer Foundation Gallery at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Vides uses his “Reality to Idea” technique to make the whole 3D space look like a page out of a sketchbook.

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Photo: Petersen Automotive Museum

Exhibition Information:
Joshua Vides
Flat Out: The Art of Joshua Vides
June 20, 2026–July 5, 2027
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States

Joshua Vides: Website | Instagram
Petersen Automotive Museum: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Petersen Automotive Museum.

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READ: 5 Vintage Cars Hand-Painted to Look Like 2D Comic Book Drawings in Real Life