Letter From The Editor | Chris Hamilton

I HAVE CONCEPTUALIZED AND COMPLETED QUITE A FEW CUSTOM TRUCKS OVER THE PAST 20 OR SO YEARS, BUT I HAVE NEVER TAKEN ON A LONG-TERM PROJECT OR COMMISSIONED A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST TO CREATE A RENDERING. Ever since the early days of downloading Photoshop 6.0 with a keygen, unknown industry talents had changed the game with their artistic abilities and would eventually become icons in their own right. This particular project is a little different. This is the truck I plan to keep forever, so I wanted to appreciate the entire process, from rendering to reality.

There are so many talented artists online who you can connect with to see the future of your hard work. But the one that stood out to me lately has been impacting the industry through social media with realistic designs and online comments questioning whether his designs are actually real or not. Chad Canning is the man behind the 3D modeling, and Rendered Rides is his brand. He’s able to understand your concept and create a realistic representation for any wild idea you have rolling around in your head.

A few quick emails and a simple PayPal invoice made it super simple to get started, and my excitement built as we waited for the results. The first set of models came in and only needed a few minor changes like wheel o­ set and suspension setup, but after those quick tweaks and a fresh coat of paint, Chad sent us the final version of what looks to be a real truck! We were impressed by his communication skills as much is his computer skills, and we can’t wait to use him again. Check him out on Instagram at @renderedrides and start the first step of your next project. Follow along with this build in Street Trucks and C10 Builder’s Guide, dubbed Project Rocky.