Artist Spotlight: Brendan Droppo

The on-track identity for two 7-time NASCAR champions can be traced to one individual just north of the United States. Using his mother’s courage in her cancer battle as motivation and a 2D sketch template by his wife Clara, Ottawa, Ontario’s Brendan Droppo’s motorsports design career has transcended even his own dreams and expectations.

1️⃣ How did you get your start designing?

Growing up it was art (drawing) first. Whether at home or school, it was long hours on the kitchen table or just waiting for art class to start. When I was very young, my father was an Earnhardt fan; however, he quickly turned into a Bobby Hamilton fan after Dale had wrecked him. His fandom transferred to me shortly after when I attended my first race at Pocono in the ‘90s, cheering for Bill Elliott and my favorite restaurant [McDonald’s]. My love for art then merged with my newfound passion for NASCAR, and I went from drawing ships and skateboarding shoes to race cars and paint schemes, envisioning my own racing someday.

As a teenager in the 2000s, I switched from pencil to computer, and began to develop technical skills using paint and 3D programs for countless hours. I was uploading accurate NR2003 skins for users to enjoy, gleaming if they commented on the details I put in. I then started creating fictional paint schemes, showing a forum what cars would look like if an associate expanded to primary, using fan reception as motivation — a Dale Jr. concept had even won a SPEED Channel contest and appeared on live TV, shocking my father!

During my first summer off from Graphic Design college, I knew I wanted to design NASCAR paint schemes professionally. I then cold emailed and landed a remote internship with Matt Kenseth’s spotter’s company, where I designed my first ever paint scheme for Chase Austin’s No. 07 Cavi and Macy’s Chevrolet in the Nationwide (Xfinity) Series at Daytona. To repay the favor, I brought my father to the other side of the fence to look at it up close, a time we still reminisce on to this day.

2️⃣ Where do you turn to for inspiration?

I think in general, I can get inspired from the visuals of just about anything. Maybe it’s packaging design or an advertisement, modern design or a new street car that inspires a paint scheme. Perhaps it can be the simplicity and vividity of how NASCAR looked in the ‘90s that inspires another particular project. When I’m working on a project my eyes are definitely peeled and I’m in heavy research mode!

3️⃣ What project of yours are you most proud of and why?

I think it has to be Jimmie Johnson’s 2015 Lowe’s primary paint scheme, as that specific design was such a culmination of the hours put into designing and envisioning where my passion can take me. I think another important aspect is I viewed it as such professional growth and the chapter where a paint scheme design can win, which is an ultimate feeling!

4️⃣ What’s your ‘trademark’ style that helps you stand out from other designers?

I enjoy blazing my own trail the most and being as unbiased design-wise as I can be to see how that resonates in anything I'm working on. Even though it’s just a paint scheme, I hope almost any design can ripple out and create a movement or trend. I take pride in seeing an idea appear somewhere else in another form; it’s very rewarding and acts as fuel for me. I think the above is a great recipe for adapting to almost any design challenge you’re facing.

5️⃣ You represent a very small group of motorsport designers for NASCAR that originate from Canada, specifically Ontario. How did you end up getting your start in NASCAR and what was it that drew you to the sport in the first place?

To elaborate on the first question from earlier, I think living close to the Canada-USA border was a huge part of it. My father would take me to races a few hours away from home, such as Pocono and Watkins Glen just to name a couple, with those trips being such a foundational part of my childhood, seeing the colors of NASCAR with my own eyes. Around grade school I would present drivers with my drawings for a reaction and an autograph — and fill the camera with show-car decal extreme close-ups!

6️⃣ You’ve spent a number of years working with Jimmie Johnson, from Hendrick Motorsports now to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Where did the relationship first begin?

Reading this, it still feels surreal that I am able to create art for one of the most accomplished drivers of all time; it’s beyond a feeling of gratitude still to this day.

A few years after my first scheme, I found myself creating paint schemes for NY Racing in Cup, featuring unique striping, neon, metallics or even faux carbon fiber aiming to get them noticed in the garage. As the team looked to grow, they made an affiliation with HMS, and I too viewed that as a window to grow, perhaps once in a lifetime.

That time in 2014, however, was also bittersweet, as my mother had cancer and I had just gotten engaged to my now-wife, Clara. So, to keep spirits up, I had the idea to get Clara to sketch on a 2D template, hoping it’d spark my imagination, and it did! I transformed her wiggly pencil lines (insert Clara’s laughter) into vector art to meet her (often strict) approval.

A few clicks later and it was rendered in 3D, sent to none other than crew chief Chad Knaus. Months later, we had the pleasure of meeting him in Pocono where he mentioned the special design potentially debuting in the 2015 Daytona summer race, shocking us!

Later that year, my mother was a little worse and we weren’t sure what to think anymore, so I took a slight step back from designing and we took it day by day. That is when I got the call to design Jimmie Johnson’s primary Lowe’s paint scheme for the next season. It was truly remarkable and monumental, a moment that had my parents in tears of joy just knowing how much time and belief I had put into it. Once those emotions settled, the creative wheels began to turn again and I got back at it, using my mother's courage as a driving force.

Collaborating with Lowe’s remotely, we honed in on the design that Jimmie would eventually win his seventh championship in, called Silver Sweep. In winter 2015, the design debuted at Daytona, a moment Clara and I didn’t miss in person.

After returning home, we witnessed my design get its first win courtesy of Jimmie's efforts at Atlanta, a moment I was able to share with my mother right before her passing. In her memory, I kept designing knowing she’d want just that.

Later in May, Lowe’s showed us the Silver Sweeps in person at HMS, including the very paint scheme which Clara had sparked: Lowe’s Power of Pride. That weekend we finally met Jimmie in person at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the rest is history.

7️⃣ Back in 2016, you had the opportunity to design a pair of Chevrolets for Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the Batman vs. Superman film, working with two powerhouse names in racing and superheroes. What were some challenges you faced when crafting those designs with names that carry such prestige?

That was certainly an unforgettable project! It was a first of that magnitude for me at the time, centering around a Hollywood movie and all that goes with that, especially with Dale Jr. driving and being a Batman fan as a kid had me smiling — photos of actors Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck by the schemes still geek me out!

For challenges, it was definitely the tight turnaround times paired with the immense details those two paint schemes had (the No. 48 even featured Kryptonian script inside of the gold stripes) — I wouldn’t even want to remind myself of how large those file sizes were. It was also the first project I worked on with Nationwide, a sponsor I had the pleasure of designing many schemes for from ’16-’19, with Dale Jr. and [Alex] Bowman as the drivers. For a little more, these schemes were a must-see for Clara and me. Traveling from Ontario, Canada to Ontario, California, we found ourselves right by the [Nos.] 48 and 88, and with Jimmie triumphantly winning while we were visiting was beyond special.

The next year, Jimmie even won Texas when we went to go check out that primary scheme and speak at some schools!

8️⃣ When the Camaro joined the NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, Hendrick Motorsports was the first time to reveal liveries for the historic switch. You designed the No. 88 of Alex Bowman, the No. 9 of Chase Elliott and the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson. Where does a milestone of that magnitude rank in your career?

Wow, that was such a proud and busy time in my life where I was learning a lot and growing as a designer. I would say right close to top 5 for sure, as it’s very rare to get to experience three paint scheme reveals happening simultaneously on a new car, let alone of that tier (and growing up a Bill Elliott fan).

To add to that, seeing Chase eventually win his first championship in that NAPA paint scheme and fire suit design alongside JJ’s Ally 48 I worked on is just a few spots above this in the career ranks.

Another neat tidbit around that time is Hooters had reached out and provided me with an amazing platform to create some very neat pieces over the years, including the original Night Owl!

9️⃣ In your recent years, you’ve graced LEGACY MOTOR CLUB with a number of primaries between the No. 42, No. 43, and the No. 84. Compared to your previous work, is there anything for LMC that you’re doing differently to help make those entries stand out more on track?

I think Jimmie has a very strategic and meticulous vision on how he wants his legendary team to look, and I’m so grateful he entrusts me with understanding that and bringing that to life. I enjoy how the team’s gold accents have been evolving from season to season, making the cars shine and be identifiable out there. It’s a blast leaning into the classic look with often a modern spin with new sponsors. With such a rich history of schemes also, any throwback is like Christmas to me with how much fun we can have using neon and those famous Petty colors — such as this season’s Darlington Throwback paint scheme designs.

The team is growing in all directions and has innovative partners and personnel that provide me with all of the creative flexibility I can ask for and more so I can push boundaries, so that definitely adds another layer of the appreciation I have for sure.

🔟 Share a design tip for people just getting started.

Definitely just be yourself out there and have fun! That’s when it feels like time stands still when designing and you can generate those unique and powerful ideas that can take you places!

Technically, don't be afraid to jump into new programs and take your time, as it can take years to become efficient, so don’t rush it!