Signature Series
Commissioned Artwork That Honors Your Passion
Each Signature Series piece begins with your car, motorcycle, or aircraft—and your passion, your journey and your story.
Through on-location photography, specialized lighting, and meticulous artistic craftsmanship, I create a one-of-a-kind work of art designed to capture not only the design and performance of your machine, but the passion behind it. This is more than a photograph.
It is your passion, transformed into art—your legacy.
What is the process?
Creating a custom automotive artwork is a collaborative and rewarding experience. My goal is to make the process straightforward while delivering a final piece that reflects both the subject and your vision.
Step 1 — Initial Consultation
We begin with a conversation about your vehicle, your preferences, and how you envision the final artwork. We’ll discuss: Location options, style and mood, intended display space and size and presentation preferences
Step 2 — Photography Session
The on-location session typically lasts 2–4 hours and frequently includes 50 -100 exposures of each vehicle and light painting techniques to capture the vehicle in its best form. Attention is given to detail, reflections, and composition to create a strong foundation for the final image.
Step 3 — Image Creation
Following the session, the image is refined through a detailed compositing and editing process. Multiple exposures are combined and carefully adjusted to achieve a balance of realism and artistic interpretation, resulting in a finished image that is both precise and expressive.
Step 4 — Review & Selection
You will be presented with the final image for review, along with guidance on print size and presentation options. At this stage, we finalize the format that best suits your space.
Step 5 — Printing & Delivery
Your artwork is produced using archival pigment printing on museum-quality materials. Each print is carefully prepared, inspected, and delivered ready for display.
The Result
The result is a one-of-a-kind piece of automotive art—created specifically for you and designed to be enjoyed for years to come.
Investment in Your Passion
There are a couple of components to your investment.
Creative Fee - Starting at $1750 for one vehicle
This includes:
✓ Pre-session consultation
✓ On-location photography of your car, motorcycle, or aircraft
✓ Specialized lighting and multiple image captures
✓ Advanced artistic image creation and finishing
✓ Personal review and image selection consultation
The Fine Art Print
Your finished artwork is available in a variety of museum-quality presentations, including:
Archival fine art paper
Museum-quality acrylic
Aluminum metal prints
Canvas gallery wraps
Print pricing varies based on:
Size
Presentation material
Framing preferences
Most people invest $500 to $3,000 in the final display print.
Travel
Projects within the Columbia, South Carolina area are included.
For locations outside the Columbia metro area, reasonable travel expenses may apply.
Your Passion - My Art - Your Legacy
Frequently Asked Questions
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Wonderful! The first step is a personal conversation about your machine, your story, and your vision for the final artwork.
To begin your Signature Series experience, connect with John through the Contact page, by phone or text at (803) 420-3660, or by email at john@johnherrel.com.
Together, we’ll begin creating a one-of-a-kind artwork that reflects your passion and becomes part of your legacy.
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The final presentation of your artwork is just as important as the image itself. Whether your piece is destined for a private study, garage gallery, executive office, or living space, I help guide the selection of:
Archival fine art paper
Canvas
Metal
Acrylic
And whether the artwork is best presented:
Framed
Floated
Gallery wrapped
Ready-to-hang without a frame
Because the way your art is displayed becomes part of your environment—and part of your story.
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Signature Series and Velocity Impressions represent two distinct approaches within my work, each offering a different artistic experience.
Signature Series is rooted in original photographic capture. These images are created using advanced techniques such as light painting and multi-image compositing, then refined through a meticulous artistic process. The goal is to produce highly detailed, visually precise works that honor the design and character of each automobile. These pieces are offered as limited editions and are designed for collectors who value craftsmanship, authenticity, and enduring design.
Velocity Impressions explores a more interpretive, expressive direction. These works are inspired by my original imagery but incorporate digital and modern techniques to emphasize motion, light, and atmosphere. The result is a painterly, impressionistic style that captures the emotion and energy of the subject rather than strict realism. Velocity Impressions pieces are typically offered as open or larger editions and provide a more accessible entry point into my work.
In short, the Signature Series focuses on precision and authenticity, while Velocity Impressions emphasizes artistic interpretation and emotion—two complementary perspectives on the same passion for automotive design.
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Yes, having multiple vehicles in a single print takes more time, but it is worth it if it expresses your passion and vision.
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Light painting is a unique and complex photographic process to create one artistic image that is not possible through traditional photography. I use calibrated lights to provide consistent lighting on your subject and your scene. Light painting has two parts. The first is photographing the subject(s). You and I meet on-site to evaluate different views of the subject and placement in the scene. You select the one you like best. This starts before dark and results in a base image. We then proceed after dark, lighting and photographing specific parts and details of the subject and scene. Normally, I take 50 - 100+ images of a subject, each creating the highlights and shadows that I want in the finished image. This is done with you and normally takes 2-4 hours. The second part of the light painting process is post processing the images in Lightroom and Photoshop. I merge, blend and paint the individual images into one unique and artistic image that illustrates your passion and legacy. The post processing and attention to detail for a single finished image normally takes 6-12 hours or more. The “wow” moment is when you hang a large metal or acrylic print on your wall! It is a celebration of your passion and legacy.
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Yes, contact me to create your gift certificate.