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SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL 2026
SPONSORS
General Motors
Axalta Coating Systems
OLO Marker
Detroit Steel Wheel Co.
CLICK BELOW TO REGISTER
INTRO TO SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL
We’re leveling up Sketchbattle for 2026 — introducing Sketchbattle Virtual, every second Friday of the month, we have online sketching contests open to international designers. This is your chance to compete, sharpen your skills, and earn your way onto the Detroit Sketchbattle stage.
Designers from all over the world can compete digitally for a chance to showcase their skills in real time, and for the chance to be invited to compete in the live in-person events.
Make sure to register if you want to participate or watch.
SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL, GLOBAL
2nd FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH
WHEN:
4:00–4:30 PM EST (camera setup + questions)
4:30–4:50 PM EST (round 1: 20 min)
Short 10 minute break to photograph/upload round 1 sketches.
5:00–5:40 PM EST (round 2: 40 min)
2nd Friday of every month
WHERE:
Online via Google Meet
(link provided to contestants after registering)
WATCH:
Spectate on YouTube Live
(link will be provided here the day of)
UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS:
Click here for more info:
Friday September 11, 2026
PAST VIRTUAL EVENTS:
Friday, February 13, 2026
Friday, March 13, 2026
Friday, April 10, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Friday, June 12, 2026
Friday, July 10, 2026
Friday August 14, 2026
SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL ABOUT AND RULES
ABOUT SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL
Sketchbattle Virtual is our new online qualifying system designed to reach designers beyond Detroit and far outside Michigan. In recent events, competitors flew in from Mexico, South America, and Europe just to battle. This online round helps us find that same level of talent worldwide before the live event.
It does three things:
• Opens the door globally so international designers can qualify without the travel barrier.
• Feeds top performers into our live Sketchbattle™ events—especially Detroit Auto Show.
• Expands the Sketchbattle community, helping to discover new talent, build our roster, and grow the brand internationally.
Applicants will join a real-time virtual Sketchbattle on Google Meet, sketching alongside designers from around the world after competing the short application form.
Road to Detroit:
Top performers from Sketchbattle Virtual may receive an invitation to compete at the official Sketchbattle™ in Detroit on January 14, 2027, during the Detroit Auto Show.
COMPETITION RULES
How Sketchbattle Virtual Works:
• Mandatory camera check: 30 minutes before battle starts
• Live sketch Round 1: 20 minutes (pure black-and-white line art)
• Live sketch Round 2: 40 minutes (add shading and color)
• Final upload: 15 minutes to upload your sketch and mood board to our shared Google Drive (no touch-ups)
• July requirements and theme below
Important Requirements:
• Camera must be ON at all times.
• Camera must be pointed directly at your sketching surface the entire time.
• Any camera deviation during the battle may result in disqualification.
• Digital Artists: If you sketch digitally, you must share the video time-lapse of the entire process.
• Strictly No CAD/Rendering: This is a sketching battle. No 3D modeling, CAD, or pre-rendered assets. • Everything must be created live.
• Must adhere to the design theme of the month stated below.
• Be on time.
SKETCHBATTLE VIRTUAL PRIZES
OLO MARKER
The OLO Marker Judge’s Choice: Our judges will select one standout designer to win a professional OLO Carry Case Basics (Large) set. This is a premium marker system designed for elite-level rendering.
AXALTA
Axalta Prize Box with sketching gift inside.
UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 2026 THEME & INFO
THEME COLOR IN MOTION
Design a vehicle where color is an active part of the design, using it to express the vehicle’s purpose, character, energy, and sense of movement. With Axalta's new 2027 Global Automotive Color of the Year being revealed just days before our battle, September is all about exploring what color can do in automotive design.
SEPTEMBER INFO
Friday, September 11, 2026
4:00–4:30 PM EST — Camera setup + questions (please be on time)
4:30–4:50 PM EST — Black & white line drawing only (20 min)
Short 10 minute break to photograph/upload Round 1 sketches.
5:00–5:40 PM EST — Axalta Round 2: Add color and rendering (40 min)
Contestants will join virtually on Google Meet
Axalta Best Use of Color
Mood boards are required this month. A strong mood board helps communicate the story behind your design, supports your color strategy, and can strengthen your overall presentation. The mood board will be submitted to the Google Drive along with the final sketches. Mood boards should be created prior to the battle, and not created during the battle!
Additional Information
Competitors will join virtually on Google Meet, and this month, the audience can spectate on YouTube and engage in the livestream.
A virtual watch party and panel discussion will be hosted by the CMF Department at College for Creative Studies and streamed live on YouTube. Spectators can tune into the livestream to hear panelists from GM, Axalta, and CCS, while watching competitors sketch live. (No in person attendance.)
PAST VIRTUAL EVENTS
AUGUST 2026 THEME & INFO
THEME COLOR FIRST
A Vehicle-Design Thought Experiment: Color First is a thought experiment and concept-design challenge that uses color; not vehicle type, function, technology, or market segment as the starting point for an original vehicle.
Begin by selecting a single color. Consider what that color communicates. What emotions, memories, cultural associations, energy, attitude, or personality does it carry? Does it feel fast, calm, aggressive, luxurious, playful, industrial, mysterious, natural, futuristic, or something entirely different?
Then translate those qualities into a vehicle concept. The vehicle can be anything: a sports car, truck, SUV, luxury vehicle, urban mobility concept, off-road machine, commercial vehicle, race vehicle, or an entirely new form of transportation. There is no predetermined vehicle category. The selected color should help reveal what kind of vehicle wants to emerge.
Use the color as the conceptual foundation for the vehicle’s:
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Form and proportions
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Stance and silhouette
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Surfaces and graphics
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Materials and finishes
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Personality and purpose
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Intended user and environment
The Challenge
Choose a color first. Then design the vehicle that belongs to it. The strongest concepts will demonstrate a clear and imaginative relationship between the selected color and every aspect of the resulting vehicle.
AUGUST INFO
Friday, August 14, 2026
4:00–4:30 PM EST — Camera setup + questions (please be on time)
4:30–4:50 PM EST — Black & white line drawing only (20 min)
Short 10 minute break to photograph/upload Round 1 sketches.
5:00–5:40 PM EST — Axalta Round 2: Add color and rendering (40 min)
Contestants will join virtually on Google Meet.
Axalta Best Use of Color
Mood boards are required this month. A strong mood board helps communicate the story behind your design, supports your color strategy, and can strengthen your overall presentation. The mood board will be submitted to the Google Drive along with the final sketches. Mood boards should be created prior to the battle, and not created during the battle!
Additional Information
Competitors will join virtually on Google Meet, and this month, the audience can spectate on YouTube and engage in the livestream.
JULY 2026 THEME & INFO
DREAM CRUISE THEME
This month, we're celebrating Detroit's automotive heritage by reimagining classic GM muscle cars with next-generation solid-state EV powertrains. Create ideas beyond a simple conversion. How would an American performance icon evolve for the future while staying true to its muscle car roots?
JULY INFO
Friday, July 10, 2026
4:00–4:30 PM EST — Camera setup + questions (please be on time)
4:30–4:50 PM EST — Black & white line drawing only (20 min)
Short 10 minute break to photograph/upload Round 1 sketches.
5:00–5:40 PM EST — Axalta Round 2: Add color and rendering (40 min)
Join us virtually on Google Meet.
Axalta Best Use of Color
Mood boards are optional, but highly recommended. If you'd like to compete for Axalta's Best Use of Color Award, a mood board is required. A strong mood board helps communicate the story behind your design, supports your color strategy, and can strengthen your overall presentation.
Additional Information
Competitors will join virtually on Google Meet, and this month for the first time, the audience can spectate on YouTube and engage in the livestream.
A private watch party will be held at the Pontiac Creative Arts Center this month, so make sure to tune in on YouTube to see what Brook and the creatives at PCAC are up to, while they give live commentary on the sketching! (This is a virtual event, there is no in-person attendance. Please join us virtually.)
JUNE 2026 THEME & INFO
AMERICA 250: THE NEXT DREAM THEME
Celebrating 250 Years – design the next iconic GM car for 2036. Reimagining the "American Flagship".
A couple of important updates for this month:
We are introducing Round 2, brought to us by Axalta.
Round 1: 20 minutes – pure black-and-white line art
Round 2: 40 minutes – add shading and color
(This can be done with analog or digital tools.)
Also required: Each contestant should now create their own color scheme that suits their design. They should also create a mood board showing the references and influences behind their color choices. The goal is to build a stronger story around the design, the color direction, and the thinking behind it.
The mood board will be submitted to the Google Drive along with the final sketches. Mood boards should be created prior to the battle, and not created during the battle!
We are shifting the start time from 6:00 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST to allow for the extra round time.
MAY 2026 THEME & INFO
THE 20TH BEAT THEME
As we continue the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Movement Festival, this month we're challenging designers to create "Mobile Stages"—integrating massive sound systems into vehicles for on-site parties.
Designers must utilize the energy of Axalta’s 2026 Color of the Year—Solar Boost—to anchor their designs. Showcase how Axalta’s flagship hue translates into high-performance vehicle forms, defining muscle, highlight, and shadow.
The Sketchbattle Virtual watch party streams live from Axalta’s Michigan offices for the month of May. Join us virtually as we talk about Axalta’s 2026 Global Automotive Color of the Year, along with current design trends and updates from the Axalta team.
APRIL 2026 THEME & INFO
SYNTHESIZER SPEED THEME
The theme is Synthesizer Speed. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Movement Festival, this month’s challenge explores audio-reactive design. We want to see vehicles shaped by sound with forms driven by the frequencies of house and techno. From pulsing basslines to high-frequency distortion, how does music translate into motion, surface, and silhouette?
Detroit is the birthplace of techno. Now it’s your turn to design what it looks like.
Designers must utilize the energy of Axalta’s 2026 Color of the Year—Solar Boost—to anchor their designs. Showcase how Axalta’s flagship hue translates into high-performance vehicle forms, defining muscle, highlight, and shadow.
MARCH 2026 THEME & INFO
RETRO CHARGED THEME
Contestants must take a beloved classic GM model (e.g., Square Body Truck, Corvette, or a classic Cadillac) and reimagine it as a pure electric, hydrogen-powered, or hybrid concept vehicle.
Mobility Beyond Cars: You aren't limited to four wheels! Design anything in keeping with the theme: sneakers, an electric skateboard, a hoverboard, or a spaceship—as long as it’s a mobility device inspired by a classic GM favorite.
THE GOAL
The design must preserve the iconic, nostalgic aesthetic while integrating modern, forward-thinking technology, sustainable materials, and contemporary safety features. This bridges GM's rich history with its electric future.
Designers must utilize the energy of Axalta’s 2026 Color of the Year—Solar Boost—to anchor their designs. Showcase how Axalta’s flagship hue translates into high-performance vehicle forms, defining muscle, highlight, and shadow.
FEBRUARY 2026 THEME & INFO
FEBRUARY INFO
Detroit Steel Wheel Co is proud to announce they’re hosting the watch party for the first Sketchbattle Virtual, streaming live from Mobsteel on Friday, February 13th! Detroit Steel Wheel and Mobsteel will be checking in throughout the event with Brook Banham for a little extra entertainment, while we showcase all of the incredible designers and artists competing for the win.
Please note, this is a virtual event. Mobsteel is not open for in-person attendance. Anyone watching or competing will join via Google Meet.
TRACK TO STREET THEME
The February theme for Sketchbattle Virtual is here – Track to Street. We’re taking F1-inspired DNA and bringing it to the pavement. Whether it’s a high-performance sports car or a powerhouse sports truck from any GM brand, we want to see your vision of racing tech meet street-legal style. Think aero-kits, aggressive stances, and pure speed—all rendered by hand.
Designers must utilize the energy of Axalta’s 2026 Color of the Year—Solar Boost—to anchor their designs. Showcase how Axalta’s flagship hue translates into high-performance vehicle forms, defining muscle, highlight, and shadow.