Copy right 2006. All rights reserved, realubitdesign.com
• Guerrilla-bit - Because a classmate couldn’t pronounce my last name.
• Kapuera - Because of the way I danced in the classroom.
• Jamaican - Because my favorite type of music is reggae and dancehall, which I constantly played over the
studio speakers.
• Hecksture - In Alias class I created a texture that everyone liked all by accident. At the time, I didn’t know exactly
how I did it but people think I’m lying.
• Bondo King - Because half of my “speedform” model was made of Bondo.
• McLaren - For most of my first and some of my second term, my sketches looked uncannily like the McLaren
F1.
• Kapuera - Because of the way I danced in the classroom.
• Jamaican - Because my favorite type of music is reggae and dancehall, which I constantly played over the
studio speakers.
• Hecksture - In Alias class I created a texture that everyone liked all by accident. At the time, I didn’t know exactly
how I did it but people think I’m lying.
• Bondo King - Because half of my “speedform” model was made of Bondo.
• McLaren - For most of my first and some of my second term, my sketches looked uncannily like the McLaren
F1.
I was born in the Philippines in the city of Manila on September 15th 1978. Most of my closest relatives live in the
province of Sagpon, Daraga, Albay just north of Legazpi City. In 1987, my family boarded a Northwest Jetliner
and, many hours later, we landed at the LAX International Airport in California; and so began my assimilation into
the American culture which later lead to an obsession with airplanes and automobiles.
My family lived in Los Angeles for a few years, and later moved to a small town about 60 miles north of Los
Angeles called Littlerock (that’s right, it’s spelled with one word and it is in California, not Arkansas). Here’s when
my airplane and car obsessions began; the city I lived in was only 30 minutes from Edwards Air Force Base
where top secret aircraft were developed and tested, it was also a landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle. Not
only that, Northrop Grumman and the Skunkworks facility (builders of the Stealth aircraft) were just off the main
highway. To put the icing on the cake, the Los Angeles County Raceway was literally 5 minutes away from my
house. The streets were littered with high performance cars every weekend. By the way, did I mention that the
Willow Springs racetrack was also in the area? -- I should have.
Well, going off to college (as the subtitle suggests) wasn’t quite as simple for me as it sounds. At the time, I really
had no idea there was such a thing as an automotive design program, or that Art Center even existed. Even my
high school counselors didn’t know where to direct me; but I knew I wanted to design cars. I thought the only logical
way for me to become a designer was to get a degree in either mechanical, or aerospace engineering. So I applied
to the California State University in Northridge. Later, I was shocked to receive a letter stating that I was not
accepted into Cal State Northridge even with a 3.5 GPA and 4 letters of recommendation. I had high school
classmates who had a 2.7 GPA and were already attending.
After being declined, I didn’t really know what else to do. I decided to attend a local community college in Valencia,
California called College of the Canyons where I took mind-numbing classes to accrue college credits while working
at a local “race shop” just a few blocks away. Though I didn’t know it at the time, one of my instructors was going to
completely change my career path.
Apparently, my Drawing 101 instructor (I think her name was Joy Von Wolffersdorff) graduated from Art Center as
an Illustration major. She realized my interest in car design and explained that a college called Art Center had a
very prestigious automotive design program. She then decided to take the class on a field trip to the Art Center
campus.
After seeing the student gallery, I was completely blown away, and became absolutely sure that this is where I
needed to be.
Later, I took some classes at the Art Center at Night program and at the Pasadena City College. After building a
portfolio from Stan Kong and Albert Yu’s classes at PCC, I submitted my portfolio.
had no idea there was such a thing as an automotive design program, or that Art Center even existed. Even my
high school counselors didn’t know where to direct me; but I knew I wanted to design cars. I thought the only logical
way for me to become a designer was to get a degree in either mechanical, or aerospace engineering. So I applied
to the California State University in Northridge. Later, I was shocked to receive a letter stating that I was not
accepted into Cal State Northridge even with a 3.5 GPA and 4 letters of recommendation. I had high school
classmates who had a 2.7 GPA and were already attending.
After being declined, I didn’t really know what else to do. I decided to attend a local community college in Valencia,
California called College of the Canyons where I took mind-numbing classes to accrue college credits while working
at a local “race shop” just a few blocks away. Though I didn’t know it at the time, one of my instructors was going to
completely change my career path.
Apparently, my Drawing 101 instructor (I think her name was Joy Von Wolffersdorff) graduated from Art Center as
an Illustration major. She realized my interest in car design and explained that a college called Art Center had a
very prestigious automotive design program. She then decided to take the class on a field trip to the Art Center
campus.
After seeing the student gallery, I was completely blown away, and became absolutely sure that this is where I
needed to be.
Later, I took some classes at the Art Center at Night program and at the Pasadena City College. After building a
portfolio from Stan Kong and Albert Yu’s classes at PCC, I submitted my portfolio.
Stan Kong, one of my instructors from PCC had told me earlier that after submitting a portfolio for entry, I may get
one of two envelopes in the mail; a small one or a large one. Small = bad, Large = good. I checked my mail one
day and I got a shiny one. It was wrapped in cellophane with a tag that read, “Art Center College of Design,
Pasadena, CA.” Well, until then I had never seen an official Art Center envelope, so I wasn’t sure if it was good or
bad. I took a breath, and like a bomb disposal officer, nervously opened it. The first word read, “Congratulations.” I
knew then it was good news – though I still had to read it several more times.
I finally began attending the Art Center day program as a Transportation Design major, more commonly referred
to “Trans.” The first few academic terms were equivalent to a reality kick in the pants. I had already anticipated the
program to be extremely difficult. It turned out to be everything I had expected and 10 times more. Never in my life
had I ever believed that there were not enough hours in a day; but as an Art Center student, you constantly
cursed the fact that a day only had 24 hours. And what’s worse is that it gets exceedingly more difficult each term
you advance until you finish your 8th, and final term (obviously, 8th is the worst). Not sleeping at all for 2-3 days
straight is the norm especially for Product and Trans majors. The reason is not necessarily due to the workload
assigned by the instructors, it is usually because of the heightened competitiveness amongst myself and my
classmates. It’s simply because everyone (and I do mean everyone) wants to be the best.
As fierce as the competition between my classmates were, I would have never been able to get through Art Center
without them. I have never spent so much time and developed such comradery with a group of individuals. If the
design you presented, well… sucks. You’d better believe that every single one of them will tell you that your
design not only sucked, but proceed to make fun of you until you show them something better at the next
presentation. Everyone received this treatment at several points during their time at Art Center. Nicknames and
practical jokes were frequently spawned from these events.
However, don’t be too quick to form an opinion. Those are the same bunch of guys who will call you asking where
the hell you are after they've realized you are late, or not in class. Even when you’re a bit short on cash for lunch
someone will cover you. From something as little as asking for a quick opinion about your design, to something as
big as needing help because you might not make the deadline, every single one of them will do everything in their
ability to help you out. Such was the case in my 8th and final term of study.
A classmate unknowingly chose a primer that reacted severely to his quarter-scale clay model where it left the
once smooth surfaces rough and covered with an uncured primer coat. The deadline was less than a week, not
enough time to fix the clay surface… at least not on his own. Without a completed model, graduation was
impossible. At this point, he was ready to give up and would just try to graduate in the next term.
One student after another picked up their clay tools and started to help scrape the reactant chemical off the
model, leaving deeply gashed surfaces. More and more fellow students picked up their clay tools along with some
extra clay and began helping. Before you knew it, every single person in the studio were hunched over helping to
resurface their classmate’s damaged model; a major part of his final design and senior thesis. With the help of his
classmates, he graduated with all of us.
Art Center College of Design is arguably one of the absolute best. In order to make it though, acute drive and
determination alongside comradery are key. Completing the program would put an individual within a certain
fraternity. I am proud to be apart of that fraternity.
To all those who pointed me in the right direction, those who extended their support and those who helped me
throughout Art Center… thank you.
Hector Nunez Realubit
Transportation Design
Art Center Graduate, August 2005
one of two envelopes in the mail; a small one or a large one. Small = bad, Large = good. I checked my mail one
day and I got a shiny one. It was wrapped in cellophane with a tag that read, “Art Center College of Design,
Pasadena, CA.” Well, until then I had never seen an official Art Center envelope, so I wasn’t sure if it was good or
bad. I took a breath, and like a bomb disposal officer, nervously opened it. The first word read, “Congratulations.” I
knew then it was good news – though I still had to read it several more times.
I finally began attending the Art Center day program as a Transportation Design major, more commonly referred
to “Trans.” The first few academic terms were equivalent to a reality kick in the pants. I had already anticipated the
program to be extremely difficult. It turned out to be everything I had expected and 10 times more. Never in my life
had I ever believed that there were not enough hours in a day; but as an Art Center student, you constantly
cursed the fact that a day only had 24 hours. And what’s worse is that it gets exceedingly more difficult each term
you advance until you finish your 8th, and final term (obviously, 8th is the worst). Not sleeping at all for 2-3 days
straight is the norm especially for Product and Trans majors. The reason is not necessarily due to the workload
assigned by the instructors, it is usually because of the heightened competitiveness amongst myself and my
classmates. It’s simply because everyone (and I do mean everyone) wants to be the best.
As fierce as the competition between my classmates were, I would have never been able to get through Art Center
without them. I have never spent so much time and developed such comradery with a group of individuals. If the
design you presented, well… sucks. You’d better believe that every single one of them will tell you that your
design not only sucked, but proceed to make fun of you until you show them something better at the next
presentation. Everyone received this treatment at several points during their time at Art Center. Nicknames and
practical jokes were frequently spawned from these events.
However, don’t be too quick to form an opinion. Those are the same bunch of guys who will call you asking where
the hell you are after they've realized you are late, or not in class. Even when you’re a bit short on cash for lunch
someone will cover you. From something as little as asking for a quick opinion about your design, to something as
big as needing help because you might not make the deadline, every single one of them will do everything in their
ability to help you out. Such was the case in my 8th and final term of study.
A classmate unknowingly chose a primer that reacted severely to his quarter-scale clay model where it left the
once smooth surfaces rough and covered with an uncured primer coat. The deadline was less than a week, not
enough time to fix the clay surface… at least not on his own. Without a completed model, graduation was
impossible. At this point, he was ready to give up and would just try to graduate in the next term.
One student after another picked up their clay tools and started to help scrape the reactant chemical off the
model, leaving deeply gashed surfaces. More and more fellow students picked up their clay tools along with some
extra clay and began helping. Before you knew it, every single person in the studio were hunched over helping to
resurface their classmate’s damaged model; a major part of his final design and senior thesis. With the help of his
classmates, he graduated with all of us.
Art Center College of Design is arguably one of the absolute best. In order to make it though, acute drive and
determination alongside comradery are key. Completing the program would put an individual within a certain
fraternity. I am proud to be apart of that fraternity.
To all those who pointed me in the right direction, those who extended their support and those who helped me
throughout Art Center… thank you.
Hector Nunez Realubit
Transportation Design
Art Center Graduate, August 2005
Before graduation. Click
each one to enlarge.
each one to enlarge.
 |
Graduation day! Notice the
difference in facial expression.
difference in facial expression.
realubitdesign.com
realubitdesign.com
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |