The Cartoonimator Chronicles

This looks like a job for...

2009-07-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

Its this kind of iconic pose that made me fall in love with Superman as a character. This was the type of thing that a kid could easily replicate with a red bath towel, some Superman Underoos, a dress shirt, a tie, and a closet to serve as a phone booth. Transform in and out, and back again.

That's why I love Superman. Why do YOU love Superman?

--Chad

Warm-up Speed Drawings

2009-07-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Did some warmup speed drawings the other day, one of Iceman from the X-Men, the other of a big ol' Werewolf (single-handedly the COOLEST monster ever). Got them below, enjoy.

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I am the Knight - Finale!

2009-07-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings, all!

Its been a long time coming, but in my pre-con work frenzy, I've decided to finish up the "I am the Knight" digital painting that went along with "The Joker's Wild." I hope you enjoy, and stay tuned for more pre-SDCC goodness. :0)

--Chad

Warming-Up: Spiderman!

2009-06-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is a video of me doing a warmup drawing of Spiderman. Enjoy

--Chad

I want to live here...

2009-03-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

...because it is awesome. All hail Chad, Emperor Supreme King-Ninja of Chadopolis. Or you dies, because I keel you with death.

I am the Knight...WIP (Part Deux)

2009-03-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

...ok, I'm still not Batman. But this dude right CHAW looks like he might be able to make the cut.

I received such a strong response to The Joker's Wild, I figured I'd finish that off by doing a serious painting of the Dark Knight himself. I am pleased at how this one is turning out, so I figured I'd share it on here, again, before its completely polished. Hell, I might go ahead and take a couple others out of Batman's Rogue's Gallery and do my take on them. Suggestions?

PLEASE...leave me comments. Tell me I suck, if I suck, and what you'd like to see...for instance, anyone interested in seeing a screen recording/fraps style capture of me painting digitally? Anyone have any suggestions on software to make that happen?

Let me know, and enjoy.

=cHaDiMUs=

I am the Knight...WIP

2009-03-09T14:54:00.001-07:00

...ok, so maybe I'm not. But this guy WILL be, as soon as I'm finished with him.

I was really pleased with the way this was turning out, so I thought I'd post a little Work in Progress (WIP) image for todays lil' update.

Nothing much else going on at the moment. Really just brewing up some ideas for this big project I've got going on in the back of my noggin' and waiting for Scott Kurtz book on the business of Webcomics to come in. Super excited to see what it has to say. I always did admire Scott as a cartoonist since I met him at Wizard World Dallas going on five years ago.

IN any case, enjoy, and take it easy.

==Chad==

L2P Nurse Nublette and the Color Purple...

2009-03-06T11:45:00.001-08:00

Greetings, Earthers!

You know, I was going to blog extensively on my harrowing experience with L2P Nurse Nublette and her Team Killing antics yesterday during my visit to the Dentist, but decided against it. Rest assured, know that this goofy middle-aged bitch had no fucking clue what she was doing, and was wearing a horrendous set of scrubs that looked like a crayon box with Downs-Syndrome threw up all over it.

Whew. Now that's out of the way, I was dicking around in Painter some more, and played with the different tools. Out of the jumbled, scribbly mess that I was creating to test the tools and brushes, came this girl. I don't know who she is. I just picked shapes, and continued to work and play with them. Purple and yellow were the colors all this was blended out of, then I finished it off with some detailing.

More to come later, I'm sure. Right now, finishing up the animation model.

Take it sleazy,
=cHAdIMus=

The Little Knight

2009-03-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthers!

Today was a productive day all around. Got real work done, and got to do some recreational drawing to loosen up the ol' southpaw. That in mind, I took the chance to dig into Painter X a bit more, and explore part of the same technique I used in the Joker illustration.

I remember reading some stuff about the child soldiers overseas, kids being forced to take up arms to defend themselves, and such. My mind wanders WAY too easily, so I got this image of this kid being dwarfed by this gigantic great sword, but looking comfortable and competent with the weapon. This is what I came up with.

I might work on this some more, but at the moment I'm looking to widen my toolbox in Painter a bit more. I don't like being a one or two trick pony when it comes to the software I use for illustration...I like to know the ends and outs, the programs limitations, etc. That way I can't blame the program is something ends up all F.U.B.A.R.

On a completely unrelated note...I have the amalgamations of a big project coming up soon. Its going to be epic, and I'm super excited about this project's potential. Dare I say, I feel that my Creative Batteries are being recharged. They aren't there just yet, but I definitely feel leaps and bounds more productive than I have been in the past several months. Stay tuned, kiddos.

As always, I welcome any comments you have on the art. You can reach me via IM at cpwelch@gmail.com on GTalk, email at cpwelch@gmail.com, and you can follow me on Twitter via @chadwelch.

=cHAdiMuS=

Some serious Desktop Wallpaper...

2009-03-04T07:42:00.001-08:00

As promised, the Joker illustration, sized for most desktops at 1280 x 1024.

I received a really positive response to this post. So much so, that someone has requested that I make the picture availiable in a print. Not bad for a relative quickie.

So, more to come on that soon.

Until then, enjoy.

=Chadimus=

Why so serious? Srsly...

2009-03-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

Born out of boredom and a need to learn the ropes inside Corel Painter, I give you, The Joker.

Done primarily with oils on canvas and blenders. After the painting, a little Photoshop Post work to fix some details and add some effects that I didn't know how to do in Painter.

Friend and co-worker Robert has requested a Wallpaper of said Joker Illustration. So I will ablige, and post it here as well.

Bleh.
=Chadimus Presley Welchington=
(The name is a long story.)

Color Testing...1...2..3...Color Testing...

2009-03-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings, Earthers!

Well, I was warmup up the ol' southpaw in Alias Sketchbook today, playing with some illustrative color techniques with the marker and airbrush tools. Turned out pretty good in my opinion, considering I think I suck at color outside of Illustrator. Take a gander.

Wasn't really drawing anything (or anyone) in particular, just kinda letting the arm flow, and picking out the shapes that looked good to me. Leftie up here definitely has that softer look that I'm going for when I paint cartoons, so I'm going to study what I did there and learn what to do to repeat that effect. The one on the right is something I nailed out relatively quickly this morning, so nothing really special there. I had fun with both, but Leftie is definitely the aesthetic that I'm looking for as far as whimsical illustration goes.

And Bucky is the new Cap'n? What the fuck is up with that? Former Heroine addicts make for great rolemodels and National Cheerleader. And a gun? Seriously? They should let me write/draw. I'd give them a story worth telling.

Anywho...that is all. Prolly have something else up here later, as I'm really bored/not feeling Flashy today for some reason, which will completely plummet my work productivity. Batteries...must...recharge...

Bleh.
=Chadimus=

Lions, Tigers, and...uh, Zombies? Oh my!

2009-02-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Howdy everyone!

Well, I'm trying to maintain updates, at least daily on this blog here, posting everything I can.

On today's menu, is a warm-up I did to loosen up when I got to work. Again, just going with the flow and drawing whatever I wanted, I did "Some Guy Who is Scared" and then something for him to be scared of, "Zombie that Hungers for Brains." It was kinda fun.

Zombies were always kinda cool. I mean, they are like free for all moving target dummies. You can shoot them, beat them with a baseball bat, whatever. Just have fun.

Hrm...in hindsight...not really seeing what's so scary about zombies. They seem kinda fun, actually!

Prolly post some other stuff later. Right now, I have to do real work. :) Flash Animation for the Win. But, some food for thought...I'm thinking that I'm either going to do a short film or a comic of a story I've had brewing in the brain for quite some time. I figure if I get it out of my head, complete and told, I'll have room for other stories. This will hopefully help recharge my batteries and get me out of this creative funk I've been in for a while.

Have fun, be good, and always bet on black.

Snoogins,
Chad

What's that? I call it PROGRESS!

2009-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings, everyone!

Well, finally got the time and energy to sit down and draw. Not for any particular reason, just to do it. And it was a nice repreive. Maybe this is a clue on how to recharge these dead creative batteries? Time shall tell!

That in mind, I've REALLY gotten into the Doctor Who series (BBC, new ones). So who did I draw? The Doctor. Doctor who, you say? Yeap. The Doctor.

You know, I really wasn't sure that I was going to like David Tennant taking over for Christopher Eccellston at the end of Season 2. But dare I say...? I think he's the definitive Doctor thus far. But that's just me.

Apparently, they have another guy taking over soon (not too sure when) that looks kinda like a Calvin Cline/Hot Topic Model. I'm kinda "Eh?" I'm really just hoping that they don't destroy my new found love for Doctor Who. I mean, we only had so many episodes with Christopher, which made the translation to Season 2, and David, much easier. They gave us a whole TWO seasons with no regeneration, going on a third. So, a grand total of three seasons worth of getting attached to Mr. Tennant and his portrayal of the Doctor: a slightly more grave and warrior-like Time Lord, while still keeping that whimsical, child-like curiosity and innocense that make the show great.

Back to the drawing. That's my rough, knocked it out in about an hour. Wacom Cintiq and Alias Sketchbook Pro. I'll post the finished version when I get to it. I'm currently experimenting with some new rendering techniques with a variety of software products. So, the final product is a much a mystery to you as it is to me. :)

Until next time...take it sleazy. Always bet on black. And advocate the use of lightsabers in all denominations.

--Chadimus

Apathy...thy name is Chad.

2009-02-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this little blog site is a testament to my personal apathy and lack of motivation. With hope, and practice, this will no longer be the case.

Close friend and associate Robin Cannon is designing a website for me as we speak, and I'm trying to carve a new career out of the ashes of my old one. This has not been a fast process, as it took some time to recover from the burn of my previous life, and the many mistakes I've made and are currently paying for.

Debts are being paid. The end of one story, the beginning of another. Much like a phoenix, fire reborn from the ashes of a former life. One can only hope I can keep that flame from waning or being extinguished.

So, I'm not perfect. Dun-dun-duuuunnnnn....big shocker there.

However, I know if I don't start at least trying to be perfect, I'll never get anywhere close to it. So, perfection, here I come. Well, at least the closest thing to perfect that one such as myself can humbly manage.

Cheers,
CPW

Lets get this show on the road!

2007-08-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I've kinda needed a new website for quite sometime, a place that I can show my artwork, pimp myself out to clients galore, and post my thoughts on my industry, the future, share some ideas about some intellectual properties I'd like to get going with, etc. And well, it looks like Blogger's gonna be the easiest way for me to do that.

Bear with me, in the near future, as this is going to be a tremendous work in progress, as I try to get used to how the wicked Blogger works its magic, and how I can bend its awesome power to my diabolical will...or something like that.

Until next time, stay tuned.