CHADES CHALLENGE XLV:
INTERSTELLAR TYRANTS
I was strapped for time this week, so I jotted this interstellar tyrant on a complimentary notepad handed out at an educational conference earlier today.



It was a long conference, so I had plenty of time to draw.

Rest assured, I was listening the entire time I was sketching this guy.

The conference was in Sacramento, so I think I was channeling the former governator for this particular space fascist.

Here I am in the conference room with my old animation teacher, Shawn Sullivan. Thirteen years ago, Shawn gave me my first animation lessons at Sheldon High School. Now that I am a teacher myself, he's giving me my first lessons in the field of education...

...and power tools. Thaumatropes were handed out to everyone who attended our conference. Shawn never settles for the "ordinary" animation methods. This is his Power Thaumatrope.

If you designed any interstellar tyrants, leave me a comment with a link to your image and I'll post it below. If not, join us March 18th for Chades Challenge XLVI: Cheesy Graverobbers!

44 days...

Ugly Doll



An iPadimation based on my girlfriend's ugly doll:


45 days...

"And the Oscar goes to..."

"...Lee Unkrich for Toy Story 3!"

What a fantastic working experience. The original Toy Story has always been my favorite Pixar film, so to work on the classic characters was a real dream come true. Congrats to Lee, Nate, Adrian, James, and the rest of the franchise guardians who gave us some of the best material an animator could ask for!

47 days...

Afterworks Preview IV
Dropping into a comic store near you this Summer...

0 days.

CHADES CHALLENGE XLIV:
BEWARE OF FALLING ICICLES

Vi and I collaborated this week. That is to say, I stole his awesome design. Vi's design below reminded me of Donkey Kong, perched on his lofty ledge, waiting to bombard unsuspecting climbers; so I illustrated him like an 8-bit boss launching into the air for a rad ice attack.

If you have any illustrations of your own, let me know and I'll post them below. Everyone is welcome to participate! If you didn't have time this week, you can join us March 4th for:

CHADES CHALLENGE XLV:
INTERSTELLAR TYRANTS

Vi-Dieu Nguyen

Tom Soulen

Jonathan Feria

9 days...

A Doodle and an "I Do"dle

You've got to love restaurants with paper tablecloths to draw on. Before long, Hil and I had riddled the table with doodles. This is probably the only post-appropriate of the bunch.

This guy was doodled at Flora, a restaurant across the street from the Fox Theater in Oakland. If you go, you've got to have the Death in the Afternoon cocktail (not truly an afternoon-exclusive menu item at all, apparently).

We followed our dinner up with one of my favorite bands, The Decemberists. The highlight of the evening was probably when Colin Meloy revealed that their drummer is an ordained minister and asked if anyone in the audience wanted to get married.

The couple gave their vows, were announced man and wife, and The Decemberists went on to play a medley of popular wedding reception songs. It just doesn't get more Valentine's Dayish than spontaneous marriage.

12 days...

Happy Valentine's Day!

This may just be my sweetest piece of art yet. My girlfriend, Hilary, has a character she likes to draw, which I call Mick Jagger Mouse (long story). For Valentine's Day, I gave her these Mick Jagger Mouse M&Ms. They melt in your heart, not in your hands.

She gave me a way cooler gift, this wooden watch! I love anything that looks like it came from the Nature Company Store (remember those?), so this was right up my alley.

What did your loved ones give you for Valentine's Day? If you're single, what did you light on fire today?

14 days...

Quar

An illustration for my compadres at Zombiesmith.

16 days...

It's no Hollywood Blvd Star...

...frankly, it's better! I mean, who wants their name and handprint slept on by a coked-up hooker, right? New cement was being laid down here at Pixar last week, and the employees were invited to leave a permanent mark on the studio.

After debating weather to do a hand-print or a full-face plunge, I thought it only appropriate to draw Micro Rex from last December's gallery show. He may never make it into a feature film, but now he'll always have a place at Pixar!

20 days...

CHADES CHALLENGE XLIII:
WINTER WOLFMEN OF WESTEROS

If you have any wolfman designs of your own, let me know and I'll post them below. Everyone is welcome to participate! If you didn't have time this week, you can join us February 18th for Chades Challenge XLIV: "Beware of falling icicles."

Zane Yarbrough

Vi-Dieu Nguyen

Nate Villanueva

23 days...