Author Archive: Chad Welch
My name is Chad Welch, and I like to draw stuff! Monkeys are really cool. Sweeato is my favorite word; it means something that is sweet, but also neato. Sweeato.
Chad Welch, Day 10: Bearamedic
Once a normal Teddy Bear, the Bearamedic was magically brought to life by the tears of a child with a skinned knee! Bearamedic to the rescue to make it all better! By the Power of Band-Aid!
I wanted to depart from my typical writing style, and come up with something fun, nostalgic and cartoony. I’m working on a Star Wars Babies commission, and needed something to warm me up and get me in that kid-friendly mindset. Enjoy!
Chad Welch, Day 9: Sarah Kelly, The Storyteller
Sarah Kelly is the girl next door; a cute, semi-nerdy part-time librarian that devours books of all subjects at an alarming rate. Coming from a family of high standing, full of doctors, lawyers and the like, Sarah just wants to write the Great American Novel and live a happy, simple, romantic life with the man of her dreams, whoever that may be.
While doing inventory on some of the older books in the Avalon Hills Library, Sarah came across a seemingly harmless leatherbound tome, it’s interior pages blank. Little did she know that she was in possession of The Book of Gon, The Storyteller, whose pages are filled by the posessors imagination, transcribing the thoughts of the wielder with interesting results. With sufficient passion for the story, the book tends to make the characters within a reality for a short amount of time.
Which proves both a blessing and curse for this ordinary girl with an amazing imagination.
Chad Welch, Day 8: The Tragedy
Peter Wellborne, male, Caucasian, 27 years of age; diagnosed with severe autism at the age of 3; Parents Dr. Ira Wellborne, his wife Donna. His father, Dr. Wellborne, is the founder of Wellborne Pharmacuticals. Due to some suspect clerical errors when it came to his will, the future of both his company and son was in question as Peter was integrated into the Foster Care System after a plane crash claimed the lives of Dr. Wellborne and his wife.
Wandering is common to children with ASD* (Autism Spectrum Disorder), often gravitating toward nearby bodies of water. This particular aspect of ASD proved to be very difficult with Peter.
Particularly after he learned to fly.
Shortly after the death of his parents, Peter gained the ability to defy gravity. He apparently went missing from his first foster home in Hartford, Conneticut; and was found two days later in Verona Beach, California.
This manifestation of flight outside of context created more questions than answers. However, more light would soon be shed on the mystery of the boy who could fly.
During one of Peter’s many wandering spells, he was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital in Irvine, California, with two gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and severe internal bleeding from blunt force trauma.
Peter was in a coma for seven years, almost to the day. Even alseep, he was a medical phenomenon. His bruising faded after a few days, and the gunshot wounds seemed to stitch themelves up shortly thereafter.
After the first month, blood work became difficult, as needles began breaking and bending against his skin.
By the second month, blood work was impossible.
The hypothesis was made that Peter generates a biological response to certain stimuli, particularly severe emotional and physical trauma. His biology creates a solution to whatever ails him, unfortunately not until after the initial catalyst has had its full effect. With the horror story of life that Peter has had, he’s quite possibly the most powerful being on the planet, trapped inside his own mind. Is that a defense mechanism too?
Chad Welch, Day 7: Count Braeden Graves
Today, we return to the land of Nokimia, and to they first real villain of the world, Count Braeden Graves, responsible for the deaths of so many in his strives for sovereign rule over Nokimia. A gruesome demon hides behind Braeden Graves’s mask of diplomacy and charm; he feeds on the life blood of the people of Nokimia, and sleeps the day away.
Truly a vampire that is centuries old, Braeden Graves’s true condition is not known by many. Those that do happen to find that out either end up missing or begin stalking the night as the next bloodsucker in his unholy lineage. His well placed resources and contacts keep him as a strong political player in the mortal realm, as well as the supernatural.
#6 – Caliburnus, the Once and Future Robot
I know I’m a day behind; I’m hoping that I’ll be able to finish up tomorrow’s entry and maybe get a bit of a buffer going on. We shall see what time allows!
Today, I’m doing a bit of wish fulfillment for Gary Lister, one of my fav artists and a fellow participant in the 30 Characters Challenge. Check out his stuff here and here! Gary politely requested the following: “DRAW MORE FRIGGIN ROBOTS!” I think that robots and tech are one of my weaknesses, so I’m happy to take another crack at it.
My favorite book of all time is The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Its the definitive whimsical retelling of the Arthurian Legends, and hooked me early on; to the point that in my adult years, Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake are now tattooed on both of my forearms. That in mind, I like to throw a twist in with everything I create, even if its just a small one to sprinkle in some cool factor. Thus, I give you Caliburnus.
Caliburnus is a perfect blending of state of the art technology and sophisticated arcane sorcery; he was envisioned and built by a descendant of one of Merlin’s apprentices, and uses a most interesting power source: the one and only EXCALIBUR!
I got some process screenshots of this one, I’d be happy to add those if anyone is interested. Enjoy!
Chad Welch, Day 5: Iaido, The Swordsmith
Iaido Kaishin was once a great warrior and general, commanding the armies of the grandfather of Count Braeden Graves. After seeing years and years of bloodshed, the aging warrior retired into artistry, weaving beautiful works of metallurgy art into being.
This happy existence continued until Luna’s Fall, the day one of Nokimia’s moons tore itself apart, raining down an epidemic of lycanthropy in the eastern lands. It was a time of great unrest for the region, and a time of sorrow as Aron Kur, an escaped Lunatic infected with the lycanthropic condition, murdered Iaido’s only daughter.
The metalsmith, fueled by his sorrow and rage, discovered a way to control and work with the mystical ore that came from the heavens. With this process, the Swordsmith was able to reverse the effects of the ore…it would cause the lycanthrope to shift back to their normal form, thus loosing all of their unholy strength and ferocity. Iaido refined the metal and folded it several times into many swords of wondrous power, and became known as the most ruthless and savage werewolf hunter in the land.
One prey in particular still escapes his grasp: Aron Kur, the Lunatic, whom now resides with The Shepherd and the Pallor Knights at Tartarus.
Notes: I was going to step away from the world of Nokima and try something different, but this guy popped into my head, and I just couldn’t resist taking a crack at it. My girlfriend ordered me a great book called “The Skillful Huntsman,” a recommendation from Chris Oatley, a conceptual designer for Disney Toon studios, and I can’t stop looking at it. I actually used some of the techniques in the book to pull this one out. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in world building and conceptual design.
Chad Welch Day 3 & 4: A.D.A.M. and Eve
I decided that since today’s “character” is technically a duo, I decided to do them together in one piece of art. This is another set of characters from the same world as my previous entries, The Shepherd and Lunatic. 🙂
Eve Stockholm is the daughter of one of the world’s greatest scientists, Rudolph Stockholm. When Eve was very young, her brother Adam was drafted into Count Braeden Graves’ army, and fought valiantly in the devastating war, paying the ultimate price. Upon seeing the broken lifeless body of his only son, Dr. Stockholm slowly drove himself insane over the years trying to find a way to bring his son back to life. Unfortunately, Dr. Stockholm’s broken heart gave way before he could realize his desire to see his son again.
However, his young daughter Eve, just as brilliant as her father, finally created a body that could host her brother’s central nervous system and a few other select essential biological organs; and with it, they relentlessly make the life of Count Braeden Graves politically miserable for starting his petty war and costing their fractured family so much.
I really played around with tone and light on this one. Tried a different technique this time around…I kinda layed down some large, broad, airbrush like strokes over the canvas, then began to erase the tone to bring out the different planes, details and textures. I thought it turned out well. I’ll play around with that technique some more in depth later. 🙂
Also! I’d like ADAM to stand for something. I’m open to some suggestions in the comments!
All that stuff up there copyright Chad Welch, blah blah blah, etc. 😉 Enjoy!
Chad Welch #2 – Lunatic
Meet Aron Kur, a depraved murderer and rapist on his home world of Nokima. Â When one of Nokimia’s three moons tore itself apart in the world’s upper atmosphere, a devastating rain of mystical meteors peppered the planet. Â The result was a paradise for Aron Kur as an epidemic of Lycanthopy spread throughout the world, bringing with it all the chaos, death and destruction that Kur craved.
One of the last Nokimians left alive after the fall of the third moon, Kur was captured and isolated in Tartarus under the codename Lunatic, and is a favorite puppet of The Shepherd. Â Aron Kur; murderer, rapist, werewolf…prisoner of The Shepherd and the Pallor Knights, currently serving life without the possibility of parole.
This was my attempt to do a sci-fi/fantasy spin on a horror classic, the werewolf. Probably not as successful as it could be, but I like the general idea and would like to develop him further in the future. But for the purposes of the challenge, I’m calling him done. 🙂
#1 – The Shepherd
Meet The Shepherd. With the gift of The Praxis, a wide array of psionic abilities from Telekinesis to Mind Manipulation, The Shepherd is a key component of an ancient secret society known as The Pallor Knights. Â The Order of the Pallor Knights are the guards and administrators of Tartarus, a prison with no walls, where the monstrous and inhuman inmates are held by a force of will unlike no other.
Using Praxis, The Shepherd takes control of any of the beasts that reside in Tartarus, and uses them to protect those that these monsters previously harmed, to right their own wrongs as they serve their penance.  The beasts and monsters of our nightmares are mere sheep to The Shepherd, as he with but a thought commands their every move.
Best. Â Prison. Â Ever.
All that stuff Copyright me, or whatever. Â 🙂
30 Characters Challenger: Chad Welch
I’m Chad Welch, and I’m a conceptual designer and illustrator who grew up near the coast of Texas. Â I currently freelance illustration and license my artwork from Tulsa, Oklahoma, though I hear Chi-town or Californication is in my near future.
As you might have guessed, I like to draw stuff. Â Classic movie monsters, superheroes and high fantasy round out my childhood, and give me the fire that fuels my drawings and designs. Â Thundercats rule, He-Man is not gay, and long live the Friday Night combo of Dukes of Hazard/Incredible Hulk.
I’m going to enjoy flexing my creative muscles for this challenge with you all. Â Best of luck, and keep creating!
Chadimus Welchimaximus
http://www.chadwelchart.com
Twitter: @ChadWelch
Sweeato
#30Characters Chatter…