I, admittedly, have been lacking in the updates and artwork department here. I am in the middle of some pieces and I really want to revamp the site. A bit more organized to start. So I will be placing the general site on hold just for a bit whilst I get my stuff together here but everyone can still contact me and post comments where they would like!

I think it might be time to enlist some professional website help. I, obviously, own the site and can do the artwork but have yet to learn any real web skills.

I’ve also been wanting to record some tutorials that I’ve been promising for far too long now…….

I can still be contacted through the Contact page as per normal.

I am aiming to have some more work up and changes to the site within the month!

-Chachi

I built this model in Cinema 4D several years ago and kind of just left it sitting there.

1988. Nintendo. Blaster Master.

I absolutely loved this game as a kid and used to draw the tank a lot, usually in class. As I grew up, I found better ways to “update” its look. Finally, I started working in 3D. I knew it was going to be a project for me. It’s fairly unrefined from a technical standpoint. Far too many polygons for what it turned out to renders as. But, nevertheless, I’m still happy!

I plan on ratcheting down some details and redo the title in glorious 3D and make a mock game poster to frame. Just a personal favorite I wanted to show off a bit……It might not seem like much, but this is part of my childhood. Spending my 12th birthday gift money in July on a game none of us had ever heard of………   paid off to me  ;)

They just don’t make good games like this anymore…..

-Chachi

I’ve been toying around with ideas back and forth. Starting some things and dropping others, trying some ideas. But I keep coming back to a challenge I’ve had for a while.

I have always been impressed with some of the larger scale scifi cities, like those seen Star Wars Episodes I-III. Specifically, the city-planet of Coruscant. The incredible detail and massive scale was always something I wanted to try to create. But the problem was this – Those scenes were created by a team of people over months in a profesional environment working 10+ hours a day, each person. I am one guy, one computer with seriously limited time after 9pm……and not getting paid to do it.

But, damn the obstacles, I’m trying anyway! I have done MANY trial runs in the past with making a scifi city. Tried and failed a million times. But all that just showed me what to do! So I started one and put it up against a still from a Star Wars movie to compare my work………I’m on the left, Industrial Light & Magic on the Right.

(MAKE SURE TO CLICK EACH THUMBNAIL TO GET A FULL RESOLUTION VERSION!)

Left – Chachi Right- ILM

So I thought I was getting somewhere. But I still wasn’t happy with it, even though I know I was far from done. So, back to the drawing board I went. And started to make a floating metropolis (think Cloud City).

Beginning of the sky city. Built in Cinema 4D.

So, this version I really got into and was happy with. It had a good base start, layered up well, lighting setup is good……on my way. Started to make changes and tested some effects….

Thruster test. Cinema 4D for model and lighting. Post effects in Photoshop.

After getting happy with some things, I dropped it into a background to test what a composition might end up looking like….

Composited in a photo background as a test.

Now, I’m still only about 1/3 of the way done. I want to populate with ships flying about and docking. Still need to add city lights and landing lights. More dramatic background. Planning on doing an alternate version with a battle going on and the city being destroyed….well, because big explosions are great!

Here are two test renders. Grabbed some generic ship models just to have a subject in the render. I’ll build mine soon….

“Fly away before they know we’re gone!!”

And this…

Test shot using a 175mm Telescopic Lens setting.

Check back for progress! If you have any comment or suggestions, please leave in the comments or contact me! I appreciate any and all critiques!

-Chachi

Did I fall of the edge of the planet? Did I accidentally sidestep into a parallel dimension while getting a bowl of cereal from the kitchen? Did I fall asleep a month ago and wake just now? Did I go on a voyage to find the Fountain of Youth or the lost mythical city of Eldorado? Did I get transformed into a gelatinous cube and snuggle by the fire to read The Hobbit?

NO.

I’ve been pretty busy with projects and the “9-5 job” lately. Right now, I’m going to focus on seriously updating the site. I have a few good friends that are going to help me put together a website hopefully by the first of the new year.Hoping to assemble a better art section and also a place to purchase prints!

I’ve also been working on a music project by myself. Nothing to write home about just yet, but it’s in the works. Crazy guitar solos with orchestral backgrounds, some ambient music and some industrial metal. I’m all over the map with that project! When I mix some tracks down, I’ll post them for free download on the new site.

I’m sorry I haven’t been as active as I’d like to be lately but some other things have come up.

In the meantime, check out my good friend Levi Thomas over at www.studioonetree.comand his brother Zebulon at www.blogshnofk.com. Great artist and a great author!

Looking to get the new Cinema 4D sometime soon as well! Some incredible additions in the new R14 version.

So there is a lot in the works here. Stay tuned and I’ll update soon with progress!

-Chachi

I’ve heard this a few times…..And well, I’m getting kind of tired of dealing with it, so I’ll try to put things into perspective.…..
Art Snob – “That is really cool! Did you paint that?”
Me – “Yes. Did it in 3D then some post in Photoshop.”
Art Snob – “Oh, it’s not real then?”
Me – “Real? Well, of course it is.”
Art Snob – “But it’s all computer. You didn’t really DO anything though.”
Me – …….Glares at snob with rage and complete disgust.

Yeah, many of the digital artists in the world have come across this one sooner or later in life, myself included. Not being considered a “real” artist because we use computers. It can be frustrating and discouraging to say the least. When things like Photoshop and Corel first hit the scene, traditional artists completely shunned the idea and product. Saying that there was no talent used and it was all computer aided. Because our art was generated by a computer rather than our hands.
To me, personally, this is just another tool in the box. It’s right there with my pencils, clay and brushes. I do not concentrate on what tools or methods are used in the artwork, but much more the vision and goal. This isn’t supposed to be a contest of what you used, but instead what you made. If I can achieve my vision in clay easier than drawing, so be it. If I can model something in 3D easier than build it out of wood, that’s what I’m going to do!
Did the emotion and idea come across? Is the feeling of that first brainstorm still there in the final composition? Does it have the impact you set out to achieve?
What else really matters? I have spent countless hours on 3D models, textures, lighting, composition, etc. I believe I have made some true “art” with my methods. Time, energy and talent went into it. But because I did not use oils and a palette knife, I’m to be banished from the art world to some bizarre dimension where only the digital art resides?! Am I to be reduced to primitive 1′s and 0′s??
Now, to be totally fair, there are some very questionable methods used in digital art. We all know what those are. There are silly little gimmick programs that will do art for you. But no one would take that seriously as true art as the computer truly did make it for you.  But what is the difference between someone using acrylics on canvas and me using my Wacom tablet in Corel Painter? The program is not painting for me. It is still done by me. It’s simply a different medium.
This isn’t so much of a rant as it is a message to other digital artists. Digital art is art. I can juxtapose a Jackson Pollock piece with a digital piece by someone like Stefen Morrell (www.stefen-morrell.com) and just watch all the eyes in the room drift right over to Morrell’s work. But far too many that would go see an artist like Pollock would dismiss Morrell as simple computer tricks. Now, granted, they are two different types of art and maybe this is a poor comparison. But both are art. (Yes, I placed his site here because he has inspired some of my artwork and just been inspiring in general).

I suppose my point is that digital art is just as much art as music, painting, sculpting, dancing or writing. While you may not like a certain digital piece or all digital work in general, no one should try to take away what is so very important to the creator of that art.

Look at art as a finished piece. As a thought, a feeling, an emotion from the person that made it. Do not be too quick to judge on what methods were used lest you miss the point of the whole piece and possibly miss out on a bigger experience.

-Chachi

So, it’s been almost a week since my last post (not counting artwork uploads, which you should go check out in the Artwork section if you haven’t already!) and I figured I would let everyone know what I’ve been up to.

Sculpting is going really well although somewhat slow. Coming from the world of instant colors and textures plus being able to hit “render” and walk away, this is like someone threw a 200 lb bag of sand on my back while I’m trying to play and have fun. But it has been very enjoyable and almost therapeutic working with polymer clay. Thinking about starting a small set of Christmas ornaments after I’m done with the Halloween pieces. It’s very rewarding to have a tangible end to working. My only problem is FINISHING one before getting excited about the next too soon!

My 3D art fell to the side just a bit since I started the clay. But I needed the break since it IS what I do all day at work. The kids book and other abstract 3D work is still hanging in a bit of a limbo state right now, but I’ll get back when I need a break from the clay or it gets too cold to work in the garage.

Until next week……..

I started a small gallery here for people to view my previous work without clogging up the main page. Feel free to browse and if you want, you can right click, view image and download for a desktop image or smartphone wallpaper!! If you want a file suitable size for actual print (despite what you might see, these are all FAR to small to print anything decent) please contact me and we’ll see what we can work out! 

(I was going back and forth on whether or not to post more today, then realized that I should post a bunch of work for people to check out. No point in simply leaking this out slowly..lol)

SO ANYWAY…..

Here is one from a series I started several years ago called “Energy”. The idea was simple enough – make minimalist renderings of basic forms of energy. Did Water and Fire and, well, just lost interest in it. But I did like this one…..maybe I’ll revisit the idea….

So, this is not just a test post for images, but also to get one piece out there. “Arterial Decay I”. This was done entirely in Cinema 4D (Check out the program at www.maxon.net). It is a full 3D model, no Photoshopping was done nor were any post effects. It only has 3 physical prints, one of which my friend Nick is the owner of now. Well, technically TWO prints and a third which was a slightly modified version for myself  

Not too much to discuss. This one just hit me one day. A bit dark and destructive. A sense that all things come to decay sooner or later.

Not “GO” just yet! I’m going to fumble about this editor for a day or so until I get the hang of it. I obviously have some work ahead of me here and lots of customizing I want to do! Maybe -GASP- look up a tutorial or two  

The art posts and videos will be here in the posts soon enough for those that have been wanting to see some work. I have lots to share with the planet!

So hang tight and sit loose (whatever is fun) and I’ll light this thing before the weekend!

-Chachi