... Skelewags ... (updated 27 March 2010)

**gustavo desimone** · January 21st, 2008, 07:37 AM

very good drawing

**Sam Matics** · January 21st, 2008, 11:06 AM

very interesting technique. I like the mixed media.

**Argyle** · January 21st, 2008, 11:54 AM

I adore the Skelewags! Brilliant! Thanks.

**Twitch.** · January 22nd, 2008, 02:40 AM

This is amazing. the symbiosis in photography and cartooning. beatuifully designed characters incredibly style. it's so clean and yet skewed.
I love it =)

**Vanvalen** · January 22nd, 2008, 03:06 AM

I'd buy a book of these!

I do love em.

VV

**egerie** · January 22nd, 2008, 11:18 AM

Chewie you're back! Thanks for posting these, I can't wait to see more

**stalsby** · January 22nd, 2008, 11:22 AM

very nice idea!!!

**XaNverse** · January 22nd, 2008, 11:45 AM

Very creative. Great images.

**Fuish** · January 22nd, 2008, 12:02 PM

What a great way of using the everyday things around you to make beautiful art! I love the way you used walls and drain pipes and paint to illustrate everything. That fireman vs. the paint fire is amazing, the safari, the seaside... fantastic work. Amazing idea, can't wait to see more.

**chewie** · January 31st, 2008, 04:49 AM

30. Mountaineers

**El Jeremie** · January 31st, 2008, 05:23 AM

Nice, as always.
The sticker of the man clean his dog pooh is a wonder

**Conejo Blanco** · January 31st, 2008, 02:23 PM

This is charming and wonderful and inspired. Beautiful.

**cmann64** · January 31st, 2008, 03:42 PM

are you going to publish these in a book? are amazingly playful and incredibly resourceful. i feel inspired dude. thanks.

**Konskript** · January 31st, 2008, 11:46 PM

These are all so awesome, and so imaginative.
I wanted to ask though, do you use a stencil for these, or do you just paint them straight onto the walls?

Keep up the good stuff :]

**chewie** · February 1st, 2008, 01:34 AM

31. Time Whoops

**El Jeremie** · February 1st, 2008, 02:24 AM

This one is your best.
Someone probably ask before me but is it photo yourself ?

**Gregg** · February 1st, 2008, 03:30 PM

Totally amazing ! Excellent work !!

**baxart** · February 1st, 2008, 04:33 PM

Very Very Cool!!

**FearlessFosdick** · February 1st, 2008, 10:58 PM

These are great! I'm amazed by all the clever ideas you've come up with.

**scorge** · February 1st, 2008, 11:12 PM

Jeez, I need to get out more often. Don't check out the finished near enough apparently.
Probably sound like everyone else here, but I've got to say this is one of the most inventive posts I've ever seen here at CA. It's almost like "Where's Waldo" but 1,000,000 times better. And you don't have to look for anything! Freakin' amazing. Makes me want to stop drawing monsters for a minute, and that's saying a lot. Thanks for sharing!

**Vampire Ninja** · February 4th, 2008, 02:28 PM

THIS STUFF IS GREAT!

truly inspirational. I like your clever interplay with the grit and grim into the work of art in a very Banksy style. Your cartoon style is really strong!

**ConceptCreature** · February 5th, 2008, 09:46 PM

These have got SO much personality! Have you entered them in any competitions? They'd TOTALLY get into an Illustration annual someplace!

**tensai** · February 6th, 2008, 01:43 AM

very very cool concept and they keep on getting better and better.. keep on at it man. there's a really cool book in this.

**ns_sunilkumar** · February 6th, 2008, 06:42 AM

hella chewi
i liked the backgrouds a lot.
clever use of photography
the charaters a little in the tim burton's style
but they work well
one little suggestion.... u can treat the background a little bit in photoshop... just a wee bit. for example, in the spelunking image if u had darkened the undergraond a little bit with a narrow light beam from the helmet, it could have added more drama. these r going down into my collection
cheeeers n waitin for more work from u
gud luck

**chewie** · February 6th, 2008, 07:03 AM

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's been really good to have some time again to get back into Skelewags...

To answer some questions:
A book is definitely on the way, prints hopefully too, will keep you posted.
On the subject of editing the photos in photoshop;
One of the things i have decided to do from the word go in this project is to establish rules around the creation of the pieces.
I am not allowed to edit the photos or the environment in any way whatsoever.
If there are loose stones or garbage or stains in the scenes, that is how they are found.
The reason I chose to do this is that I believe it makes it a far more creative process, where I effectively have to hunt for things, places and textures that evoke a response in me and trigger the idea.
This way the environment leads to the actions rather than coming up with an idea and fitting an environment to it.
From a personal point of view I have always thought that designing with "restrictions" is a more creative excersize and more of a challenge.

**dCepT** · February 6th, 2008, 07:44 AM

Cool shit, man! Full of character! I linked a friend here and she said she'd buy merch in a heartbeat! Keep rockin' and let us know when the book is out!

d

**ichillag** · February 6th, 2008, 09:23 AM

Hi Chewie. My name is Ian Chillag. I'm a producer for National Public Radio. I'd love to talk to you about the Skelewags project. If you're interested, please email me as soon as you get a chance.
Thanks.

**DoPW** · February 6th, 2008, 05:18 PM

This stuff is really great! Thanks for posting it, really love when you add dimension to the paintings, versus the flat walls, and use the textures of the walls to make the painting more specific!

**leopardflames** · February 7th, 2008, 10:48 AM

i saw a link for this on digg. and then i sent the link to a lot of other people. then i dugg it. i couldn't stop there, i wanted to join here. i think the only thing that upset my about these is that i can't walk around and randomly spot these in subways... keep up the great work!