chawlie likes unicorns, nuff said

I am Charlie Chauvin and my kryptonite is sugar. My last confession was… well too long ago, I’m sure of it. I am a web designer, graphic designer and illustrator in Austin, Texas.

Many times clients have the misconception that I only work on websites when in actuality I am fully capable of handling your design needs as well. I graduated from Texas State in 2001 with a BFA in Communication Design. What does this mean to you? I am a designer first and a developer second. My passion is typography and design and I love to make you look good. I’ve done everything from business cards and logos to restaurant menus, brochures, magazine layouts and more. I can also put you in a complete customized solution using WordPress as a content management solution. I am also positive I can meet or exceed your expectations for all your requirements on small to medium websites. If you’d like to work together, please contact me and I’ll get you an estimate right away.

Personal Background
Born and raised in McAllen Texas, (yes, I am from “The Valley”) I have always been a fan of drawing and funny business. When I moved to austin, I knew I wanted to find a way to work with art and computers. Lucky for me I landed at Texas State and boy did that turn out good for me. It gave me a deep appreciation for design and the desire to be truly good at what I do while allowing me the opportunity to incorporate technology. I entered during the dot com “boom” when everybody was pushing “new media” but graduated just after the dot com “bust” when everyone said you better look for a new field cause there ain’t no jobs. I decided to stick with it because there was something new and exciting at every turn and I just wanted to get better and better. I’m not saying I’m great yet, but I want to be. I invite you to take a look at my work and decide for yourself. Let me know what you like and contact me when you are ready to work together.

Illustration Inspiration
Most of what I do artistically is to amuse myself so I have a hard time calling myself an artist. Art is very subjective and can be anything you want it to be. It has no boundaries but can really only be defined by those enjoying it. Illustrator sounds more technical, it describes the process and more closely relates to what I think I do, which is basically drawing. I have this belief that whenever I start to draw, I can turn it into something that I will like when it is finished in the end. Heavy lines are deliberate, accidents become reality, and if it doesn’t look like something I like then I’ll change it into something that I will or move on. Mostly, I like to draw then paint things in a way doesn’t look back. If I mess up, then good, it’s probably gonna be even better. There is no “command-Z” when in the middle of drawing or painting, although you’d be surprised at how often that pops up in my head.

I’ve drawn since I was a kid and it’s always made me happy to see what I am capable of every time. Today, I illustrate because I feel like it gives me a freedom and rawness that complements what I do on the computer. It not only makes me a more well rounded designer, but also gives me the ability to look at things from a less technical perspective.