2021 Holiday Card - May your holidays be something to behold!

Unexpected additional blog post! I had forgotten I hadn't posted this yet, so here we are...

Another year and another holiday card. While I had thought about continuing in the Florida animal theme that I established last year, I ended up going in a different direction. After some discussion with Dear Wife, we settled on something near and dear to me, which would be fun for the holidays. Because nothing says happy holidays like a multi-eyed aberration from an extra-dimensional plane of reality. I present you with May your holidays be something to behold! 

May your holidays be something to behold! - 2021 Holiday Card

9x12 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

Lastly, here are the card exterior and interior so you can get a feel for what it looks like...

2021 Holiday Card exterior
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

 

2021 Holiday Card interior
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

That is all for another exciting year on the blog. See you back here in 2022! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Recent Sketchbook Drawings

Not sure if this is my last post for the year, but it very well may be the last one for 2021. That said, I wanted to bring you a selection of recent drawings that I added to my Sketchbooks. I am still offering a discounted price and FREE drawings in my remaining sketchbooks. There are not many left, so now is the time to get one before they are gone forever. Enjoy!

A bird, a dragon, and a monster walk into a bar...

That's all for another exciting year on the blog. See you back here in 2022! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Prolific Whittler - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

*UPDATE* - This piece was originally planned and created for book three, but a better place for it has been found in book two.

Not one, but TWO new pieces from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia this week. As mentioned yesterday, I have another new illustration for you today. This illustration is for Book Three: In the Black. This piece focuses on a quieter moment in the Grand Bazaar. No demons, no monsters, no conflict, but rather a simple moment of a simple life working with your hands to create something new. I present to you the Prolific Whittler.

Prolific Whittler

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - In the Black
11 x 14 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Available
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

 

Prolific Whittler - Drawing 

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

 

This piece is the final image from the work I set out for myself at the beginning of 2020. It is also the last image for Book Three that I will be working on until the completion of Book Two. Moving forward, all of my time and attention will now be on Book Two. This piece went through some changes leading up to its eventual creation. Here is a look at the sketch for Prolific Whittler to show where it began.

 

Prolific Whittler - Sketch 

Digital
© 2020 Christopher Burdett

I had initially planned for something a little different on this one. I left a portion of the image blank to overlay text related to it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as I readied to work on it, I had my doubts. None of the other images I created for the books were like this. As it would likely be a few years before I would be revisiting it for the third book, it was impossible to know if there would be text for it or if I would have to go back and complete the image - which would not be ideal. But this piece has grown and evolved more than simply the extension on the background.

Bird sculpture by Richard Fleming

The early 1980s

Often, my images appear in my head completely fleshed out. I will see the image and know the story, but sometimes the story will come to me first, and in time, the image will present itself, or the story will take shape as I work on the visuals. Then there are pieces such as this one, where the images were always there, and I thought I knew the start of the story, but as I worked on it, the narrative changed, and the real story and influences became apparent. For me, this piece became very personal the longer I worked on it. In the beginning, it was going to be about an old being who lived outside the Grand Bazaar and how, over time, the Bazaar expanded and grew around him. While it may still have some of that as part of the story, for me, the story is now about my Grandfather, who, when he was not a fantastic chef, whittled and carved birds from wood. I still cherish the one that came to me after my Grandmother's death. The journey these pieces take me is sometimes the most critical aspect of making them. I go on adventures with them that I never would have imagined.

Here is the tonal study for the Prolific Whittler. It would be a much simpler piece to complete until I expanded the background. After that, the lighting and value arrangement of the image needed to change.

Prolific Whittler - Tonal Study

Digital
© 2021 Christopher Burdett 

As a bonus, I have some images of the rendering process of this piece so that you can get a better idea of it taking shape.    

Prolific Whittler - Process

© 2021 Christopher Burdett 

 

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...     

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Ill-Prepared Summoner - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

I am thrilled to share another new piece from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia (with another new piece tomorrow!). This illustration is for Book Three: In the Black. Summoning beings not meant for this level of reality is difficult at best and suicidal at worst. This piece focuses on the aftermath of a failed attempt to summon and capture a being of power that exists in a place very different than ours. Unfortunately, did the ritual not work, but the being only known as Sister now is loose in the Grand Bazaar. I present to you the Ill-Prepared Summoner.

Ill-Prepared Summoner

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - In the Black
13 x 17 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Available
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

 

Ill-Prepared Summoner - Drawing 

13 x 17 - Pencil on paper
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

This piece means a great deal to me. I first envisioned it over ten years ago after attending my first Illustration Master Class. While attending IMC, I had completed the first full-color concept image associated with the Grand Bazaar, Haggling. The world was already in my mind, and I began to imagine more and more possibilities for it. When I arrived home, I did a series of photoshoots with my wife playing the demon and me, the summoner. I worked out the composition and got the sketch ready for production. Here is the sketch of the Summoner from 2011.

Summoner - Sketch 

Digital
© 2011 Christopher Burdett

I had the idea, I had the sketch, but after that, nothing happened. I didn't know how I wanted to finish this piece. While I was working digitally, I was already thinking about transitioning to traditional media. My schedule was very full as well, and in time this piece was shelved as I had more pressing assignments to focus on. Even though it was shelved, it never left my thoughts. I wanted very much to see this finished. Jump ahead nearly a decade, and that time had finally come. As I was finishing the first book of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia, I looked around at the ideas that didn't make it into the first book. I had a handful of pieces slated for production and knew it was time to dust off this one and queue it up. My concept for the Grand Bazaar had evolved over the past decade, which meant that I needed to update the sketch for the Summoner. There are no humans, so the summoner needed to change. I am not a fan of human gender queues being used on monsters and non-human beings, so Sister needed a little updating as well. Lastly, my esthetic and design for the Grand Bazaar has progressed, which meant that the level of detail and visual information needed to increase. With all that addressed, I had a new sketch from which to work. 

Ill-Prepared Summoner - Sketch 

13 x 17 - Digital
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

With a newly updated sketch in hand, one more fitting the Grand Bazaar, it was time to get to work. I finished the linework and then completed a tonal study. A piece of this complexity needs to be worked out ahead of time, or I would likely get lost along the way. If that happened while rendering, it would be next to impossible to correct things. Here is the tonal study for the Ill-Prepared Summoner.

Ill-Prepared Summoner - Tonal Study

13 x 17 - Digital
© 2021 Christopher Burdett

As a bonus, I have some images of the rendering process of this piece so that you can get a better idea of it taking shape.  

Ill-Prepared Summoner - Process

© 2021 Christopher Burdett 

 

That is all for another exciting Tuesday on the blog. See you back here on Wednesday! Until then...    

 

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Art Vs. Artist 2021

I see that folks are posting their 2021 Art vs. Artist images and thought that I would add mine to the pile. I have not created nearly the amount of art I wanted to or even thought I would make this year. But, I have been doing my best, and that is all that we can hope for. Here is my 2021 Art vs. Artist.

Art vs. Artist 2021

That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday. Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Pensacon 2022 Guest Announcement

I am THRILLED to announce that I will be returning as a guest to Pensacon this coming February 18-20! The plan is to return to a regular convention schedule in 2022, and Pensacon will be the year's first stop.

This will be my fifth appearance as a guest at Pensacon, and I could not be happier to return. We LOVE Pensacon, and we always have a fantastic time there. Not enough good things can be said about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!

I will see you at Pensacon from February 18-20, 2022!

In addition to myself, there will be a TON of amazing artists, guests, and vendors at Pensacon 2022. It will be SO much fun, and there will be a ton of amazing things to see and do. I hope you can make it.

The panel list has yet to be announced, but I expect to be a part of a few panels. I will update the schedule here on the blog once it is posted. Again, if you are in the gulf coast area and want to have a super fun con experience, then I highly recommend Pensacon!

That is all for another exciting Tuesday on the blog. See you back here later in the week! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Holiday SALE Ends TONIGHT!

Tonight, Friday, December 3rd, at midnight my holiday sale will end. Until that time you can get 10% off all orders on my store by using code: ETHRA. In addition, all orders over $50 will receive a FREE of Grand Bazaar enamel pins! 

Stock up on your favorite items and get that special being in your life a wonderful and unique gift. We all can use more monsters in our lives!

 

Head to my store to get 10% off all orders using code: ETHRA

That's all for another exciting week on the blog. See you back here on Monday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Grand Bazaar SALE!

 

Head to my store to get 10% off all orders using code: ETHRA

This week through the end of the day on Friday, December 3rd, you can get 10% off all orders on my store by using code: ETHRA. In addition, all orders over $50 will receive a FREE of Grand Bazaar enamel pins!

The code and the free pin offer end Friday night at midnight, so don't miss out on this deal! Stock up on your favorite items and get that special being in your life a wonderful and unique gift. We all can use more monsters in our lives!

That's all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here on Wednesday! Until then...

 

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Selected Recent Artist Proof Drawings

One last post before the Thanksgiving holiday! Today I have for you a selection of recent artist proofs that I added drawings to. If you are interested in getting any of these for yourself, just follow the links to my store. I recently completed a ton of artist proof, and this is the first batch from those completed drawings. 

I sometimes worry that the Gremlins do not get enough love, but then someone buys one, and I get to draw another Gremlin.

The Stinging Lionfish has been a sleeper fan-favorite. 

Well, all of my fish cards seem to be favorites. This chonky boy is blowing bubbles.

That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here next week! Until then... 

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Recent Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia Bookplates

I have been taking a little blog break as I posted my 100 days of Dungeons & Dragons. Hard to keep all the plates spinning sometimes, and it is easier to focus on the least involved venture for a while and let the other sit on the back burners. I think I am due a bit of a break, mainly since I have run this blog since 2009, but that is neither here nor there. 

Today I am sharing a selection of recent Grand Bazaar bookplates that I had at IX in October. Since this was the first time the books would be in the wild, I knew I needed to get some bookplates ready ahead of time. While I may have been a little overzealous in getting twelve completely, I was surprised with how many deluxe versions sold at IX and in the following weeks. No complaints will be coming from me. The only regret is that I have not shared these with you sooner - which is where the first paragraph of this post comes in.

Before my next event, I will need to draw some more of these, but I have a few months to worry about that. For now, here are some images of the plates.

 

Each deluxe version of my book comes with a signed and numbered bookplate that features an original drawing and stamp. With only 100 deluxe versions available, your opportunity to get one decreases all the time. 

 

The Smokestack is one of my go-to images for the bookplates. They are fun to draw, and I love any excuse to use the Shaper stamp. 

 

Sometimes I like to draw characters that are briefly mentioned or will be mentioned in the future. 

 

Things in jars and bottles are a mainstay of the Grand Bazaar and for bookplates.

 

A little guest appearance of Sister, who will be making her debut in book three.

 

This was easily my favorite of this set of bookplates, and it was the first to go at IX. Don't worry, there will likely be another Ethra or two on bookplates before we reach the end. 

 

Like the Smokestack, the fan-favorite of the Gray Wanderer has adorned many bookplates.

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here on Wednesday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

The Summoner Update and Sneak Peek

At the very end of August, I was in the grove again. Making art for the next installments of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia and getting things done. IX was ahead of me in October, and there was a lot to be done. I shared the state of things about the Grand Bazaar and beyond at the time and was very optimistic about what was happening. While IX was a success and everything I planned came to fruition, unfortunately, the thing that once again suffered was making time to work on the books. This has been a reoccurring pattern since the beginning of 2020, and while I thought I had moved past it, I have not. The piece I had finished the linework on at the end of August has sat untouched until this week. Thankfully, I have pushed forward with it, and I am once again working on it. Life continues to throw things my way, but the black render is underway. My plan is to have this piece and a smaller second piece completed by the end of the year. Come hell or high water, this is happening. It only takes me sitting in my chair and working. Something that used to be so easy and since 2020 has become increasingly difficult. I hope to share the completed Summoner with you soon, but for now, here are some glimpses at it coming together.

This is where Sister was at as of August 30th. She sat this way for nearly two and a half months.

 

I had to get a bit done on the mid and backgrounds, but once there was enough established, I felt comfortable moving to the figure. ...FINALLY!

 

The figures are going to be back, and side lit. Thankfully I have plenty of reference images to work from when I planned this piece over ten years ago.

 

I have progressed past this point, but I can't show all the image just yet. Need to leave a little for later. As long as I can continue to sit in my chair and work, I will hopefully have something to share with you sooner than later.

That is all for another exciting week on the blog. See you back here next week! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Chucklehead - Dungeons & Dragons - Process

Today, I am happy to share the process and steps for my contribution to the Dungeons & Dragons supplement, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. This contribution is none other than the goblin with a caramel head, Chucklehead. Chucklehead was described as a little goblin with an apple head. There was also a piece of concept art provided as a starting point for this little monster. Here is the final painting for the Chucklehead.

Chucklehead

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

With the concept art and a brief description of the character, I got to work on some thumbnails. There was a lot to work with, and I was excited to do something fun with Chucklehead. He was described as:

"This goblin works in the Goblin Market, trading toys to visitors. He has a toffee apple for a head, with the sugared glaze chipped away to form a jagged mouth and eyes. His apple flesh is bruised and rotten, and he has a maggot companion who lives inside his head."

This was enough to get my head spinning with ideas for this piece and a chance to breathe some personality into this character. It didn't hurt that characters like Warduke and Zarak were being introduced in this supplement, and as they were favorites of mine from the 1980's toyline, I wanted to see if I could have some fun and combine them all. Here are the thumbnails that I submitted.

Chucklehead - Thumbnails

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

I will be honest, I really, and I mean REALLY wanted to paint option 'A.' Chucklehead holding some action figures of Warduke and Zarak would have been the BEST. But sadly, it was not meant to be. Even though the character was described as trading toys with customers, Production wanted something more reserved. They wanted Chucklehead to be more of a stern boss and not depicted holding or touching toys. As much as it crushed my dreams of painting a Warduke action figure, I knew what needed to be done and got to work on new thumbnails that better fit what I was being asked to create. Here are the revised thumbnails for Chucklehead.

Chucklehead - Revised thumbnails

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

While I was not thrilled with these new thumbnails, they were what was asked for, and option 'B' was selected. With a thumbnail chosen, it was time to get started on the drawings. I got some additional reference together and got to work. Here are the two stages of the Chucklehead drawing, the mid-stage line art, and the final rendered drawing.

Chucklehead  - Line art

 The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

 

Chucklehead  - Drawing

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Original - AVAILABLE

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

The drawing was approved without comment, and it was time to start painting. I will be honest, even with reference, even with thumbnails, even with a drawing, I was not happy with the look of Chucklehead's folded arms. This character has weird long arms with some unique anatomy, but even taking that into consideration, it still felt off to me. Even though it was approved, I knew I needed to make things right going into the painting. This meant shooting more reference and reworking the drawing as I began the painting. You will notice the new arm arrangement happening in the early stages of the process. Here is the painting for Chucklehead taking shape.

Chucklehead - Process

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Once I fixed the arms, the painting was straightforward. The concept art for this character was in color, so I had a lot of the work done for me regarding what color clothes and skin he should have. I wanted to make sure the entire piece had a green cast to it. It felt like it worked with this piece. The painting was approved without comment, and the arms change was never brought up. Sometimes you need to get in there and make things right because if you don't, you will definitely hear about it. I wish I had the time to have done more for this book, but if I only had one piece to do, I am glad it was this one. Here again, is the final painting for the Chucklehead.

Chucklehead

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here on Friday! Until then...    

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com