The DOODLES, DESIGNS, and aRT of CHRISTOPHER BURDETT: John Taillon

Showing posts with label John Taillon. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Air Caste Courier - Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Process

Back in December of last year I first shared with you my contribution to the Legions of Death expansion to Warhammer 40K: Conquest, the Air Caste Courier. Today I have for you the process and steps that went into making that piece. To start things off here is what final version of the card looks like as well as what the final version of the painting looks like...

Air Caste Courier (Modified final)
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board with digital edits
Original available over on my web store

Air Caste Courier (Original)
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board
Original available over on my web store

There were some revision requests made after the painting was completed that involved global changes to the piece so they were done digitally, which is why there are two versions of this piece.

As with everything I create, there was a photo shoot for reference and then I got started on thumbnails for this piece. It needed to depict a big headed blue alien from the Warhammer 40K universe carrying a case onto a dropship as it prepares to take off. Pretty straight forward even though the alien is a little silly. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Air Caste Courier - Thumbnails

Did I say reference? Here is a look at one of the many images taken during the photo shoot to work out this piece. It was also the image used for the approved thumbnail, option "C".

Air Caste Courier - Reference

Photo by Achsa Nute

With an approved thumbnail it was time to get started on the final drawing for the piece. Here is how said drawing turned out...

Air Caste Courier - Drawing
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
17 x 14 - Pencil on paper
Original available over on my web store

There was some concern the head was not long enough and I was asked to extend it. I still think it ruins the perspective a bit and makes the whole face appear to be more parallel to the viewer than it is meant to be, but I make the revisions requested of me. There were some other little edits here and there to the drawing that I was asked to make as well. I made all of these edits digitally since I didn't want to risk messing up the final drawing with an incorrect revision and I did not have time to redraw the entire with with the revisions. Here is how the revised drawing turned out...

The revised drawing was approved and I was ready to get started on the painting. For some reason I took a photo of my work space right before I got to work on this painting. It was mixed in with all the process images I took and I had completely forgotten about it. For those interested in seeing what my painting space looks like, here you go...

Work space before painting begins

The painting portion for this one was relatively straight forward. Just fumbled my way through it until I had a finished painting, or so I thought. As mentioned before, there were some global revisions requested after the painting was considered completed by me. Making these revisions digitally took a lot of the guess work, anxiety, and risk out of making them. Here is a look at the piece coming together (including digital revisions)...

Here is an animated version of the painting coming together so you can better see the stages building on each other as well as the edits that were done digitally. Besides making the entire piece more yellow, there were small changes to his anatomy were the interruption of the miniature and the painted figure were ambiguous.

Here again is the final version of the Air Caste Courier painting as well as an image of the final production card for you viewing pleasure. It is funny how some of the things I was asked to edit, revise, and change in the final are not even visible on the final card do to cropping. Oh well, that is the way of things...

Air Caste Courier (Modified final)
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board with digital edits
Original available over on my web store

Air Caste Courier in handy dandy card form

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

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Krash - Star Wars - Process

Today on the blog I have for you the process and steps that went into a recent Star Wars character illustration produced for the Edge of the Empire RPG supplement, Mask of the Pirate Queen. I was asked to create a Barabel brawler and I was more then happy to do so. This was my second time illustrating a Barabel for Edge of the Empire. The end result was a character named Krash and here is how the final illustration turned out...

Krash
Star Wars - Edge of the Empire: Mask of the Pirate Queen

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

As always I started with reference photos and thumbnails. Krash needed to feature his shock gloves he uses to brawl with as well as a dominate scar on his face from a shock glove wound. Pretty straight forward, right? Sure... but he also needed to be dressed all in dark clothes. Sometimes it is seemingly minor notes such as overall color request that can really make the assignment challenging. Here is how the thumbnails turned out...

Krash - Thumbnails
© 2015 Lucasfilm, Ltd. TM Lucasfilm, Ltd. Under license to Fantasy Flight Games

Speaking of photo reference, here for your enjoyment are some of the images I was working with to create this character and his illustration...

Krash -Reference photos

Photos by Achsa Nute

Thumbnail "B" was the winner and it was now time to get started on the final drawing. Not much to share about the drawing, I drew it, scanned it, and turned it in. There was a note to tweak one thing but that was done digitally and the drawing was approved. Here is how the final approved drawing turned out...

Krash - Drawing
Star Wars - Edge of the Empire: Mask of the Pirate Queen

11 x 14 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

Time for painting! I still have not figured out a good method for painting vignettes. I am a very sloppy painter in the early stages of a painting, both digitally and traditionally. I like to throw color around, splatter things, and work really loose to build up my under painting. When I work digitally I can make a quick and easy mask... I know I can do it traditionally as well, just have yet to try it. I could always try to paint cleaner and mind the edges more, but that is not my style. There is nothing wrong with painting out the background once I am done with the figure, it is just another step that needs to be addressed. Here are some images of the painting coming together in twelve easy steps...

Krash - Process progression

Please understand that the image looks more like the final image through out the process, the photos I take during the process just do not do the painting any favors. Here is an animated progression of the painting so that you can better see the steps coming together...

Krash - Animated process

From start to finish this was a fairly quick piece to work on. I was trying to make sure I worked on at least one piece for this project since it sounded like a very cool campaign. Here again is how the final illustration of Krash turned out...

Krash
Star Wars - Edge of the Empire: Mask of the Pirate Queen

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

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

Monday, December 21, 2015

Air Caste Courier - Warhammer 40K: Conquest

I for you a new piece of Warhammer card art that was spoiled last week with the announcement of the newest expansion of Warhammer 40K: Conquest, Legions of Death. While the piece was painted traditionally the final art was edited digitally to give production what they wanted. Here is how the final production art for the Air Caste Courier...

Air Caste Courier (Modified final)
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board with digital edits

Original available over on my web store

Art Director - John Taillon
© 2015 Fantasy Flight Games

To compare that with the original painting you will see the entire image was color shifted more yellow and that the entire drop ship in the background was made significantly more yellow. While easy to do on the computer it would have meant a major edit to the painting to make happen. Here is what the original painting looks like...

Air Caste Courier (Original)
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - John Taillon

Original available over on my web store
© 2015 Fantasy Flight Games

The drawing for the Air Caste Courier will also so another change that was made after the drawing and prior to the painting, the head of the Courier was elongated significantly. This guy could not catch a break... edits and every turn. Oh well, things happen... especially when I work on Warhammer...

Air Caste Courier - Drawing
Warhammer 40K: Conquest - Legions of Death
17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - John Taillon

Original available over on my web store
© 2015 Fantasy Flight Games

Finally, here is a peek at the final production card that will coming out sometime first quarter of 2016...

Sneak peek of the Air Caste Courier in handy dandy card form

I will have more stories about the ups and downs of this piece (and some classic reference images of me as the Air Caste Courier) once the set is released next year!

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

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Frenzied Ghoul - Process - Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

Today I have for you a process post for a recent Call of Cthulhu piece. This time around is the Frenzied Ghoul from The Thousand Young! I first shared this piece to you in February when it was first spoiled. The set has come out and now I am overdue in sharing the process. Here is how the final Frenzied Ghoul turned out...

Frenzied Ghoul

Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

11 x 14 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board

Original available for sale over on my web store!

The Frenzied Ghoul was one of the first pieces that I completed last year after deciding to switch from digital to traditional paint. While this offered certain challenges with handling the paint and completing the assignment, the steps I took to reach the final painting remained consistent. I started off everything with a reference photo shoot and a series of thumbnails. This assignment called for a snarling blood coated Lovecraftian Ghoul (which meant it appeared as a hairless canine biped) running around in a cave, and I was ready to make that happen. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Frenzied Ghoul - Thumbnails

I liked all of these directions, but I liked some more then others. They would all offer a lot of fun with lighting and shadow and loads of blood. Option "A" was the winner with a couple of notes. While production liked the the in your face grabbing nature of the Ghoul there was some concern that the Ghoul read "recoiling in fear" rather than "about to eat your face". They also wanted a little more spin on the POV. All of these things were easy to address and I sent off a new thumbnail that Incorporated the revision notes...

Frenzied Ghoul - Revised thumbnail

This new thumbnail hit the mark and I was given the go ahead to move along. This of course meant it was time for me to work up a finalized drawing. Now that I am working traditionally I wanted to create my final drawings at 100% the intended size. This allowed me to become comfortable with the image at the size I would be painting it as well to insure that I was including enough detail in the drawing. In the past I have drawn larger then the final painting size and shrunk the drawing down to paint on. This allows for a nice dense drawing to work from. In contrast, I am not a fan of enlarging my drawings to then paint on. I don't like what happens with the line weight of the drawing and the density of the detail is never to my liking. This all meant I needed to start drawing larger then I typically did when working digital. Since the painting is 11x14 I am now drawing on 14x17 paper. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Frenzied Ghoul

Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

14 x 17 - Pencil on paper

Original available for sale over on my web store

The drawing was approved without comment and it was time to paint! I think this was my fourth or fifth painting last year after switching media. Not that I am still figuring some things out even today, a year ago I was very much exploring new and frightening territory. Each painting felt my my first. Here is a look at the painting coming together in all its glory...

Frenzied Ghoul - Process Progression

The photos might not give the best representation of what is actually happening on the image due to the lighting and glare, but hopefully it gives a good impression of how the image took shape.

A year ago one of the first things I would do is lay down some tonal values with marker on the mounted paper to start working up some major forms. I have since stopped doing this step. These days I just jump in with paint. You might notice a lot of pencil work once the detail begins to take shape. Up until recently I was still relying heavily on pencil in my paintings. Colored pencils are still a part of my work, there are marks I like in my work that only a pencil can provide. As my confidence with the paint has increased my reliance on the pencil to make the desired marked has lessened. The same goes with gouache, I was using a bit of gouache at the end of the paintings as a last level of detail. I no longer am using gouache in my work, I have found it an unnecessary step and can achieve the desired effects with acrylic paint and pencil.

Not sure if it is strange or expected, but I find myself working traditionally in most of the same ways I worked digitally. I lay down colors early on in a rather sloppy manor with a lot of splatter with the hopes for happy accidents. I build up the image back to front with washes getting more opaque as the details tighten. I generally work the whole image up to a certain point then focus on the background followed by the figures and foreground elements. There is of course a push and pull of the entire image as it progresses to make sure that everything is working as a whole.

Here is an animated process progression of the painting coming together to better show how the image came together. You might notice an major edit to the eye placement at the very end...

Frenzied Ghoul - Animated Process Progression

When I decided to rock a red/green palette I really didn't give it too much thought. These are the colors I would have chosen to use if I had painted this digitally, so why not make those same choices traditionally? It definitely makes the image pop! I was concerned about making the blood read as blood. Blood is a funny liquid, it rather dark and opaque and does not offer up a lot of spectacular highlight. I looked at a lot of blood to make sure I was aiming it in the right visual direction. In the end I was really happy with it.

The final painting was approved by production without comment, which was a huge relief. I am not a huge fan of revisions on a final image, but now that it is in paint I am a little more nervous about possible edits to the final image. As time has gone on, making edits to the final painting has become easier, and there is always the computer to do the heavy lifting if the changes are to major. Here again is how the final image for the Frenzied Ghoul turned out as well the final production card....

Frenzied Ghoul

Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

11 x 14 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board

Original available for sale over on my web store!

Frenzied Ghoul in handy dandy card form - RAWR!

I have definitely learned about about painting in the last year. I look forward to sharing the pieces I am finishing now, but as always, by the time I get to share these newest pieces I will wish I could share a whole different assortment of paintings. I am sure I will have a look at more of my paint journey very soon here on the blog!

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

Monday, July 13, 2015

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire: Mask of the Pirate Queen

Last week I had a new Star Wars painting briefly, and I believe accidentally, spoiled over on the Fantasy Flight Games website. After checking if it was okay to actually share the work I can now bring you a happy little Barabel that I did for the upcoming adventure supplement to the Edge of the Empire RPG, Mask of the Pirate Queen...

Krash

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire: Mask of the Pirate Queen

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

This was a fun one to work on and it was great working with FFG AD John Taillon on this one. This Barabel will be joining me at Gen Con for those interested in such things. Not much else to say right now about this piece besides that a Barabel can rock a huge scar of his face. Makes him look all tough and macho... if space lizards can be macho. In the fullness of time I will be sharing more details about this piece. Here is a look at the FFG website that gave a glimpse of my piece, even if it was a couple hours...

Fleeting hours on the Fantasy Flight website

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

Friday, February 27, 2015

Uber Grotesque - Process

Back in November I shared with you a piece that I produced for the Howl of Blackmane expansion of Warhammer Conquest. Today I have the process that went into creating the Uber Grotesque. So that we are all on the same page, here is how the final painting of the Uber Grotesque turned out...

Uber Grotesque

12 x 9

Acrylic and pencil on board

Original for sale over on my web store!

I worked on this at the end of January 2014 and it was one of several "baby steps" as I moved towards transitioning from working digitally to traditionally. Little did I know when painting this that within six months I would be working completely traditionally.

As with all my work I start with thumbnails. I took some very silly selfies for reference and got started on a few concepts for how I envisioned this piece. Here are the thumbnails that made the cut...

Uber Grotesque - Tumbnails

Option "A" was the winner, but production did have some notes to tweak it. Some additional mass needed to be added and the larger curved back was incorporated. I updated the thumbnail and sent it back to production for approval...

Uber Grotesque - Updated tumbnails

This updated thumbnail was given the green light and I ready to work up the drawing. At this time I still had not made the decision to work on all my drawings at 100% the size of the final painting and simply worked on my usual sized paper. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Uber Grotesque

Warhammer Conquest

12 x 9

Pencil on paper

The painting went fairly smoothly. I was still very much trying to learn how to use the paint and how best to build up a painting. Not that I am still not constantly learning from each painting I work on, a year ago I was very much still fumbling and bumbling through a painting. My success seemed to be more of sheer luck then any efforts of mine. I have produced many paintings since this one and already looking back at this it feels very chaotic.

I took many process images of this piece coming together. Some of these images were actually even clear enough to share! Here is an animated process gif of the painting together. Many of the individual images were not good enough to stand on their own so I decided to just jump to the animated thingy and not share the individual images.

Uber Grotesque - Animated process thingy

As mentioned when I first shared this piece in November, after the painting was completed I was asked to rotate the entire image to the right. This this was a traditionally painted piece I made the edits on the computer. With my years of experience painting digitally, this was an extremely quick fix. Here is how the final used version of the Uber Grotesque turned out...

Uber Grotesque

Digital alter of final painting

Uber Grotesque in handy dandy card form (RAWR)

That is 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

Monday, February 23, 2015

Frenzied Ghoul - Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

And so it begins! Late last week I had a new piece spoiled over on the Fantasy Flight Games website. Not just any piece, mind you, this is the first of my work to surface since I switched to working traditionally. It is a peek at things to come and the first of what I hope will be a new chapter in my career. I present to you the Frenzied Ghoul from the new Call of Cthulhu expansion, The Thousand Young...

Frenzied Ghoul

Call of Cthulhu: The Thousand Young

11 x 14 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board

Original available for sale over on my web store!

First, before you suggest otherwise, Ghouls in the Lovecraft universe are described as pale, mostly hairless, vaguely canine, bipeds. His universe, his rules. Second, this piece has ALL the RAWRs! Third, still trying to come to terms with just how much better they look in person compared to my digital version and what I can do about it.

I worked on this in October of last year and marked a welcome return to the Call of Cthulhu game. I have not worked on Call of Cthulhu since June of 2010... which kind of surprised me to say the least. This was a super fun piece to work on and got a lot of good input from John Tallion, who was my art director on this piece. Super happy with how it looking on the card and can not wait to see one in person. Here is how that card is going to look...

Frenzied Ghoul in handy dandy card form - RAWR!

There will be lots more about this piece when it is finally released and I share with you the process that went into it. There should be lots more news in general as more of my new traditionally painted work begins to get spoiled and released!

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