The Blasphemous Fish-Frogs Returns Home

Sixteen years ago, in 2010, I was creating many images for the weekly ArtOrder challenges hosted by Jon Schindehette. Some of the work was okay, some was great, and some of the pieces have stood the test of time (Mutation Nation!). One of the pieces that really stood out for me was my contribution to the Lovecraft challenge. The Deep One is one of those monsters that always stood out to me and has been interrupted in many ways. So I took a swing at the blasphemous fish-frogs, and this was what I came up with.

A Deep One, they were the blasphemous fish-frogs of the nameless design - living and horrible.

ArtOrder: Lovecraft Creature Lab Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

This piece was either given or traded with a mentor and friend of mine many moons ago. While at IX this past October, the drawing for the Deep One came back to me. It was a matter of space, and he owns other pieces of my work, and this one wasn't out on display. There was some hesitation about returning it to me, but I was thrilled to have it back. I haven't kept a lot of my work, until recently, and there are so many pieces that mean a great deal to me that are off somewhere in the world, and I will never see them again. So, when one of those pieces returns to me, I welcome it with open arms. It has been out in my studio since October so that I may look at it every day. Now that I am posting about it, it has gone into the flat file with other parts of my work. It will come out and play in time, but for now, it is great to have it back.

The Deep One at home in my studio

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

Deep One - Process

Last week I brought you my third traditional painting, the Deep One.  Today I have for you the process progression of the painting coming together. Point and laugh or look and learn, either is appropriate and I will not judge.

With all my paintings, it all started with a drawing. I am constantly reminded, the more I put into the drawing and the better the drawing is, the better the painting will be. Work out all your problems and figure out everything before you begin to paint. Seriously. Whenever I have issues with a painting it is because I did not do enough to make sure the drawing was correct. Bad perspective in a drawing will mean you have bad perspective in the painting. Bad anatomy in your drawing will mean you will have bad anatomy in your painting. Digital media will allow you the freedom to fix any number of issues with a great about of ease and speed, if you are working traditionally you do not have that flexibility. Thankfully with this piece I was starting off with a really solid drawing that I poured over and spent a lot of time on...

Deep One (Lovecraft Creature Lab ArtOrder challenge)

© 2010 Christopher Burdett

For the painting I am working in acrylics on a 9 x 12 board. I tried to take a photo once every hour or there about. I was not always exact, but close enough. As mentioned previously I am still coming to terms with and learning to deal with the feeling that the painting is spiraling out of control and then desperately trying to regain control of it. This accounts for what appears to be slow process early on and then a lot of progress later in the process. Once I feel like I am in control I seem to speed up and things move along with out trouble. Once I get pass those early feelings of being out of control the process of paintings for me feels very similar to when I am painting digitally. The tactile process might be a little different, but the actions and process are very similar. Gives me hope for the future. Here is the Deep One coming together...

Deep One steps 1 - 4

Deep One steps 5 - 8

Deep One steps 9 -12

In 12 easy step... actually, it is not very easy for me yet and it is very much a learning experience. But I would like to think I am able to build off of everything that I have learned working digitally these past 4-5 years. Here is the final Deep One one last time to see how it turned out...

Deep One

© 2012 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

Deep One

I have been getting my hands dirty again with some actual real life traditional painting! Leading up to Illuxcon V I made the time to work traditionally again and I believe it was an extremely good use of that time. The Deep One piece that I completed for the Lovecraft Creature Lab ArtOrder challenge was on my list of pieces I wanted to complete traditionally from the beginning. Here is how it turned out...

Deep One

© 2012 Christopher Burdett

This was completed in acrylic and measures 9x12. The one consistent with traditional painting that I have found is that it looks WAY better in person. It therefor is not surprising to not be completely happy with the how my images turned out for this piece. But they are close enough to get the point across.

After completing my first two traditional pieces at the beginning of the year I hit a set back which wrecked my confidence with working in paint. It took a while, but I got back on the horse and I am very pleased with how this piece turned out. This piece was intended to be a gift from the beginning and I needed to have it ready to take with me to Illuxcon, which really helped get me motivated and working. Over the years Lar Grant-West has been extremely generous with his time, advice, help, and paintings, so it was the least I could do to show my appreciation by make this for him. I still need to get him a dead armadillo though...

Here was my last looks at the painting at Illuxcon before it went off to its new home...

Deep One hanging out and rubbing elbows with other paintings at Illuxcon. RAWR!

That is all for another Monday on the blog, see you back here on Wednesday for MORE traditional work! Until then...

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

ArtOrder Challenge - Lovecraft Creature Lab - Byakhee

The ArtOrder Lovecraft Creature Lab Challenge wraps up today. Lots of great looking work starting to show up in the submission forum. If you have a chance I suggest you stop by and have a look!

On Monday I share with you my Deep One that I chose not to enter since the challenge called for non humanoid creatures. To insure I would not get disqualified for not following instructions I went ahead and created a second submission. I present to you my official submission to the Lovecraft Creature Lab Challenge, a BYAKHEE.

Byakhee, something I cannot and must not recall.
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

There flapped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things ... not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor decomposed human beings, but something I cannot and must not recall.
—H. P. Lovecraft, "The Festival"

In the end I think I am much more happy with how the Deep One came out. It is hard to go wrong with a blasphemous fish frog! I look forward to seeing everyone's work once the judging has concluded. Should be lots of unnameable tentacled horror to feast the eyes one.

Don't forget! On Wednesday October 13th my 'Blending In' shirt will be on sale over at TeeFury.com for only 24 hours!

That is all for another week! See you back here next week for a look at another event I have coming up in October as well as lot and lot of t-shirt reminder! Until then...

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

ArtOrder Challenge - Lovecraft Creature Lab

Over on ArtOrder the Lovecraft Creature Lab Challenge is wrapping up this week. Not to miss out on a chance to draw some Lovecraftian monsters I managed to get some time together and work on a drawing. Turns out peoples definitions of what constitutes a humanoid monster differs greatly from mine own. So to not ruffle any feathers I am not submitting this design for the challenge. There is no reason not to share it here though! I present to you, a DEEP ONE.

A Deep One, they were the blasphemous fish-frogs of the nameless design - living and horrible.
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

I think their predominant color was a greyish-green, though they had white bellies. They were mostly shiny and slippery, but the ridges of their backs were scaly. Their forms vaguely suggested the anthropoid, while their heads were the heads of fish, with prodigious bulging eyes that never closed. At the sides of their necks were palpitating gills, and their long paws were webbed. They hopped irregularly, sometimes on two legs and sometimes on four. I was somehow glad that they had no more than four limbs. Their croaking, baying voices, clearly used for articulate speech, held all the dark shades of expression which their staring faces lacked ... They were the blasphemous fish-frogs of the nameless design - living and horrible.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth

Fear naught, I found a little more time and did complete an official submission for the challenge. I will be sharing it with you here later in the week. This guy was really fun to work on and I found him to be very useful to me in the end... but I will have more on that in the future...

Be back here on Wednesday when I unveil my TeeFury shirt deign that will be on sale on Oct 13th! Until then...

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