The DOODLES, DESIGNS, and aRT of CHRISTOPHER BURDETT: barabel

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Friday, October 11, 2019

Sure, Reprint Them ALL - Star Wars Allies and Adversaries

As I mentioned last week, I cleaned up my studio recently, and a bunch of items featuring my work surfaced. Granted, all of these items feature work that has already been used before, or in some cased, MANY times before. This time around, I have for you the Star Wars Allies and Adversaries, which reprints a bunch of my Star Wars work in one handy dandy volume. Nice to see it all again in print, and they did credit me this time around. I have powerful memories of making each of these pieces, which is interesting to me. When I look at the paintings, I remember very clearly working on them and what was going through my head when I was. I guess I did something right when I did these since so many keep being reprinted.

Star Wars Allies and Adversaries

Quarren Agitator

10 x 15 - Digital

Viper Probe Droid

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board
Original - SOLD

Hidden Cache
10 x 6.5 - Digital

Barabel Enforcer

10 x 15 - Digital

I am TOTALLY rocking this spread

Nexu

10 x 15 - Digital

Enraged Ronto

9 x 11 - Digital

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

Friday, January 11, 2019

Star Wars Allies and Adversaries Preview

It is a strange feeling when you haven't worked with a client in a couple of years, and you take a look at a new book they are releasing, and the sample spread features not one, but two pieces of your art...

Two pages of hot alien action!

Later this year Fantasy Flight Games will be releasing the Allies and Adversaries supplement for the Star Wars RPG. It looks to be a collection of NPCs and their stats. Can't tell for sure, but it appears to be a collection of existing art all compiled into a new book, though I would imagine there is original art also. If asked, I would have been reasonably confident that some of my work will be in the book. As we can see from the image above I am most definitely in the book. These two are likely not the only pieces of my work appearing in the book. It should be interesting to see how many and which illustrations end up in the book. I guess the folks at FFG liked the looks of my work enough to feature it as the sample, which is really cool, to say the least. My Star Wars legacy lives on even to this day...

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, April 2, 2018

Shrapnel Rounds - The Return of Krash

Recently, one of my pieces from Star Wars Edge of the Empire has made an appearance over in Imperial Assault. While it has been severely cropped and adjusted a little I recognized it immediately. I present to you the newly named Shrapnel Rounds...

Shrapnel Rounds

Star Wars Imperial Assault - Heart of the Empire

Actually, this is the reverse of what usually happens. I will create a piece of work for an project and for whatever reason it ends up being weirdly cropped and you can hardly see the image and only later when it is reused do you get to see the whole thing. If you did not recognize the Shrapnel Rounds just have a close look at Krash's midsection...

Krash

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

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

Krash is a little older piece of mine that kind of flew under the radar. You can read more about its announcement and process here on the blog. This was a fun one to work on and glad to see that it is getting a little more attention out there.

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, 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, 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, October 11, 2013

Edge of the Empire - Barabel Enforcer - Process

Last month I shared with you my contribution to the Edge of the Empire core book. Today I have for you the process that went into one of those pieces... the wily Barabel Enforcers. This piece is a little old by current standards, I worked on this during May of 2012. That is so long ago I was using my now out dated method of building up my paintings. Just so we are all the same page, here is how the the final Barabel Enforcer turned out...

Barabel Enforcer

The broken record that I am (and a repository for outdated metaphors!), I started off everything with some good ole thumbnails. Before the thumbnails I did take a lot of reference photos of a handy Barabel Enforcer analog that I had laying around (more on that below). I worked up three thumbnails that I thought were interesting and would be fun to work on. Remember, never turn in anything you would not want to have to take to completion... if you really don't like one of your thumbnails they will be sure to pick that one and you will have to take it all the way to a finished piece. If I remember correctly, at the time I was really more excited about option 'A' and 'C'... so in the end... 'B' was picked and I was given the green light to move forward

Barabel Enforcer - Thumbnails

Did I say something about reference?! I sure did! Some project do not require a lot of reference and other projects require a huge amount... and sometimes there are projects that are best resolved by dressing up like an idiot and running around with a knife and a good blaster at your side. Here is the main reference for this character...

Barabel Enforcer reference... or some idiot running around in the yard with a knife.

Now that I have reference and an approved thumbnail it was time to get started on the final drawing. This has suddenly gotten me thinking about all the Star Wars drawings I did back in the early 1980's... I wonder if any of them are tucked away somewhere. I will need to look into that... Anyway, here is how the final drawing for the Barabel Enforcer turned out, it was approved without revisions...

Barabel Enforcer - Drawing

With all my steps completed and approvals received it is now time to paint. As mentioned above, since this piece is from May 2012 it is actually put together in an outdated fashion. It does not include the value and chroma buildup that you have seen in all my process post from work completed after June 2012. It is still fun to see the piece come together all the same, here is the Barabel Enforcer coming taking shape in six easy steps...

Barabel Enforcer - Process

There was one small revision to the brow and eyes after the final was turned in, but that was corrected in minutes. After that the piece was approved and turned in... and a year and a half later it is on the blog. Here is how the final turned out again for your viewing pleasure (RAWR!)...

Barabel Enforcer

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday... kind of. Until then...

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

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire

An exciting week on the blog! Yesterday saw my first Magic the Gathering card and today I have for you my contribution to my first Star Wars RPG, Edge of the Empire! My contributor copy of the book finally arrived yesterday so I am in the clear to share these with you... though they may look familiar since I snapped some pictures of the book they are in while at Gen Con. These of course are much better images of my work and you can see what they originally looked like. Without further delay, here are some Star Wars lizard monsters...

AT-PT

Barabel Enforce

No matter the universe, time period, or technology level... I love working on lizard monsters... RAWR! These were really fun to work on and I have a lot of really fun and really silly photo reference that I took for these. Maybe I will share some of that reference when I post the process for these in the coming weeks. If those Trandoshans in front of the AT-PT look familiar, that is because they went with me to Gen Con...

Trandoshan Hunting Party

9 x 12

colored pencil on toned paper

Special thanks goes again to Zoe Robinson for this assignment and getting me the pieces that I would most enjoy and get the most out of. I look forward to sharing with you more of the work Zoe has been giving me! But that will have to wait for another day...

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