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

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Ephant Mon - Star Wars - Process

In April I first shared with you my Ephant Mon painting for the Star Wars LCG. Today I have for you the process and steps that went into making this painting. Like my Wicket W. Warrick painting from last week, Ephant Mon is nearly two years old now. I worked on it at the end of 2014 and now at the end of 2016 I am sharing the process. I have come a long way with my traditional work in this time, so in some ways this is a look back at how I use to paint, and not how I currently paint. To start things off, here is how the final painting of Ephant Mon turned out...

Ephant Mon

Star Wars LCG - So Be It

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Zoe Robinson

Original for sale over on my web store!

I relied heavily on my action figures to be the reference and compositional tool for this piece. While the painting was to focus on Ephant Mon, I really wanted to add several other characters into the piece that I wanted to paint. To come with a successful composition and arrangement of figures in the painting I set up action figures and moved them around till I was happy. I took a lot of photos and tried out many options. If these figures had been all more humanoid I would have used myself for the reference and acted out the scene, but since most of these aliens were very much not a standard humanoid form the action figures were a perfect solution. Here are some of the photos I used for reference (notice my wedding ring being used to prop up Ephant Mon)...

Ephant Mon reference images

With plenty of reference to work from it was now time to work up some thumbnails. I needed to work out some interior architecture as refine some of the poses, details, value structure, and compositional elements. Here are the final thumbnails I submitted for this piece...

Ephant Mon - Thumbnails

Option "B" was selected and looking back now, it is the clear winner of the three. While I would have liked to have included a Whiphid in the background it was just not meant to be. Now that I had an approved thumbnail it was time to work up the final drawing for Ephant Mon...

Ephant Mon

Star Wars LCG - So Be It

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Zoe Robinson

Original for sale over on my web store!

The drawing was approved without comment and it was time to paint. As with my Wicket W. Warrick painting I had a very particular mood I wanted to capture that is influenced by Return of the Jedi. The Jabba's Palace scenes were often cast in a blue light and were often smoky and atmospheric. I very much wanted to capture this look and feel in my painting. Hopefully I managed it. Here is my Ephant Mon painting coming together...

Ephant Mon - Process Steps

While straight forward, there was a lot of pushing and pulling with this piece to get it to where I wanted it. I work back to front, generally, so I was spending a lot of time on the background figures long before ever getting to Ephant Mon. In that time I was falling in love with them and making them the stars. By the time I got to Ephant Mon I realized that I needed to knock those background figures way back and de-emphasize them a lot. While it is sometimes hard to paint over details and work you really like, it needs to be done and will make for a better painting. As I was pushing back the background I needed to make sure I pulled Ephant Mon into focus and made him the star. Hopefully I did. I worked on this piece and the Wicket piece back to back at the end of 2014. At the time I think I was more into Wicket, but as time moved on, I think I like Ephant Mon the best in the long run. Opinions change and moods are temporary. Here is an animated progression of this painting taking shape so you can better see what is going on...

Ephant Mon - Animated Process

Here again is the final painting of Ephant Mon and the final production card that it was used on...

Ephant Mon

Star Wars LCG - So Be It

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Zoe Robinson

Original for sale over on my web store!

Ephant Mon 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

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Ephant Mon - Star Wars LCG: So Be It

My contributor copy of So Be It, the newest expansion to the Star Wars Card Game, arrived on Friday which means I now can share another new piece of Star Wars art. I say new, but I painted this way back in December of 2014 and it is just now being released. Good things come to those that wait? No matter, because the wait for Ephant Mon is now over...

Ephant Mon

Star Wars LCG - So Be It

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Zoe Robinson

Original for sale over on my web store!

Ephant Mon

Star Wars LCG - So Be It

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Zoe Robinson

Original for sale over on my web store!

I was assigned and worked on Wicket W. Warrick and Ephant Mon at the same time. A fun Return of the Jedi back to back assignment. I really love working on pieces set in Jabba's Palace and this Ephant Mon piece allowed me to throw some extra aliens in there that I also wanted to paint. Overall I am really happy with how the piece printed, though it is a little dark. I am just thrilled it is FINALLY released. been waiting a long time for it! I will have more to share with this piece in the near future when I share the process that went into it. For now, here is a look at the printed card...

Ephant Mon in handy dandy card form

That is all for another exciting ~~Monday~~ 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

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Snake Oil Salesman - Process - Far Horizons

Today I have for you another process post for a "recent" Star Wars piece. This time around is the crafty Chiven Snake Oil Salesman from Edge of the Empire, Far Horizons! I first shared these pieces last November, so here is how the final Snake Oil Salesman turned out...

Snake Oil Salesman

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

I have always been fan of the Chevin and was thrilled to do a pair of them for Far Horizon. If you are wondering about the Chevin, think back to Ephant Mon in Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi. If you are wondering about Ephant Mon... there is Google. Anyway... Chevin, big, hulking alien monsters! YAYS! I started things off as usual with some thumbnails...

Snake Oil Salesman - Thumbnails

The Snake Oil Salesman was far and away my favorite piece for this project and one of my all time favorite isolated figure pieces for Star Wars. It was just super fun and offered up a chance to put a lot of character into this creature. The art order called for a big scar across his face, crazy clothes, a assistance droid, and lot of product that he was peddling. Sounds like a fun time in the Star Wars universe to me! I submitted some thumbnails and option "C" for the Chevin and "B" for the droid was selected. Since I now I had an approved thumbnail it was time for a drawing...

Snake Oil Salesmen

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original - SOLD
© 2014 Lucasfilm, Ltd. TM Lucasfilm, Ltd. Under license to Fantasy Flight Games

The drawing was approved and it was time for some painting. In just nice easy steps the Snake Oil Salesmen took shape... or not, but it did come together really quickly. This piece did lean a little dark, but I think it reads well enough in the end. Here is a look at the piece taking shape...

Snake Oil Salesmen - Process progression

Once again I have for you a handy dandy animated process thingy to better show the process of creating the image. Hopefully this better shows how the image comes together and takes shape.There were not a lot of issues to address or fix along the way, the image just took shape and became a finished painting, always nice when that happens...

Snake Oil Salesmen - Animated process progression

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

Friday, June 5, 2015

Career Entrepreneur - Process - Far Horizons

Today I am once again away from my computer doing Star Wars related activities so I thought I would leave the monsters in charge to share some process work for a Star Wars project. This time around is the crafty Chiven Career Entrepreneur from Edge of the Empire, Far Horizons! I first shared these pieces last November, so here is how the final Career Entrepreneur turned out...

Career Entrepreneur

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

Career Entrepreneur - Thumbnails

The Career Entrepreneur offered up an interesting situation since he is counting credit chips and is not very adventurous. HOT counting action! But not everyone in the universe can be a Jedi or smuggler. Imagine starting out your character as a Career Entrepreneur and ending up a crime lord! That would be some great RPG fun. Anyway... I submitted some thumbnails and option "B" was selected. Once I had an approved thumbnail it was time for a drawing...

Career Entrepreneur

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Lucasfilm, Ltd. TM Lucasfilm, Ltd. Under license to Fantasy Flight Games

The drawing was approved and it was time for some painting. I got to start on the Career Entrepreneur and in 12 easy steps the Career Entrepreneur took shape. The Aurebesh was it's once process. Fear naught, there are no secret messages in the Aurebesh, it is all random letters that stand for fictitious Star Wars corporation followed by numbers. It is just a big stock market holo feed.

Career Entrepreneur - Process progression

Career Entrepreneur - Animated process progression

I shared this before but it bares repeating here, the Career Entrepreneur made a repeat appearance on and in the Entrepreneur Specialization Deck. I was not expecting such attention for this little guy but it sure is nice!

Entrepreneur Specialization Deck cover and card back with hot Chiven counting credits action!

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday for some new Star Wars action! 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 23, 2015

Closer Look: Star Wars - Entrepreneur Specialization Deck

Back in December I shared some new about my Chiven Entrepreneur appearing on the cover of the Entrepreneur Specialization Deck. Recently I had a chance to get my hands on a deck and to get a better look at all that it offered. I was happy to see that my work was not only appearing on the cover...

Entrepreneur Specialization Deck cover with hot Chiven counting credits action.

Every card back in the deck features the Chiven from the cover. The funny thing was I didn't realize that there was any art on the back of the card for awhile. I was fixated on the card fronts looking at the art and all the while was missing that my work was on the back over each card.

My Chiven Snake Oil Salesmen from Far Horizon also got his own card in the deck.

Now with super funky background!

Granted, this is all work I have shared before, it was just very exciting to see the work appearing in another format on a related product. ...and it is another line for the resume!

That is all for another exciting Friday 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

Monday, December 29, 2014

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire - Entrepreneur Specialization Deck

Doing my best to keep blog posts going over the winter holidays...

Today I have for you a little update on one of my pieces making an encore appearance. Back in November I shared with you my contributions to Far Horizons for the Edge of the Empire RPG. My Chevin Entrepreneur has returned and is now on the front of the Entrepreneur Specialization Deck!

Entrepreneur Specialization Deck

Here is the how the original Career Entrepreneur appeared, though even in Far Horizons the background holo-feed was played down...

Career Entrepreneur

There are a total four new Specialization Decks based on the content from Far Horizons. If you are so inclined you can go check them all out over on the Fantasy Flight Website.

Far Horizon Specialization Decks

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog, see you back here next time! Until then...

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

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

At Gen Con this year one of the new Star Wars RPG source books making its debut was Star Wars Edge of the Empire: Far Horizons. It just so happens that I had some pieces in this book AND it just so happens I now have a space on the blog to share said work now that all my Monster Manual stuff has finally been posted. I produced two new Chevin pieces for Far Horizons and my Arcona Rumor Monger piece has made another appearance (I think this is its fourth time getting published!). Here are how the final pieces turned out...

Snake Oil Salesman

Career Entrepreneur

Arconan Rumor Monger (back for more!)

If you are wondering what the heck a Chevin is you just need to watch Return of the Jedi again and keep an eye out in Jabba's Palace where you will see the Chevin, Ephant Mon. The Chevin were on my list of aliens that I wanted to work on so it was nice to mark them off the list. The Snake Oil Salesmen was my favorite by far. It is always nice to see the Arconan Rumor Monger make an appearance, this time it got to show off a bit of the background and was printed nice in big in the book. Here are some images of my work from the book...

Handy Dandy images of the work in the book.

I will share the process and steps that went into these pieces here on the blog in the near future!

That is all for another exciting Wednesday, 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