Mutation Nation Drawings (Part 3) - It just won't stop!

This morning I have for you the very last Mutation Nation design that I had begun before the challenge ended. If you are left scratching your head wondering what I am talking about you can visit my previous posts: Scuttling Grizzly, Rhinostrich and Anglerphant. This was one from the top of the list of ideas that I had hoped to have enough time to get painted, but alas it was not meant to be. I present to you my Alligraffe, a combination of alligator and giraffe...

Alligraffe - © 2010 Christopher Burdett

I am not sure if I will get around to finishing this one up but if I find the time I will. I still have a ton of other ideas that need to get drawn too. Monsters that demand their time in the sun. If you haven't already gone by ArtOrder to see how the Mutation Nation Challenge turned out I strongly suggest you take the time and go have a look at all the amazing submissions.

That's it for another week. I am going to be trying to finish up a deadline this weekend so it is going to be a blur till Monday. I will be back next week with stuff and things. Until then...

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

Mutation Nation Drawings (Part 2)

Today I have for you the drawing from my Anglerphant submission for the Mutation Nation ArtOrder challenge. You might notice some slight changes from drawing to painting, but I think I stayed fairly true to the original.

Anglerphant - © 2010 Christopher Burdett

I spent a lot of time working and reworking the trunk lure. It kept coming off as rather suggestive. Not sure if it is any better in the final design... it just is thankfully obscured by it's own glow.

I had imagined these creatures getting so large that they stopped being able to move, only surviving by attracting prey. At some point they would eventually die and their giant armored carcass would dry out in the sun. I could see an adventure taking place were the heroes had to go into the body shell of a particularly large Anglerphant and clear out a gang of mercenaries that have turned it into their hide out. In a D&D / Gamma World crossover the adventurers are summoned to slay a dragon that lives in a nearby Anglerphant carcass. Who needs dungeons when there is a handy Anglerphant carcass just sitting out in a field...

That's all for today. Be sure to stop back by later in the week, I might have an update on something I have been working on as of late. 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 - Mutation Nation (Part 3)

It is like they are multiplying... Today I bring you my third gene spliced creation for the ArtOrder challenge, Mutation Nation challenge. If you missed them before, you can find my official submission HERE, and my second creation HERE. I present to you my Anglerphant a combination of an angler fish and an elephant.

Anglerphant - Mutation Nation Challenge

© 2010 Christopher Burdett

I think this will be my last one for now (unfortunately). I have gotten busy on some projects and need to focus on them. I had to finish this one up in between some deadlines. I have a forth drawing in the works, but I am not sure when I will be able to get back to it... let alone the list of animal combination I have in my head. I am just thrilled I was able to get three completed! ...though everyone is only allowed one official submission.

That's all for today. I will be back next week with some more surprises and I will let you know when the Mutation Nation challenge goes live over on ArtOrder so you can check out all the other submissions! Until then...

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

Mutation Nation Drawings

Today I have for you the drawing that went into the two Mutation Nation pieces that I have shared with you, the Scuttling Grizzly and the Rhinostrich. You might notice some small changes in comparison to the finals but I was fairly faithful to the drawings. I think the biggest change was flipping the Rhinostrich horizontally before I got started. I had a break last night from painting and I decided that my time was best used starting another Mutation Nation drawing... I think it is some sort of illness.

Scuttling Grizzly © 2010 Christopher Burdett

Rhinostrich © 2010 Christopher Burdett

I was asked recently why I put so much into these drawings if they are ultimately for paintings. I gave an answer about how I put more time into drawing that are for myself or that have deadlines that allow me the time to work on them for a while. I think I also mentioned that by spending extra time on them it gives me something tangible that is precious and not inside the computer - for display or sale. While these are all true, I think I missed the real reason... I love to draw. I have heard so often from painters that still work traditionally (and painters that long to return to traditional media) that they love the tactile and visceral element of moving a brush through paint on a surface. Well, drawing does that for me. I love drawing, moving the pencil on the paper. Even when I am painting on the computer I am still moving a stylus along a surface. I always think of it as 'super drawing' - I am painting... but it feels like drawing.

Make sure you are back here on Friday to get all the details for my art show next week. I got some of my prints back yesterday and I am super excited! Always nice when your best expectations are blown out of the water by a quality job. 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 - Mutation Nation (Part 2)

Last week I shared with you my official submission to the ArtOrder challenge, Mutation Nation. I had said Jon had me at 'Mutant' and I was not kidding. I just started working on these things and could not stop. I have more animal combination now then I know what to do with. ...well I knew enough to get to work on them and see how many I could get done before deadlines ate up my spare time. I present to you my second mutant, the Rhinostrich, a combination of a rhinoceros and a ostrich.

Rhinostrich - Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

I am well into my third mutant painting but I have had an emergency deadline fall in my lap so I will have to take a two week break on it. I will be sure to share it with you once it is complete. I still hope to have it finished before the challenge deadline.

As I mentioned this past Friday, I am having a one man show at Bacon and Bakin' the month of April with the opening as part of First Friday on April 2nd. I will have all the detail to you this Friday. Hope to see you there! 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 - Mutation Nation

If you missed the buzz, Jon Schindehette has a new challenge up over on ArtOrder: Mutation Nation! The folks over at Wizards of the Coast are knee deep in getting the new Gamma World ready for release later this year. The ArtOrder challenge allows you to either design a mutant creature or an anthropomorphic character (make sure you head over to ArtOrder to get all the details). Jon had me at 'Mutant'. I of course took path #1, gene spliced creature, so I present to you my Scuttling Grizzly, a combination of blue crab and bear...

Scuttling Grizzly - Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

But I cound not stop there... I have already finished my second painting of another mutant creature and I about to get started on my third. I can't stop... too many ideas coming too quickly. Only one design can be submitted for the challenge, so I pick this one, but I will continue on the others for myself.

I will bring you my second creation next week and most likely some of my drawings that went into these. Until then...

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