Lava Burst - Kaijudo - Process

Today I have for you the process and steps that went into one of my paintings that I created for the now cancelled game, Kaijudo. While I only worked on the game a short time it was a lot of fun and I was sad to see it go. The painting I will be talking about today depicts a giant robot exploding and throwing lava everywhere, including onto an enemy base, after it fell into said lava. Here is the final painting for Lava Burst...

"Lava Burst"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

This was a weird one. There needed to be a lot going on - robot falling into lava, exploding robot, lava spraying out the back of the robot, lava hitting and destroying enemy base... and it all had to be clear and small on a card. Really was a a tough one to get my head around. After some thinking and scribbling I got to work on some thumbnails. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Lava Burst - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Looking at these now they are still all over the place. Explosions, lava, giant forms... what a mess. Not sure how the art director saw through all this to pick one. The winner was "C" and for me it was just a good as any of the others. I got to work on the final drawing...

Lava Burst

Kaijudo

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved and now I had to make this thing read in color. No worries. In just twelve easy steps the painting came together... or not. To be honest I was not necessarily thrilled about making this one work. I knew if was going to be a tough one. No good worrying about it, just need to dive in and get the painting done. Here is a look at the painting coming together...

Lava Burst - Process Progression

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The real challenge with this piece was controlling the values and making sure the different planes of action were clear. That involved making sure the lava was distinct an separate and that the robot in the foreground was clear and stood out. The same went for the enemy base monster thing in the background. Those familiar with the game should recognize it for what it is even though average person may not. You will notice as the piece came to life that I did a lot with the lava, I got rid of some while making other areas of it more interesting and dynamic. I also pushed and pull the lava's value and color to make sure that there was depth in the spray. Was I successful? Time will tell. Here is an animated progression of the piece to better show the piece coming together...

Lava Burst - Animated Process

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Here again is the final painting for Lava Burst and the card form of the art. There was a bit of cropping on the final card, but that happens. I think it reads well enough and gets the point across. 

"Lava Burst"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Lava Burst in handy dandy card form (and don't forget the artist proofs!)

All of my Kaijudo Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

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

Overshields - Kaijudo - Process

Today I have for you the process and steps that went into one of my paintings that I created for the now cancelled game, Kaijudo. While I only worked on the game a short time it was a lot of fun and I was sad to see it go. The painting I will be talking about today depicts a sky base shielding itself from the attack a dragon. Here is the final painting for Overshields ...

"Overshields"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Overshields focuses on a the last ditch efforts for a sky base to shield itself from an attacking dragon. The shields needed to be the focus of the piece and the base and the dragon needed to not be pulling too much focus. The shields also need to appear like they were beginning to fail. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Overshields - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Not sure I had a favorite among these thumbnails. I wanted to make the dragon the focus and I was not too keen on that sky base, but I was making the most of the piece. ...because that is my job and my responsibility of taking on the work. It is clearly obvious now that options "A" and "B" were not right for the assignment and the dragon was too much in focus. "C" fits the bill perfectly... which makes it no surprise to anyone that it was the thumbnail that was selected. Now that I had an approved thumbnail it was time for the drawing...

Overshields

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Apparently in my original drawing I was a little too much off model with the dragon's horns. It was one of those moments where I thought the dragon needed to be similar to the supplied model when in reality it needed to be exactly like the supplied model. The change was quick enough and made digitally. The updated drawing was approved without any further notes and I was approved to get started on the final painting. The Kaijudo pieces allowed me to work a bit more colorful and playfully. Bright and shiny was the Kaijudo way. The painting for Overshields had some rocky moments, but it all came together in the end...

Overshields - Process Progression

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Like magic the painting comes to life. Since the focus was the shields they needed to stand out so I battled with the piece a bit to make that happen. Maybe a pick/lavender sky was not my best choice to make that happened, but I really thought the sky would contrast well with the YELLOW shields. Getting the perspective and forms right on the sky base were also a bit of a pain. I stuck with it and worked it out in the end. I REALLY should have seen to the base in the drawing... but I was rushing and caused myself to spend more time later fixing it.

As an added bonus here is a handy dandy animated process thingy to better show the process and creation of the painting...

Overshields - Animated Process

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Here again is the final painting for Overshields and the card form of the art. There was a bit of cropping on the final card, but that happens. Since the shields are the focus, it helps direct the eyes to the big yellow hexagons in the center of the piece. 

"Overshields"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Overshields in handy dandy card form (and don't forget the artist proofs!)

All of my Kaijudo Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

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

Decay - Kaijudo - Process

Today I have for you the process and steps that went into one of my paintings that I created for the now cancelled game, Kaijudo. While I only worked on the game a short time it was a lot of fun and I was sad to see it go. The painting I will be talking about today depicts a very bad day for an unfortunate Beastkin. Here is the final painting for Decay...

"Decay"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9

Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Decay focuses on a spiked Beastkin getting a very bad touch from an attacker that is mostly out of frame. The touch and spreading corruption was key and needed to be very clearly depicted. I got to work on some thumbnails to play around with the cropping and how "in the action" production wanted the image. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Decay - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

I really liked option "A" but I had a really strong feeling that production would be interested more in option "C". Turns out "C" was the winner. "C" is the over all strongest thumbnail... but my tastes and esthetics lean toward "A". Now that I had an approved thumbnail it was time for the drawing...

Decay - Drawing

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved without any notes and I was approved to get started on the final painting. The Kaijudo pieces allowed me to work a bit more colorful and playfully. Bright and shiny was the Kaijudo way. I had actually planned on taking the leap into painting traditionally a little sooner then I eventually did. I was gearing up to do one or more of my next Kaijudo assignment in real paint... but sadly that next set go cancelled before assignments went out. My leap into traditional paint was subsequently delayed by several months. ...oh what could have been. The painting for Decay came together very quickly...

Decay - Process Progression

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Like magic the painting comes to life. It is interesting to look back at my digital work now that I have not painted digitally in a while to see how it compares to what I am doing with paint. The striking similarities and the distinct differences. I see a lot of my late stage tweaks in my digital work are usually addressed earlier in the process when I paint traditionally. The details come earlier and easier in my digital work. Pluses and minuses and pros and cons on both sides... but at the end of a traditional painting I have an actual painting.

As an added bonus here is a handy dandy animated process thingy to better show the process and creation of the painting...

Decay - Animated Process

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Here again is the final painting for Decay and the card form of the art. I am really happy with how the Kaijudo cards printed. The longer I worked digitally the better I was able to ensure I had an image that looked good printed. I will now have to figure out the same for my traditional work. I know I making actual paintings that I am happy with their appearance, but I don't know how they look printed. I will know soon enough and then will adapt if needed.

"Decay"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9

Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Decoy in handy dandy card form (and don't forget the artist proofs!)

All of my Kaijudo Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

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

Magic the Gathering and Kaijudo Artist Proofs now available!

Whether you call them Artist Proofs or Whitebacks, all of my blank backed Magic and Gathering and Kaijudo cards are now available on my store!

Standard and foil Artist Proofs can now be purchased through my store with the option to have an original sketch on the back. All Artist Proofs come signed and numbered. The standard artist proofs are limited to an edition of 50 and the foil artist proofs are limited to an edition of 30. And now for some pictures...

A mighty stack of standard and foil Ancient Carps!

Get yours NOW!

More in the mood for the wily Gudul Lurker? I have you covered!

Get yours NOW!

All five of my Magic the Gathering cards are still available with two the cards having an additional foil variant. All three of my published Kaijudo cards are also available at a special discounted price.

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

All of my Kaijudo Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

I mentioned original sketches and if you choose you can get one on your artist proof. Here are some examples of the sketches you can anticipate. If I am feeling festive I may include some additional tonal work and shading. You never know what monster will be lurking on the back of your Artist Proof. RAWR!

Monster sketches on Artist Proofs for all your sketched on Artist Proof needs!

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

Kaijudo - Eye of the Storm (and BEYOND)

I have for you today the last of my work that I did for Kaijudo. As mentioned back in August, the release of Vortex marked the first set of Kaijudo that my worked appears in... and the last set to be released in stores. At the time I mentioned that there would be one additional digital set to be given out to players that attended the last tournament. That last set, Eye of the Storm, has surfaced and I am happy to share my piece that appears in it. This did leave one of my pieces unreleased and after checking with WotC I got permission to share that piece as well. Here are the last two of my Kaijudo pieces...

"Virulent Worm" - Kaijudo - Eye of the Storm

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

"Rock Bite" - Kaijudo - Unreleased

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

These two pieces were the very first two Kaijudo cards that I did for the game and the last two to surface. The Virulent Worm was completed in October of 2013 and Rock Bite soon after. These both were a lot of fun and I really had looked forward to doing many many more. I even had plans to hopefully do a Kaijudo piece traditionally if I continued to get interesting and fun pieces like these. You never know how things will work out.

I will share more about these card individually when I share their production process in the near future. For now I can leave you with the digital card for the Virulent Worm. This was going to make for a great looking card.

"Virulent Worm" if it had been an actual real life handy dandy card instead of a virtual card.

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

Kaijudo - Vortex

This is a bittersweet post. On the one hand I am THRILLED to be able to finally share some of my Kaijudo work. On the other hand this work is appearing in the very last set of Kaijudo to be released. That is the way things go sometimes in the gaming industry. Before I get into any more the sad bits, here are my pieces from Vortex, the final Kaijudo set...

"Decay" - Kaijudo - Vortex

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

"Lava Burst" - Kaijudo - Vortex

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

"Overshields" - Kaijudo - Vortex

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

These were SUPER FUN to work on and many thanks goes out to Keven Smith for involving me with Kaijudo and for the great art direction. I started working on Kaijudo just after Gen Con last year (2013) and produced "Decay" and two other pieces that have not been released. I believe these three initial pieces were to appear in the set previous to Vortex, but as production shifts so does the release of cards. "Lava Burst" and "Overshields" were produced for Vortex and were the last two cards that I had the opportunity to paint.

There is word that a final unproduced set for Kaijudo will be released digitally in October. I have my fingers crossed that my two unreleased cards will make an appearance then. If my cards do not surface only time will tell if I will be able to share them. All that said, these three made it out, consider me happy! When Dreamblade was ended I had a ton of miniatures that ended up never being made, which makes just two cards seem like nothing.

Here are how the final production cards turned out, I am REALLY happy with them!

Handy dandy card forms for all your hand held Kaijudo needs!

That is all for another exciting 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