Revisiting the Monsters - Troll

In 2010, sixteen years ago now, I began a personal project to redesign most, if not all, of the monsters in the original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. That original MM had a profound effect on me and led me to eventually work on the game. While I was already working on the game when I began this project, it did prove useful as I have redesigned many D&D monsters in my career on the game. In the end, I completed over 100 drawings for the project and even had a gallery show featuring the work. 

I thought it would be nice to look back at some of my favorites. Today brings us to the Troll. Enjoy!

Troll redesign (2010)
© 2010/2026 Christopher Burdett 

That's 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

Revisiting the Rhinostrich

Right about now, sixteen years ago, I was reintroducing myself to my clients and making a fresh start of things with my art. Well, I should say that all the work to improve my skillsets and to become more serious about what I was making and doing began to manifest. Over the next several Mondays, I plan to share my contributions to the ArtOrder Mutation Nation art challenge that Jon Schindehette ran... sixteen years ago. The next one I will be sharing is the Rhinostrich.

Rhinostrich

10 x 7.5 - Digital 

Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

Rhinostrich

14 x 11 - Pencil on paper 

Original - SOLD 

Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

The focus of the challenge was to take two animals, combine them, and make a new crazy mutant. I ended up designing four monsters, and three became finished paintings. These three paintings saw a major improvement in my painting skills, my use of reference, and baby steps into creating an environment for the monsters. This is also when I officially announced I am only working on monsters moving forward. These were well received and were 100% responcible for me once more working on projects with WotC. The time and energy I put into these more than paid off, and would mark the beginning of a new chapter in my art career.  

That's all for another exciting week 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

Revisiting the Hound of Tindalos

In 2009, I was hired to design a series of miniatures for Fantasy Flight Games. They were gearing up to make plastic minis of all of their Arkham Horror/Call of Cthulhu monsters, and I was at the right place at the right time to get the bulk of them. It was a fun project with a lot of freedom for a grotesquely small amount of pay. And then nothing. It wouldn't be until 2011/12 for the monsters to finally be released as unpainted figures in board game sets and as fully painted premium minis. By and large, they all turned out great, and I still look back at them favorably. As it has been 17 years since I made the art and 15 years since they were eventually released, I thought it would be nice to revisit some of them. Next up in alphabetical order, we have the Hound of Tindalos. Here is my design and the final miniature.

Hound of Tindalos

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper - 3 separate drawings

Arkham Horror Monsters / Mansions of Madness 

© 2009 Fantasy Flight Games

The Hound of Tindalos miniature

And, as an added bonus, something I have never shared before, here are the thumbnails that I created for this piece. Over the past 17 years, I had forgotten how loose and sketchy these were.

Hound of Tindalos - Thumbnails

Arkham Horror Monsters / Mansions of Madness 

© 2009 Fantasy Flight Games

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

Revisiting the Monsters - Rust Monster

In 2010, sixteen years ago now, I began a personal project to redesign most, if not all, of the monsters in the original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. That original MM had a profound effect on me and led me to eventually work on the game. While I was already working on the game when I began this project, it did prove useful as I have redesigned many D&D monsters in my career on the game. In the end, I completed over 100 drawings for the project and even had a gallery show featuring the work. 

I thought it would be nice to look back at some of my favorites. Today brings us to the Rust Monster (and likely my favorite of the entire project). Enjoy!

Rust Monster redesign (2010)
© 2010/2026 Christopher Burdett 

That's 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

Revisiting the Scuttling Grizzly

Right about now, sixteen years ago, I was reintroducing myself to my clients and making a fresh start of things with my art. Well, I should say that all the work to improve my skillsets and to become more serious about what I was making and doing began to manifest. Over the next several Mondays, I plan to share my contributions to the ArtOrder Mutation Nation art challenge that Jon Schindehette ran... sixteen years ago. The first one I will be sharing is the Scuttling Grizzly.

Scuttling Grizzly

10 x 7.5 - Digital 

Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

 

Scuttling Grizzly

14 x 11 - Pencil on paper 

Original - SOLD 

Mutation Nation Challenge
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

The focus of the challenge was to take two animals, combine them, and make a new crazy mutant. I ended up designing four monsters, and three became finished paintings. These three paintings saw a major improvement in my painting skills, my use of reference, and baby steps into creating an environment for the monsters. This is also when I officially announced I am only working on monsters moving forward. These were well received and were 100% responcible for me once more working on projects with WotC. The time and energy I put into these more than paid off, and would mark the beginning of a new chapter in my art career.  

That's all for another exciting week 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

Revisiting the Dark Young

In 2009, I was hired to design a series of miniatures for Fantasy Flight Games. They were gearing up to make plastic minis of all of their Arkham Horror/Call of Cthulhu monsters, and I was at the right place at the right time to get the bulk of them. It was a fun project with a lot of freedom for a grotesquely small amount of pay. And then nothing. It wouldn't be until 2011/12 for the monsters to finally be released as unpainted figures in board game sets and as fully painted premium minis. By and large, they all turned out great, and I still look back at them favorably. As it has been 17 years since I made the art and 15 years since they were eventually released, I thought it would be nice to revisit some of them. Next up in alphabetical order, we have the Dark Young. Here is my design and the final miniature.

Dark Young

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper - 3 separate drawings

Arkham Horror Monsters / Mansions of Madness 

© 2009 Fantasy Flight Games

The Dark Young miniature.  

And, as an added bonus, something I have never shared before, here are the thumbnails that I created for this piece. Over the past 17 years, I had forgotten how loose and sketchy these were.

Dark Young - Thumbnails

Arkham Horror Monsters / Mansions of Madness 

© 2009 Fantasy Flight Games

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

Revisiting the Monsters - Owlbear

In 2010, sixteen years ago now, I began a personal project to redesign most, if not all, of the monsters in the original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. That original MM had a profound effect on me and led me to eventually work on the game. While I was already working on the game when I began this project, it did prove useful as I have redesigned many D&D monsters in my career on the game. In the end, I completed over 100 drawings for the project and even had a gallery show featuring the work. 

I thought it would be nice to look back at some of my favorites. Today brings us to the Owlbear. Enjoy!

Owlbear redesign (2010)
© 2010/2026 Christopher Burdett 

That's 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