Phaerimm - Dungeons & Dragons - Process

Today, I am happy to share the process and steps for my contribution to the Dungeons & Dragons supplement, Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun. As mentioned previously, while I created three pieces for this project, sections of the book were removed during production, which left only one of my illustrations included. While I was aware of the Phaerimm, I had never done anything with this particular monster before, so it was fun to get to working on something new. Here is a look at my final illustration for the Phaerimm.

Phaerimm

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Emi Tamji

© 2025 Wizards of the Coast LLC

You might notice that this monster has a background. This was one of the new requirements for the monster vignettes, as they have backgrounds now. No more isolated figures now. The Phaerimm is a strange plant monster horror thing. I am good with that, so no complaints. I got to work on some thumbnails for this one. 

Phaerimm - Thumbnails

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun

Digital

© 2025 Wizards of the Coast LLC

The thumbnails were well received, and the second one was chosen. With a selected thumbnail, I got to work on the drawing for this one. When the linework was finished, and before I completed the rendering, I scanned the image to use the line art in the painting process.

Phaerimm - Drawing

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Original - Contact me if interested 

Art Director - Emi Tamji

© 2025 Wizards of the Coast LLC

The drawing was approved without notes, and it was time to work on the painting. As mentioned above, these now have backgrounds. This also means that the creature and the background need to be on different layers so effects and vignetting can be done by production. For me, this means painting the background first and painting out the monster to some degree so that there is plenty to work with and no layering issues. I then go back in and work on the monster on its own layer set. This part I am very familiar with. There are other things I can say about this one, but that should wait till later when other pieces are eventually released. 

Phaerimm - Process

© 2023 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Here again is how the final painting turned out, as well as a look at the piece in the book. You can see in that image how having the background as a separate layer works with the layout. On the page, the monster now breaks the borders of the image.

 

Phaerimm

Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerun

© 2025 Wizards of the Coast LLC

The Phaerimm on the page for all your Phaerimm needs.

That's 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

Revisiting the Monsters - Imp

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 Imp. Enjoy!

Imp redesign (2010)
© 2010/2026 Christopher Burdett 

That's 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

Penscon MtG Artist Proofs Now Available!

Things were crazy leading up to Pensacon last week. Days before the convention, I sold some of the Magic the Gathering artist proofs that had color art on their backs that I was planning to take to the convention. Now, with a lot less inventory to show, I had to squeeze in some time to make some replacements. As I have been asked to draw a lot of Pokémon lately, I thought it would be fun to create some more Pokémon-themed artist proofs. While some cards did sell at the show, I have the remaining cards now available on my store!

Bulbasaur on the back of an Egg Token

Available 

Marker, ink, acrylic 

Psyduck on the back of an Egg Token

Available 

Marker, ink, acrylic 

Chansey and Happiny on the back of an Egg Token

Available 

Marker, ink, acrylic 

Festering Mummy on the back of a Festering Mummy

SOLD 

Marker, ink, acrylic 

That is all for another exciting week 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

Pensacon 2026 Recap

Over this past weekend, we enjoyed ourselves at Pensacon 2026. Pensacon is the start of our convention season and is one of our most fun events. They take amazing care of us at Pensacon, and it is an absolute blast sharing the Grand Bazaar with so many people. We were in our usual spot along the artist ring above the vendor floor. I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and a massive thanks to Mike Ensley, Julio Diaz, Lemmie Crews, and the entire Pensacon team for making a truly special event. And a shout out to the art family that we are surrounded by at the show. I have been incredibly busy with writing and working, which left much of the preparation for the show was done very last minute. I was writing until the last moment and then some while at the show. But in the end, I needed a little break from things, and Pensacon was the perfect choice. Here are some images and thoughts from the show.

The Grand Bazaar at Pensacon 2026!

I did a lot of drawing at this show and had a blast doing it.

The beach was doing its best to be uninviting.

This was the second cover that I have done for this collector, and this, by far, was my favorite thing that I drew this year at the show. Working on the colored paper with its surface was very reminiscent of my normal paper, and this felt very natural.

And some more monsters!

I did a bad job this year with taking photos. I say that, but in reality, I was in the moment talking to people about the Grand Bazaar, art, games, and more. So instead of taking photos, I was enjoying myself at the show. That said, here is a look at the vendor floor. Saturday definitely had the crush of people that got a little intense. 

And even more monsters.

On the day we left the beaches cleared up... and the temps dropped.

Oh well, not this time. 

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

Pensacon THIS WEEKEND!

Pensacon, and the start of my conventions for the year, starts this coming Friday, February 20, in Pensacola, FL. We love Pensacon, and it is always a wonderful start to the year. We can't wait to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones. You will find us once again in the artist alley ring above the vendor floor at Artist Table 10N (north side of the ring). I do not have enough good things to say about Pensacon, and I hope to see you there!

 

I will see you at Pensacon from February 20-22, 2026!

A look at the booth in 2024 at Pensacon!

I will be offering MORE discontinued prints in mystery bundles, allowing collectors to obtain prints that are no longer available or were never made available. Each mystery bundle contains three randomly selected prints. All of the prints come signed, and if you are lucky, you may find a print with an ORIGINAL DRAWING along the border, a SURPRISE FOURTH PRINT, or a CERTIFICATE FOR A FREE DRAWING. These were meant for Gen Con last year, and as we had to cancel at the last minute, nearly all those bundles are now coming to Pensacon!

The return of the Mystery Print Bundles!

Get yours at Pensacon, February 20-22, in Pensacola, FL. 

Each pack has a potential value of up to $200, and you can obtain one at the convention for only $50! I have a great selection of prints available, and they run the gamut of my work over the years. Included are many fan favorites, high-profile projects, and hidden gems. There will be some of the same prints previously offered at Pensacon, as well as many new print offerings!  Prints available in the bundles may include:

• STAR WARS (LOTS!!!)
• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (LOTS!!!)
• A GAME OF THRONES
• PATHFINDER
• LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS
• CALL OF CTHULHU 
• KAIJUDO
• Various MONSTERS
• The GRAND BAZAAR of ETHRA VANDALIA

A look at just some of the prints you can find in the Mystery Print Bundles!

Each bundle comes sealed, so there is no peeking. As before, I have drawn on the lower corners of many of the prints. To be honest, I did my math wrong and ended up drawing on WAY more prints than I should have, meaning that your chances of getting an original drawing on your print are very high. I think nearly half of the bundles have prints with drawings. 

In addition to the drawings on the prints, there is a bundle that contains a surprise fourth print. And there is a single bundle that includes a certificate for a free drawing. You MUST return the certificate to me at the convention to get the drawing. I will not be shipping the drawing to the winner. I will repeat that - if you find the winning certificate in your bundle, you must return it to me at the convention to receive it.  

Here is a look at just a few of the many drawings on prints that you might find in the bundles!

 

Are you feeling lucky?

If you are, you might find one of these original drawings in your mystery bundle!

While it is possible, I am confident that I will not sell out at Infinity Con. If we did, that would be amazing, but we planned to have plenty left for Gen Con. It is at Gen Con that I expect to sell out, so if you want to get your hands on these, I will see you at Infinity Con or Gen Con this summer.

My Mietze got involved this time, and you will notice his face stamped on this grouping to mark it as the second wave of print bundles.

And for the first time at Pensacon, I will have the Grand Bazaar stickers this year. They were a late addition last year and were not ready in time for Pensacon 2025. 

The Crest of Ethra stickers!

Get yours at Pensacon, February 20-22, in Pensacola, FL.

That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here after Pensacon! Until then...  

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

BLOG-a-versary - Seventeen Years Later

On February 17th, 2009, seventeen years ago today, I started this blog. I do one of these posts each year, and I say some of the same things each time. Some years this post is short, and other times, like last year, the post will be long. Each year is different. To be frank, I am too tired and too busy to come up with something noteworthy this year. For mostly good reason, but the world, especially the human world, burns, and that does take its toll.

I am now at 2,328 posts over the past seventeen years. I had a conversation the day I am writing this about how your results may vary, but if you do something every day, for an extended period of time, you will get better at it - as long as you engage, are mindful, and are active in the doing and the learning. Not sure how these go together, but I think they do somehow. In their own way. Kind of like, 'DRAW MORE'. 

typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing 

typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing 

 typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing typeing and more typeing 

2025 was a good year artistically for me. Other things, not so much. But I made a lot of art last year. Good art. Art that I am proud of and love. Enough art that I am back on schedule with my second book, and I am writing every day to see it to the finish line. And writing is going very well. January was a monumentally good month for writing. Still plenty to do, but it is only February, and I have a plan and a system. 

Keeping updates going with writing is much harder than with the art. I can show you the art all day long, but you can't actually know the story I am telling you until you see the words. But if I show you the words, it would be constant spoilers. So I will do the best I can do.  

This is not the post I had thought or planned, but here we are, all the same. So, thank you one and all for coming to the blog and looking at my words and images. Thank you for the shares and comments. Thank you!

That is all for another exciting Tuesday on the blog. See you backhere 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

Infected By Art Volume 14 Selected Works

I am happy to announce that I have been selected for inclusion in Infected By Art Volume 14. I love IBA, and it is a true joy to be included in a publication that features so much amazing real art. You can see a complete list of the art included in IBA 14 on their website. This year, the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia was again selected, and I could not be happier!

 

Encounter at the Poisoned Dagger
The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
11 x 14 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper

Original - Contact me if interested
© 2025 Christopher Burdett 

The Warren

 The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle

11 x 14 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper

Original - SOLD
© 2025 Christopher Burdett

I submitted works created for the Grand Bazaar this time around. If you are curious, here is everything I submitted for consideration in IBA 14.

Congrats to everyone who made it in, and a huge thanks to the jury and Bill Cox for all his work in making IBA a reality. I can't wait to see the completed book firsthand!

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