And the winner is...

You might remember my previous post about my newest submission to the local Tijuana Flats ceiling tile contest, well they finally tallied the votes and declared a winner. Apparently it is me! Free tacos for me for awhile... OM NOM NOM NOM NOM. They were eager to give me some more tiles in preparation for their next contest. Haven't taken them yet, but most likely will. Here is a photo of the tiles in place at the restaurant.

Godzilla vs. Tacosaurus
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

Don't forget! I have my art show opening this Friday! I will be hanging this afternoon! Wish me luck, haven't done this in a while. I hope to take photos as it happens and will try to share some with you 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

Tomb of the Unknown Art #2

As I have mentioned previously I received permission to use several of my unreleased pieces for self promotion on my blog, website and in my portfolio (if I so choose). The catch is I can't talk about what project they were for or what they are. Today I have the second of these pieces. So, without any further delay I present... um... this turnaround...

© 2006 Wizards of the Coast LLC

This just makes me want to do more turnarounds. I must use my mind powers to persuade someone to hire to do more of them. I really liked how this guy turned out with his axe and bow, WATCH OUT! he has a knife strapped to that bow. This guy is not messing around! Oh well, what could have been...

Don't forget! I have my art show opening this Friday! I will be hanging it on Wednesday afternoon, I have everything planned out so hopefully it will go as smoothly as possible. Hopefully I will have some images to share with you of the set up later in the week. Until then...

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

An art show with a hint of bacon

I have been mentioning that I have an art show coming up, well, here are all the details!

As part of Bacon and Bakin's Grand Opening and April's First Friday, I will be exhibiting a selection of my work at B&B's new location in Railroad Square Art Park! Be sure to come out Friday April 2nd between 6 - 9 pm to enjoy art, food, and fun.

Come for the Bacon and Bakin food, stay for my art!

My work will be on display the month of April if you can't make it out for Friday's opening, but I can't be held responsible for all the AWESOME you will miss out on. Hope to see you all there!

Bacon & Bakin
641-B McDonnell Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32310
(In Railroad Square Art Park between Mickey Faust and Really Knit Stuff)

The only map you will ever need...

I have a busy weekend ahead of me, so much to do! 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

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

Bloodbound Skeever - Dreamblade

Today I have for you a piece I did for the Dreamblade miniatures game (just how many of these thing did I do?). Here is the Bloodbound Skeever, a rare piece for the forth expansion, Anvilborn. The Skeever are a bird creature designed for the first set, but when I worked on the this one I don't think that first set was even out yet. I had an little bit of an idea of what they looked like but was not positive. I got to work anyway...

Bloodbound Skeever (Version 01)
© 2006 Wizards of the Coast LLC

I was close but missed a couple of 'little' details... like wings, feathered head and that it needed bird feet. OOPS! But it has big crazy swords, and that is cool, right? So I got to work on the required revisions...

Bloodbound Skeever
© 2006 Wizards of the Coast LLC

These revisions drove it home and we had ourselves a Bloodbound Skeever. As with a lot of these, I look back at the original and the approved revised version and wonder just what the hell I was thinking. I got to work on the full turnaround...

Bloodbound Skeever
© 2006 Wizards of the Coast LLC

I always liked the front and back of this guy but apparently I felt the need to phone in the side view. Over the years I have learned to better embrace the side view. I absolutely love doing turnarounds and jump at any opportunity to work on them, but the side view is my least favorite part. I think it is mostly in my head. You can see how the Bloodbound Skeever turned out in it's final production miniature form, HERE.

I will be showing a selection of my work her in Tallahassee starting on April 2nd through April 28th at Bacon & Bakin'. This will include an opening night event as part of April's First Friday on the 2nd in the Railroad Square art park. If you are in the area make sure you stop by. I will have more details next week.

I will have another Mutation Nation submission for you 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

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

Tomb of the Unknown Art #1

A quick post today, I am on the cusp of wrapping up a couple different things and they are screaming for my attention.

I present you with the first of several "secret" pieces. I have been given permission to use these pieces for self promotion on my blog, website and in my portfolio (if I so choose), BUT I can't talk about what project they were for or what they are. Sounds like a fair trade off to me! So, without any further delay I present... um... this turnaround...

© 2007 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Not much else to say. It was fun drawing a big armored mutated thing... for something. I will be back next week with hopefully the fruits of my recent labors! Until then...

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

Book Feast Chapter Art

Today I am bringing you part of the work I did for the Florida Libraries Youth Program (FLYP). Each year they have a pair of themes, one aimed at K - 5th grade and one at older children. A great deal of art and elements are needed for the program, including posters, bookmarks, coloring pages, connect the dots, membership cards, and tons of art for the instructor manual. 

One of the K - 5 themes I have worked on was Book Feast. They didn't know what they wanted to do beyond that, so when I suggested monsters eating and using books and various library-related media. They jumped at my suggestion. Little did I know that I was embarking on a wacky adventure because of my idea of monsters and books... unfortunately I can't really talk about any of that stuff just yet. I can show you the chapter header art for the instructor's manual. Of all the art I produced for Book Feast, these were some of the few pieces that did not see some sort of revision.

© Florida Department of Libraries

 

Since the theme was Book Feast, all the chapters had food names. This thankfully allowed me a launchpad for ideas. So often, with projects, the themes or elements are vague ideas that do not directly translate into tangible visuals. For the most part, the project was enjoyable, though some aspects got a bit exhausting by the end. I produced many elements for Book Feast; I am pleased to share these with you all. I have been working hard on my submission for the newest ArtOrder challenge. 

I have put my piece away for a few days to get a fresh look at it. I should be posting it here soon, even though the deadline for it is still over a month away. I have started working on additional pieces based on the theme... too bad I can only submit one! 

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

WIP - Rollbots Attack Poster

I don't like to tip my hat to things I am working on before they are finished, especially since I usually have a contract stating I can't, but today I am making an exception. Today I bring you a work in progress of one of the two posters that I am working on for the Tallahassee Rollergirls. My artistic liaison with the team, Hope Stewart, is under the weather and I thought that seeing that I am months ahead of deadline might brighten her day. So, here's to you Hope, a work in progress of the Rollbots Attack poster!

Work in progress - Rollbots Attack roller derby poster
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

How can you go wrong with a theme like Rollbots Attack! I look forward to getting some colors onto it in the very near future... a certain mutant has my attention right now! The 2010 season looks like it is going to be a spectacular one and I happy to be a part of it. Make sure you check back in to see how this poster turns!

Next week looks like it is going to be a crazy week with family in town and wife having her spring break from classes. I will try my best with the blog, but expect some interruptions. Until then...

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

Warforged Armor Sketches - What could have been...

Today draws to a close the armor designs that I have created for the Dungeons and Dragons Character Visualizer. Since August I have been bringing you armor turnarounds and I hope you have been enjoying them. If you missed any of the Warforged posts, you can find there here: Post 1, Post 2, Post 3, Post 4, Post 5. I leave you with variation drawings of how the armor looked in their earlier stages. With all of these the first version is on the left (which was felt to be too much like normally worn armor) and the second version is on the right (which was felt to be too ornate). Keep in mind the plate and scale sets are double up with the Paragon Tier on the left and Epic Tier on the right.

Warforged Chain Armor variations.
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Warforged Hide Armor variations.
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Warforged Leather Armor variations.
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Warforged Plate Armor variations.
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Warforged Scale Armor variations.
© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

If you missed any of my other armor sets during the last six months you can find links here: Genasi recap, Tiefling recap, Dragonborn 1, Dragonborn 2, Dragonborn 3, Dragonborn 4, and Dragonborn 5.

That is all for today. Still trying to make up for lost time - so much to do! I will be back on Friday with most likely some drawings. Until then...

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

Warforged Armor Designs #5

Well, I am back on my feet more or less. Here is a small post to make up for missing yesterday.

Today I bring you the fifth and final installment of my Warforged armor designed for the Dungeons and Dragons Character Visualizer. There were an odd number of armor / attire sets in this batch so this leaves us with a single final turnaround. Much like the cloth attire the wizard robes of the Warforged can actually be worn like clothes, as long as there are movement gaps allowed for in the design. You can't have the wizards arm gears getting caught up in his robes while he it casting a fire ball on those hobgoblins!

© 2008 Wizards of the Coast LLC

That's all for today, but not all for the Warforged. I will be back on Wednesday with some drawings of earlier versions of the Warforged armor designs. Lot's for me to do before then, so I better get busy! Until then...

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