Bestiary: Lost World - Process

Been talking a lot about Magic the Gathering recently and thought I would switch it up today with some Dungeons & Dragons. Still clearing out my blog queue of items that have been patiently waiting to get posted. Today I have the process that went into designing and making the cover for Dragon Magazine issue 42. I first shared this with you way back in September of 2013... it sure has been waiting awhile to be posted! So that we are all on the same page, here is how the cover for Dragon #42 turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427
Digital

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Not only was I tasked with painting the cover, but I was also asked to design three new prehistoric drakes that would be featured on the cover. One was the size of a large dog and was to be used as a hunting pack animal, one was big enough to ride, and one was a massive monster of a creature. Three new monsters mixed in with a hunting party of goblins and hobgoblins, what could possibly go wrong? I got to work on concepts and thumbnails, first on the new monsters concepts and then on the overall composition thumbnails for the illustration. Here are how the monster concepts turned out...

Venomous Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Sabermaw Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Ironclaw Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Now that I had some monster concepts I began working up the thumbnails using my favorite designs. Subtle influence on the art director? Possibly... but Kate has always been an amazing AD and she had her favorite monsters and her preferred thumbnail. Here is how the thumbnails for the illustration turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Thumbnails

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Thumbnails turned in and decisions made. A little from column A, B, and C and the monsters and composition is all decided upon. Time for the final drawing and time to work up all the detail and figure out all the vague bit in the thumbnail. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Drawing

11 x 14

Pencil on Paper

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved and it was time to paint! In just 12 easy steps... yeah, right... This was a cover and it had a ton of stuff going on, so I was a little apprehensive about this one. All in all, much to my surprise, it came together extremely quickly and without any major brain melting moments. Here is the painting coming together in 12 steps...

Bestiary: Lost World - Process steps

To help better illustrate the painting taking shape here is an animated gif of the process. You can see what changed along the way a bit better. Like when I got rid of a huge vine or changed the perspective of the Ironclaw's head. There is the expected pushing and pulling of the environment to get the right focus and contrast. ANIMATED...

Bestiary: Lost World - Process animation thing

The painting was approved without revision and production was happy. All in all, a success in my books. Covers do not come my way often, but when they do, I ponce on them. Here again is the final illustration and how it appeared as the cover (it was also used as the lead graphic for an article of the same name and appears in the magazine without cropping)...

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Dragon Magazine Issue 427 Cover

That is 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