The Grand Bazaar Comes to Illuxcon NEXT WEEK!

Illuxcon 2019 is next week (October 23-27) in Reading, PA. It is one of our favorite events of the year, and as I have mentioned several times here on the blog, this year will be even more special for me. The work that I have been creating for the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia over the past five years will be on display and available for the first time. I will have a new selection of limited edition prints that are distressed, marked, stamped, and assembled by hand as a collaboration between myself and Achsa Nute. I will be hosting a monster making and drawing workshop. Here are more details on all of these things.

Some see me in Studio 411 bright and early at 10am till 1pm for a talk and demo of making monsters!

On the morning of Thursday, October 24th, from 10-1, I will be hosting a monster making workshop. I will talk about the methods and processes I use to create monsters that I have implemented for over twenty years when working on television, film, and games. I will discuss my approach to monster creation with examples of my work and then will do a live drawing demo as I design and render a monster, time permitting. More information about this can be found HERE.

Each edition is limited to 25 prints that are distressed, marked, stamped, and assembled by hand as a collaboration between myself and Achsa Nute.

I will once again be debuting a new series of limited edition hand altered prints at IX. As with last year, these are a collaboration between myself and Achsa Nute. Unlike last year when I only had one print, we created three for this year. All three appear in the book and relate to the character Shaper and their creations. They will be available individually or as a set at a discounted price. More information about this can be found HERE.

Ethra VanDalia 
11 x 14 - Pencil on paper
  Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2017 Christopher Burdett

Last but certainly not least, I will exhibiting all but three illustrations that I created for The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia in the Main Show. All of the work that I have created for the book will be on display and available for purchase for the first time. These sales will be going toward the printing costs for the book that will be coming to crowdfunding early next year unless something unexpected happens.

If you cannot attend and had a particular piece from the book you were interested in, I will be opening up all art for sale to anyone interested on the morning of Friday, October 25. Please understand that people attending the event have first dibs and that with my workshop Thursday, it will not be possible to add one more thing to that day. For those interested, the best way to contact me will be through Facebook Messenger or the contact points on my website (please email or text; I will not be able to take calls). I have not shared all of the work that I have created, but you can see much of it here on the blog. Most posts have links to the main piece from the book. Once Illuxcon is over, all work will not be available again until the crowdfunding for the book begins. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them here, and I will answer them ASAP. Here is a sample of some of what will be at Illuxcon next week.

Hollow Alley
16 x 20 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2018 Christopher Burdett

Keeper of the Clocks
16 x 20 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - SOLD

Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2018 Christopher Burdett

The Seated Dead
16 x 20 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2018 Christopher Burdett

That's all for another exciting week on the blog. I will not be back here till after Illuxcon has concluded, and I have returned home. Until then...

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

Limited Edtion Shaper Advertising Prints from the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia @ IX!

I am thrilled to share with you the limited edition prints that I will have available at the Illuxcon Main Show next week! As with last year's print, this is a collaboration between myself and Dear Wife to make a very unique item. Each edition is limited to 25 prints that have been distressed, marked, stamped, and assembled by hand to make each individual print its own unique piece. These prints will also be part of the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia book. If you can not make it to IX this year, do not worry, I will be making any remaining prints available on my store after the event.

Each edition is limited to 25 prints that are distressed, marked, stamped, and assembled by hand as a collaboration between myself and Achsa Nute.

The Shaper Cleaner is often called a Gullet.

The Shaper Sentry is sometimes referred to as a Footman.

The Shaper Assistant has the nickname of Smokestack.

Limited to 25, once they are gone, they are gone.

 

All prints are signed by both Achsa Nute and myself.

While available individually, they will be available as a set for a discounted price.

Here is a closer look at the finished prints. The text below each print is from the book and is from the section corresponding to their entry. If you are attending IX, be sure to stop by to see these first hand, they are each unique with their own personalities and markings.

Here are some images from the distressing and marking process. Dear Wife did a fantastic job on these prints, and I could not be more excited about how they turned out.

All images © 2019 Christopher Burdett

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

Girasol Jewelry - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Today's piece of spot art is Girasol Jewelry. This relates to the Irritated Girasol section of the book. You can read more about this section of the book on The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia blog.

Girasol Jewelry

  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

Here are all of the monsters appearing in the first volume of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia: Aberrant Stilter, Belled Kreep, Corrupted Knight, Dight-Kin, Eau-de-nil Elder, Ethra VanDalia, Footman, Gray Wanderer, Gullet, Humgruffin Mother, Irritated Girasol, Judicator, Kiplorbic Animal Dealer, Lammergeier Transport, Myopic Rifler, Nimsbane Curse Victim, Ophiomornous Bureaucrat, Petrous Blacksmith, Quincaillerie, Rapacious Guttersnipe, Saint Marque, Smokestack, Thrice, Uncanny Scribe, Virulent Artificer, Woven Egg, Woven Shaper, Xandrell Tree, Yote Arms Dealer, and Zombic Spore.

Here are all of the environmental pieces appearing in the first volume of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia: Air Shops, Busy Streets, Hollow Alley, Keeper of the Clocks, Sunken Stalls, The Grand Bazaar, The Seated Dead, 

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

Sure, Reprint Them ALL - Star Wars Allies and Adversaries

As I mentioned last week, I cleaned up my studio recently, and a bunch of items featuring my work surfaced. Granted, all of these items feature work that has already been used before, or in some cased, MANY times before. This time around, I have for you the Star Wars Allies and Adversaries, which reprints a bunch of my Star Wars work in one handy dandy volume. Nice to see it all again in print, and they did credit me this time around. I have powerful memories of making each of these pieces, which is interesting to me. When I look at the paintings, I remember very clearly working on them and what was going through my head when I was. I guess I did something right when I did these since so many keep being reprinted. 

Star Wars Allies and Adversaries

Quarren Agitator

10 x 15 - Digital

Viper Probe Droid

9 x 12 - Acrylic and pencil on board
Original - SOLD

Hidden Cache
10 x 6.5 - Digital

Barabel Enforcer

10 x 15 - Digital

I am TOTALLY rocking this spread

 Nexu

10 x 15 - Digital

Enraged Ronto

9 x 11 - Digital

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

Making Monsters Workshop at Illuxcon 2019!

The circle is now complete. In 2009 I attended my first IX in Altoona, PA, and it blew my mind. I took my first step into a larger world, I meet working artists, saw for the first time traditionally created imaginative realism art, and realized what it would take to succeed in the gaming industry. Since then, I have only missed attended one year. Each year has been a little different and offered up new revelations and insights into being an artist. Now, in 2019, I find myself returning to the Main Show for the second time, and for the first time, I am hosting a workshop on making and drawing monsters!

Some see me in Studio 411 bright and early at 10am till 1pm for a talk and demo of making monsters!

During the three hour block that I have for the workshop, I will be talking about the process I go about designing and creating monsters, the process and techniques or drawing them, and will answering any and all questions about my work, process, and working in the industry. I am hoping it will be a lot of fun, and I hope to share some of the experience I have gained over the last twenty years of making monsters.

Studio 411 is on the fourth floor of the GoogleWorks building.

There will be plenty of signage or look for the troll with the pencils.

You can check out all of the other workshops, panels, and presentations going on in the IX program, which is now available online. There is a lot of great events planned this year, and if you are attending, there should be plenty to fill your days and your mind. But don't forget to visit all the artists in the Main Show and the Showcase.

While this is my first workshop at IX, I would be remiss to mention the fantastic panel I was a part of in 2012 with Jon Schindehette when we talked about getting serious in regards to making art and having a career in the gaming industry. At some point we should host a follow up panel and reflect of what we talked about then and where our careers have progressed.

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

Assassination Request Scroll Case - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Today's piece of spot art is the Assassination Request Scroll Case. This relates to the Humgruffin Mother section of the book. You can read more about this section of the book on The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia blog.

Assassination Request Scroll Case
  8 x 10 - Pencil and acrylic paint on paper
  Currently Available Grand Bazaar Originals
© 2019 Christopher Burdett

Here are all of the monsters appearing in the first volume of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia: Aberrant Stilter, Belled Kreep, Corrupted Knight, Dight-Kin, Eau-de-nil Elder, Ethra VanDalia, Footman, Gray Wanderer, Gullet, Humgruffin Mother, Irritated Girasol, Judicator, Kiplorbic Animal Dealer, Lammergeier Transport, Myopic Rifler, Nimsbane Curse Victim, Ophiomornous Bureaucrat, Petrous Blacksmith, Quincaillerie, Rapacious Guttersnipe, Saint Marque, Smokestack, Thrice, Uncanny Scribe, Virulent Artificer, Woven Egg, Woven Shaper, Xandrell Tree, Yote Arms Dealer, and Zombic Spore.

Here are all of the environmental pieces appearing in the first volume of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia: Air Shops, Busy Streets, Hollow Alley, Keeper of the Clocks, Sunken Stalls, The Grand Bazaar, The Seated Dead, 

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

Return of the Monsters - SagaBorn Creature Compendium

Over this past weekend, I cleaned up my studio now that I am at a stopping point in the production of the book. I shoveled out a lot of detritus and also found some noteworthy items. One of these items is the SagaBorn Creature Compendium. I got my copy from the most excellent Michael Bielaczyc at the end of Gen Con a few months ago. This features reprints of all the monsters I created for him over the years as well as many new monsters by several artists. It is an excellent collection of creatures and monsters for use in SagaBorn (which is also super cool, and you should really check it out!). I have shared all of these monsters here on the blog before, but it is nice to see them all again in one place. Some of these I still love, and they were really fun to work on. I hope to have the time in the future to make some more monsters for Mike.

SagaBorn Creature Compendium

Devouring Ooze

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

Drekava

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

Homunculus

14 x 11 - Ink on paper

© 2017 Christopher Burdett

Lakava

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

© 2015 Christopher Burdett

Tentacle Crawler

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

Thundrom

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper

© 2015 Christopher Burdett

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

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes - Process - Sibriex

Today I have for you the steps and process that went into creating the Sibriex illustration for Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes that came out last year. This was the second of five paintings that I created for the book and one of my favorites. Nothing like being able to paint a bog crazy dripping sack of grossness. This was an update of a preexisting demon that needed a 5th Edition update. The production flow for this piece was unchanged from all of my recent digital work, so I might be a brief on the details. If you feel like you would like a more in-depth explanation of my process, I offer the following links: Break down 1,  Break down 2, and Break down 3. To start things off, here is the final painting for the Sibriex.

Sibriex

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

As with all my illustrations, I begin everything with a photo reference shoot/collection followed by the creation of thumbnails. Yes, even a piece like this has reference photos taken. I made funny faces and moved my head around to work out how I wanted to depict the monster. This version needed to present some level of intelligence, so the reference helps establish some human, and thus intelligence, traits to the face. These are the three thumbnails that I submitted for the Sibriex.

Sibriex - Thumbnails

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Option C was the winner, but I was asked to push the design a little more. It needed to be more monstrous and more grotesque. Something I was more than happy to do. I updated the thumbnail and resubmitted it. 

Sibriex - Updated thumbnail

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

This updated thumbnail was approved, which meant it was time to work up a finished drawing. Here is the final drawing that was submitted. There were no edits or changes after submission.

Sibriex - Drawing

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Kate Irwin

Original - SOLD

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

With an approved drawing, it was time to get started on the painting. These isolated figures are a straight forward process. I created a masked clipping layer using the silhouette and never worry about the edges. There was no lighting reference for this piece. I went with a forward and slightly above light source that would best show off the forms. It is standard, and I can mentally default to it without much trouble. Here is the painting coming together in twelve steps.

Sibriex - Process steps

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

This piece came together in one fluid motion of the most part. I have gotten to the point in my career that isolated D&D monsters are a quick and fun assignment. Or so I thought. More one that when the project is finally revealed. To make the process of the painting a little more clear, here it is coming together in an animated gif.

Sibriex - Animated Process

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Finally, here again is the final painting of the Sibriex. While no official miniature has been created for this piece yet, a custom miniature was created. I shared it a while ago, but it is always fun to revisit.

Sibriex

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

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