Grand Bazaar SALE!

 

Head to my store to get 10% off all orders using code: ETHRA

This week through the end of the day on Friday, December 3rd, you can get 10% off all orders on my store by using code: ETHRA. In addition, all orders over $50 will receive a FREE of Grand Bazaar enamel pins!

The code and the free pin offer end Friday night at midnight, so don't miss out on this deal! Stock up on your favorite items and get that special being in your life a wonderful and unique gift. We all can use more monsters in our lives!

That's 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

Selected Recent Artist Proof Drawings

One last post before the Thanksgiving holiday! Today I have for you a selection of recent artist proofs that I added drawings to. If you are interested in getting any of these for yourself, just follow the links to my store. I recently completed a ton of artist proof, and this is the first batch from those completed drawings. 

I sometimes worry that the Gremlins do not get enough love, but then someone buys one, and I get to draw another Gremlin.

The Stinging Lionfish has been a sleeper fan-favorite. 

Well, all of my fish cards seem to be favorites. This chonky boy is blowing bubbles.

That's all for another exciting Wednesday 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

Recent Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia Bookplates

I have been taking a little blog break as I posted my 100 days of Dungeons & Dragons. Hard to keep all the plates spinning sometimes, and it is easier to focus on the least involved venture for a while and let the other sit on the back burners. I think I am due a bit of a break, mainly since I have run this blog since 2009, but that is neither here nor there. 

Today I am sharing a selection of recent Grand Bazaar bookplates that I had at IX in October. Since this was the first time the books would be in the wild, I knew I needed to get some bookplates ready ahead of time. While I may have been a little overzealous in getting twelve completely, I was surprised with how many deluxe versions sold at IX and in the following weeks. No complaints will be coming from me. The only regret is that I have not shared these with you sooner - which is where the first paragraph of this post comes in.

Before my next event, I will need to draw some more of these, but I have a few months to worry about that. For now, here are some images of the plates.

 

Each deluxe version of my book comes with a signed and numbered bookplate that features an original drawing and stamp. With only 100 deluxe versions available, your opportunity to get one decreases all the time. 

 

The Smokestack is one of my go-to images for the bookplates. They are fun to draw, and I love any excuse to use the Shaper stamp. 

 

Sometimes I like to draw characters that are briefly mentioned or will be mentioned in the future. 

 

Things in jars and bottles are a mainstay of the Grand Bazaar and for bookplates.

 

A little guest appearance of Sister, who will be making her debut in book three.

 

This was easily my favorite of this set of bookplates, and it was the first to go at IX. Don't worry, there will likely be another Ethra or two on bookplates before we reach the end. 

 

Like the Smokestack, the fan-favorite of the Gray Wanderer has adorned many bookplates.

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

The Summoner Update and Sneak Peek

At the very end of August, I was in the grove again. Making art for the next installments of The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia and getting things done. IX was ahead of me in October, and there was a lot to be done. I shared the state of things about the Grand Bazaar and beyond at the time and was very optimistic about what was happening. While IX was a success and everything I planned came to fruition, unfortunately, the thing that once again suffered was making time to work on the books. This has been a reoccurring pattern since the beginning of 2020, and while I thought I had moved past it, I have not. The piece I had finished the linework on at the end of August has sat untouched until this week. Thankfully, I have pushed forward with it, and I am once again working on it. Life continues to throw things my way, but the black render is underway. My plan is to have this piece and a smaller second piece completed by the end of the year. Come hell or high water, this is happening. It only takes me sitting in my chair and working. Something that used to be so easy and since 2020 has become increasingly difficult. I hope to share the completed Summoner with you soon, but for now, here are some glimpses at it coming together.

This is where Sister was at as of August 30th. She sat this way for nearly two and a half months.

 

I had to get a bit done on the mid and backgrounds, but once there was enough established, I felt comfortable moving to the figure. ...FINALLY!

 

The figures are going to be back, and side lit. Thankfully I have plenty of reference images to work from when I planned this piece over ten years ago.

 

I have progressed past this point, but I can't show all the image just yet. Need to leave a little for later. As long as I can continue to sit in my chair and work, I will hopefully have something to share with you sooner than later.

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

Chucklehead - Dungeons & Dragons - Process

Today, I am happy to share the process and steps for my contribution to the Dungeons & Dragons supplement, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. This contribution is none other than the goblin with a caramel head, Chucklehead. Chucklehead was described as a little goblin with an apple head. There was also a piece of concept art provided as a starting point for this little monster. Here is the final painting for the Chucklehead.

Chucklehead

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

With the concept art and a brief description of the character, I got to work on some thumbnails. There was a lot to work with, and I was excited to do something fun with Chucklehead. He was described as:

"This goblin works in the Goblin Market, trading toys to visitors. He has a toffee apple for a head, with the sugared glaze chipped away to form a jagged mouth and eyes. His apple flesh is bruised and rotten, and he has a maggot companion who lives inside his head."

This was enough to get my head spinning with ideas for this piece and a chance to breathe some personality into this character. It didn't hurt that characters like Warduke and Zarak were being introduced in this supplement, and as they were favorites of mine from the 1980's toyline, I wanted to see if I could have some fun and combine them all. Here are the thumbnails that I submitted.

Chucklehead - Thumbnails

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

I will be honest, I really, and I mean REALLY wanted to paint option 'A.' Chucklehead holding some action figures of Warduke and Zarak would have been the BEST. But sadly, it was not meant to be. Even though the character was described as trading toys with customers, Production wanted something more reserved. They wanted Chucklehead to be more of a stern boss and not depicted holding or touching toys. As much as it crushed my dreams of painting a Warduke action figure, I knew what needed to be done and got to work on new thumbnails that better fit what I was being asked to create. Here are the revised thumbnails for Chucklehead.

Chucklehead - Revised thumbnails

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

While I was not thrilled with these new thumbnails, they were what was asked for, and option 'B' was selected. With a thumbnail chosen, it was time to get started on the drawings. I got some additional reference together and got to work. Here are the two stages of the Chucklehead drawing, the mid-stage line art, and the final rendered drawing.

Chucklehead  - Line art

 The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

 

Chucklehead  - Drawing

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

11 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Original - AVAILABLE

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

The drawing was approved without comment, and it was time to start painting. I will be honest, even with reference, even with thumbnails, even with a drawing, I was not happy with the look of Chucklehead's folded arms. This character has weird long arms with some unique anatomy, but even taking that into consideration, it still felt off to me. Even though it was approved, I knew I needed to make things right going into the painting. This meant shooting more reference and reworking the drawing as I began the painting. You will notice the new arm arrangement happening in the early stages of the process. Here is the painting for Chucklehead taking shape.

Chucklehead - Process

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

Once I fixed the arms, the painting was straightforward. The concept art for this character was in color, so I had a lot of the work done for me regarding what color clothes and skin he should have. I wanted to make sure the entire piece had a green cast to it. It felt like it worked with this piece. The painting was approved without comment, and the arms change was never brought up. Sometimes you need to get in there and make things right because if you don't, you will definitely hear about it. I wish I had the time to have done more for this book, but if I only had one piece to do, I am glad it was this one. Here again, is the final painting for the Chucklehead.

Chucklehead

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

© 2021 Wizards of the Coast LLC

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

There and Back Again... AGAIN: 2020 - 2021

At the beginning of August, as the Delta variant surged, we were asked to return to the office. As previously mentioned, we were sent home on March 17th, 2020, and it felt like that would be the way of things for the foreseeable future. While it still feels too soon, August was definitely too soon, and it turned out that it was as we were sent home again only a few weeks after returning. I had hoped we had longer before we made this transition again, but I am not in control of such things, and as of today, we are back in the office. While everything is where I left it, nothing feels correct, and it is all out of sorts. I am sure that is part of the adjustment, but it is unsettling to be sure. My home assistant is not happy about this return, and I am likely to hear more about his dissatisfaction with the state of things when I return home. For now, we make the best of it and hope that the office is as safe as it can be.

 

November 15th, 2021 - Back in the office... AGAIN.

My faithful assistant continued to stay on duty through the ups and downs.

He is once again not happy about the current state of things.

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