Interstellar Express Part 6 - Environment Finals

Today, I am continuing my posts focused on my work from Interstellar Express, the educational game I art directed and made many assists. This week I am sharing the final art for the environments I created. Let's get back to the Interstellar Express! 

Interstellar Express space screen

Final art by Lee Bretschneider

The environment art was some of the most complex elements I created for the game. Each planet has a layered environment that will allow parallax scrolling. There is a background, which is stationary, and a looping middle ground and background. In addition to these three layers, the attraction element will be featured when you reach your final destination. These were a lot of fun and very different from what I usually create, so it was a great opportunity to flex some underused art muscles. I enjoyed making each layer separately and working with all three to push and pull the layers to create depth and visual separation. I plan to share some of the environments in motion, but that is for another post for another project. I present you with the final environment art of Interstellar Express.

 

The generic alien world with and without the attraction.

The bug world with and without the attraction.

 

The bird world with and without the attraction.

As a side note for this one, it was one of the first I finished, and when I had completed them all, I went back and completely reworked it. I had initially made it with white clouds and a blue sky. Once compared to the other, it fell a little flat and was visually similar to the elemental world. Shifting it to more of a sunset color palette made it much more visually exciting and unique when compared to the other planets.

 

The elemental world with and without the attraction.

 

The lava world with and without the attraction.

 

The lost desert world with and without the attraction.

 

The ocean world with and without the attraction.

 

The robot world with and without the attraction.

 

The shapes world with and without the attraction.

 

The space dinosaur world with and without the attraction.

Space dinosaurs are both advance and retro.

 

The train station world. Ultimately, I am unsure how much this will be used or seen in the game. The middle ground was never meant to fully loop.

The train car interior. This section should get a lot of use as it is the background whenever the aliens and universal translator interact with the user. The background outside the windows will be a space field created for a separate game element and will be reused here.

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

Coming to Gen Con 2022 - New ART!

I am happy to share another surprise I have in store for Gen Con 2022 in August. You can check out the first surprise and second surprise that I already shared. I will be debuting a new large piece of art for book two, The Completed Circle, at Gen Con next week! I present to you with A World of Stories. 

Oops, it looks like the camera was focused on the enamel pin of the crest of Ethra.

Sorry about that; you will have to come to see it at Gen Con.

Joking aside, it wouldn't be much of a Gen Con surprise if you got to see it before Gen Con. The piece is currently unframed and likely will not be properly displayed, but if you ask me about it, I will gladly let you see it and even hold it! The piece is 16x20 and is pencil, paint, and ink on paper. It is the first large plate in the book and is a piece I wanted to include in the first book, but there was neither room nor time for it. Thankfully, there is a place for it in the second book, and I am glad I waited to work on it since it is now a better piece. If you have followed me on social media, you have likely seen sneak peeks of this piece over the past month or so. If you missed them, here they are.

Various production peeks that I shared on social media recently.

Be sure to stop by artist alley booth 39 for all your Grand Bazaar needs! You can get the tote bags and badge ribbons for FREE with purchases. You will be able to look at the art for free! I hope to see you there as we inch ever closer.

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

Box of Forbidden Objects - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

I am thrilled to share another new piece from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia. This illustration is for Book Two: The Completed Circle. This piece is one of the supporting images for the book section dedicated to the Cryptic Knight. Some believe that the Cryptic Knight and others of his kind that wield Qurynel blades are, in fact, not of the world of Kiervis. Long have been rumors that those with the knowledge and skill to use the Qurynel blade are travelers from worlds never imagined. It is yet to be seen if this is true, but Kiervis has been visited by, intentionally and unintentionally, beings from other worlds and planes of existence. With these travelers come many dangers. Chief among them are objects derived from higher forms of mathematics and magicks. While ordinary to the travelers, these objects are not yet meant for the inhabitants of Kiervis and may disrupt natural growth at best and, at worst, might result in destruction. Ethra does their best to gather these objects whenever they are abandoned to keep them safe. I present to you with the Box of Forbidden Objects.

Box of Forbidden Objects

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
9 x 12 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Available on my store
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

Box of Forbidden Objects - Drawing 

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

 

This was the sixth and final smaller piece I wanted to finish before moving to larger, more involved works in book two. Each section of book two will have at least two supporting art pieces. They will help flesh out the section and add context to things in and beyond the Grand Bazaar. The main art for the first three sections of the book are completed, so it only seemed natural to complete the supporting pieces as well. With them finished, I have moved on to much larger pieces that will keep me in the chair drawing for a while. Here is a look at the sketch for the Box of Forbidden Objects to show where it began.

Box of Forbidden Objects - Sketch 

Digital
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

As a bonus, I have some images of the rendering process of this piece so that you can get a better idea of it taking shape.   

Box of Forbidden Objects - Process

© 2022 Christopher Burdett

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

Interstellar Express Part 5 - Planet Finals

Today, I am continuing my posts focused on my work from Interstellar Express, the educational game I art directed and made many assists. This week I am sharing the final art for the planets I created. Let's get back to the Interstellar Express!

Interstellar Express space screen

Final art by Lee Bretschneider

From the beginning of the project, I wanted the planets to have character and not be simple spheres. I wanted them to be instantly recognizable and unique while being visually interesting and fun. That meant breaking the sphere and creating things unlike any planet we have observed. I am happy with how they turned out, and they were a lot of fun to bring to life. I present you with the final planet art of Interstellar Express.

The lava planet was where I first thought about breaking the sphere and making a more exciting shape that played up the theme of that world.

The bird world that has no birds has some sphere to it but then highlights the visual elements that you will encounter once you are in the environment. 

The (robot-less) robot world isn't even a planet, but more of a constructed from in space - head-like in its appearance.

The lost desert world is straightforward.

The bug world was a fun one with giant mushrooms towering into space.

The world of elements embodies vapor, water, and ice.

The ocean world was a fun one and plays into the concept of these planets having a top and bottom. 

One of my favorites is, of course, the shape world. I was pleased with the look and finish of it.

Generic alien planet for all your generic alien needs.

Lastly, the dinosaur planet that wasn't destroyed by an asteroid.

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

Coming to Gen Con 2022 - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia Badge Ribbons!

I am happy to share another surprise I have in store for Gen Con 2022 in August. You can check out the first surprise that I already shared. I present to you with the Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia badge ribbon that you will be able to obtain for free with any purchase!

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia Badge Ribbon will be available at Gen Con 2022!

If you know Gen Con, then you will know how big badge ribbons are there. You get them from playing Catan, you get them to announce or orientation, or if you are an alley, you get them just about anywhere at the convention. I have seen attendees with badge ribbons stretching to the floor, only for them to have started a second row. I have gotten them, and I think they are a really neat convention-specific item. They were also the first item I wanted to get made for Gen Con back in 2020 when I was initially going to be a Featured Artist. As COVID spread and it became clear that GC would not happen in 2020, I shelved the idea and forgot all about it. A month ago, I remembered that I wanted to have ribbons for the convention and rushed to make it a reality. They have arrived with time to spare, and I can not be happier.

Be sure to stop by artist alley booth 39 for all your Grand Bazaar needs! You can get the tote bags and badge ribbons for FREE with purchases. I hope to see you there as we inch ever closer.

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

Sword Shards - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

I am thrilled to share another new piece from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia. This illustration is for Book Two: The Completed Circle. This piece is one of the supporting images for the book section dedicated to the Cryptic Knight. The Cryptic Knight is a skilled blade master who wields one of the fabled Qurynel swords. The Qurynel blade is said to be so smooth and polished that it reflects any light giving it the appearance of glowing. Thought to be the stuff of legend or simply lost over the thousands of years since such Knights walked the world, the Qurynel blades are the stuff of tall tales and folklore, or are they? Ethra believes they have found what is likely the only surviving Qurynel blade if that is what it truly is. The blade still glows when hit with light and remains deadly sharp even after being found buried under the ruins of the lost fortress of Chohgult. I present to you with Sword Shards.

Sword Shards

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
9 x 12 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - SOLD
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

 

Sword Shards - Drawing 

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

 

This was the fifth of six smaller pieces I wanted to finish before moving to larger, more involved works in book two. Each section of book two will have at least two supporting art pieces. They will help flesh out the section and add context to things in and beyond the Grand Bazaar. The main art for the first three sections of the book are completed, so it only seemed natural to complete the supporting pieces as well. With them finished, I have moved on to much larger pieces that will keep me in the chair drawing for a while. Here is a look at the sketch for the Sword Shards to show where it began.

 

Sword Shards- Sketch 

Digital
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

As a bonus, I have some images of the rendering process of this piece so that you can get a better idea of it taking shape.   

Sword Shards- Process

© 2022 Christopher Burdett

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