Friday, December 29, 2023

Spectator 2D Miniature

Today, I have another recently released 2D miniature based on one of my Dungeons & Dragons concepts. As with the others, this is a monster that already received a 3D mini, so now we have more minis, and that is a truly wonderful thing. This time around, it is the Spectator that I designed during the concept push for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Here is how the final concept design for the Spectator turned out.

Spectator (originally Gauth during the concept push)
5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Monster concept
© 2014 Wizards of the Coast
 
If you want to seek out the set this miniature is in, here is an image of the packaging. The 2D Spectator can be found in the Beholder Hive set of the D&D Idols of the Realms line of miniatures.  

Beholder Hive

The 2D minis are very high quality, and the printing is excellent. There are bases for all miniatures, which are arranged by size. Here is the 2D miniature of the Spectator.
 
Spectator 2D Miniature

I mentioned that this particular monster already has a 3D miniature. I always liked how the original miniature turned out, but this new 2D mini has a ton of detail and look awesome. Here is the 3D mini for the Spectator.

The Spectator miniature in all its glory.

That's 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

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Quab Portrait - 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 will be a character portrait accompanying one of the short blurbs at the beginning of a chapter. I shared more about these with the first post focused on these portraits. With most of these, I have an idea regarding their voice and placement in the book, but the fun part is that it is not set in stone and may turn into something very different from what I first plannedI present you with a Quab (name to come later); just make sure you don't get any on you.

Quab
The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
5 x 5 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - AVAILABLE!
© 2023 Christopher Burdett

Quab - Drawing 
5 x 5 - Pencil on paper
© 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
These are the smallest pieces created for the books. There is something charming about a 5 x 5 image, and I have already framed them up. Here is a look at the sketch for the Quab to show where it started.

Quab - Sketch 
 Digital 
© 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
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

Friday, December 22, 2023

2024 Convention Annoucment!

I am thrilled to announce what will hopefully be one of several events that I will be attending in 2024! Notices went out a couple days ago, and I will be returning to the main show of Illuxcon in Reading, PA, in October 2024. We love IX, and after the bumpy journey this year with all the car trouble and craziness, we are doubly pleased to have a nice long trip next year - hopefully with 1000% less chaos. I will share more once we get closer to October; I am sure I will have a surprise or two planned.

That's 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

Friday, December 15, 2023

Monstrous Fauna: Before Woodbane’s Journal of Beings came from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Over a year ago I mentioned a project I created in college, a book of monster research called, Monstrous Fauna. I had every intention to share this with you sooner (I was completely done with all the scanning and archiving back in June!), but it has been a busy, crazy, weird year. But, here we are at the end of 2023, and I am sharing with you something I made in 1998. You can guarantee I am anything but punctual. While I talked a lot about the history in my previous post, this post is completely dedicated to getting the Monstrous Fauna into your hands! A .pdf of the uncompleted book is NOW AVAILABLE!

19.5x13.5
Mixed media hand-made book featuring drawings, etchings, and handwritten text
© 1998-2023 Christopher Burdett

Now, you can enjoy something that I wrote and illustrated in college without the worry of checking my spelling or grammar. Why I decided to write it all by hand, I haven't a clue. I suppose I thought it was how it needed to be done. I am glad I did things differently when the Grand Bazaar rolled around. 

As a reminder, this book is in many ways a precurser to what I did with the Grand Bazaar, and that the charactor of Woodbane has been around with me for a long time. While Woodbane was once very important to me he has lived on as an author and researcher in my world, having made many books about monsters of his own. I feel that it is best that he was no longer a warrior and is now a being of scholarly pursuits, even though they are a hunter and trapper as well. Needless to say, in the fullness of time, we will see Woodbane make an appearance in the Grand Bazaar. 

For those that has chosen not to download the .pdf of Monstrous Fauna I have some page spread images that you can enjoy. The consists of a many etchings, drawings, and hand written text. It follows a group of Geakkoon through a section of the Leon County sinks as they encounter other creatures, friend and foe.

All images © 1998-2023 Christopher Burdett

As an added bonus, here is something that is not in the book, an image of me, as Woodbane, holding the book in a camp instalation that I made at the Leon County sinks for the group show that the book was created for. Okay, that may have been a lot and a little confusing. While at college, I took an art class that took place at the sinks, and we would walk the trails each class and make notes, sketch, take photos, and commune with nature. During the sememeter we were expected to have completed art that was enfluenced by the sinks and our time there. For the class, the book was my project. At the end of the sememster the class put on a show out at the sinks. I built a campsite with props and a tent. I built a Woodbane costume and spoke with those that attended the show about the book and the research I was doing. I would hand the book over to people and then discuss the many monster species that can be found at the sinks. I also made a giant insect monster that I placed elsewhere at the sinks. Unfortunately, I can not find any photos of the giant insect currently. Maybe one day, they will surface. The best moment of the show was when a very excited child came running to tell me they saw a giant monster bug.

Woodbane in all his, uh... majesty.
Be sure to check out Monstrous Fauna!

That is all for another exciting week on the blog. From here until the end of the year, my regular posting my be a little irregular with travel, the holidays, and needing to get a ton of things done. So, hopefully, I will be posting again before the new year, but if not, see you in 2024! Until then...

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

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Remembering Camden Toy

Last week, I learned that a friend of mine in Los Angeles has been secretly battling cancer since 2020. While I completely support anyone's decision with what they share and do not share, especially about health matters, this came as a shock. He was no longer able to comminicate, so the annocument was made on his behalf and to let people know that he was near the end. A few days ago, he passed and is no longer in pain. 

I met Camden Toy while living and working in special makeup effects. The first monsters I design for Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the Gnarl demon for season 7. The actor to play the roll was Camden, and he soon became a frequnt visitor to the shop. He was kind, gernous, feriendly, funny, and an all around amazing human. This, this is all just so horribly sad. He was truly a good person. I had the pelasure to design several of the monsters he portrayed. Near the end of my time in LA, I was lucky enough to apply his makeup for a movie, while in my own makeup for the same movie, and then we got to run around and play zombies in the movie together. I have some really nice memories of Camden, but for now, I need to hold them close.

Makeup design by me/portrayed by Camden Toy

Makeup design by me/portrayed by Camden Toy

Makeup design for both by me/Camden's makeup application and paint work by me

That is all for today. See you back here tomorrow. Until then...

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

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Giveaways - Artist Proof Drawings

For the Black Friday/Cyber Monday event this year, I sketched up a bunch of Kaijudo artist proofs that were giveaways for qualifying purchases. They seem to have been a big hit, and it is something I might do again in the future - BUT I do have two remaining artist proofs available, and the next two purchases from my store will each get one! For those unfamiliar with my work on Kaijudo, you can get that info here on the blog. These were something I did in my limited downtime for fun. Here are some of my favorites.

While my Kaijudo Artist Proofs are no longer available since there has zero interest in them for years my Magic the Gathering artist proofs are still available with and without black and white or color drawings!

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

Monday, December 11, 2023

Ptilopt Portrait - 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 will be a character portrait accompanying one of the short blurbs at the beginning of a chapter. I shared more about these with the first post focused on these portraits. With most of these, I have an idea regarding their voice and placement in the book, but the fun part is that it is not set in stone and may turn into something very different from what I first plannedI present you with a Ptilopt (silent 'P'!) (name to come later) to let you know you are in a restricted area

Ptilopt
The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
5 x 5 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - SOLD
© 2023 Christopher Burdett

Ptilopt - Drawing 
5 x 5 - Pencil on paper
© 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
These are the smallest pieces created for the books. There is something charming about a 5 x 5 image, and I have already framed them up. They look great in a frame and made an excellent addition to my conventions this year. Now that convention seasion is over I will have all remaining portraits on my store soon. Here is a look at the sketch for the Ptilopt to show where it started.

 
Ptilopt - Sketch 
 Digital 
© 2023 Christopher Burdett

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here soon! Until then...

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

Friday, December 8, 2023

Gazer 2D Miniature

Today, I have another recently released 2D miniature based on one of my Dungeons & Dragons paintings. As with the others, this is a monster that already received a 3D mini, so now we have more minis, and that is a truly wonderful thing. This time around, it is the Gazer that I designed and illustrated for Volo's Guide to Monsters. Here is how the final illustration for the Gazer turned out.

Beholder Gazer
Volo's Guide to Monsters
11 x 14 - Digital
Art Director - Kate Irwin
© 2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC
 
If you want to seek out the set this miniature is in, here is an image of the packaging. The 2D YGazer can be found in the Beholder Hive set of the D&D Idols of the Realms line of miniatures.  
 
Beholder Hive

The 2D minis are very high quality, and the printing is excellent. There are bases for all miniatures, which are arranged by size. Here is the 2D miniature of the Gazer
 
Gazer 2D Miniature

I mentioned that this particular monster already has a 3D miniature. As this is a tiny monster, the miniatures are always too small to get all the detail in. With the 2D printed mini, you are able to get a bit more in there, and it really reads well. I love how faithful it is to my painting, even at this size. Here is the 3D mini for the Gazer.

Gazer Miniature

That's 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

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The Pierian: Literary + Visual Arts Journal

I am thrilled to share my contribution to The Pierian: Literary + Visual Arts Journal. The Pierian is a literary and art publication from Albany State University in Georgia. I was approached to contribute to their first issue in nine years. After this long of a career, I generally try not to assume my inclusion in anything I submit to, so it was nice to see that one of my pieces from the Grand Bazaar made it in. The piece selected was Fortune Teller and will appear in book three, in the fullness of time. Here is the final illustration for Fortune Teller.

Fortune Teller
The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - In the Black
13 x 17 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Available
© 2021 Christopher Burdett
 
As this is a digital publication, you can check this latest issue for free! Any links in this post will take you directly there or to the main home. I would like to extend a huge thanks to Ansley Simmons for including me in this adventure.

And finally, here is the image as it appears in The Pierian 2023.

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

Monday, December 4, 2023

Mii-Ytoi Portrait - 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 will be a character portrait accompanying one of the short blurbs at the beginning of a chapter. I shared more about these with the first post focused on these portraits. With most of these, I have an idea regarding their voice and placement in the book, but the fun part is that it is not set in stone and may turn into something very different from what I first plannedI present you with a Mii-Ytoi (name to come later) that was mentioned in book one but gets a face in book two.

Mii-Ytoi
The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
5 x 5 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - SOLD
© 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
Mii-Ytoi - Drawing 
5 x 5 - Pencil on paper
© 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
These are the smallest pieces created for the books. There is something charming about a 5 x 5 image, and I have already framed them up. They look great in a frame and made an excellent addition to my conventions this year. Now that convention seasion is over I will have all remaining portraits on my store soon. Here is a look at the sketch for the Mii-Ytoi to show where it started.
 
Mii-Ytoi - Sketch 
 Digital 
 © 2023 Christopher Burdett
 
That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here soon! Until then... 
 
For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com