Emberhorn Minotaur - Princes of the Apocalypse Process

I have another VERY overdue process post for you. Today I am sharing the process and steps that went into the Emberhorn Minotaur piece that I did for the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragon's release of Princes of the Apocalypse. I first shared this piece with you back in April of 2015 which means I painted it in 2014... so, yeah, this is a little overdue. So many other things going on. Anyway, here is how the final piece turned out...

Emberhorn Minotaur
Dungeons & Dragons - Princes of the Apocalypse

12 x 9 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board 

Original available on my web store!

Because this was one of my first traditional paintings for a client it was a rather stressful piece to work on. I talked about this a bit when I shared the process of the campaign piece to this one, Scrag Attack. The Scrag piece had a bit more going for it while I worked on it that this one lacked. In the end this piece was a LOT harder to get across the finish line. The lighting, the figure, and all the items in the scene that I needed to include were just a few of the things I struggled with. Not to mention the composition ended up being a little different then I had planned.

As with each and every other piece I create there were thumbnails. I shot photo reference of me as the Minotaur and as the warrior. I wanted to do a piece that was up close to the action right before the Minotaur, who is breathing fire, slams its axe against the warrior's shield. Here are how those thumbnails turned out...

Emberhorn Minotaur - Thumbnails

While 'B' was the winner, production wanted me to pull the camera back a bit and include the entire weapons for both figures. I REALLY liked the cropped weapons, I felt that it drew more attention to the figures looking at each other and the fire... but I made the change. Also, there Minotaur needed to be a little taller. I was fine with that. Here is how the updated thumbnail turned out...

Emberhorn Minotaur - Updated thumbnail

Now that I had an approved thumbnail it was time to get to work on the drawing. This went quicklu and without issue. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Emberhorn Minotaur

14 x 11 - Pencil on paper

Original - SOLD

There was some concern from production that the fire didn't appear to be going in the right direction. To make sure it looked right I added some more volume to the fire ball and made sure that it was coming forward and did not appear to be blowing to the left. I made this edit digitally since it would have meant erasing a lot of line work on the drawing and would have, in my opinion, made for a less visually appealing drawing. Here is a the edited drawing...

Emberhorn Minotaur - edited drawing

14 x 11 - Pencil on paper with digital edit

With an approved drawing it was time to get started on the painting... and the stressing out and panicking. Here is the painting coming together is 15 stress free steps...

Emberhorn Minotaur - Process progression

The Minotaur was never the problem. The Minotaur was fun and  came together easily. It was the interior, the warrior, and the braiser of coals in the background that caused me nothing but hardship. I fought with this piece for way too long and it nearly won every battle. In house the cavity in the wall above the braiser was an issue and I was told it was not reading at all. Eventually it was removed. This was a learning experience since there was paint over paint over paint by the time I removed it, so that meant even more paint on top that needed to match everything else. Once I got the piece to a point I did not completely hate it I showed it to an outside advisor who told me it was totally not done. The entire environment needed more work as well as a lot of work to the warrior. This in no way totally and completely made me question what I was doing trying to attempt this piece traditionally. ... So I got to work adding more more more to everything. Added a lot more to the environment and reworked the warrior by making him more narrow overall which makes him appear taller. EVENTUALLY, I got to a stopping point and I turned the piece into the client. Here is an animated progression of the painting to better show how the piece evolved...

Emberhorn Minotaur - Animated process progression

I turned the piece in and it was approved, save for one thing that was completely out of my control. Here again is the final painting for the Emberhorn Minotaur...

 

Emberhorn Minotaur 

Dungeons & Dragons - Princes of the Apocalypse 

12 x 9 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board  

Original available on my web store!

While I was given approved reference and style guide images of the Minotaur, at some point it was decided that the new Minotaur hooves were not wanted and more traditional hooves were requested. I made this hoof edit digitally. By the time the edit request came back from production I did not want to have anything to do with this piece anymore and I could do it much quicker and easier digitally. Also, in the long run, the change in the hooves would probably never be an issue or a deal breaker for anyone interested in this piece. I liked the ones I did originally and kept them. Here is the final print version of the Emberhorn Minotaur turned out...

 

Emberhorn Minotaur - Print final 

12 x 9 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board with digital finish 

Learned a lot while working on this piece and hope to never find myself in that situation again anytime soon. I felt like I was dangerously in over my head and that is just not a good place to be while trying to make art, at least for me.

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

Name the Monster Contest Ends Today! Tilt Brush Preview! Looking ahead to "D" Monsters!

Got a lot of different things for you today. A contest reminder, a peek at things to come next week, and look at the long terms as it pertains to the next waive of monster drawings. Let's start off with the Name the Monster Contest...

Who or what am I?

Leave your answer in the comments below to possibly win this drawing!
9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

© 2016 Christopher Burdett

Here again are some rules, or head over to Monday for the whole story...

• Tell me who or what this monster is.
• Submit your entries in the comment section of this blog post or in the comment section of this image when I post it on Facebook on either my account or fan page.
• Everybody gets 3 chance to tell me who or what this is. Please number them so they are clearly separated.
• You do not have to submit all your entries at the same time, just make sure you number them.
• You can submit your entries through Midnight (EST) of Friday June 10th.
• I will announce the winner and winning name on the blog on Monday June 13th. 
• If you choose to incorporate the word "RAWR" into your submission it better be AMAZING because I am not looking for hundred variations of cramming "RAWR" into a name.

The office got in a VR set up and I have been playing around with Tilt Brush. Tilt Brush is a VR painting program from Google. I will be doing a full review next week on the blog with lots of images and gifs of what I have been doing. So far I have spent about 2 hours in the program and have three pieces to share. Here is a preview of things to come...

Tilt Brush Monsters! RAWR!

Last but not least, I have begun getting ready to start up on the remaining "D" monsters from the original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. If you are not familiar with my Fresh From the Drawing Table series, here is the most recent post with ALL the links. I have already completed five of the "D" monsters, but that still leaves 68. That's right, 68 monsters that fall under the letter "D". Most are Dinosaurs, Demons, Devils, and Dragons. Still working on how best to tackle this mighty pile of monsters. I will need to get a game plan since I will be working on these for a while to come. Hopefully I will have new drawings from this series to you soon. Here is a look at the list...

Demons and Devils and Dinosaurs, OH MY!

68 "D" monsters ready to reimagined

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

Fresh from the drawing table... Crocodile (Giant)!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a Crocodile (Giant)! We finally come to the end of the "C" monsters! "C" concludes the way it ought to with a giant reptile monster (RAWR!). I present to you my version of a Crocodile (Giant)… 

  Crocodile (Giant)
9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original - Currently not available 

© 2016 Christopher Burdett

I wanted to see something more out of the Giant Crocodile then just a really big version of a normal crocodile. What if it had some dragon blood in it? What if it was smart and big and was aware of the workings of the world? How would the players react when they finally surface the dense swamp to a clearing to find a massive crocodile sitting on a tree stump? Imagine if the Giant Crocodile then spoke common and invited the players closer to explain why they have trespassed into its kingdom. I think it would become very clear, very quickly that they are either dealing with a benevolent swamp lord curious to their presence or a malevolent extremely powerful swamp lord that is about to dine of their wizard... or both. What if that giant talking crocodile swamp lord suddenly started using magic? The players will really wish they had taken a extended rest after slaughtering that Lizardman hunting party.

This ends the letter "C". "D" is HUGE... there are dragons, dinosaurs, demons, devils, and a whole lot of other things mixed in. I will need to get a game plan together before I jump into "D". Expect another pause in these posts while I work things out.

Current 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (C - ?): Camel (Wild), Cattle (Wild), Centaur, Centipede (Giant), Crayfish (Giant), and Crocodile (Normal).

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.      

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

Scrag Attack - Princes of the Apocalypse Process

I have another VERY overdue process post for you. Today I am sharing the process and steps that went into the Scrag Attack piece that I did for the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragon's release of Princes of the Apocalypse. I first shared this piece with you back in April of 2015 which means I painted it in 2014... so, yeah, this is a little overdue. So many other things going on. Anyway, here is how the final piece turned out...

Scrag Attack

Dungeons & Dragons - Princes of the Apocalypse

  6.5 x 16 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board

Original - SOLD

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

This was one of the very first pieces that I did after deciding to switch the majority of my client work from digital to traditional. This was also a piece I did a lot of freaking out about and over. It was a very nervous time in my monster making life. I was taking a lot of chances and I felt like I was risking it all. We are approaching the two year anniversary when I made the switch so I will be interesting to see where I am when that roles around.

I was relying heavily on all if my best practices that I learned in my digital process flow to make the switch to traditional that much easier. That meant starting off with reference gathering and thumbnails. Here is how the thumbnails turned out for this piece...

Scrag Attack - Thumbnails

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast 

Option "C" was the winner, production just wanted a little more bleed and to bet the Troll's elbow into the composition. There was a bit of a run around with this aquatic troll too. It was in the adventure, but an aquatic troll did not exist yet for 5th Edition. I was asked to that the Troll template and add gills and webbed figures. There was some back and forth and eventually it was approved and went through, though I was a little nervous for a moment or two. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Scrag Attack - Drawing

  11 x 17 - Pencil on paper

Original - SOLD

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

With an approved drawing I was physically ready to start the final painting, mentally ready... that is another situation altogether. I had no idea about how long this painting would take. I had no idea what obstacles I would face. I had no idea when I was even done with the painting... did I even ever actually finish it? Like I said, there were a lot of risks being taken and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Here is a look at the painting coming together...

Scrag Attack - Process progression

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

I was pretty much in a state of wild panic through out this entire piece. If you look at the last image in the process above, this is where I first thought this piece was finished. Through a bit of a personal crisis and some advice from another artist I went back in and continued working on this piece to the point you see in the final state. I learned A LOT doing this piece and its companion piece (the fire breathing Minotaur that I will share the process with you soon). Sometimes you learn the most when you have the most to loose. You also learn a lot by doing the actual work and not by planning and practicing ahead of time. Here is an animated progression of this piece coming together so you can better see the steps...

Scrag Attack - Animated process

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

To put it bluntly, there was a lot of blood split to finish this piece. It took its tool on me and my dear wife, but in the end it was finished, approved, published, and sold. The painting saw its entire lifespan so it was a victory. I just did not know at the time I started it that it would be so costly, emotionally speaking. Live and learn! Here again is the final painting for your viewing pleasure...

Scrag Attack

Dungeons & Dragons - Princes of the Apocalypse

  6.5 x 16 - Acrylic, pencil, and gouache on board

Original - SOLD

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

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

Fresh from the drawing table... Crocodile (Normal)!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a Crocodile (Normal)! Nearly at the end of the "C" monsters we arrive at a very pudgy crocodilian. This of course means the GIANT crocodile is next which is also the LAST of the "C" monsters. I present to you my version of a Crocodile (Normal)…  

  Crocodile (Normal)
9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original - Currently not available 

© 2016 Christopher Burdett

The regular ole mundane crocodile is sought for their lavish horde of treasure. Depending on the size of the crocodile they have a large horde of crocodile hide armor, crocodile hide boots, crocodile hide belts, crocodile hide pouches, and crocodile bone weapons. Just kidding, these things only exist so that they can jump out of the water suddenly to attack player characters and in turn be XP for said characters. All the crocodile hopes for is to be left long enough to have a rich and fulfilling crocodile life. It might sound like a sweet gig when the goblin come and offer you your own swimming pool in the bottom of a dungeon, but really you are shortening your life considerably cause you are just a meat trap waiting to happen.

Current 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (C - ?): Camel (Wild), Cattle (Wild), Centaur, Centipede (Giant), and Crayfish (Giant).

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.      

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

Fresh from the drawing table... Crayfish (Giant)!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a Crayfish (Giant)! Continuing with the "C" monsters we arrive at another giant version of a mundane critter, a crayfish. Pretty much a giant insect, but this one lives in the water. I present to you my version of a Crayfish (Giant)… 

Crayfish (Giant)

9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original - Currently not available

© 2016 Christopher Burdett

Continuing in my traditon of giant dead insect things floating in the water I present to you the Giant Crayfish. Not quite big enough to build a tower on, but big enough to tie your boat to for repairs... right before the giant parasites that killed the Giant Crayfish eat you. That is the circle of life in the Realms after all, you have to expect such things. Not going to blame an idiot with a spell for these Giant Crayfish. Most likely they are totally natural, or at least the product of an overzealous crayfish farmer that really wanted to win the local fair. Totally normal, totally not made with magic... nope, not this time... TOTALLY not the fault of magic. Yep, totally the fault of magic and now hundreds are dead. 

Current 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (C - ?): Camel (Wild), Cattle (Wild), Centaur, and Centipede (Giant).

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.      

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