The DOODLES, DESIGNS, and aRT of CHRISTOPHER BURDETT: Galactic Ambitions

Showing posts with label Galactic Ambitions. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Concussion Rifle - Star Wars: Galactic Ambitions - Process

Today I have the steps and process that went into my Concussion Rifle card for the Galactic Ambitions expansion of the Star Wars LCG. I first announced this piece over a year ago, and it is well past the appropriate time to share the process. Sometimes there just is not enough time, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. Here is how the final Concussion Rifle painting turned out...

Concussion Rifle

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original - NFS

This was originally my one and only assignment for Galactic Ambitions, and it received my entire focus at the time I was working on it. The 4-LOM assignment came later. I started this piece off, as I do every assignment, with a reference shoot and thumbnails. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Concussion Rifle - Thumbnails

I really liked all of these thumbnails. I still do. I would really like to still go back and draw each of these thumbnails into a finalized drawing. The Besalisk are a fun species, and I find so much room for personality in their faces and anatomy. As you can tell by the final painting, option "B" was the winner, and it was just as good as any for me at the time. Hindsight obviously shows that "B" is the overall best pick for the assignment, the card, and the limited narrative of the piece.

Speaking of reference... I shared one of these at the time I first shared the card, but here are the other two reference composites that I used when working out the thumbnails. Nothing like making yourself out to be another monster...

Concussion Rifle reference

Photos by Achsa Nute

With reference and an approved thumbnail, is was, of course time to get started on the final drawing. A short time of scribbling and drawing later, you get your very own finalized drawing...

Concussion Rifle

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original for sale over on my web store!

There were no notes or issues with the drawing, and I was given the go-ahead to get started on the final painting. The only real art direction for this piece came with the art order; it needed to be a Besalisk holding the concussion rifle, the rifle was the focus, and it takes place outside. I think I nailed those points. In just 12 easy steps, I had myself a painting. Or not... All things considered, this one did move along rather quickly. The environment was particularly fun. I wanted to do something with a lot of green and bendy trees. Here is the painting coming together...

Concussion Rifle - Process steps

With every painting, I try to do something different. I might want to do something with the color palette, the equipment, and gear, maybe something with the detail levels, or even hide something in plain sight to see if anyone notices. No matter what it is, I try to make each piece enjoyable on several levels. This one is no different. I made it fun, and I hope that reads in the final painting. Here is an animated progression of the painting so you can better see the steps in the process...

Concussion Rifle - Animated progression

There were no notes of changes after the painting was turned in, and this has been a favorite of mine since I completed it. This is not always the case with my work, but that is how it is sometimes. Here again, is the finished painting as well as how it looks on the production card it was made for...

Concussion Rifle

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Concussion Rifle in handy dandy card form!

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

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

4-LOM - Star Wars: Galactic Ambitions - Process

Today I have for you the steps and process that went into my 4-LOM character card for the Star Wars LCG. I felt it was fitting since the piece sold at Gen Con a few weeks ago. I have shared a little about receiving the assignment for this piece when it was first announced and I shared some of the ups and downs of my varnishing woes and how it relates to this piece. While I love these stories there is no reason to cover old ground. Here is how the final 4-LOM painting turned out...

4-LOM

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original - SOLD

Since I had such a short deadline for this piece I hit the ground running and needed to get some thumbnails done super quick. I dug out my 4-LOM figures and shot reference of myself and the figures to get the ball rolling. The assignment called for 4-LOM smashing through a door and firing off its concussion rifle. Pretty straight forward... and it needed to be with only days to spare to get it all done. Here are the how the thumbnails turned out...

4-LOM - Thumbnails

I have not looked at these thumbnails since I turned them in and I am really liking option "A". I might have to revisit that thumbnail for a drawing when I have the time. Obviously, option "B" was selected and after being asked to add more bleed I was approved to get started on the drawing. It seem like no matter how much bleed I add and no matter how strictly I work with the approved templates I never seem to get it right. I am just no good at working with templates or more bleed is purposefully being requested so that the piece can be used elsewhere at a later date. Anyway, here is how the final drawing turned out...

4-LOM

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original for sale over on my web store!

The drawing was approved and I was all set to get started on the final painting. You might notice something a little off in the drawing. I thought it was correct at the time, but I must have been getting lazy and not watching what I am doing. The curve of the doorway and face above it are in no way symmetrical. I REALLY should have addressed this in the drawing, but I didn't notice it or, like I said, I got lazy and blew it off. It could have been I was dealing with a 5 day deadline for this painting and I was cutting every corner I could. When you look at painting coming together, notice is step four when I painted in the curve of the doorway, this is when I went in and redrew the curve and the face to make sure it was correct. While this was a bit further along then it should have been, at least I caught it relatively early. Here is the painting coming together in 15 easy steps...

4-LOM - Process steps

This piece came together VERY quickly because it had to and I used every trick I could to make sure it worked and got finished. The fact that it is snowing outside came about as I was working on the piece. I thought it would be fun and allowed me to add steam and smoke to make the image more interesting for myself. It is the little things that make it fun for me. Here is an animated progression of the painting so you can better see the steps in the process...

4-LOM - Animated progression

Here again is a look at the finished painting, glad it has found itself a new home!

4-LOM

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

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, January 18, 2016

Concussion Rifle - Star Wars LCG: Galactic Ambitions

As mentioned last week, the newest deluxe expansion, Galactic Ambitions, to the Star Wars Living Card Game has been announced. It just so happens that in the announcement article that both of my cards appearing in this set were spoiled! Last week I shared with you my 4-LOM painting; this week, I have the second painting, a Besalisk, having a lot of fun with a Concussion Rifle...

Concussion Rifle

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original- NFS

Concussion Rifle

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original for sale over on my web store!

First and foremost, this painting is in NO WAY a self-portrait... nope, tooootally not...

Okay, you got me; this piece is totally a self-portrait of me as a gun-wielding Besalisk...

Handy dandy Concussion Rifle reference

(Expect more when I post the process of this piece in the coming months!)

Photo by Achsa Nute

I had thought when takingabout this assignment that this piece would be my only contribution to Galactic Ambitions. With that in mind, I poured a lot of attention into this piece and had much fun working on it. While I love an excellent aberrant tentacled beast, the chance to paint myself as a monster is also a love of mine. Adding a little playfulness or humor goes a long way too! I am still thrilled with how all my thumbnails turned out for this piece. I still may finish them as drawings at some point. This, by far was my favorite concept for this piece. I am thrilled with how this painting turned out as well; at the time it really felt like a turning point in my handling of paint. I hope to talk further about this when I share the process of this painting.

Concussion Rifle in handy dandy card form!

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

Monday, January 11, 2016

4-LOM - Star Wars LCG: Galactic Ambitions

Late last week the newest deluxe expansion, Galactic Ambitions, to the Star Wars Living Card Game was announced. It just so happens that in the announcement article that both of my cards appearing in this set were spoiled! I will be sharing one with you this week and one with you next week. First up is the mighty bounty hunter droid, 4-LOM...

4-LOM

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

14 x 11 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original - SOLD

4-LOM

Star Wars LCG - Galactic Ambitions

17 x 14 - Pencil on paper

Art Director - Taylor Ingvarsson

Original for sale over on my web store!

I received this assignment when I reentered the country after having been in Italy and German for close to two weeks last summer. I had already worked on a piece for Galactic Ambitions (look for it next Monday) and had long since turned it in before the trip to Europe. 4-LOM was a straggler and had a ridiculously tight deadline, something around five days from start to finish. I almost didn't take the assignment until I saw it was for 4-LOM. Any other droid, save for IG-88, R2-D2, or C3PO, would not have gotten that type of attention from me with only five days for thumbnails, drawing, and full painting. It came together, thankfully, very fast and I made the deadline with time to spare. AND, I am really happy with how the piece turned out.

4-LOM in handy dandy preview card form!

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