Bestiary: Lost World - Process

Been talking a lot about Magic the Gathering recently and thought I would switch it up today with some Dungeons & Dragons. Still clearing out my blog queue of items that have been patiently waiting to get posted. Today I have the process that went into designing and making the cover for Dragon Magazine issue 42. I first shared this with you way back in September of 2013... it sure has been waiting awhile to be posted! So that we are all on the same page, here is how the cover for Dragon #42 turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427
Digital

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Not only was I tasked with painting the cover, but I was also asked to design three new prehistoric drakes that would be featured on the cover. One was the size of a large dog and was to be used as a hunting pack animal, one was big enough to ride, and one was a massive monster of a creature. Three new monsters mixed in with a hunting party of goblins and hobgoblins, what could possibly go wrong? I got to work on concepts and thumbnails, first on the new monsters concepts and then on the overall composition thumbnails for the illustration. Here are how the monster concepts turned out...

Venomous Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Sabermaw Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Ironclaw Urdrake Concepts

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Now that I had some monster concepts I began working up the thumbnails using my favorite designs. Subtle influence on the art director? Possibly... but Kate has always been an amazing AD and she had her favorite monsters and her preferred thumbnail. Here is how the thumbnails for the illustration turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Thumbnails

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Thumbnails turned in and decisions made. A little from column A, B, and C and the monsters and composition is all decided upon. Time for the final drawing and time to work up all the detail and figure out all the vague bit in the thumbnail. Here is how the final drawing turned out...

Bestiary: Lost World - Drawing

11 x 14

Pencil on Paper

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved and it was time to paint! In just 12 easy steps... yeah, right... This was a cover and it had a ton of stuff going on, so I was a little apprehensive about this one. All in all, much to my surprise, it came together extremely quickly and without any major brain melting moments. Here is the painting coming together in 12 steps...

Bestiary: Lost World - Process steps

To help better illustrate the painting taking shape here is an animated gif of the process. You can see what changed along the way a bit better. Like when I got rid of a huge vine or changed the perspective of the Ironclaw's head. There is the expected pushing and pulling of the environment to get the right focus and contrast. ANIMATED...

Bestiary: Lost World - Process animation thing

The painting was approved without revision and production was happy. All in all, a success in my books. Covers do not come my way often, but when they do, I ponce on them. Here again is the final illustration and how it appeared as the cover (it was also used as the lead graphic for an article of the same name and appears in the magazine without cropping)...

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Dragon Magazine Issue 427 Cover

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

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427

After posting my first Magic the Gathering cards on the blog on Monday I was wondering what I was going to do today that could hold up against that news. Well, a quick glance at the Dungeons & Dragons website solved my dilemma... My cover to Dragon Magazine issue 427 is now out! And look, there are LOTS of monsters on it...

Bestiary: Lost World - Dragon Magazine Issue 427

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Besides being the cover for this month's issue of Dragon, this illustration is also the main piece for the article, Bestiary: Lost World. Not only did I get to paint hobgoblins and goblins but I got to design and illustrate three brand new prehistoric D&D monsters (RAWR)! This was a big piece for me... on many levels and I am very happy with how it turned out. I have produced a lot of single monster pieces over the years and this asked a lot more from me. Here is how the illustration looks cropped down for the cover...

Dragon Magazine Issue 427 Cover

The D&D home page today! RAWR!

I am looking forward to sharing with you the process that went into this piece. I did a bit of design work on the three prehistoric D&D monsters and I have been looking forward to sharing it. The final drawing that I did for this piece was also larger then my usual drawings since there is so much more going on. Hopefully I will have the process post for this piece on the blog in the coming weeks!

I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to Kate Irwin for involving me on this project and for her art direction on this piece! This piece was a big step forward for me and I am glad I have shown her I was ready and prepared for this assignment.

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog, see you back here on Friday for some Magic drawings! Until then...

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

Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain - miniature

About a year ago I designed a miniature for Blitzkrieg Laboratories and I am pleased to share my design as well as the finished miniature with you today. I was asked to design a hobgoblin riding a warg and I was instantly interested. They already had a base hobgoblin design that I needed to stick to but the rest was up to me. This is how the final design turned out...

Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain

© 2013 Blitzkrieg Laboratories 

I remember this project moving along quickly and it was one of the smoothest interactions I have had for a miniature design. Hard to go wrong with a hobgoblin riding a giant wolf! Jump ahead a year... the production miniature is now available from Gorgon Studios and there are other hobgoblins to choose from too! Here is how the Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain miniature turned out when it is all painted up...

Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain - Painted miniature

(Image from Gorgon Studios)

You might notice some changes that the sculpture implemented, but the piece is true to the design and I think it looks great. I got some of these guys in the mail this week and it is a really nice piece to hold in the hand. This is the first of my miniature designs to be released in metal which is pretty cool. Everything up until now has been plastic... so this really hits home with the miniatures that got me interested in D&D and well, miniatures. Here are some images of my copy of the Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain...

Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain - unpainted miniature

Complied below are my roughs and comps for this miniature. Like I said, it felt like this miniature came together very quickly and I had completely forgotten some of the variations I was playing around with. I still like the idea of the front heavy warg, though I don't think I pushed it enough here... they feel... inflated. Hurm, maybe I was moving a little too fast...

Hobgoblin Wolfrider Chieftain - concepts

© 2013 Blitzkrieg Laboratories

This was a really fun project and I hope that I have another chance to work with Blitzkrieg Laboratories. If I do you know I will be sure to share it here on the blog when the miniatures are released!

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... Hobgoblin!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a Hobgoblin! The first time through it was really hard not to pick the Hobgoblin for 'H'. At the time I felt I had already done a lot of humanoid monsters so I went with the Hydra over the Hobgoblin. Now that I am making a second pass I can be sure to remedy the situation. I present to you my version of a Hobgoblin...

Hobgoblin
© 2011 Christopher Burdett

Better equipped then Goblins and more organized then Bugbears the Hobgoblin is a real threat to the world of man. I continued with some of the anatomical arrangements I established with the Goblin so that they are visibly of a similar genetic stock. The Hobgoblins are much bigger and stronger then its more diminutive Goblin cousin. I really wanted to portray the Hobgoblin as a much more well organized professional soldier so I made sure his weapons and armor were well made and in good shape. It all came together when I found a great photo reference image I had (but didn't know I had) of an archer aiming high... the rest was super fun monster drawing time.

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 Wednesday on the blog! Since there is a holiday here in the States tomorrow I most likely will not be back to the blog until Monday. Until then...

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