Gudul Lurker - Dragons of Tarkir - PROCESS

Today I have for you the process and steps that went into a Magic the Gathering piece of my that I first shared with you back in March, the Gudul Lurker. The Lurker is a happy little salamander that lives in a happy little pond and thinks happy little salamander thoughts all day long. ...OR it is a monster that wants to eat your face and say, "RAWR!". Your choice. To start things off, here is how the final art for Gudul Lurker turned out...

"Gudul Lurker"

Magic the Gathering: Dragons of Tarkir

12 x 8.7 - Digital

PRINTS available at OMA!

ARTIST PROOFS available over on my web store! 

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

I got things started off with some thumbnails, as always. The art order asked for a large salamander creature that "...is crawling about in the reedy muck along the riverside. The creature is partly obscured by the river plants but is ready to pounce on some unseen prey." I provided a bunch of options, but I secretly wanted to move forward with option "D". To tell you the truth I would have been happy with any of these. Any of these pieces could have been a successful piece, I think "D" would be (and was) a MORE successful piece. I feel "D" just was a more realistic portrayal of this type of creature and of a living breathing animal. I also wanted to paint a little damselfly on the Lurker's nose. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Gudul Lurker - Thumbnails

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

In addition to the thumbnails I also worked up some color / pattern concepts and provided an image of how I envisioned the Lurker over all. Again, I would be happy with any of these, looking back now, I am not sure which of the color I liked best at the time. I think the blue works best... which is a good thing that it was picked! Here are how the concepts turned out...

Gudul Lurker - Body / Color Concepts

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

Option "D" was the winning thumbnail and I knew I needed some reference to make sure I had something from the real work to look to to help guide the piece forward. I made a stop to the local pet store and went straight to the turtle tank. The turtles did their best impressions of a Gudul Lurker and I took lots of images. Here is the winner that best informed the final piece...

Gudul Lurker - Hnady dandy turtle stand in reference

As you know by now option "D" was the winner. As far as the color / pattern concepts go I was instructed to go with option "B". Now that I had a direction and plan of action it was time to gear up and move this piece forward. I got to work on the drawings...

"Gudul Lurker "

Magic the Gathering: Dragons of Tarkir

12 x 9 - Colored pencil on paper

Original - SOLD

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

Drawing the Lurker was a lot of fun to say the least. The initial drawing was approved and I was ready to move forward on the tonal study and the painting...

"Gudul Lurker "

Magic the Gathering: Dragons of Tarkir

12 x 9 - Colored pencil on paper

Original - SOLD

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

This painting was generally a straight forward process... except near the end when I need some outside encouragement to help push the piece to where it needed to go. I was playing it really safe for a lot of the piece and not really pushing it like it needed. These things happen. Chalk it up to where I was mentally and artistically early last year. Chalk it up to the perceived added stress of this being a Magic assignment. Whatever it was or whatever combination of things, I played it safe and then needed to be kicked over the finish line. Live and learn! You will see the major push and pull changes near the end of the piece to see what I am talking about.

In just 16 easy steps you too can have yourself a painting of a giant salamander monster! Or not.  Here is a look at the painting coming together...

Gudul Lurker - Process progression

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

Here is another look at the painting coming together in a handy dandy animated progression so that the progression may be clearer to see as I worked up and edited the image during painting...

  Gudul Lurker - Animated process progression

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

Moving the entire image down midway through the process was my own edit. I felt the piece needed some breathing room at the top and the damselfly was getting crowded. Pushing the environment above the water brighter and less saturated while pushing the water very much more blue... yeah, I needed that encouragement to make those edits. This is why it is good to have a second option, a fresh pair of eyes, and to talk to other artists about what you are working on to make sure you are doing the most you can with your work. We are all in this together, even if we sit alone in our studios. Thanks, Aaron!

And with that another painting is completed! Again, here is the finished Gudul Lurker painting and the corresponding card from Magic the Gathering...

"Gudul Lurker"

Magic the Gathering: Dragons of Tarkir

12 x 8.7 - Digital

PRINTS available at OMA!

ARTIST PROOFS available over on my web store! 

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

Gudul Lurker 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

Magic the Gathering - Dragons of Tarkir - Gudul Lurker

Last week I had a piece spoiled from the newest expansion of Magic the Gathering, Dragons of Tarkir! This piece is near and dear to me because it is a giant salamander monster that I was asked to design and illustrate. Here is the final version of the mighty Gudul Lurker...

"Gudul Lurker"

Magic the Gathering: Dragons of Tarkir

12 x 8.7 - Digital

PRINTS available at OMA!

© 2015 Wizards of the Coast

I understand that the card mechanics are pretty okay, or so the internet has led me to believe. Either way people seem to think it is cute and there are a lot of folks out there that like salamanders. Honestly, who could blame them, salamanders and newts are super cool. Here is how the final card turned out in low resolution goodness...

Gudul Lurker in handy dandy card form

A big thanks to Jeremy Jarvis for the assignment and great art direction on this piece! I will have more to share about this in the coming weeks with the process and related aspects. This piece had its ups and downs as I worked on it and in the end it is stronger for it all. RAWR!

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

Ravenous Leucrocota - Magic the Gathering Process

Today on the blog I have for you the process and steps that went into my contribution to the Journey Into Nyx expansion of Magic the Gathering, the very hungry Ravenous Leucrocota. This may be a little overdue, but there is so much to share on the blog these days that is a little wait in the queue to be posted. Here is how the final Ravenous Leucrocota turned out...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Magic the Gathering - Journey Into Nyx
PRINTS available at OMA!

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The Leucrocota was not part of the Theros style guide which meant I got to design and illustrate another new monster. Since the Leucrocota is an existing mythological creature I needed to give it a unique Theros spin with a generous helping of my own monster tendencies. The art order listed the physical characteristic they wanted to see - head of a badger, haunches and tail of a lion, hooves, mouth open to the ears, bone ridges instead of teeth... and it all had to feel like a cohesive animal and not a chimera. With that in mind I got to work on some concepts...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Concepts

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

While these may seem similar, to me they are very different. Both designs were approved by production so in the end I did a mix of the two designs and played up elements I really liked. I also worked up several color concepts to give a range of options. All of the animals of Theros have patterning on them, which allows for lots of fun when designing. Here are how my color concepts turned out...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Color concepts

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Again, all options were approved and I could pick my favorite. I liked them all, but I really wanted to do the red headed option "B". In the final I pushed the neutral body grays more green, since this is a green creature. I have the creature's concept, colors, and patterning... all that is left are the thumbnails for the card itself...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

At the time I wanted to give them a lot of action and movement and I was just in love with "C" ... of course looking at it now... it feels a bit silly. Of well. I think I was feeling good about option "D" as well. Which is good, since option "D" was the winner! With all the pieces ready to go, it was time for some drawing and then some painting. First, was the drawing...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Drawing

12 x 9

colored pencil on paper

  © 2014 Wizards of the Coast

 

RAWR! It is a Ravenous Leucrocota! ...or at least the drawing of one. Worked out all the issues and worked up form and detail. All those folds and wrinkles gotta come from somewhere and a lot of them begin life in the drawing. All this drawing ultimately leads to even more drawing...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Toned drawing

12 x 9

colored pencil on toned paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

 

The art directors never sees the toned drawing, but the line drawing was approved and I was all set to get started on the painting. This one was straight forward, but they are not always. The 'not always' will be discussed next year. Here is the Ravenous Leucrocota coming together in 14 steps...
 

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Process steps

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Here is an animated gif of the steps for the Ravenous Leucrocota so you can see what changes a little more easily. They biggest real edit made during painting was adjusting the perspective on the mouth. Maybe it was just fine originally, but it just felt off and that means it needs to be addressed and worked on. Nothing worse then ignoring something that is bothering you and then have it brought up later by an AD or by another artist when it is too late to go anything about it.

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Animated process

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Again, here is how the final Ravenous Leucrocota turned out as well as how the card appears in its intended home, as a card...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Magic the Gathering - Journey Into Nyx

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

"Ravenous Leucrocota" in handy card form

At some point between the release of the Journey into Nyx and now there was an article on the Magic the Gathering website that featured the Ravenous Leucrocota. I feel that it was misquoted in its interview and I wanted to set the record straight about the Ravenous Leucrocota views on the mater...

Original quote and corrected quote :P

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

Journey Into Nyx - Toned Paper Ravenous Leucrocota

On Monday I shared with you my contribution to Journey Into Nyx, the Ravenous Leucrocota. Today I have for you the toned paper drawing that goes along with this piece. Since my final paintings are digital my originals for my Magic work are the original line sketch and the final toned paper drawing. Here is how that final drawing turned out...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Magic the Gathering - Journey Into Nyx

12 x 9 - colored pencil on toned paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

I noticed that I never signed this drawing when writing this post... this will need to be corrected. Can't have a drawing going around all naked with a signature. I even looked at it before scanning to make sure it was all set and nothing needed to be tweaked at the last minute. Oh well...

You know this piece will look amazing on your wall! As of right now this piece is still available :)

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

Magic the Gathering - Journey Into Nyx

Journey Into Nyx, the newest expansion for Magic the Gathering, is almost upon us and I have one card in this set! It was actually spoiled two weeks ago, but since I have been taking a bit of a break from the blog I have not had a chance to post about it until now.

My contribution to Journey Into Nyx, the Ravenous Leucrocota, was another opportunity for me to not only illustrate the card but to design the monster featured on the card. As I have mentioned many times here on the blog, I really love designing and illustrating the monsters that I work on. Like the Breaching Hippocamp the Ravenous Leucrocota is based on a preexisting mythological creature. Enough talk, bring on the RAWR...

"Ravenous Leucrocota" - Magic the Gathering - Journey Into Nyx
PRINTS available at OMA!

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Ravenous Leucrocota

In the coming weeks I will bring you the process that went into designing and illustrating the Ravenous Leucrocota. As always, many thanks goes out to Jeremy Jarvis for including me on this set! It is a real honor to be sharing this set with so many amazing and talented artists.

That is all for another very 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

Magic the Gathering - Theros

Over the weekend all of the new Magic the Gathering set, Theros, was spoiled online. These means I can now share my other card from the set as well as both of my card's official names and stats!

My second Theros card that has been hiding under the waves of it's NDA is the Breaching Hippocamp. I am very happy to share this fishy horse monster (RAWR!). The Breaching Hippocamp was the second MtG piece that I was assigned and it was up to me to design and illustrate it! This of course is what I love to do best! Here is how it turned out...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Magic the Gathering - Theros
PRINTS available at OMA!

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Breaching Hippocamp

I am really looking forward to sharing with you the process that went into designing the Breaching Hippocamp. Not only because it was fun and I am really happy with how it turned out... but also because I did so much work! More about all this in the coming weeks!

You  may recall the Catoblepas that I was able to share with you a couple weeks back. Well, it is now officially the Loathsome Catoblepas and has stats as well!

"Loathsome Catoblepas" - Magic the Gathering - Theros
PRINTS available at OMA!

© 2013 Wizards of the Coast

Loathsome Catoblepas

I will be sharing the process for the Loathsome Catoblepas piece as well, though it is a lot more straight forward.

It is a real honor to be part of Theros and to be in a set with so many talented and amazing artists. Many thanks goes out to Jeremy Jarvis for including me on this set! I look forward to what the future holds with my involvement with MtG... but more about that on another day...

For those in the Tallahassee / North Florida areas, I will be attending some of the prerelease events for Theros starting this Friday night at midnight! I am being hosted by the most excellent gaming store, Gamescape and you can get all the details over on their Facebook event page!

If you can not make it I will be sure to take some pictures and share my experiences here on the blog, this will be my first time attending such an event and this should be a learning experience!

That is all for another very 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