ANOTHER Water Weird Miniature

I have another miniature for you that is based on my work on Dungeons & Dragons. In June, I shared with you the first time this particular monster got turned into a mini, and now it has received the treatment again. Now, jump ahead, and at some point since June, a pre-painted version of the Water Wierd has been released to go with the previous unpainted version. Here is my final design for the Water Weird.

Water Weird - Redesign

Digital over pencil on paper

Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

This particular monster has evolved a bit since it left my hands, but I think it looks great for it. I always pictured this monster as being a bit... smaller. But big monsters are great. I imagine my belief that they are smaller monsters comes from the illustration for them in the original Monster Manual all those years ago. Here is the new painted version... and it is a more blue than the unpainted version.

The unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Water Weird

 That is 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

Water Weird Miniature

I haven't had any new miniatures to share lately, but it would appear that this situation has changed. It is always wonderful to see a mini that is based on my designs or illustrations, and this one has been long awaited for a decade. I redesigned the Water Weird while working on the design push for D&D 5E. It was a fun one, and I hoped that it would eventually become a mini. It took ten years, but here we are. The monster has evolved a little bit from when I worked on it, but it is still recognizable to me. Here is my final design for the Water Weird.

Water Weird - Redesign

Digital over pencil on paper

Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The store only had one copy of this monster so it is staying in the package and going with the rest of my miniature monsters. Here are some photos of the mini in the packaging. It turned out great, and it is wonderful to see another monster in its tiny plastic form.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Water Weird

I will have more minis in the coming weeks. Next week is a bit of a mess, and I am not sure which days will get a post. I know Wednesday for sure will happen, Monday is not happening, and Friday is up in the air currently. But all will be made clear next week. SO, in the weeks after next week, be sure to look for more miniature posts here on the blog.

That is 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

ANother NEW Aarakocra Miniature

AGAIN, if you are saying to yourself there are already several Aarakocra miniatures out there and that I shared them here on the blog, you are correct. Today I am sharing ANOTHER NEW Aarakocra miniatures that was 'recently' released. Let us start things by looking back at my original Aarakocra painting that I created for the 5th Edition Monster Manual.

Aarakocra

 Dungeons & Dragons - 5th Edition Monster Manual

8x11 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra Paladins is a two-pack of Aarakocra miniatures. I think the miniatures looks excellent and are very dynamic. Here is the unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra Paladins.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Aarakocra Paladins

 

As I have stated above, the Aarakocra has already been made into several miniatures. It was a prepainted mini that was part of a standalone miniatures game that is now no longer in production, and again recenly, it was made into a pair of fighter minis. Here is the Aarakocra from that earlier line of minis.

 

Aarakocra - Miniature

Icons of the Realms

2014 

That's 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

NEW Aarakocra Miniature

If you are saying to yourself there is already an Aarakocra miniature out there and that I shared it here on the blog, you are correct. Today I am sharing one of several NEW Aarakocra miniatures that was 'recently' released. Let us start things by looking back at my original Aarakocra painting that I created for the 5th Edition Monster Manual.

Aarakocra

 Dungeons & Dragons - 5th Edition Monster Manual

8x11 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra Fighters is a two-pack of Aarakocra miniatures. I think the miniatures looks excellent and are very dynamic. Maybe one of these days I will be asked to revisit this monster and I will be able to paint one in the middle of the action. Here is the unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra Fighters.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Aarakocra Fighters

 

As I have stated above, the Aarakocra has already been made into a miniature. It was a prepainted mini that was part of a standalone miniatures game that is now no longer in production. It seemed interesting, but I never played it. It was an early way to get miniatures based on 5th Edition versions of the monsters, though. Here is the Aarakocra from that early line of minis. 

 

Aarakocra - Miniature

Icons of the Realms

2014 

That's 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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Death Tyrant

Today, I have for you another Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures that is based on design work I did for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. I was completely unaware of this one until a friend let me know, and I was thrilled to see what they came up with. This time around, it is the Beholder Death Tyrant that got the complete Nolzur treatment. This wasn't the first time the Death Tyrant has become a miniature, but this one is undoubtedly very cool looking. To start things off, here is the design of the Death Tyrant that I produced back in 2014, leading up to the release of 5E.

Beholder Death Tyrant

Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

I have always loved the Beholder and all of its many iterations, variant, and history in D&D. So it was an honor and a treat to get to work on designing some of them. I knew the floating eyes would always be an issue with making a miniature of this particular monster, so it has been fun to see how that problem has been solved in the two miniatures based on my designs. Here is a look at how the Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures version of the Death Tyrant turned out.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures Death Tyrant Miniature

I love everything about this miniature. If I had the time and energy to paint minis anymore, I would certainly have this one high on my list. But a simple miniature was not good enough for the mighty Death Tyrant; there is also a Death Tyrant paint kit with everything you need to paint it. Maybe, one day, I will have a chance to paint this one.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures Death Tyrant Miniature Paint Kit

 That's 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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Ankheg

Today, I have for you another, and the last to my knowledge Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of a D&D monster that I updated for 5th Edition. If you know me and this blog, you know my love of the Ankheg and that it was one of my favorite assignments when doing the design push for 5E D&D. Having always been a fan of it and then illustrating it for the second 4E Monster Manual, the Ankheg has always held a special place in my monster heart. My work with it for 5E only secured its place in my top D&D monsters. With the prepainted miniature coming out last year, it is nice to see an unpainted version showing the entire monster. To start things off, here is the illustration of my redesigned Ankheg.

Ankheg

5th Edition Monster Manual

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Daniel Gelon

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC

While I have designed many monsters for D&D, the Ankheg remains a favorite, and to see it made into another miniature fills me with a great deal of happiness. Designing miniatures was my first work in the tabletop gaming industry and remain a joy of mine. As mentioned above, while the first 5E miniature follows my illustration of the Ankheg, this new version shows the entire monster as it proudly stands entirely above ground. Just look at that abdomen! Here is Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures version of the Ankheg in all its glory.

 

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Ankheg

As it is a favorite, I could not let them all live forever in a plastic bubble. I made sure to acquire two of these plastic beasties so that one could stay in the package and so that one could breathe free and be part of my miniature display. It also gives a better view of the entire monster.

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Ankheg

Out of the confines of its packaging

Lastly, here is a look again at the prepainted Ankheg miniature from last year. Still love the job they did on this one. RAWR!

Prepainted Ankheg 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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Gorgon

Today, I have for you another Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of a D&D monster that I updated for 5th Edition. I would not say I reinvented the wheel when I reworked it for 5E, but I did give it some updates and my own twist. I am not sure how closely this new miniature holds to my design, but there are plenty of similarities at a quick glance. To start things off, here is the final design for the Gorgon.

Gorgon - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Whether this was or wasn't entirely inspired by m design, it sure is an excellent miniature. At some point, you have to let things go and know that they will change and evolve without you. And as I have seen, things will get redesigned without you all the time. I have been on both sides of that. I have had to update designs presented to me, and I had seen plenty of times where the final product is a bit different than when it left my hands. That is the way of things and the way of this industry. Here is Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures version of the Gorgon.

 

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Gorgon

 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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Fire Bat

Recently finding the Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Eidolon and Aarakocra alerted me to many miniatures based on my designs and illustrations that I was completely unaware of. Next up, I have for you a miniature based on my design for the Fire Bat that I updated for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. This is not the first time this design has been turned into a mini, but this version is superior. To start things off, here is the final design for the Fire Bat.

Fire Bat - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Fire Bar is part of a three-pack of familiars. The other minis in the set are an imp and a small dragon. From what I can tell, this is a very detailed miniature. With it being translucent, it is a little hard to get a good look at it while still in the package, but I have faith it is at least as good as the other miniatures in the line. Being made of fire and bones, it makes sense to produce a translucent mini to highlight the fire body. Once painted, I bet this is a superb figure. Here is the unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Fire Bat.

 

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Fire Bat

As I have stated above, the Fire Bat has already been made into a miniature. It was a prepainted mini that was part of the Icons of the Realms line of miniatures. Even in this first iteration, the mini is translucent to add a more fiery feel. The bones are a negative shape on the underside of the mini and then painted black. Here is the original Fire Bat miniature.

 

Fire Bat
Icons of the Realms miniatures - Elemental Evil

2015

 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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Aarakocra

Recently finding the Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Eidolon opened the flood gates of a ton of miniatures based on my designs and illustrations that I was completely unaware of. I am not sure if I found them all, but I certainly found enough. I will be sharing them with you over the next few weeks. To start things off, I have for you a lovely miniature based on my designs and work on the Aarakocra that I updated and illustrated for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Looking at the miniature again, it is possible the pose what pulled from the illustration of the Aarakocra from the D&D supplement Princes of the Apocalypse by Claudio Pozas. The Aarakocra first became a miniature in 2014, but this updated version is a lot more to my liking. To start things off, here is the illustration for the Aarakocra.

Aarakocra

 Dungeons & Dragons - 5th Edition Monster Manual

8x11 - Digital

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra, it is part of a two-pack of miniatures. The other mini in the set is a Harpy. As previously mentioned, I think this miniature looks excellent and really breaths a lot of life into my design. I never had the opportunity to show it in action. During the design phase for 5E, it was all about getting the design across, and when it came time for the illustration in the Monster Manual, I was asked again to present it more or less in a strong standing pose. If I had to do it over again, I might have pushed for something more dynamic. Here is the unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Aarakocra.

 

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Aarakocra

As I have stated above, the Aarakocra has already been made into a miniature. It was a prepainted mini that was part of a standalone miniatures game that is now no longer in production. It seemed interesting, but I never played it. It was an early way to get miniatures based on 5th Edition versions of the monsters, though. Here is the Aarakocra from that early line of minis.

Aarakocra - Miniature

Icons of the Realms

2014

Lastly, here is the final concept design that I did in the design phase of 5th Edition. This particular monster when through several iterations before it got to this point. Some of which needed to be killed with fire. But that is the way of things.

Aarakocra - Final Concept

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

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

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Eidolon

I don't get into gaming stores as often as I used to, and the past fifteen months certainly haven't helped. Now that things are beginning to improve, I recently once again found myself in a gaming store. As I was taking in the many delights and noticing how many products I contributed to, I came across something that caught my attention. It was a new to me miniature that was based on my Eidolon from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. You might be aware that the Eidolon has already been made into a miniature, but this one is a little different. To start things off, here is the illustration for the Eidolon.

Eidolon

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

11 x 14 - Digital

Art Director - Kate Irwin

© 2018 Wizards of the Coast LLC

I am often out of the loop on what is actively happening in the tabletop gaming world as my head is down working. I was slightly aware of the unpainted series of D&D miniatures, Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures, but I haven't looked too closely into them. Much to my surprise, while standing in the gaming store recently, I was surprised to see the Eidolon. I, of course, had to pick one up. Here is the unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures release of the Eidolon.

 

Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures - Eidolon

I thought something was a little off when I first looked at this mini. Maybe the detail was a little crisper; perhaps they changed the height, whatever it was, I couldn't put my finger on it at first. Eventually, I realized that the pose is flipped from the pre-painted version and my illustration. The eyes are consistent, but everything else is inverted. I like this aspect a lot. It gives you a different version of the same miniature, so there can be some variation at the table if there is more than one in a gaming session. I will need to pay a little more attention to the Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures line to see what else might be out there. Lastly, here is the pre-painted miniature of the Eidolon for comparison.

 

Eidolon Pre-painted 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