A Second Look at Older Work - Female Werewolf

We are only over a week away from a date that will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed. 

Today, I have another piece for Pathfinder released for Paizo fifteen years ago. This one received a lot of attention when I originally shared it from a particular demographic, that being those that enjoy the Furry fandom. They were really excited and wanted more, but this was only one assignment and I haven't been asked to do more. So soon those fans drifted away and this piece quietly vanished over the years as I shared more and more new art. It felt fitting to dust this one off and let it see the world again.

 

Female Werewolf

Digital

Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Horrors Revisited 
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC 

As a side note, if you want to look back at the other pieces that went along with this one, they can be found here on the blog. I believe I painted these sixteen years ago, so a long, long time, and I have learned and done so very much since then. But it is fun to look back on all the same.  

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

A Second Look at Older Work - Shadow Opener

This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Today, I have ANOTHER piece for Pathfinder released for Paizo fourteen (but painted fifteen) years ago. This was a transformative piece for me. I brought in a lot of reference for this one to get the lighting and figure correct. It also has more of an environment compared to a lot of what I was doing around this time. It is by no means perfect, but it was a big leap for me. This was the piece where I learned that reference can be misleading and that you can not be beholden to it. If it doesn't look right in the reference, it will look even worse in the reference, and you need to be able to correct what you are making so that it is informed, but also correct in its appearance.

Shadow Opener

Digital

Undead Revisited
© 2011 Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

As a side note, if you want to look back at what I said about this piece when it was newly released and when I shared the process, they are all available here on the blog. Also, this is the only Iconic Pathfinder character I was asked to depict dead. Over the years, I depicted many of the Iconic characters in peril, but none after their hit points had reached zero.

That's all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here Wednesday! Until then...

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

A Second Look at Older Work - Mimic and Reward

This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Today, I have ANOTHER piece for Pathfinder done for Paizo sixteen or so years ago. There are only a few, but there are some classic D&D monsters that I have never illustrated for Dungeons & Dragons. And of those few, there are even fewer that I HAVE illustrated for other companies. One in particular is the Mimic. For some reason, I have never had to illustrate a Mimic for a D&D product, but sixteen years ago, I painted a Mimic for the new (at the time) Pathfinder GameMastery Guide. It was on a section about risk and reward... or shall we say Mimic and Reward.

Mimic and Reward

Digital

 GameMastery Guide
© 2009 Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

As a side note, the ghosts are still in the machine, and after all these years, the Patherfinder blog post that spoiled this piece is still live. On top of that, there are actually a few posts still over there in the warner of links with more of my work from around that time. I will likely be sharing some of that other work at some point soon.

That's all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here Wednesday! Until then...

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

A Second Look at Older Work - Civilized Naga

This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Today, I have ANOTHER piece for Pathfinder done for Paizo fifteen years ago. Things are SUPER busy, so we are looking back again. This was always a fun piece for me. As with the Troll Auger,  I was starting to figure out a lot about painting, using reference, and what it takes to get a good image. I make monsters, it should be obvious by now, and one of the things I really like about making monsters is presenting them in non traditional ways. Sure, big scary monster saying 'RAWR' is fun, but showing what they do when they have alone time is ever better. This Naga thinks they are very pretty, and I support that type of monster energy.

Civilized Naga

Digital

 Pathfinder Chronicles: City of Strangers
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

As a side note, when looking back at this piece, I realized I never shared a process post for it. Not sure that sharing it now would help anyone, but it's interesting that I never took the time to post more about this one.

That's all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog. See you back here Friday! Until then...

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

A Second Look at Older Work - Troll Auger

This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Today, I have for you a piece for Pathfinder done for Paizo fifteen years ago. This was always a favorite of mine. I was starting to figure out a lot about painting, using reference, and what it takes to get a good image. This was also a fun assignment to depict a troll carving out its own guts to read the future - because the troll can just shove them back in and naturally heal from this severe self-inflicted wound. I painted this in my old style of layer arrangement and structure - which might be only interesting to me. Not matter what, I am still happy with this little painting, and I think it deserves a second look.

Troll Auger

Digital

 Pathfinder Chronicles: City of Strangers
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC

As a side note, when looking back at this piece, I realized I never shared a process post for it. Not sure that sharing it now would help anyone, but it's interesting that I never took the time to post more about this one.

That's all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here Wednesday! Until then...

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

Pathfinder Advanced Race Guide - The Return of the Gnome Blacksmith

I have for you today another piece of my Pathfinder art that made an encore appearance. I am not sure how I missed so much in 2012, but here is another publication from tweleve years ago that only recently showed up on my radar. This time around it is the Advanced Race Guide. It is always interesting to note which pieces show back up again and again and which do not. To start things off, here is the cover packaging for the Pathfinder Advanced Race Guide.

Pathfinder Advanced Race Guide

Cover by Wayne Reynolds

The piece that returned in this publication is the Gnome Blacksmith. This was originally designed and painted for the Gnomes of Golarion book back in 2010 (though I may have made the work in 2009). I did several pieces for the Gnomes book and I had a lot of fun working on it. Of all the Gnomes that I painted in the book, it has continued to surprise me that this is the one piece that shows up again and again. I assume it is becasue it depicts a specific task that aren't seen in many other pieces. Or, someone just likes it. We may never know. Here is a look at the final painting of the Gnome Blacksmith.

Gnome Blacksmith

4.7 x 7 - Digital
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC

Lastly, here is now the piece looked in the Advanced Race Guide. It did always print well, which is a plus. OH, how I would do this piece so differently now. But, that said, there are still some things I like about this one.

Gnome Blacksmith in handy dandy book form!

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

Pathfinder Bestiary 3 - The Return of the Tojanida

In another blast from the past, today I have for you a monster that saw another life in a second printing that I was not really aware of until recent - sort of. Back in 2012 the folks over at Paizo released their Bestiary 3 and it included the return of one of my monsters. Looking back I apparently made a passing mention of this on the blog twleve years ago, but never actually shared all the images and details. I didn't even own a copy of the book until a few months ago. To start things off, here is the cover packaging for the Pathfinder Bestiary 3.

Pathfinder Bestiary 3

The monster that made its return this time is the mighty Tojanida. I designed and painted this monster for the Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Misfit Monsters Redeemed. This has always been a favorite of mine and it marked a turning point in my career as became much more serious about monsters. This one also was the perfect mix fo things for me: reptile, fish, texture, pattern, color, weird, and alien. Here is a look at my final painting of the Tojanida

Tojanida

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Misfit Monsters Redeemed

7x5.2 - Digital
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC

Lastly, here is a look at how the Tojanida printed in this book. Always nice to see how they turn out and this time around it gets to look to its right.

Tojanida in handy dandy book form!

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

Pathfinder Pawns: Shattered Star - The Return of the Redcap

Sometimes I discover that my work has had a life beyond its original purpose, both legal and illeagal, and I enjoy to share those return appaearaces. I keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the internet to share these occurances in a timely manner... and then there are the ones I miss for an entire decade. Back in 2013 one of my Pathfinder monsters that is now thirteen years old was tuned into a pawn. A pawn is not as cool as a miniature, but it is still neat. To start things off, here is the cover packaging for the Pathfinder Pawns: Shattered Star collection.

Pathfinder Pawns: Shattered Star

The monster that got the pawn treatment was a dastardly Redcap by the name of Dog's Tongue. As mentioned above, this painting was from 2010, and it got a miniature in 2012. It is always interesting to see which monsters return and which are forgotten. It is often not the monsters I was expecting for both fates. Here is the final painting for Dog's Tongue the Redcap.

Dog's Tongue

 Pathfinder Adventure Path #29: Mother of Flies

7.67 x 7 - Digital
© 2010 Paizo Publishing

Lastly, here is a look at how the Redcap turned out on the pawn. You get two of them, and they mostly fit onto the pawn. They are also small - as this is a small creature.

Redcap pawns for all your Redcap pawn needs.

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

Rule of Law - The Return of the Gnome Blacksmith... Wait, WUT?!?!

There are a handful of third-party modules and supplements that feature reprints of some of my work, the third of which I am sharing today. I have been aware of them for a while (as most seem to have been released in 2017), but I recently tracked them all down as best I could to see what was used and if I could obtain a copy. Unfortunately, these particular products do not have physical versions or are no longer available (more on this below). That said, I investigated to see if I could get details and screenshots of my work in the various products. Today I have the third and final of these 5E supplements, Rule of Law. To start things off, here is a look at the cover.  

Rule of Law. It would appear that this, like the supplement I shared last week, is not legit and was created in violation of ownership and copyright.

From what I have learned in the past week, there are individuals out there taking D&D content, grabbing art from wherever they can find it, slapping it all together, and putting the product out there as if it was theirs to do so. This is why, yet again, I have a piece I made for Paizo showing up in what looks to be a third-party D&D product. Which it is not. The Paizo piece in question was from 2010 and created for Pathfinder Companion: Gnomes of Golarion. I made several Gnome-related pieces for this book, with one of them being a blacksmith. Here is that old, old, OLD piece I did for Paizo, Gnome Blacksmith (so many things wrong with it, so many things that could have been done better).

Gnome Blacksmith

4.7 x 7 - Digital
© 2010 Paizo Publishing, LLC

I have no idea how the licensing works with WotC, D&D, and third-party products, but this is NOT it. As mentioned above, this was done in violation of a few copyright holders and is just not cool. My art was likely stolen from DeviantArt before I deleted my account... due to the rampant theft of art on that site. Who knew it was a feature and not a bug. Here is a look at my art on the page of this product.

Gnome Blacksmith hanging out where he does not belong.

Unlike the previous suspect product I shared, this one got my name correct. Which is at least something, I guess. This is all sad to me. Yes, making a book is hard and takes a lot of work, but it is not impossible and has been done by countless people. Go make your own thing. Stop stealing other people's work and passing it off as yours. Here is a look at the credits page - which is a little funny to me as it is all stolen, and yet they took the time to credit those they stole from.

At least they got my name correct in this one.

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

Codex: Unearthed Arcana - The Return of Wolfbane and Silver Arrow... Wait, WUT?!?!

There are a handful of third-party modules and supplements that feature reprints of some of my work, the second of which I am sharing today. I have been aware of them for a while (as most seem to have been released in 2017), but I recently tracked them all down as best I could to see what was used and if I could obtain a copy. Unfortunately, these particular products do not have physical versions or are no longer available. That said, I investigated to see if I could get details and screenshots of my work in the various products. Today I have the second of these 5E supplements, Codex: Unearthed Arcana. To start things off, here is a look at the cover. 

Codex: Unearthed Arcana. This appears to be a collection of additional content that has been compiled. I think, but I am not really sure.

 

This is where it gets a little weird. As far I can tell, I have a single piece reprinted in this book, but that piece was not made for Wizards of the Coast for use in Dungeons & Dragons. The piece in question, Wolfbane and Silver Arrow, was created for Paizo Publishing for use in Pathfinder. In 2010, when I was working a lot with Paizo, this was one of three pieces I painted for Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Horrors Revisited. Jump ahead seven years, and it is now in a third-party supplement, and jump ahead another six years, and I am now sharing it with you. Here is that old, old, OLD piece I did for Paizo, Wolfbane and Silver Arrow.

 

Wolfbane and Silver Arrow

5x5 - Digital
© 2010 Paizo Publishing

I have no idea how the licensing works with WotC, D&D, and third-party products, but it seems very odd that it would include work done for another gaming company. I have no idea how this came to be, if it was kosher, or how they got a print-ready file, but here we are and there is nothing to do about it now. Here is a look at my art on the page of this product.

Wolfbane and Silver Arrow hanging out, being ancient art, from another company.

To make things more suspect, here is an image of the credits from the supplement. I never have, and I mean NEVER, represented myself professionally with my name smashed together uncapitalized. One would think that they simply grabbed the art and my user name off something like DeviantArt and thought that would be good enough. But I don't know any details of how this art ended up here. I kind of wish I did, but as this is work for hire, I have no ownership or copyright related to this image. Here is a look at the credits page, and you will see that my name is not the only other odd entry.

So many questions and so few answers. A mystery for the ages.

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

Starfinder - Wait... WUT??

About a year ago, it came to my attention that I was credited in Paizo's Starfinder book, Assault on the Crucible. While I have never done any work on Starfinder and I have not worked with Paizo in several years, I figured they recycled something of mine that was appropriate. In time I sought out the book to have a look to see what of mine they used. I scoured the pages in search of my work, and after several paces, I still turned up nothing. I was left somewhat perplexed.  

 

Starfinder - Assault on the Crucible

After reviewing the book, I figured it was a big mistake, and I looked at the credits again. Obviously, my initial information was inaccurate. I am not credited in the book. Nope, in fact, I am the first listed artist in the book. At this point, I was just plain dumbfounded.

 

Internal Artists • Christopher Burdett

So, I am left with only a couple possible options for all of this. First, I looked to see if any other artist was working in the industry that shared my name, and after an exhaustive search, I turned up nothing. Second, old work of mine was at some point included, and as production progressed, it was removed, and my name in the book is an unintended artifact. Third, it was a straight-up error, and somehow my name popped up, and not one realized it should not be there. Fourth, and this is the one I fear might be the case, there is another artist that has a similar name, and somehow my name replaced theirs's, and they were not correctly creidted for their work on the book. At this point, it is anyone's guess, and the last thing I am going to do is bother the fine folks over at Paizo to get to the bottom of this. It is one of those little mysteries that we may never have an answer for.

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

Pathfinder Pawns: Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path Pawn Collection - The Return of the Demons

Back in 2013, I did some work for Piazo on their Pathfinder Adventure Path #75: Demon's Heresy. I was tasked with creating some demons for the adventure and had a lot of fun doing it. I was unaware that the following year, 2014, some of the demons were used in the Pathfinder Pawns: Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path Pawn Collection. This second appearance went unnoticed for nearly six years. I am always interested in seeing my work appear on different types of products, and these little cardboard pawns are different than the usual incarnations of my work. Here is an image of the packaging for the pawns set my work can be found in.

Pathfinder Pawns: Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path Pawn Collection

Of the work that I did for the Pathfinder Adventure, two of the demons returned to be pawns. These demons are the Skulgrim and the Vorimeraak. They are some of my favorites from the adventure and seem to have held up over the last seven years. Here is a look at their pawns.

Skulgrim Pawn

Vorimeraak Pawn

Here are the full paintings for the Skulgrim and the Vorimeraak so you can get a better look at what these demons look like. Lots of wings, blood, and other viscous fluids - some of my go-to elements.

Skulgrim

Pathfinder Adventure Path #75: Demon's Heresy

9x9 - Digital
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

Vorimeraak

Pathfinder Adventure Path #75: Demon's Heresy

9x9 - Digital
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

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

Vorimeraak - Process - Pathfinder Adventure Path #75

I am away from the computers and the monsters are in charge... so of course they are eager to show how they are made. Next up is the Vorimeraak from Pathfinder Adventure Path #75. I first shared these pieces over a year ago, so here is how the final Vorimeraak turned out...

Vorimeraak
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

This may be a surprise to no one who has ever seen this blog, but I started this monster off with some thumbnails. This particular monster is a modified version of an existing Pathfinder monster so a lot of the over all design was already worked out. For my thumbnails I was focusing on a pose and composition that would work for the book. Here is how the thumbnails turned out...

Vorimeraak - Thumbnails
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

With an approved thumbnail in hand it was time for some drawing! I got to scribbling on some paper and in a short time I had myself a drawing of a crazy scaly bird monster with a scythe. Here is how that crazy monster drawing turned out...

Vorimeraak - Drawing
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

The drawing was approved without issue and it was time to get to painting. Over the years these digitally painted isolated figure pieces got to a point that they started painting themselves. I just get in a grove and they come together. Perhaps in eight easy steps or perhaps not, the painting comes together...

Vorimeraak - Process progression

Does it RAWR? I must be done. To better show how this piece came together here is another of those little animated process things...

Vorimeraak - Animated process progression

Another monster is all done, again here is how the final painting looked when it was all done and turned in...

Vorimeraak
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

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

Svennarobeth - Process - Pathfinder Adventure Path #75

I am away from the computers and the monsters are in charge... so of course they are eager to show how they are made. Next up is the Svennarobeth from Pathfinder Adventure Path #75. I first shared these pieces over a year ago, so here is how the final Svennarobeth turned out...

Svennarobeth
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

This may be a surprise to no one who has ever seen this blog, but I started this monster off with some thumbnails. This particular monster is a modified version of an existing Pathfinder monster so a lot of the over all design was already worked out. For my thumbnails I was focusing on a pose and composition that would work for the book. Here is how the thumbnails turned out...

Svennarobeth - Thumbnails
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

With an approved thumbnail in hand it was time for some drawing! I got to scribbling on some paper and in a short time I had myself a drawing of a crazy monster with moth wings and a long weird tongue. Here is how that crazy monster drawing turned out...
 

Svennarobeth - Drawing
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

The drawing was approved without issue and it was time to get to painting. Over the years these digitally painted isolated figure pieces got to a point that they started painting themselves. I just get in a grove and they come together. Perhaps in eight easy steps or perhaps not, the painting comes together...

Svennarobeth - Process progression

Does it RAWR? I must be done. To better show how this piece came together here is another of those little animated process things...

Svennarobeth - Animated process progression

Another monster is all done, again here is how the final painting looked when it was all done and turned in...

Svennarobeth
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

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

Skulgrim - Process - Pathfinder Adventure Path #75

I am away from the computers and the monsters are in charge... so of course they are eager to show how they are made. Next up is the Skulgrim from Pathfinder Adventure Path #75. I first shared these pieces over a year ago, so here is how the final Skulgrim turned out...

Skulgrim
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

This may be a surprise to no one who has ever seen this blog, but I started this monster off with some thumbnails. This particular monster is a modified version of an existing Pathfinder monster so a lot of the over all design was already worked out. For my thumbnails I was focusing on a pose and composition that would work for the book. Here is how the thumbnails turned out...

Skulgrim - Thumbnails
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

With an approved thumbnail in hand it was time for some drawing! I got to scribbling on some paper and in a short time I had myself a drawing of a crazy monster with wings and horns and a big axe. Here is how that crazy monster drawing turned out...

Skulgrim - Drawing
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

The drawing was approved without issue and it was time to get to painting. Over the years these digitally painted isolated figure pieces got to a point that they started painting themselves. I just get in a grove and they come together. Perhaps in eight easy steps or perhaps not, the painting comes together...

Skulgrim - Process progression

Does it RAWR? I must be done. To better show how this piece came together here is another of those little animated process things...

Skulgrim - Animated process progression

Another monster is all done, again here is how the final painting looked when it was all done and turned in...

Skulgrim
© 2014 Paizo Publishing

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