NEW ARTIST PROOFS! Blufferfish and Stinging Lionfish

I am thrilled to announce after many delays, I finally have my Blufferfish artist proofs, and they are on my store. As you might remember, the Blufferfish was another fishy friend I designed and painted for the Magic the Gathering set, Unfinity. In addition to the Blufferfish, I recieved my APs for the reprint of the Stinging Lionfish that appears in Jumpstart 2022. 

New Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs are NOW AVAILABLE!

Blufferfish (regular and foil) and Stinging Lionfish (Jumpstart 2022)

ARTIST PROOFS available over on my web store!

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Blufferfish proofs, and they look so good in person. I can not wait to start putting drawings on their backs and sending them to their forever homes. 

Here is a look at all the final art for the above listed cards. You will also find links to their corresponding prints if that is something you are interested in. 

Blufferfish

Magic the Gathering - Unfinity

14 x 10.27 - Digital

PRINTS available at OMA!

ARTIST PROOFS available over on my web store!

Art Director - Dawn Murin
 © 2022 Wizards of the Coast

 

Stinging Lionfish

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death 

14 x 10.2 - Digital 

PRINTS available at OMA! 

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs!  

Art Director - Dawn Murin 

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

All artist proofs are signed and numbered and can include an original drawing on the back. 

 

And for those interested in getting a drawing on the back of any artist proof, here are samples of what to expect.

That's 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

Discounted Color Drawing Artist Proof Drawing!

I mentioned in my recap of IX 2022 that I took part in a Magic the Gathering artist proof artist jam where we drew live on artist proofs, and they were available for purchase at the convention. I completed three at IX, but there was a fourth that I began but never completed. I took some time last week and finished up that drawing, which is now available at a discount! Now is your chance to get your hands on a full-color marker and ink drawing on the back of a Stinging Lionfish AP. Get it before it is gone.

SOLD

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

Stinging Lionfish - Magic: the Gathering - Process

I have for you today the process and steps that went into my Stinging Lionfish painting that was for the Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. Of the three pieces created for this set, I believe this was the fan-favorite. My fish painting for Magic seems to be some of my most popular creations for the game. I am not sure why, but they seem to be the ones that receive the most fan love. Hopefully, this trend will continue. Here is how the final painting for the Stinging Lionfish turned out.

 

Stinging Lionfish

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death 

14 x 10.2 - Digital 

PRINTS available at OMA! 

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs!  

Art Director - Dawn Murin 

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

The assignment called for an enchanted fantastical lionfish. For me, this felt like a straightforward painting. In my part of the world, the lionfish is a dangerous and destructive invasive species, and I have encountered them in the wild several times. I pulled from my personal reference photos that I took to begin my work on some thumbnails. The card focuses on this individual monster, so it was all about creating an interesting composition while featuring the fish. Here are the thumbnails that I submitted.

 

 

Stinging Lionfish - Thumbnails

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

Thumbnail 'D' was selected, but I was asked to make the fins look and feel more like the fish in thumbnail 'A.' Personally, I still lean towards option 'A' as my preferred thumbnail, but that was not meant to be. I updated option 'D' to address the revision notes and submitted an updated thumbnail.

 

Stinging Lionfish - Updated thumbnails

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

This new thumbnail was approved without any further comments, and I was ready to create the final drawing. As stated before, I was too busy when I worked on this piece to create the drawing and the tonal study. So this drawing ended up being the only traditional original for the assignment. And when it came time to paint, I had to work out the values on the fly. Here is the final drawing for the Stinging Lionfish.

Stinging Lionfish

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Pencil of paper

Original - SOLD
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

The drawing was approved, and it was time to paint! As previously mentioned, this felt like it would be a straightforward assignment, and it was for the most part. You will notice that the patterning evolved while I was working on it. The original plan for the fish's markings felt off to me as I was painting, and I updated them as I worked. They soon felt more fitting with the animal and the world it lived in. Here is the Stinging Lionfish taking shape.

 

 

Stinging Lionfish - Process

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

I believe that I was asked to increase the amount of enchanted starfield on the fish after I originally submitted it. Due to how I work that evidence to show just how much I increased the amount has been lost. All I have is a vague memory of adding more, and that updated didn't take long or require much effort. When it was all said and done the fish was approved and I moved onto the next assignment. Here again is the final painting for the Stinging Lionfish and the final production card. 

 

 

Stinging Lionfish

 PRINTS available at OMA! 

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs!

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast 

Stinging Lionfish in handy dandy card form

That's 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

Stinging Lionfish 3D Shadow Box by Leon Phillips

If you are a Magic the Gathering artist, and even if you aren't, and you have participated in the Gen Con art show, you have likely crossed paths with a man with a welcoming smile and a bag of gifts. Leon Philips spends his downtime from being a teacher to create unique 3D shadow boxes of Magic the Gathering cards. When Gen Con rolls around, he hands them out to the artists in attendance that is the artist for the cards he used. Before I was ever an MtG artist, I knew of Leon's work and was amazed by the work and creativity on the shadow boxes. I still clearly remember the day Leon came to my table with my first shadow box. It was an unexpected honor, and I was thrilled to receive such a wonderful and gracious gift. I have received several of Leon's work over the years, and I display them in a place of honor. 

With Gen Con 2020 going online, it meant that many of the expected in person elements of Gen Con would not be happening for at least a year, if not more. One of the first things I thought of was that I would not be seeing Leon this year. Not because I would be missing a potential gift, which is fantastic, but because seeing him and having a few minutes to talk has become part of my Gen Con experience. And yes, I love seeing all of the shadow boxes he brings with him and gives out. I was more than surprised when I received an email from Leon last year after the announcement that Gen Con was moving online. He had no intentions to stop his shadow box production and was curious if I wanted to receive the fruits of his labor. The answer was, of course, a resounding yes, so I answered his email and promptly forgot all about it with all that 2020 was throwing at me. 

Jump ahead many months. One day as 2020 was coming to an end, I thought of Leon's email and wondered what came of the shadow boxes. I assumed that life and the challenges of 2020 affected him as it has the rest of us, and the boxes weren't happening or would be delayed to a future date. The last thing I would do his contact him, asking where my gift was! Well, I didn't have to wonder too long because I recently received a fantastic package from Leon. While I love all of his creations and think they are all perfect, the Stinging Lionfish I received is tremendous and might be my current favorite. It has so many layers, and the 3D effect is lovely. Photos will never do it justice, but here are a few.

I hope the photos give you an idea of how impressive this piece is. To make this all even more unique, Leon sent an extra special gift. He has spent some of 2020 working on puzzles and escape rooms, and he had an additional puzzle box to send along with the lionfish. You might have noticed the wording on the card, but it is different from the actual card. When the shadow box is placed on the puzzle box in the correct spot, you hear a little click, and the box opens. This was such an unexpected surprise and makes it all more special and fun. Here are some images of the puzzle box.

 

A HUGE thanks to Leon for all of his work and creativity for all that he does for the Magic artists at Gen Con. You are one of the reasons that Gen Con is such a fun and exciting convention to be a part of.

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

Theros Beyond Death Artist Proofs NOW AVAILABLE!

Artist proofs of my Theros Beyond Death cards, Shimmerwing Chimera, Stinging Lionfish, and Nylea's Forerunner, are NOW AVAILABLE on my store! If you are interested in the Shimmerwing Chimera (and FOIL!), Stinging Lionfish (and FOIL!), and Nylea's Forerunner (and FOIL!) artist proofs, now is the time to act! All of my artist proofs come signed and numbered, and the standard APs are limited to 50, and the Foil versions are limited to 30. As always, there is an option to just buy the artist proof or to get a unique, one of a kind sketch on the back of the card.

Theros Beyond Death Artist Proofs are now available!

Don't forget...

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

All signed and numbered for your enjoyment!

 

That's 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

Stinging Lionfish and Shimmerwing Chimera PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE! Theros Beyond Death

Prints for my cards featured in the Theros Beyond Death expansion of Magic the Gathering are now available on my store!  Each 18 x 12 print comes signed and numbered and are limited to editions of ONLY 20. Once they are gone, they are gone! These prints are available individually or as a pair for a discounted prince! Head over to to see all available Magic the Gathering prints.

Stinging Lionfish - Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

PRINTS available at OMA!

Shimmerwing Chimera - Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

PRINTS available at OMA!

Once I receive my artist proofs, they will be going up on the store as well. There will be a post about them when or if I ever receive them.

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

Stinging Lionfish - Magic: the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

I am pleased to share with you the first of my cards that will be part of the newest Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. I was thrilled to return to the world of Theros for many reasons, the foremost being that my first Magic cards appeared in the original release of Theros. It was great working with Dawn Murin on these, and I happy to finally be able to share them with you. First up in the Stinging Lionfish. It instantly received a lot of attention the moment it was spoiled.

Stinging Lionfish

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 10.2 - Digital 

PRINTS available at OMA!

Art Director - Dawn Murin
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

As I mentioned when I shared my Egg Token from Commander 2019, my schedule is currently too full to allow me to do the entire prep work for these. This means I only had time for the pencil drawing and not the tonal study. I had to work that out as I painted, which has resulted in some frustration with the paintings. Here is the drawing  Stinging Lionfish.

Stinging Lionfish - Drawing

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Digital

Original - SOLD
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

Stinging Lionfish in handy dandy card form.

I will be posting more cards as they are spoiled, and in time I will share with you the process and steps that went into making these.

That is all for another exciting day on the blog, see you back here tomorrow! Until then...

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