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

Shimmerwing Chimera - Magic: the Gathering - Process

I have for you today the process and steps that went into my Shimmerwing Chimera painting that was for the Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. Of the three pieces created for this set, this is above and beyond my favorite. When I began working on Magic the Gathering in 2012, it was on the original Theros set. It was a fantastic first set to work on and will remain near and dear to me. When I studied the first style guide for Theros, I was immediately drawn to the Chimera, but I never received one as an assignment. When Theros Beyond Death came around, and I was asked to work on it, I crossed my fingers that maybe this time would mean I would be designing and painting a Chimera. I was thrilled to find my first assignment was a Chimera, and it was an inchanted Chimera, which meant it had the starfield in the shadows effect. Here is how the final painting for the Shimmerwing Chimera turned out.

Shimmerwing Chimera

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 10.2 - Pencil of paper

PRINTS available at OMA!

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs! 

Art Director - Dawn Murin
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

This assignment called for a Chimera that was a mix of a hawk and an eel. It needed to have the head, wings, and legs of the hawk with the elongate body of the eel. The description also stated that there could be an element of a third animal to make the whole more interesting. I instantly thought of crab claws, and I knew without a doubt that this monster would have them. I gathered many references related to hawks, bird wings, bird legs, and eels and got to work on thumbnails. 

I immediately was having difficulty with the hawk legs. They were required, but on a design level, they were awkward, and I felt like they were not needed. I did what I could and made them work as best I could. I thought that they worked best in option C, but overall I was not feeling them. I really liked the crab claws. I was feeling good about that choice. Here are the thumbnails that I submitted.

Shimmerwing Chimera - Thumbnails

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

It turned out that production was not feeling the bird's legs either. The legs combined with the eel body between them created some uncomfortable visuals. They selected option B, but in addition to removing the bird's legs, they required some further modifications. Production asked that the camera be pulled back a bit more so that more of the Chimera was visible and out of the water. The splash felt wrong, and I looked at many dolphins leaping to get the correct jumping out of water look. I also added more shadow to give more surface for the starfield effect. Here is the updated thumbnail that I submitted.

Shimmerwing Chimera - Updated thumbnails

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

This new thumbnail was approved without further updates, and I was given the go-ahead to create the finalized drawing. I was working on this piece at the same time I was pushing to complete my book, and that meant I only had time to produce the line drawing and not the time for the tonal study. This meant that the line drawing would be doing a lot of heavy lifting and that the value of the entire piece was going to be worked out as I began the painting. Not the most ideal situation, but I made the best of things. Here is the final drawing for the Shimmerwing Chimera.

Shimmerwing Chimera

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Digital

Original - SOLD
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved, and it was time to paint! This felt like it would be a straight forward painting, and much of it was, but it did go through some updates and revisions before I submitted it and after. Here is a look at the painting process coming together, and you should quickly see some of the significant changes as the painting takes shape.

Shimmerwing Chimera - Process

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

I got this painting to a point I thought it was done and showed it to my in-house art director, Dear Wife. She was immediately on me to make the rock formations in the background larger to better fill the space. It made a world of difference and really helped the piece. We both agreed that it was now done, and I submitted it. Production had additional things they wanted me to update. First, they missed the openings in the rock formations that appeared in the thumbnails and drawing for this piece. The gaps were more in keeping with the Theros world, and they are visually more interesting. Second, they wanted the crab claws larger and more noticeable. There was concern that the right claw in front of the body was getting lost and would be all but gone when printed on the card. Third, to help with the claw issue and to add more interest, I was asked to throw some blue into the starfield. These were all easy and straightforward updates to make, and in the end, they made the painting better overall. Once again, this shows the importance of Art Directors and having an excellent objective eye. Here again is the final painting for the Shimmerwing Chimera and the final production card.

Shimmerwing Chimera

PRINTS available at OMA!

All of my Magic the Gathering Artist Proofs! 

 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

Shimmerwing Chimera in handy dandy card form

That's all for another exciting Wednsady 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

Nylea's Forerunner - Magic: the Gathering - Process

At the beginning of 2020, which is the same year I am writing this, though it feels as if a decade has passed, I had three cards released in the Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. One of these three cards was Nylea's Forerunner. Today, I have for you the process and steps that went into creating the Nylea's Forerunner painting. I think it is fair to say that most artists have their favorites and their not so favorite pieces that they create. Not every painting can live up to expectations, what you planned for it to be, or stand up to other pieces in a series. Nylea's Forerunner was my third completed painting for this block of MtG, and it followed the Shimmerwing Chimera and the Stinging Lionfish, so at the end of the day, the Forerunner held a distant third place in my heart. Not that this piece is terrible, I think it has two much prettier siblings it was competing with. I still gave it all the time and attention that I gave the other two paintings, if not more, and made sure I produced something that production with happy with and met their expectations. Here is the final painting for the Nylea's Forerunner.

 

Nylea's Forerunner

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 10.2 - Digital 

Art Director - Dawn Murin 

PRINTS available at OMA!

ARTIST PROOFS available on my store!

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

There is a plethora of reference for the Theros realm, and I have worked on the very first Theros set, so it was a world I was comfortable and excited to return to. The Forerunner was a modified monster that was based on a previously illustrated monster. While I was working with some existing elements, I was given a fair bit of direction on how they wanted it to change and plenty of room to make it my own. Since this was very much not a humanoid monster, I, sadly, didn't use myself as a reference. I did pull from my knowledge of animal anatomy and my numerous quadruped reference aids. With world and monster reference in hand, I produced four thumbnails.

 

Nylea's Forerunner - Thumbnails

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC

 

Option 'A' was selected without revisions or comments. While it is excellent to have nailed it on the first pass, it is sometimes a little frustrating that I spent all that time on the other thumbnails. This is a passing thought since it is my job to work out ideas and concepts and explore the many possibilities for any given illustration. I need to provide production options and different compositions for the particular assignment so that they can choose what works best for their needs. In this case, the first thumbnail accomplished this and met the needs of production. I still have all of these other thumbnails and compositions to later explore my own work, though the monster would need to change. Now that the thumbnail was selected, it was time to create the final drawing.

 

Nylea's Forerunner

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Pencil of paper

Original - Available on my store! 

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

 

The drawing was approved with the only note that I need to remove the pattering on the monster. This was not a natural animal of the world of Theros that would have crazy patterning. This was an enchanted monster that would have the starfield effect and more natural skin textures. While the drawing was now approved to begin my painting, I was not completely happy with it. Sometimes things that are technically correct have a way of looking off. That back foot bothered me something fierce, and I knew that if I painted it the way it was, I would either regret it or I would be asked to change it after it was reviewed. When I removed the markings, I adjusted the foot to be more like the expected foot in a pose of this nature rather than the foot that is actually coming forward with splayed toes. Here are the process steps that went into painting Nylea's Forerunner. Take note of how the drawing changed in the first couple of steps and later how that foot continued to adjust to finally reach a point I was happy. Also, you can see how I built up the enchanted starfield effect.

Nylea's Forerunner - Process

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC

 

If I remember correctly, Nylea's Forerunner was approved without needing any edits to the painting. My wife, who is my in-house art director, worked a bit after I had completed the piece to push and pull things so that it all worked as well as it can. Making sure that the shadows have the starfield effect while simultaneously trying to define forms and volumes can get a little tricky. While this is not the favorite of my Theros Beyond Death paintings, I still think it is a successful piece, and I learned a lot from it. Here again, is the final painting as well as the art on the card. 

 

Nylea's Forerunner

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death 

© 2020 Wizards of the Coast

PRINTS available at OMA!

ARTIST PROOFS available on my store! 

 

Nylea's Forerunner in handy 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

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

Theros Beyond Death Prerelease - TONIGHT!

If you are in the greater Tallahassee area, I will be appearing at Gamescape tonight for their Theros Beyond Death Prerelease event. I will be signing cards and will have prints, artist proofs, playmats, and original art with me. Those attending will have the opportunity to get their hands on my new Theros Beyond Death prints! I will have prints of the Shimmerwing Chimera and Stinging Lionfish. Each is limited to an edition of twenty and come signed and numbered. I will also be offering the pair at a slightly reduced price! I hope to see you out at Gamscape tonight!

See you on Friday, January 17th at 8:00pm!

Shimmerwing Chimera

Stinging Lionfish

Each print is limited to an edition of twenty and comes signed and numbered.

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

Nylea's Forerunner - Magic: the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

I am pleased to share with you the last of my cards that will be part of the newest Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. Not only is this the final card to be spoiled for me, but it was also the last card I worked on of these three Theros cards. The enchanted star effect was really fun to work with, but it was the most challenging to make work in this piece. It was great working with Dawn Murin on these, and I happy to finally be able to share them with you. Here is last, but not least, the Nylea's Forerunner.

Nylea's Forerunner

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 for the Nylea's Forerunner.

Nylea's Forerunner

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Digital

Original - Available on my store!
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

Nylea's Forerunner 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 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 Prerelease

I am happy to announce that I will be at the Theros Beyond Death prerelease at Gamescape on Friday, January 17th, at the 8:00 pm. You can expect my arrival before the event, and I will be on hand for several hours signing cards. I will have a few original drawings with me, as well as playmats, artist proofs, and prints. If all goes to plan, I will also have a very limited run of the two Theros Beyond Death cards that have been spoiled, Stinging Lionfish and Shimmerwing Chimera.

See you on Friday, January 17th at 8:00pm! 

My first Magic the Gathering set was the original Theros that was released in 2013, so it is wonderful to be back to both Theros and Gamescape. I hope to see you there are all the excitement and fun that is a Magic the Gathering prerelease!

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

Shimmerwing Chimera - Magic: the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

I am pleased to share with you the second of my cards that will be part of the newest Magic the Gathering set, Theros Beyond Death. The Shimmerwing Chimera was my favorite of the cards I did for Theros. I had wanted to design and paint a Chimera since the first time working on Theros, those many moons ago. It was great working with Dawn Murin on these, and I happy to finally be able to share them with you. As with the Stinging Lionfish, the Shimmerwing Chimera has received a lot of attention since it was spoiled.

Shimmerwing Chimera

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 for the Shimmerwing Chimera.

Shimmerwing Chimera

Magic the Gathering - Theros Beyond Death

14 x 11 - Digital

Original - SOLD
 © 2020 Wizards of the Coast

Shimmerwing Chimera 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

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