May Blog Break

Starting on Wednesday of this week and continuing for the following several weeks, I will be taking a break from the blog. One must step away occasionally to try other things and experience new and different places. Fear naught, I will return. Until then, I will leave you with this monster that I have shared so many times before.

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

And yes, I have used this image on the blog for over ten years.

How time flies.

 

That is all for another exciting week on the blog. I will see you back here in a few weeks. Until then...

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

May Blog Break (Starting NEXT Week)

Starting next Wednesday and continuing for the following several weeks, I will be taking a break from the blog. One must step away occasionally to try other things and experience new and different places. Fear naught, for I will return with plenty of images and stories. Until then, I will leave you with this monster that I have shared so many times before.

BUT, I will have one more post to share on Monday. And I hope you will be back for that one.

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

And yes, I have used this image on the blog for over ten years.

How time flies.

 

That is all for another exciting week on the blog. I will see you back here on Monday and then again in a few weeks. Until then...

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

March Blog Break

The day career is sending me to SXSW tomorrow and I will be there through next weekend. That means that the monsters will be getting a much needed vacation and there will be nothing happening over here for the next weekend and a half. There will likely not be a lot of me on the socials as well as my days are likely to be very busy. But if everything works out I will get a chance to see Pedro Pascal. More on that if it happens.

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

An oldie but a goodie.

That's all for another excitng week on the blog. See you back here in a couple of weeks. Until then...

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

May Blog Break

For the next several weeks, I will be taking a break from the blog. One must step away occasionally to try other things and experience new and different places. Fear naught, for I will return with plenty of images and stories. Until then, I will leave you with this monster that I have shared so many times before.

 

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

And yes, I have used this image on the blog for over ten years.

How time flies.

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. I will see you back here in a few weeks. Until then...

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

May Blog Break

For the next several weeks, I will be taking a break from the blog. One must step away occasionally to try other things and experience new and different places. Fear naught, for I will return with plenty of images and stories. Until then, I will leave you with this monster that I have shared so many times before.

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

And yes, I have used this image on the blog for ten years. 

How time flies.

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. I will see you back here in a few weeks. Until then...

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

May Blog Break

For the rest of the month, I will be taking a break from the blog. One must step away from time to time to try other things and experience new and different places. Fear naught, for I will return with plenty of images and stories. Until that time, I will leave you with this monster that I have had so many times before.

NOM NOM NOM NOM!

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. I will see you back here in a few weeks. Until then...

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

Blog Break

I will be stepping away from the blog for a week or two while I am adventuring elsewhere. Usually the monsters stay behind to run things while I am gone, but this time they said they wanted to come along. I will see you back here in mid May when I should have lots of fun things to share.

RAWR!

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here in mid May! Until then...

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

Blog Holiday Break

It's the end of the year. It's the holidays. It's super busy. I have a ton of things going on. All that said, I need to take a blog break for the next 2 weeks to catch my breath, get some stuff done, try to relax, and get geared up for all the work I have a head of me in 2018. I hope you all have a great rest of the year and that your new year festivities go well! I will see you in early January again here on the blog with lots to talk about. Here AGAIN is a monster eating a computer ... because I like to have an image in my posts ... and I did not have time to come up with something new...

RAWR!

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here in early January! Until then...

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

Taking a Breather - Monster Scribbling #3

Continuing my brief breather from constant blog duty, the monsters have stepped in hold down the fort. Here is another digital sketch of a monster to allow me the time to take a little break. Enjoy, RAWR!

Taking a Breather Monster #3

10 x 10 - Digital

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

Taking a Breather - Monster Scribbling #2

Continuing my brief breather from constant blog duty, the monsters have stepped in hold down the fort. Here is another digital sketch of a monster to allow me the time to take a little break. Enjoy, RAWR!

Taking a Breather Monster #2

10 x 10 - Digital

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

Taking a Breather - Monster Scribbling

Things have been a little bit crazy, are a little bit crazy, and will be a little bit crazy for the foreseeable future. A lot going on across many fronts in my life and when this happens the blog unfortunately is the first to step down as a priority. That said, I do what I can to still keep it going. At least for this week and maybe into next I need to step back and take a breather. The monsters have stepped up to fill the void and there should be some monster scribbles to fill my absence here. Enjoy! RAWR!

Taking a Breather Monster #1

10 x 10 - Digital

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

Week Blog Vacation

Life and work has ramped up again and I will be taking a week off from the blog (for real this time) to catch up on things and to get my ducks in their appropriate rows. A little blog breather is nice every now again. Fear naught, I will be back before you know it on my my usual schedule with things for you eyes and brain. Should have some exciting stuff on the way... maybe. Until then, I will leave you with this happy crab...

HAPPY CRAB! RAWR!

That is all for today, see you in a week after a little blog break! Until then...

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

Taking a break: Frotor Demon - Angel Season 4

The blog break continues as I am still overwhelmed elsewhere. In my absence, here is some stuff I have never shared from my days in the Makeup FX industry! Today I have for you the Frotor Demon from season 4 of Angel...

Before you say anything, yes, I have already shared the Frotor demon with you. In fact, it was in October of 2010 that I shared it with you as well as showed you how I would have designed it if that assignment had come to me in 2010 rather then 2003. While you think you have seen everything to do with the Frotor Demon, I still have some never before seen images and secrets to share!

Not to repeat myself, but this demon had some info that Angel needed and in the process of questioning him this demon gets his head slammed down on a bar top. There was some mention of a horn to grab, maybe some talk of a be forehead to make it easier on the actor... after all this time... does it really matter? Monster... I designed it... it was on the show... years later I redesigned it... and now it is on the blog again! EXCITING!

While I was the designer on this monster there was an entire team of my skilled coworkers that saw to the sculpting, molding, casting, and everything else that went into seeing this creature come about.

Enough talk, here is the Frotor Demon... 

RAWR! I am still the Frotor Demon! I still won't open my eyes for some reference photos.

The actor portraying the Frotor Demon really liked to tell us how he had been a Ferengi. Mentioned it several times. Not sure if he thought it gave him street cred or was trying to impress us. Star Trek Enterprise was filming in the sound stage next to the Angels sound stages at the time, it took a lot to impress us back then. ...like that day we ran into Patrick Stewart, that was impressive... most impressive...

Here is the original concept that was sent to production - I shared this in the original post in 2010 about the Fortor.

What you have not seen are these recently unearthed original thumbnail sketches that I did when trying to come up with an idea for the Frotor. Looks at those bad bad drawings. These were mocked openly at the time. I know they are bad... but have some respect. That first one was obviously selected long before I could really get any work done on the other thumbnails.

Look what else I found while digging around! It is the actual original final drawing for the Frotor Demon! Ever wanted to own a piece of Angel history? These could be yours for the right price! Send me an email if you are interested! RAWR!

Here are some images that have never been seen of the painted makeup pieces. I took these as reference if this creature ever had to be painted again... which I did. The boss man did the original and I did the second set.

Here are some more images of the painted makeup before it went to set. I sometimes felt like we could send drastically different painted sets of makeups and no one would notice. We spent a lot of time and effort making things match that were on screen for second if not less.

Horn details! Got to make sure you get everything the same each time.

Don't forget the hand and arm appliances. Those are important too!

Back on set and the makeup is on the guy that once played a Ferengi.

Get all the sides and all the details...

Notice how there looks to be areas were the paint seems to be peeling and rubbing off? Look at the neck and the base of the 'skull' in line with the horns. Those light areas are not detail, but rather where the paint has rubbed off of the foam latex. This happens most often when not enough adhesive is added to the base layer of paint. Easy mistake and happens from time to time.

Just prior to this monster, that I did not paint, I did paint a makeup and I made this mistake of not enough adhesive and the paint rubbed off and there was some peeling. I caught ALL kinds of hell for that. Many questionable things were spoken of me and my skills. Funny... that a week or two later that it just so happens to occur on this makeup... that like I mentioned, I did not paint. Not a lot was said about this peeling makeup...

WOW! Somehow those hand appliances turned into full gloves... how did that happen?!?!

No, really, how did that happen? We never did find out.

Lastly, we arrive on the Frotor Demon that I redesigned in 2010.

Looking at this now... I would totally do it differently in 2014... Funny!

Taking the Frotor Demon back!
© 2010 Christopher Burdett

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

Taking a break: The Woman's Victim - Angel Season 4

The blog break continues as I am still overwhelmed elsewhere. In my absence, here is some stuff I have never shared from my days in the Makeup FX industry! Today I have for you the Woman's Victim from season 4 of Angel...

This was a weird one. This is not so much a monster, but rather the effects of a monster on a person.  The monster in question is Jasmine and she touched this poor person's face and look what happened! The boss man was really pushing me to do Photoshopped photo manipulated makeup concepts so that is what this one ended up being. All things considered the final makeup ended up being very true to my design... which is nice. I would have been happier with the design if I had done more drawing and painting and less sticking photo elements together. The makeup was to look like there was a hand imprint and it had become rotted and diseased. While the design may not have made that clear (the hand part) I think the final makeup pulls it off. It is always nice to be able to design something and then it gets made and becomes a real thing out it the world.

While I was the designer on this monster there was an entire team of my skilled coworkers that saw to the sculpting, molding, casting, and everything else that went into seeing this creature come about.

Enough talk, here is the Woman's Victim... 
 

My first and only design for the victim's makeup. The boss man oversaw me while I made this so he got what he wanted and then he pushed it threw with production.

The better of only two imperfect images of this makeup that we have.

I always took a lot of photos and then you can pick the best... others felt like they should take one and hope that it turned out. ...*sigh*

The other photo of this is SO laughably bad I dared not post it. The lighting on it is so off that the entire thing is light baby blue... seriously. No mater what I have done to try to correct it has worked.

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

Taking a break: Skip Demon - Angel Season 4

The blog break continues as I am still overwhelmed elsewhere. In my absence, here is some stuff I have never shared from my days in the Makeup FX industry! Today I have for you the Skip Demon from season 4 of Angel...

Skip came about in season 3 of Angel, long before I was ever part of the show or had anything to do with it. The design and original creation of Skip are not my story to tell. What I can share is when he returned in season 4 when I had a chance to be one of the painters on all the pieces and parts that went into him as well as accompanied him to set. Since this was an established monster and makeup I followed the art lead and did what he did to make sure Skip stayed consistent.

While I was one of the painters and went to set with it there was an entire team of my skilled coworkers that saw the the sculpting, molding, casting, and everything else that went into seeing this creature come about.

Enough talk, here is the Skip Demon...

Skip returns to Angel to meet his maker.

Say goodbye, Skip... 

"Goodbye, Skip."

The original plan was to have Skip receive a fatal blow to the head which would crack and break his face. A new face piece was sculpted by the design lead... and was never used. Too much time and effort to switch out the face piece on set since the filming of 'clean' face and 'broken' face would happen on the dame day and loosing hours to switching out the makeup is not in the schedule.

This was the extent of the design work that I did for this episode. I took the photo of the makeup and added the wound color to show production the look for the planed makeup. All of this work went into the before production finally gave the word that it was not happening. We would have to do something else that was quicker.

One of the old Skip suits is cleaned up and readied to be the stunt suit.

Here is all the parts and pieces that go into Skip besides the suits.

I was one of the two painters that made these happen.

Skip and a stunt Skip filmed for two days, so we needed four cowls and four face pieces and a backup of everything else.

Here is a compromise to the broken face makeup... not ever sure this was actually used except as a reference point for the makeup department to figure out something on the day.

Skip on set hanging out.

Showing a little leg for the fans...

Broken face is happening...

A detail of broken face coming together.

Final broken face. Not much more then makeup at this point. A far cry from the separate all new sculpture it could have been.

The actor that played Skip at the shop with a huge painted banner of Skip. And yes, that is the guy that originally dated Pam on the Office.

Mr. Beefy and Skip are best buds... or not...

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

Taking a break: Bohg'Dar Demon - Angel Season 4

The blog break continues as I am still overwhelmed elsewhere. In my absence, here is some stuff I have never shared from my days in the Makeup FX industry! Today I have for you the Bohg'Dar Demon from season 4 of Angel...

 

If there ever was a demon on Angel I would have liked to had done more on, it was the Bohg'Dar. The Bohg'Dar was and is right up my alley when it comes to monsters - big and full of character. Sadly, I was out of most of the loop when it came to this monsters. I did however get to design the contacts for Bohg'Dar. Something is better then nothing. Not much else to add on this one... just look him in the eye next time and think of me...

 

While I only designed the contacts there was an entire team of my skilled coworkers that saw to the sculpting, designing, molding, casting, and everything else that went into seeing this creature come about.

Enough talk, here are the Bohg'Dar Demon...

The jowly Bohg'Dar Demon... RAWR!

My initial concepts for the Bohg'Dar contacts. For most of my contact designs I looked to medical books dealing with eye injuries and illnesses for inspiration and reference. The nature world is so much better at coming up with disturbing imagery. FYI, keep bleach out of your eyes... just saying.

Decided to go with a nice asymmetrical look for the Bohg'Dar Demon's contacts. You can compare this image to the photo of the final makeup above to see how well they recreated these designs in the actual contacts.

Here is an added bonus of thing to come at a later date. This is me in the Bohg'Dar makeup and suit! RAWR!

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

Taking a break: Fu Manchu Demon - Angel Season 4

The blog break continues as I am still overwhelmed elsewhere. In my absence, here is some stuff I have never shared from my days in the Makeup FX industry! Today I have for you the Fu Manchu Demon from season 4 of Angel...

The Fu Manchu demon demon was... ah... you know, I have no idea what or why the Fu Manchu demon was made. Just one of the many demons that passed through our shop. I think it reused a cowl from another demon... or maybe other demons reused its cowl. I know the face was new... casue I watched it get sculpted. I did not design it... but I sure did paint the makeup! I was all over the paint work for this one.

While I was the painter on this monster there was an entire team of my skilled coworkers that saw the the sculpting, mechanics, molding, casting, and everything else that went into seeing this creature come about.

Enough talk, here is the Fu Manchu Demon... 

Still trying to figure out is this is racially insensitive.

Maybe I am reading too much into it.

Here are some images of the face sculpt for the Fu Manch Demon.

These were all handled by the shops design lead who designed and sculpted this one.

RAWR! Monsters in clay.

Another shot of the makeup and the hand/arm appliances that went with the makeup.

I really need to go back and watch episode 14 of season 4 to see if this thing even made it into the show and if it did anything.

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