Gen Con 2018 - Day 4

Today I am sharing some images and thoughts from day 4 of Gen Con. All good things come to an end, even Gen Con. After a month or more of build up and prep, two days of driving, and afternoon of setup and getting ready... the best four days in gaming is over in a blink of the eye. Very full days and troubled sleep help make it even shorter. Oh well... Sunday was my second best day at the con this year and was a great way to wrap things up. I was even making sales after the show had closed which is really nice. My original drawing sale was a HUGE success and I sent lots of drawings to new homes. I still have a large stack of drawings, so I may continue the sale at the rest of my conventions this year. Sunday was a blur since Saturday night was my worst night's sleep, but as I mentioned in a previous post, I used that time to work on a game plan to insure I can get the most work done moving forward. Tear down went quickly and easily and was followed up with our annual Japanese dinner with friends. A wonderful way to end a great convention. All in all this Gen Con was really great. I am fairly confident that it was my second best year at Gen Con, last year being the best. Already looking ahead to Gen Con 2019 and especially 2020!

Here are some images from Day 4 of Gen Con 2018...

 The crowds were a little lighter on Sunday.

 This years balloon sculpture. Not really sure what that is.

 The state of the table by Sunday. Things are shifted around. Things are sold out. It is all a bit of a mess.

 Still a busy busy day on our row.

 Over the wall and it is a very busy art show.

 All the people looking at all the art.

 Brain Stillman holding the Gen Con Best Documentary award for Eye of the Beholder!

 The room that had been full of busy activity for day is now empty.

 They take the walls down quicker and quicker each year.

 This year the walls cam down while I was away getting my boxes and cart. Luckily Dear Wife was there to take my paintings off the walls before someone laid hands on the wall.

 Everyone hard at work tearing down Gen Con.

 Even though I am leaving with less stuff it is always interesting how it all takes up more room on the trip home. Two more days of driving found us home at last.

That is all for another exciting Tuesday 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

Gen Con 2017 Recap - Day 4

All good things come to an end, even Gen Con. After a late night Saturday it was a very early morning on Sunday. Everyone survived the night and made it to their tables on time and the show began again and no one was the wiser to the level of exhaustion that loomed over the artist show like a fog. The morning was a bit low key, but as the day went on spirits brightened. Sunday of Gen Con this year was the single best day for me at any con. A good way to end the convention and always nice to leave with less than you bring. It is not always about sales, but sales are important to insuring that the convention experience is not a financial hindrance. Going into the convention my thoughts were not on sales, it was about seeing friends that I have missed and having a chance to catch up with people I only see once or twice a year. In the end of Gen Con it is nice to know that I was able to kill two birds with once stone.

Sunday is a shorter day on the floor, but there is tear down and packing up of the car. Each year it is a little easier and a little quicker. Many folks have to head home after tear down but those that are staying the night usually get together and we feast on Japanese food. It has become a tradition and it is a wonderful way to end the con. Good food, good drinks, some quiet time with friends, and a chance to relax and reflect on the past four days. We usually are all awake enough for a brief outing afterwards, but it is an early night for use all as the convention catches up with us. Another Gen Con done and it is one for the record books. I wonder what Gen Con 51 has ins tore??? Here are some images from day 4 of Gen Con 50...

It is like they never moved. This room was full the night before and it is even more full now. I can only imagine at the fun being had in there!

This year's balloon sculpture was a huge golden dragon. This was the best view of it that I was able to get the entire weekend.

Signed some more Magic cards.

Tools for the Job card next to the painting. Regular and mini me versions of the art.

Since Sunday is the last day and busy and there is a finite about of time I am limited on how many drawings I can do. Here is a Gen Con 50 dragon on the back of a Magic proof.

Only did one Pokemon on Sunday. This was a new one for me.

A bunch of Trandoshans needs signing and I was more than up to the task.

Looking around at the fun. I wish these images gave a better feeling for the crush of people.

I found Pikachu... and now I wish I hadn't

These Catan sheep were all over the place. Never knew why.

The walls came down while I was at the car getting the wheelie cart and all the boxes and packing material. I have to get the paintings down immediately or risk the walls coming out from underneath the paintings.

What was a mighty art show...

...is now a barren waste of tables.

All the art and all the crowds are now gone. I immediately get lost once the walls and art is gone. I loose track of where my table is.

The crowds are gone. The banners are down. Soon the rooms will be empty. 

Gen Con is officially over for another year...

That is all for another exciting day 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

Gen Con 2016 Recap - Day 4

My recap of Gen Con 2016 continues with some of the happenings in the Artist Alley during Day 3. If you missed it, you can check out Day 0, Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

All good things come to an end, including Gen Con. Day 4 is finally upon us and Gen Con is wrapping up and all that remains is a frantic last 6 hours followed by tear down. By Day 4 of Gen Con my brain has stopped making long term memories and I am running on auto pilot. That is the way of things at such a huge convention. The carrot at the end of a frantic tear down is an amazing sushi dinner with a ton of friends and a last low key evening of hanging out and saying goodbye.

The funny thing about Gen Con that as it approached there is SO much to do and SO much involved that it feels rather daunting and not necessarily something I want to do. The second I hit Nashville on the drive up and I THRILLED it is Gen Con time again. By the time Day 4 rolls around I can not wait to come back to Gen Con next year. This of course fades at things get crazy with life and prep for Gen Con next year... and so the cycle repeats. Thanks to EVERYONE that made Gen Con 2016 such a GREAT year. So much fun was had, I can't wait till next year!

Here are some images that more or less make up my experiences of Day 4 of Gen Con 2016...

Mewtwo on a blank Pokemon card.

Another new Star Wars piece I had no idea was out. It has been out for awhile and I thought it was not coming out till later this year. More on this soon!

A new Star Wars card that reuses a piece that I did for the Star Wars RGP.

I had no idea that this was out.

A new Eevee has appeared.

Signed more Star Wars cards.

Things go weird the last day of Gen Con when I was asked to start mashing up Pokemon.

I signed a few more Bossk cards.

4-Lom is going to a new home!

What's going on over the wall?

...and over there?

Things stayed busy until the end!

I traded with Jacob Walker for this BEAUTIFUL piece of his! RAWR!

Tear down begins.

Everything in its place and a place for everything.

My lovely assistant, Dear Wife.

Goodbye table 40, it has been a fun 4 days!

What took 5.5 hours to set up takes about 2 hours to pack up.

I am really impressed that the "S" remained on the sign this year. Every year I have attended Gen Con at some point during the convention that "S" seemed to vanish.

That is all for anther exciting Thursday 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

Gen Con 2015 - Day 4

All good things come to an end and that includes my coverage of Gen Con 2015. After a crazy and hectic three days we find ourselves at Day 4 of Gen Con 2015. I took it easy the night before and was feeling much better and more rested so that I could tackle Day 4 head on. For me Day 4 was the busiest and there was not a spare second during the day. A group of us walked around the exhibition hall before it was open to the public so that we could finally get a look at everything that was happening while we were at our booths. So many neat things out in the hall to look at and drool over. During set up you can't believe that you have four long days ahead of you and at the end of Day 4 you can't figure out where the past four days went. More and more people are saying that Gen Con is becoming a week long convention with folks arriving the weekend before. I myself begin traveling on a Tuesday only to arrive back home on the following Tuesday, so for me, Gen Con is a week long event too. A super fun week long gaming art party. Here are some images from Day 4 of Gen Con 2015...

Balloon squid from above so you can get a good view of all the balloon tentacle goodness.

Hey, it is that big green monster guy that everyone loves!

I was asked to include some hashtags and stuff to promote this guy, but I forgot.

OH WAIT! I remember! #CthulhuIsComing

I actually have this guy in action figure form... RAWR!

One of the booths had some seriously awesome miniatures on display that we were all drooling over. We could not find any information about these bad boys but they were sure pretty and fun to look at. A sign near these guys would have been nice so that I could pass that along...

I was asked to do a sketch with with a penguin and a turtle. So I did a sketch with a penguin and a turtle. That turtle is so happy...

Sunday was seriously busy. All the people were there doing all the things.

We picked up a super cool Dungeons & Dragons piece by Jeff Miracola at Gen Con... RAWR!

We also got a super cool monster piece by Amy Ashbaugh... RAWR!

AND I picked up one of Tom Babbey's sketch book with an appropriate sketch! All the RAWRs!

A Gudul Lurker on a playmat because that is the Gudul Lurker's natural environment.

There were also a Rancor on a playmat. The Rancor and the Gudul Lurker were both fighting or at least attacking the Tardis on two different playmats. The Doctor was having an interesting day.

My contribution to a playmat that had two teams fighting each other. My bird monster had his sights on a eyeball tentacle monster. Gonna NOM all the eyeballs and tentacles.

Ralph Horsley had a super cool tip jar at Gen Con and he gave it to me after the con ended! Darth Pig for the win! SOOOOO COOL! Thanks Ralph!

All good things come to an end and that includes Gen Con 2015.

In a flurry of activity and chaos the art show begins to come down.

All the hopes and dream go into handy dandy boxes. Until next year Propanel, until next year...

It is like some weird Transformer where everything transforms into boxes.

My booth is more or less packed up... now to lug it all back to my car in the third subbasement of the hotel that is not too far away in the scheme of things. It only took two trips. Not too bad.

It never fails, this poor sign is vandalized every year. Somewhere a maintenance person has a huge box of space "S"s and after Gen Con a new one is put back up.

That is all for Gen Con 2015 coverage, see you back here tomorrow for more blog fun! Until then...

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