Dungeon & Dragons Monster Manual - Flesh Golem - Redesign

Monster Manual monster redesigns continue today... I told you I did a bunch of these things... Today I have a rather humanoid monster and that is okay because it is a monster mess, which I like a lot. What is made from the bodies of the dead and hopefully will obey the will of its creator? That would the reanimated Flesh Golem! Here is how the final concept turned out...

Flesh Golem - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Not dead, but not fully in the world of the living, the Flesh Golem is a mess of body parts where science and magic merge. I am no stranger to Flesh Golems, not only did I work on a Frankenstein TV movie in my other art life but I also redesigned the Flesh Golem for myself in 2012. When I was tasked to redesign the Flesh Golem for 5E I wanted to make sure I explored new ground as well as cover my bases with a traditional approach. I got to work on some thumbnails...

Flesh Golem - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The first note from production was to loose the magic runes, there were plans for such things to be used elsewhere. If you are familiar with my work you know that 'A' and 'C' are right up my alley and I would draw stuff like this all day without complaint. I love the top heavy big beefy body shape. I knew 'B' was going to be rejected and too crazy, which it is, but it needed to be done and submitted. 'D' was the most traditional design and the most similar to what I did for myself. While sticking to the classic visual archetype I still wanted to make it feel oddly put together and kind of off. As you already know, 'D' was the winner and it was time for the drawing...

Flesh Golem - Drawing

9 x 12

Pencil on Paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Original Drawing for sale over on my web store!

Always nice when a monster can appear something other then instantly threatening. The switch from confused, unintelligent, sympathetic, or helpful to a threat is always really satisfying. The drawing for the Flesh Golem was approved and I was given the go ahead to work up the final color version of this drooling heap of flesh that will be as likely to rip you apart as to walk into a wall and stay there. Here is how the final color version turned out...

  Flesh Golem - Final Redsign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Another monster was put to bed and the villagers can get there torches and pitchforks ready for a night out. While I would have loved to do the version with the three heads this is really what comes to mind when you imagine a Flesh Golem, and sometimes there really is not need to reinvent the wheel and stick close to what has been established over the last 40 years of D&D.

A HUGE THANKS to Jon Schindehette for all the monsters and direction during the design phase of 5th Edition!

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog, see you back here on Friday for another new monster! Until then...

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

Dungeon & Dragons Monster Manual - Fire Beetle - Redesign

The 5th Edition Monster Manual is now officially out in the world and I had a great book signing over the weekend. Coverage of the monsters I redesigned for the 5E MM continues with the might Fire Beetle. RAWR! Here is how the final concept turned out...

Fire Beetle - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

I am all about giant insects... working on one for a personal project right now. Giant insects with the word 'fire' in their description? Even better! In fact, I re-redesigned the Fire Beetle since I originally did this one for 5th Edition. Those familiar with the blog know I am redesigning the entire original Monster Manual and recently I got to the Fire Beetle. But we are not here to talk about that we are here for the 5E Monster Manual. As with all good monsters, they started with some thumbnails...

Fire Beetle - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

With some monsters the options are so open I just do not know where to start or what direction to take, so there will me lots and lot of thumbnails and designing. These six are my top picks from all the thumbnails I scribbled away on. I felt some were getting close, or were at least good starts for some further work. Turns out that 'E' was actually the winner and was almost to the finish line (or was it?). I had a few notes and I worked up a new more fleshed out concept thumbnail...

Fire Beetle - Revised Thumbnail

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

This thumbnail was approved and I was given the go ahead to work up the final drawing. Here is how the final drawing for the Fire Beetle turned out...

Fire Beetle - Drawing

9 x 12

Pencil on Paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Original Drawing for sale over on my web store!

Things are always in flux. People change their minds. New people are brought in. Nothing is set in stone until it is payed for or printed. After sending in the above drawing and thinking that this is the new look for the Fire Beetle I got a lot of notes on changing the beetle a bit. I decided to do the edits digitally over my drawing since most of the monster was staying intact. After changing its head and back here is the new version of the Fire Beetle drawing...

Fire Beetle - Revised Drawing

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

While production always has the final say I was a little taken aback by the edits to the design. I thought, at the time, that the monster was being watered down and a lot of what made it look 'cool' was getting removed. Time moves on and the greater context of the monster in the world of the game becomes clear and it becomes obvious that production made the right choices. This updated version was approved and I was given the go ahead to work up the color comp...

Fire Beetle - Final Redsign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

There were some little edits after turning in the final color version to get the glow effect to look correct, but beyond that the creature was approved on the first pass. Since this left my hands it looks like the monster eventually lost the little fire jet nozzle on it forehead altogether. It no longer has a offensive fire attack and goes back to being a source of light for adventures. In the end I was happy with how this one turned out... all things considered.

A HUGE THANKS to Jon Schindehette for all the monsters and direction during the design phase of 5th Edition!

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog, see you back here on Wednesday for another new monster! Until then...

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

Dungeon & Dragons Monster Manual - Fire Bat - Redesign

More monsters, RAWR! Today's monster redesign that I created for the 5th Edition Monster Manual is the very HAWT Fire Bat. Here is how the final concept turned out...

Fire Bat - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

A Fire Bat... a bat on fire... FIRE bat... fire BAT... fibatre... Sometimes when approaching a monster the name so permanently controls the basic being and look of that monster that you can go in circles. While there was no real need to reinvent the wheel with the Fire Bat I did want to give it a fresh spin compared to the previous incarnations. ...which were a big bat shaped fire elemental. Here are how the thumbnail concepts that I submitted turned out...

Fire Bat - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Not surprisingly, I came up with a lot of bat shaped fire elementals. FIRE BAT! In a last ditch effort, an act of desperation, or a stroke of inspiration I thought to add some bones. Good thing too... I would have hated to be stuck in perpetual redesign of the Fire Bat. Without adding those bone I could be sitting here even now on my 5047th round of Fire Bat revisions trying to make it cool. The bones saved the day and I was asked to do a more detailed thumbnail to make sure the anatomy and bones looked realistic and accurate to a real bat. Good thing for me... I own a bat skeleton! With some observation and reference I worked up a more fleshed out thumbnail...

Fire Bat - Anatomical thumbnail

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

This more fleshed out thumbnail was approved and it was time to draw. With my bat skeleton in hand it was time to get drawing. Here is how the final drawing for the Fire Bat turned out...

Fire Bat - Drawing

9 x 12

Pencil on Paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Original Drawing for sale over on my web store!

There was not a whole lot of difference between the anatomical thumbnail and the final drawing except the drawing was on paper and is a whole lot cleaner and tighter. But it is part of my process so I make sure to follow my steps to create a finished product that I am happy with. The drawing was approved without comment and I moved onto the final color comp...

Fire Bat - Final Redsign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The final color redesign was approved without comment and another monster was squared away. My biggest concern for the final version was that the fire read well and that the skeleton looked burnt. Maybe I did that, maybe I didn't... but it was approved. All I knew is that I needed to move onto the next monster...

A HUGE THANKS to Jon Schindehette for all the monsters and direction during the design phase of 5th Edition!

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday for another new monster! Until then...

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

Dungeon & Dragons Monster Manual - Gauth (Spectator) - Redesign

The monsters keep coming, RAWR! Today's monster redesign that I created for the 5th Edition Monster Manual is a wily Beholder-Kin, the Gauth (now Spectator). Here is how the final concept turned out...

Gauth (Spectator) - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The Gauth has always been more or less portrayed as a four eye stocked Beholder like creature. Production wanted me to continue this, but give it an update and reworking. I was so excited about this one and the finished piece remains one of my favorite redesigns. Once I started to thumbnail concepts I had to stop myself because I think I could have continued on and on and on working up little floating balls of teeth and tentacles. Here are how the thumbnail concepts that I submitted turned out...

Gauth (Spectator) - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

If I remember correctly, "C" and "D" were favorites for production. "C" they really liked but there was a concern it would read as a Beholder that had lost its stalks in a fight rather then being a completely different creature. "D" offered up a unique silhouette and read instantly as a Beholder like creature that is not a Beholder. In the end, it is obvious "D" won because it was more unique... and I think it looks better then some of the more snaky wavy stalked Gauth concepts. Now that I had an approved concept it was time to get started on the drawing...

Gauth (Spectator) - Drawing

9 x 12

Pencil on Paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Original Drawing - SOLD

I fleshed out the concept and added my usual level of detail that makes me feel that the drawing is finished. I think I could have drawn Beholder-kin for days or weeks. Perpetual production of teeth, tentacles, eye stalks, tongues all on horrid floating balls... sounds like fun to me. The drawing was approved without comment and I moved onto the final color comp...

Gauth (Spectator) - Final Redsign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The final was approved immediately and as I have said, remains one of my favorites produced for 5E. They all can not be Beholders, but when they are, I really try to savor the moments working on them. The final illustration for this monster was expertly handled by Kieran Yanner! RAWR!

A HUGE THANKS to Jon Schindehette for all the monsters and direction during the design phase of 5th Edition!

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog, see you back here on Friday for another new monster! Until then...

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

Dungeon & Dragons Monster Manual - Beholder Death Tyrant - Redesign

With Illuxcon over it is now time to get this blog back focused on the monsters...  namely the monsters of the 5th Edition Monster Manual. RAWR! With the pieces that I illustrated for the MM covered already it is time to look at the monsters I redesigned for 5E. Figured I should just do this alphabetically, so starting things off is the wily Beholder: Death Tyrant! Here is how the final concept turned out...

Beholder Death Tyrant - Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual - Redesign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

They wanted a fresh take on the undead Beholder... Beholder Lich... Total Party Killer Beholder... and it was up to me to figure out what that new look and feel for the the Death Tyrant. I got to work on some concepts and thumbnails. My first and favorite idea was bound to get rejected, but I included it anyway as the first concept. I then took that concept and dialed it back a little more and more with the other variations, making it a little safer and more inline with what had already been done with the undead Beholder. Here is how those concept / thumbnails turned out...

Beholder Death Tyrant - Thumbnails

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Needless to say I was more then pleased that my favorite and preferred concept was enthusiastically approved by production. I think this was one of the easiest and quickest redesigns of all my work on the 5E MM. Now that I had an approved concept it was time to get started on the drawing...

Beholder Death Tyrant - Drawing

9 x 12

Pencil on Paper

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Original Drawing - SOLD

The design was pretty much completely fleshed out in thumbnails and the drawing just built off the thumbnail. This resulted in the drawing being approved right away and the go ahead was given to work up a quick color comp...

Beholder Death Tyrant - Final Redsign

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The final color concept was approved and it was time to move onto the next monster. Like I said, the redesign the Beholder Death Tyrant was quick and painless... something all the helpless adventures will not experience when they encounter it. RAWR!

A HUGE THANKS to Jon Schindehette for all the monsters and direction during the design phase of 5th Edition!

That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog, see you back here on Wednesday for another new monster! Until then...

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

5th Edition D&D Monster Manual Book Signing

The 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual comes out next week and the good folks at Fallout Comics have invited me out to do a book signing! If you are in the the North Florida / Tallahassee area be sure to come out to Fallout Comics on Saturday October 4th between 12 pm - 3pm @ 1484 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, Florida 32301 (Facebook event page). I will be signing and sketching in Monster Manuals and will have a whole lot of other surprises!

My illustrations in the 5E D&D Monster Manual

Kraken, Salamander, Fire Snake, Ankheg, and Aarakocra

© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

Did I mention surprises? Debuting at the signing will be a new set of limited edition signed and numbered monster prints! These 8.5 x 11 signed prints are numbered and limited to an edition of 50 and feature all five of the monsters that I illustrated for the Monster Manual. They can be purchased individually or as a set at a discount. RAWR!

Here is a look at the limited edition monster prints... for all your monster print needs.

The prints are all numbered and only await my signature when they are purchased. RAWR!

In addition to these new prints I will have with me original drawings and paintings, play mats, sketchbooks, Magic the Gathering prints, Magic the Gathering artist proofs, and more! I will also be signing any other items that I have worked on as well.

I hope to see you at Fallout Comics on Saturday October 4th between the hours of 12pm - 3pm @ 1484 Apalachee Pkwy, Tallahassee, Florida 32301.

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday for more D&D monsters! Until then...

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

Illuxcon 7 - Day 4

All good things come to an end... and so must Illuxcon 7. The last day of Illuxcon always sees people slowly heading out for their journeys home. Slowly as the day progresses the elbow room increases in the show and the walls become more and more bare as art heads off with its new owner. I know no one wants to see Illuxcon end, but as exhaustion sets in after a truly awesome 4-5 days it is time to wrap things up ...and begin planning for next year.

I had to cancel my trip to Illuxcon last year unexpectedly and it was so great to be able to make it back this year. I will be doubly making sure I return next year for Illuxcon 8. Illuxcon was my best event of the year for so many reason and has rejuvenated me ans has gotten me ready for another year of monsters.

Here are some images from the final day of Illuxcon 7...

Things are still very much hopping on Sunday morning in the Main Show.

Slowly but surely the halls thin out and the walls begin to look more bare.

The Salon was still very busy as well the last day.

But as in the Main Show eventually the halls and walls begin to thin.

It seemed that in minutes the Main Show went from this...

...to this.

Everything seems to move smoothly and quickly as the art left the building.

In the end there were only hanging hooks.

Don't worry Mr. Tortoise... you will be safe under that padded blanket.

The loading dock was a busy place as every shape and size of box and container that could carry art was removed from the museum.

Aaron Miller struts his stuff at an end of another Illuxcon...

After a long day of Illuxcon only one thing to do... drop snakes into our mouths...

The hotel lobby, once a hot bed for hanging out and fun seems bizarrely empty and quiet now.

Another successful Illuxcon comes to a close!

HUGE thanks to Patrick Wilshire and Jeannie Wilshire for all they do to make Illuxcon happen and for all the years of hard work and love they have poured into it to make it what it is today! Many thanks to all the volunteers and staff that assist the Wilshires in breathing life into Illuxcon! We would not have this wonderful event without all that you do.

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