Interstellar Express Part 4 - Character Model Sheets

Today, I am continuing my posts focused on my work from Interstellar Express, the educational game I art directed and made many assists. This week I am sharing the character model sheets for all the aliens in the game. Let's get back to the Interstellar Express!

Interstellar Express space screen

Final art by Lee Bretschneider

The project's highlight was the concept and design work for the alien creatures. While I did not make the final assets of the aliens in the game, I did everything up to that point. This included model sheets of all the aliens with front and side views, a color study, and a rigging guide. This stage was the most fun and felt the least like work. I would have liked to do more of these, but there are a finite number of alien species in the game. I needed to provide all the information and details with these model sheets so that the rest of the team were given everything needed to make them multi-pieced animated figures. The results were outstanding, and the final results were robust and offered a great deal of flexibility with a full range of expressions and poses. I present you with the aliens of Interstellar Express.

My favorite overall was the triceratops in a spacesuit. 

 

The partner's favorite were the Lavafolk.

The shape aliens were another favorite of mine.

Who doesn't like a sea horse in a water mask?

Initially considered too scary for children, one of the insects made it into the game.

Hands down my least favorite thing in the game. These generic aliens aren't tied to anything and feel disconnected from the rest of the themes and designs. Oh well. They were chosen, and I made them as good as I could and ensured they received as much time, attention, and work as the rest of them. Because at the end of the day, if I don't like something I have been tasked to make, I suck it up and do the very best job I can. Because, I am a professional, and that is what we do.

The Conductor was also considered too scary. There was a lot of discussions if three eyes or four eyes were scarier. To be honest, I don't recall how many eyes the final Conductor received.

Lastly, the Universal Translator. The team did a lot of fun work to give her distinct looks for her differenct emotions and reactions. A good example of better results by involving different people.

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

Augmented Reality Test in The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Earlier this year, the art team at the day job has been experimenting with Adobe Aero to generate augmented reality (AR) content to see what was possible. Six years ago, we did many virtual reality (VR) tests and experiments at work. While we have not done much with VR since then, we are exploring the opportunities that AR can provide. We are exploring several different things currently, but these are results I can share. 

We were asked to explore what the software could do with the resources we had at hand. The point was to push and pull at the application's limitations while not spending much time creating assets. I, of course, immediately reached for the images from the first book in the Grand Bazaar series that I cut apart for the launch video of the Kickstarter campaign. I wanted to see how the art would look set up as a shadowbox so that you could look into the work. The sound triggered by interaction was another aspect I looked into, and you can see that in the first video about halfway through. The music is triggered by me tapping the map image on my phone while recording. Here are two of the later tests with the art shadow boxes.

 

Augmented Reality Test in The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

This was actually several tests into my work with Aero. It took a little work to get a feel for the software and to import things correctly, edit them as I wanted, and get them to be the size and location I wanted. After several tests, it became clear to me that I needed to finish off the art with sides to enclose them. Once I did this, the art became more of a finished object, and the sides limit you from seeing beyond the art once you look into them. The shadow box feel of the art pieces pleases me, and I think it was a reasonably successful conclusion. Something to remember for future trips to the Grand Bazaar. 

 

Augmented Reality (Second) Test in The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Again, this is well into me working with these assets. I wanted to try a vertical arrangement of my phone so that I would fill the screen better with the art and explore the art better. It is similar to the other video but lingers more on the first few pieces.

In the coming weeks, I will share some other experiments I did with Aero and AR. I have some additional pieces from the Grand Bazaar and some from beyond.

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

Fast Forward Five Years - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

Social media has reminded me that five years ago today, I officially announced that I was working on a significant personal project involving a world of monsters, books, original art, loads of writing, and much more. Less than three years later, I had a fully completed book, a successfully funded Kickstarter, and work prepped for the next two installments in the series. The past two years have not gone as planned, but the first book and its two companion books were released, and this year I have finally been able to bring the book to conventions and share it with so many people. Not to mention that significant work has already been completed for book two, and there is work completed for book three.

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia - Monsters and Merchants is available NOW!

Five years doesn't feel like that much time, and it feels like an eternity. Five years ago, I knew I was going to make a book. I didn't know how I would do it, but I was. I had a lot of art completed and a plan, and I knew if I kept at it, eventually, it would happen. Blind optimism and idealistic self-confidence have their benefits. Now I know I can make books, which is what I plan to do for the foreseeable future. Even though every time I look at a copy of the Grand Bazaar, it is a marvel to me, and I am surprised that it exists. Even though they are all around me, they sometimes don't feel real. 

Booth at Infinity Con 2022, the final test run of the booth before Gen Con!

I am now on the cusp of returning to Gen Con for the first time since 2019. Not my doing, of course, just the side effects of the world we find ourselves in. In three weeks, I will be arriving at Gen Con as I had planned to do in 2020. It severely pained me to not be there in 2020 with the book. I know now that it should be a much better experience in 2022. I have had time to reflect on the book and my work, learn how to talk to people about the book (thanks to having a couple conventions under my belt), and have had two years of extra time to prepare and plan. So yes, the last 2 and half years have really sucked, but I am hopefully in a much better place with the Grand Bazaar than I would have been. I will know in three weeks either way. But no matter what, the work continues, and I will create more art, write more words, and make more books.

That is all for another exciting Tuesday 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

Yote Vocal Box - The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia

I am thrilled to share another new piece from The Grand Bazaar of Ethra VanDalia. This illustration is for Book Two: The Completed Circle. This piece is one of the supporting images for the book section dedicated to the Bumbling Assistants. The comedic sidekicks to the hero are a pair of befuddled Yote that are found wandering the wilds. Book two will contain more information and details about the mysterious Yote and the nature of their existence. Even a more candid look at what literally makes them tick, like a partially deconstructed voice box. I present to you the Yote Vocal Box.

Yote Vocal Box

The Grand Bazaar of Ethra Dalia - The Completed Circle
9 x 12 - Pencil, ink, and acrylic paint on paper
Original - Available on my store
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

 

Yote Vocal Box - Drawing 

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

 

This was the fourth of six smaller pieces I wanted to finish before moving to larger, more involved works in book two. Each section of book two will have at least two supporting art pieces. They will help flesh out the section and add context to things in and beyond the Grand Bazaar. The main art for the first three sections of the book are completed, so it only seemed natural to complete the supporting pieces as well. With them finished, I have moved on to much larger pieces that will keep me in the chair drawing for a while. Here is a look at the sketch for the Yote Vocal Box to show where it began.

 

Yote Vocal Box - Sketch 

Digital
© 2022 Christopher Burdett

As a bonus, I have some images of the rendering process of this piece so that you can get a better idea of it taking shape.   

Yote Vocal Box - Process

© 2022 Christopher Burdett

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

Interstellar Express Part 3 - Train Concepts

Today, I am continuing my posts focused on my work from Interstellar Express, the educational game I art directed and made many assists. This week I am sharing the concept work that went into the game's train. While the game focuses on the train's travel, you will not see it often. There is an interior that is the backdrop for much of the interactions of the aliens, universal translator, and user. I did not have a chance to do many concepts for this portion of the game, but what I did design was well received. Let's get back to the Interstellar Express!

Interstellar Express space screen

Final art by Lee Bretschneider

I wanted a strong steampunk feel for much of the UI and the train. While that can be seen in the UI work that was done, the train ended up going in a different direction - which can be frustrating when broader design and aesthetic choices are being made. Sometimes visually cohesive elements are switched up, but that is the nature of these things. It is not worth the confrontation or ill will it might generate to hold your ground over something you are making for others. My first concepts were where I wanted the train to lean towards.

Large, chunky, squared off, I was really getting into this direction of the train.

Ultimately, I took the designs in a different direction. If I remember correctly, one of these was chosen. To be honest, the train's exterior is the part of this project I am the least familiar with. It was handed off to another, and the final was approved and went into the game relatively early on. A lot has happened since then, and my brain did not deem it essential to hold onto.

As with the other interiors, I provided a concept of the direction I would be taking. I tried to tie in some Victorian aspects of train interiors with this. This was one of the first environments that I completed since it was going to have such a significant role in the game.

Passenger car interior of the space train.

That's 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

A Few MORE Recent Artist Proof Drawings

Today I have for you recent artist proofs that I added drawings to. If you are interested in getting any of these for yourself, just follow the links to my store. This time around, I was asked to draw some more Pokemon. I was asked to draw another Charizard as it appears in the game and then to draw my version of a Charizard. This was a fun one to do, and I think I am slowly getting better at drawing Charizard. I present you with a Charizard and my version of Charizard.

Giant flying dragon-like reptile creature, one based on the Pokemon and the other my version.

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

Interstellar Express Part 2 - Alien Concepts

Continuing what I began last week, I have more work from Interstellar Express, the educational game I art directed and made many assists for. This week I am sharing the concept work that went into the game's aliens. The planets and aliens were all linked, but as production proceeded, some of the aliens were abandoned. This resulted in more worlds than aliens, which is neither good nor bad; it is just a shame some of these didn't make it to the final. Let's get back to the Interstellar Express!

Interstellar Express space screen

Final art by Lee Bretschneider

With all the concept work for this project, I was given full freedom to have fun, explore options, and make things I wanted to make. That should be reflected in the work I have to show you today. I made a list of the ideas I wanted to explore and work on one at a time. I believe these aliens came first and then the planets, but they were all in my head the entire time I worked on them. Some of the ideas for the aliens came from thoughts about fun planet types, while other planets needed to be designed to go along with the aliens I wanted to make. While brainstorming, there were suggestions of making planets that mirrored different periods of Earth's history, but that was scrapped early on. The closest to that contining to the final game would be the desert planet. For the aliens, I wanted them to have a concept around them, an idea that I could pin the visuals too.  For the most part, that worked, but not all were well received.

Space Dinosaurs

These were the first I designed, and I love them so much. The Triceratops was the winner by a long shot.

Space Fish

The sea horse made the cut and got a water helmet to help it breathe.

Space Shapes

These were a particular favorite of mine. The sphere was the winner here.

Lava People

The client LOVES this one. They were of the mindset that no matter what came of this project, the lava people would end up somewhere doing something. The top right was the direction that was chosen.

Space Bugs

They thought these were too scary (?!?) and were nearly on the chopping block, but the bottom left ended up making the cut.

Robots

These were also considered too scary (?!?) and were scrapped.

Space Elementals

The elemental planet had water, vapor, and ice aspects to it. I wanted the aliens of that planet to also be gas, liquid, and solid. Sadly, they were all rejected.

Generic Aliens

I was having fun making shapes and trying things out. These were not meant for the client to see, but they saw them and picked one. The issue is that they were not designed with a planet in mind, and I feel they clash a bit in the game.

Space Birds

Again, more ideas that were not really meant for the client to see... but they did. I was working on some birds for the bird planet, but these were all rejected before I could get to the good stuff, which ended any more work on birds. I was playing around with the dog, which was REALLY not meant for the clients. They, of course, loved it, and we had to convince them that it had been done already and we didn't want the ire of Marvel on our backs.

Universal Translator

The UT helps give instruction and information to the user and translates the alien's speech - who all but one or two speaks gibberish. The overall feel for this was accepted, but it changed slightly in the final.

The Conductor

Not sure how much this character will be in the final game - if at all. In early versions, the conductor and UT help get the user up and running and bring urgency to the tasks. The robot version was rejected outright. They went with the organic version. The top left was initially accepted and then rejected when some said it was too scary (?!?), and they went with the top right... but that also had to be changed some because it was on the fence of being too scary (?!). Adults do not give kids enough credit. 

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