Very Near Mint volume 3 - Kickstarter

If you are familiar with the blog then the names Very Near Mint and Justin Peterson might be familiar to you. If not, Very Near Mint is an AMAZING series of graphic novel by the ridiculously talented Justin Peterson. Justin currently has a new Kickstarter up to fund the publishing of the third volume in the Very Near Mint epic super amazing trilogy! The good news is that the book is already funded, the BETTER news is that are also a bunch of great additional rewards already unlocked that you can receive by funding at the right price point! Head over to the VNM volume 3 Kickstater for all the details!!! ALSO, if you are thinking to yourself, "But I don't have volume 1 or 2, why would I fund volume 3?", don't worry, Justin has you covered!

Cover of Very Near Mint volume 3

© 2013 Justin Peterson

If all the additional prints, cards sets, and name badges aren't enough of an incentive to own a great book like VNM, then maybe the fact that my art is in all the volumes will help seal the deal. I have contributed a pin up for all the volumes of VNM (and Uncanny VNM) and I am happy to say that I will have a piece in Very Near Mint volume 3! Here is a look at my previous contributions...

My previous contributions...

Pins ups for VNM vol 1, Uncanny VNM, and VNM vol 2

Characters © 2013 Justin Peterson / Art by Christopher Burdett

The piece that I have produced for Very Near Mint volume 3 will be in full color and will fracture some things I have not drawing since I was a youth and have been itching to revisit. I am really happy with how it turned out and I think Justin is as well. I will leave you with a sneak peak of things to come...

Crappy sneak peak of super awesome amazing brand new pin up for VNM vol 3!

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

Again,  head over the Kickstarter to take advantage of all the bonus Kickstarter exclusives as well as help fund this amazing book! What are you waiting for??? GO NOW!

That is all for another exciting Monday, 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

Fresh from the drawing table... Neo-Otyugh!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a NEO-OTYUGH! Let's get this out of the way, it can be pronounced /ˈɒtjəɡ/ or /ˈɒtjuː/...or how I pronounce it /UH-teh-Jah/. Arriving at "N" again I realized the picking were getting slim. So I picked NEW of the Otyugh. After the Neo-Otyugh, "N" has only a sexy lady monster, a scary old lady monster and a horsy monster left for me to tackle. Decided to go with the tentacled horror while I could! I present to you my version of a Neo-Otyugh…     

Neo-Otyugh

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

That fact that I designed my Neo-Otyugh before first designing my Otyugh was not lost on me. The whole time I was working on this every time I would make a design choice I would stop myself and then dial it up a notch more. A few more tentacles? NOPE, a WHOLE LOT more tentacles. There is a part of me that is a little worried that when I get back around to doing the Otyugh that it is going to get up looking frumpy compared to this one. This is just something I will have to be mindful of when that time comes. Going into this one I thought it was going to be really straight forward and pour off the pencil... I was wrong. There were a few discarded starts for this monster and a lot of it had to go with coming up with a pleasing anatomical arrangement and composition. You can't just throw tentacles onto something just anywhere! There is a flow and method to the tentacle madness... RAWR!

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.      

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

Alligator Skull

I have become the proud owner of a beautiful alligator skull and I would like to share some images of it on the blog to spread the usefulness of this great reference item. I very much would like to thank Melissa Findley for such an amazing gift! Her father has recently taken up taxidermy and she and I have already begun to benefit from his new hobby.

I hope you can find the photos helpful! RAWR!

 Alligator skull and replica life size human skull for size comparison

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

POTATOMAN SEEKS THE TROOF

I have known the guys behind the awesome games at Pixeljam since we attended college together. If you are not familiar with them and their great games you should really do yourself the favor and head over to their website. They have recently launched their new game Potatoman Seek the Troof. To celebrate the release they held an art contest and I could not help but take part in it! Here is my take of Potatoman...

Potatoman

Art by Christopher Burdett

Potatoman © 2013 Pixeljam

I realize now that the art contest is now over, but that should not stop you from heading over to check out the Potatoman Seek the Troof and the rest of the great games that Pixeljam has to offer. I can not say enough good things about their games and if you have played any of them you know just how addicting and fun they are. Potatoman is no different!

Here is the drawing I did of Potatoman without all the digital finish and effects...
  

  Non-digitally enhanced Potatoman

Art by Christopher Burdett

Potatoman © 2013 Pixeljam

AGAIN, head over to the Pixeljam and check out their games and music, you will not be disappointed! They are great guys making awesome games and you will thank me for it!

That is all for another exciting Monday, 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

Fresh from the drawing table... Mind Flayer

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a MIND FLAYER! Arriving back at "M" there was only one clear choice on the third pass and that was the very iconic tentacled terror known as the Mind Flayer. This eater of brains has been whispered about since my earliest interactions with D&D and has remained a most singular and frightening monster (for the players). I present to you my version of a Mind Flayer…    

Mind Flayer

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

First off, yes, I added wings - let's move on. For years I have seen an intentional or unintentional link between the Mind Flayers (or Illithids if you want) and Cthulhu. For me it is hard not to see. Having the opportunity to make my own Mind Flayer I decided to take some of the things I have been thinking about for Cthulhu and make a Cthulhu-like race that has manifested in the Realms and causes nothing but trouble. I wanted it to be somewhat awkward and uncomfortable AND what seemed totally natural, a bit of a dandy. Weird hats can really set a mood. Would you want the last thing you see coming toward your face to be a tentacled maw adorned with a creepy tri-pointed hat? I think not! They may look tubby, they they will ruin your day... RAWR!

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.      

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

Spectrum time again… or not…

It is that time again… that time of franticly gathering prints and mailing envelopes, of doubting everything you have done for the past year or longer, of wondering what the heck is even going on and what you are doing… You guessed it! The deadline for submitting to Spectrum is upon us. If you haven't heard of Spectrum, by all means check out my posts from 2011 and 2012 on this very subject. There is of course the Spectrum website.

The submission deadline for Spectrum 20 is this upcoming Friday and I am not going to submit this year. It has taken me a while to make this decision, but I feel it is the right one for me this year. There are a ton of reasons why I am doing this… or rather NOT doing this, and it may or may not be even remotely interesting to anyone. I do know this time of year a lot of artist are stressing about submitting to Spectrum. Then there is the continued stress, the waiting, the crushing blow of rejection, and just maybe the celebration of acceptance that that will come in a couple months when those chosen are posted. This year I just gotta throw my hands up to it all and take a pass until Spectrum 21.

Spectrum 20 submission poster by Iain McCaig

My decision about Spectrum this year hinges mainly on two things. The first thing being I have done a ton of work in 2012 but none of the stuff I really want to eventually submit to Spectrum is out yet. Some of this unreleased work may not even be out until after Spectrum 20 is published and that might cause some issues. Granted, I could go ahead and submit the stuff that should be out before publication but it just didn't feel right for me to do so (though plenty of folks do and that is totally okay). I just don't want to take any chances cause you never know what will happen to a piece before it is officially published. The second thing is I just don't want to deal with the rejection. This might be a larger piece of this decision. To be honest I just don't want to go through not seeing my name on the list of accepted artist right now. 2012 was a crazy roller coaster of huge highs and deep lows, art wise, and I need a break. If I don't submit I can't get rejected… too pessimistic? Rather I feel I am being realistic. Spectrum is for the best of the best… or at least what the judges deem to be the best of the best. The work I have in front of me just does not compare to the work I have waiting in the wings so I will pass this year and ready myself for 2014 and Spectrum 21.

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

Fresh from the drawing table... Lizard (Giant)!

I have for you another drawing that is fresh from the drawing table. This time around it is a LIZARD (giant)! I find myself back at "L" and with so many great monsters to pick from. It was easy to narrow it down to the Lizard monsters... picking which of them I wanted to do was a little harder. In the end the GIANT Lizard won out. I present to you my version of a Giant Lizard…    

Lizard (Giant)

© 2013 Christopher Burdett

I went back and forth between the FIRE Lizard and the GIANT Lizard for some time and actually worked up sketches for both and then eventually abandoned them both before starting this one. A lot had to do with dislike for the pose and anatomy I had worked up and some had to do with I just didn't like what I was drawing. I took a break and came back to the Giant Lizard with a fresh perspective and this critter took shape. I am not reinventing the wheel here... just wanted to have some fun and draw a Giant Lizard monster. I tried to keep it more realistic rater then fantastic and had fun pouring over lots of great lizard reference.

My first 100 original Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual redesigns (A - Z): Aerial Servant, Ankheg, Ant (Giant), Ape (Carnivorous), Ape (Gorilla), Axe Beak, Axe Beak (version 2), Baboon, Badger, Barracuda, Basilisk, Baluchitherium, Bear (Black), Bear (Brown), Bear (Cave), Beaver (Giant), Beetle (Giant) - Bombardier, Beetle (Giant) - Boring, Beetle (Giant) - Fire, Beetle (Giant) - Rhinoceros, Beetle (Giant) - Stag, Beetle (Giant) - Water, Beholder, Black Pudding, Blink Dog, Boar (Giant), Boar (Warthog), Boar (Wild), Brain Mole, Brownie, Bugbear, Buffalo, Bulette, Carrion Crawler, Catoblepas, Cerebral Parasite, Chimera, Cockatrice, Coutal, Crab (Giant), Demon Type III (Glabrezu), Demon (Juiblex), Demon (Manes), Devil (Ice), Dragon (Red), Elemental (Earth), Ettin, Eye of the Deep, Flightless Bird, Frog (Giant), Fungi (Violet), Giant (Hill), Goblin, Golem (Flesh), Hobgoblin, Homunculus, Hydra, Imp, Intellect Devourer, Ixitxachitl, Jackal, Jacklewere, Jaguar, Ki-Rin, Kobold, Lich, Lizard (Giant), Lizardman, Manticore, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, Naga, Neo-Otygugh, Nixie, Ochre Jelly, Ogre, Owlbear, Peryton, Pixie, Purple Worm, Quasit, Ram (Giant), Roper, Rust Monster, Sahuagin, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Treant, Troglodyte, Troll, Umber Hulk, Unicorn, Vampire, Wasp (Giant), Wight, Wyvern, Xorn, Yeti, and Zombie.     

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