The DOODLES, DESIGNS, and aRT of CHRISTOPHER BURDETT

Monday, February 17, 2014

BLOG-a-versary!

Six years ago today this blog started and 819 post later it is still going. Somehow. For some reason. The blog continues on. Through highs and lows, the ups and downs, the blog endures! A hearty THANKS to EVERYONE who comes to the blog, comments on the posts, and in general lurks around this thing that I am creating. I couldn't keep doing it without you all.

Not much else to offer today except my thanks to those that come to the blog. The only visual for the day in my new pencil nub jar that, like the blog, continues on and on. You might remember my last jar from a couple years back. This is the one started after that one. Not sure what this has to do with a BLOG-a-versary, except that it too marks the passage of time, and hopefully growth...

The jar of nubs continues...

It might not look like much now, but there are a bunch in there.

It is a bigger jar from last time too.

Again, many many thanks to everyone that frequents the blog and I hope the tales of my successes and failures help you all in your own journeys as artists or at least offer some amusing entertainment!

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

Friday, February 14, 2014

The Art Order - Ghost From My Past - A Jeff Easley Homage

A really awesome call for art by Jon Schindehette just concluded. Jon, through Art Order and Infected by Art asked that artist inspired by the amazing art of Jeff Easley please express that inspiration in the form of a piece of new art. You can get all the details HERE. Jeff's work VERY MUCH inspired me as a gamer and an artists and I had to take part in this call for art. Here is my submission...

Monstrous Encounter

9 x 12

Pencil on paper

The cover art for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual 2 had a profound effect on me. It in many ways is the piece that changed how I look at monsters and art. This giant is not just some simpleton, empty headed animal, or just a wandering brute that simply acts on its id and destroys and eats. This giant comes from an organized society of giant folk that have craftsmen, armor-smiths, weapon-smiths, tailors, and everything else you need to be a fully developed well rounded unique species. This giant is a clear and definite threat that is not to be easily fooled and in most cases will be a victor in one on one combat. THIS is a monster. THIS is a monster that could be the hero of its own story. THIS monster is WAY more interesting to me then some traditional human, dwarf, or elf hero character.

Also, this is a piece of art that absolutely blew my mind as a kid. I just could not understand how someone could have possibly created this. So much detail and thought seemed to go into every aspect of the painting. I could not draw anything like this, let alone paint it... whatever or however painting done. It was like I was looking at some alien language that I could understand but could not speak or write. I wanted to know that language. I can look at this painting all day, it still holds all the power and excitement that it did the first time I laid eyes on it...

The AD&D Monster Manual 2... where monstrous imaginings begin... RAWR!

I got a little caught up in drawing this piece and forgot to take a lot of process photos, but I do have a few to share...

Monstrous Encounter - process images

You can see the rest of the submissions to this event over on Infected by Art. I would have liked to have done a dozen more of these, maybe in the fullness of time there will be a moment of two more to devote to a piece inspired by the like long body of work produced by Jeff Easley. Thanks, Jeff, for all the magic you created for all of us!

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

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Yozo's Inspiration - L5R Process

Last November I shared with my L5R Promo Card, Yozo's Inspiration. Just your everyday ordinary comet dragon... Today I have for you the steps and process that went into this golden dragon of inspiration and cometity goodness. Just so that everyone is on the same page, here is how the final Yozo turned out...

Yozo's Inspiration

Thumbnails come first (as ALWAYS). The one real direction with this piece, besides to make sure it looked like the established Yozo design, was to make it feel like the dragon is transforming from a comet or is in someway a comet. I didn't really have any idea just how I was going to pull that off going into this assignment, but I figured I would work it all out by the end. For the thumbnails I was aiming for a coiling streaming form for the dragon as it trailed off behind the focal point of the head. Here are how the two thumbnails for this piece turned out...

Yozo's Inspiration - Thumbnails

Looking back at this now, "B" is just a confusing mess. I put both forelimbs behind the first bend in the body and that just makes the whole thing look and feel weird. This may have played a big role in why option "A" was picked... or the fact that option "A" is just a whole lot better over all and helps tell the story of the character. Now that the a thumbnail has been selected, time for the drawing...

Yozo's Inspiration - Drawing

Coiling snaky eastern dragon? Yeah, I will draw that stuff ALL day long. So many scales though! The drawing came together without issue and was approved. Time for painting!

Yozo's Inspiration - Process Steps

As I was working up the value under painting in the third step above I began messing around with the idea of streaking color and light straight back from the dragon. Anywhere that there would be shadow there instead would be the tail of a comet, or the appearance of a comet. The day is saved and a design choice was made to give the client the intended look for this dragon. It will still be recognizable as Yozo and a dragon but have the feel of a comet. I don't like to leave such large important aspects of a painting to "happy accidents", but sometime I get the best results from doing just that. Please keep in mind, these types of "happy accidents" come after years and years of working EVERYTHING out before hand and really putting the time and energy into a piece to make sure it is all worked out and planned for. That time has given me a tool box of solutions and design choices to work from and play with in these less structured moments. I do not advise going into your first assignments with a client on a wing and a prayer without a plan of action or intended outcome. Save that stuff for assignment #30.

Again, here is how the final Yozo turned out and how it ended up looking on the final promotional card...

Yozo's Inspiration

Yozo in handy dandy card form!

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

Monday, February 10, 2014

Pathfinder Adventure Path #75: Demon's Heresy

It has come to my attention that Pathfinder Adventure Path #75: Demon's Heresy has been released... last year. So I am a little behind in sharing these with you it look like. When it comes to monsters... better late then never, right? Anyway, I produced four demony monstery type critters for the book. I hope their names have not changed during production since I have not seen the final product yet. Without further yammering on my part, here are some new monsters...

Skulgrim
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

Vorimeraak
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

Neh-Thalggu
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

Svennarobeth
© 2013 Paizo Publishing

I understand that the Skulgrim made it onto the back cover... which of course is really cool! As a side note, I have not worked on the Pathfinder Adventure Paths in a while... actually, it has been a long time. I last worked on the Adventure Paths on issue #29 (PART 1 / PART 2)! How time flies, glad my skill set has improved since then. Not sure what else to add about these, they were super fun to work on and I they really added to my "year of wings" that was my 2013.

I would like to extend a huge thanks to Andrew Vallas for including me on this project! He and I just don't get enough chances to work together, but when we do it is a great experience! Thanks, Andrew!

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

Friday, February 7, 2014

Breaching Hippocamp - Magic the Gathering Process

Today on the blog I have for you the process and steps that went into my second of two Magic the Gathering cards that I did for the Theros set, the mighty Breaching Hippocamp. I am a little overdue in sharing this, but I figured I better get to it now that the second set of the Theros block is upon us as well as the fact that it is now the year of the SEA horse... or is it just the year of horse... To get things started and to refresh everyone's memory, here is how the final Breaching Hippocamp turned out...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Magic the Gathering - Theros
PRINTS available at OMA!

There was nothing in the style guide for the Hippocamp so the design of the creature was up to me. Designing creatures is what I like to do... so it was a real treat to get to design something for Magic. There were of course some global design elements of the set that I needed to be mindful of but the rest was in my court to come up with a Theros take on this legendary sea horse. The first thing I did was get to work on some concepts...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Concepts

There are a lot of these I really like, and still like even today. I feel there is still a lot of potential with many of these designs... but that is another topic for another day. It turns out that I need not have done any concepts beyond my very first one since option "A" was the winner. Now that I had a design it was time to work on some color options and to start thinking about thumbnails...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Color Concepts

If I remember correctly, all of the color comps were approved as options that would work, but there was an additional not of option "C" being a good fit to match the native merfolk. Now that I had a color scheme there was really no reason that there should not be some thumbnails happening...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Thumbnails

I did options "A" - "C" before heading to Illuxcon back in 2012, but I had not submitted them yet. While at Illuxcon I had some time to talk about designs and thumbnails with the very talented and very generous Lar Grant-West. He gave me a lot to think about and suggested I try a direction that resulted in thumbnail option "D". When I returned home I submitted option "D"... and if I remember correctly, I ONLY submitted "D" with a note saying I have others if you would like to see them but I think this is the best... or something equally silly. "D" was selected with the note to make sure the fish horse was not to appear like it could be flying. Time for the drawing...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Drawing

The drawing was approved without note and I was all set to begin on the painting. I was feeling good about this piece, but as I worked on it I realized there were some issues which resulted in some changes as I painted... which ultimately produced a better end product (IMHO)...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Process Steps

In just 12 easy steps and many many hours of work, you too can have your very own Hippocamp that breaches. Once the head and forelimbs were sussed out with the oversight of my always helpful wife and then some end of painting tweaks and fixes advice from Lars Grant-West the rest of things worked themselves out. Remember, you should never turn down the help of others and a fresh pair of eyes on a painting can instantly see all the troublesome areas. We are not an island unto ourselves, seek out advice and help... no matter what level you are working at or how much you think you know. Again, here is how the final piece turned out...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Magic the Gathering - Theros

I am happy to saw that a lot of folks have really responded well to this piece and it has even been described as (shudder) pretty. Not generally the first word that comes to mind when I think of my work to say the least. But I will take the compliment! Here is how the final production card turned out...

"Breaching Hippocamp" - in handy card form

I would be amiss in not including the toned paper drawing of this piece that I did... RAWR!

"Breaching Hippocamp" - Magic the Gathering - Theros

12 x 9

colored pencil on toned paper

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

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

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Star Wars - Edge of the Empire - Suns of Fortune

Today on the blog I have for you some new Star Wars work! This time around I have a pair of book illustrations that appear in the recently released source book for the Edge of the Empire, Suns of Fortune. Suns of Fortune focuses on the Corellian system (where Han Solo is from) and the surrounding sectors of space, lets have a look...

Exploring Froz

Enraged Ronto

Froz was a planet that was completely destroyed by an Imperial orbital bombardment and I was asked to depict a couple of mercenaries... or fortune hunters... or possibly relief workers scouring the still burning wreckage of the planet. The piece required some crazy bleed on two sides of the piece, which is why there is a lot of open destruction on the top and right side. Below, you can see how the piece was cropped down. For the Ronto I was asked to depict and Ronto rearing up and freaking out... done and done! Rontos are fun to draw. Here is how the pieces looked in the book (which is in stores now! and sorry for the crappy images)...

Cropped Froz destruction

It is SO enraged that it had to take on the entire page... RAWR!

Thanks goes out to Zoe Robinson for another exciting Star Wars project! There will be more Star Wars on the blog in the fullness of time... RAWR!

That is all for another exciting Wednesday, 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

Monday, February 3, 2014

Basilisk - Lands and Legends

I recently finished a personal piece / commissioned piece of a most monstrous nature. Perhaps you have heard of Lands and Legends, the first in a series of art anthologies being put together by Michael Publishing, LLC? If not, you should head over to have a look at look, there is a very impressive list of artists involved with the project... as well as myself. My contribution to the book is the mighty King of the Serpents, the Basilisk...

Basilisk

First, since most of the work I show here on the blog is a year or more old by the time I can share it, if you were wondering what my digital work looks like RIGHT NOW... well, there you go. Secondly, the Basilisk is described in mythology as the king of the serpents and is sometime portrayed with multiple limbs... I took is a bit further and created a God King of the serpents for my Basilisk. I wrote a little more about this monster, but that is for the book.

I created this piece at a higher DPI then I usually work at as well as a larger size then was needed for the commission, so I have a nice huge file of this guy for my own uses. By doing this I also taunted myself with that much area to render with all the details. Speaking of details, here is a detail of the painting so that you can get a better a look at it...

Basilisk - Detail

Not close enough? Here is a piece of the painting at 100% for your viewing pleasure. Just look at those pixels! RAWR!

Basilisk at 100%... RAWR!

I will have more about the Basilisk and the Lands and Legends book as things progress. In the coming weeks I will also bring you the process that went into making this King of Serpent Kings!

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