The DOODLES, DESIGNS, and aRT of CHRISTOPHER BURDETT

Monday, June 15, 2015

Teebo

YUB NUB! Today I have for you another little Star Wars study of an Ewok. This time around Teebo, the Ewok scout, warrior, and apprentice to Logray, got some attention with the paint. This was the second of two little Ewok studies I planned to do awhile back, the other being Logray. Here is how Teebo turned out...

Teebo

4 x 4 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

Slowly making my way through all the named Ewok from Return of the Jedi. This now makes three Ewok pieces counting my Chief Chirpa from last year, Logray, and now Teebo ...or does it? As mentioned many times before with these smaller painted studies the original drawing was created much larger then the intended painting size. Here is how the drawing for Teebo turned out...

Teebo - Drawing

9 x 12 - Pencil on paper

Original - Currently not available, contact me if interested

or come see it at Gen Con 2015 (7/30 - 8/2)!

I had the presence of mind to remember to take a several photos of this little piece coming together. Not sure how much information they provide, but I am glad I have them for the archive.

I have a busy June and July ahead of me leading up to Gen Con, so I am not sure how many more personal pieces I will have time for before then. If anything does take shape you can be sure it will show up here on the blog!

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, June 12, 2015

Adventures in Rome - 2015

In May the wife and I went on adventures in Italy and Germany. During our adventures I took 4200+ photos, many of which are potential reference and inspiration. Today I have some images from our time in Italy to share with you. We started in Rome and then returned to Venice so I will start with images from Rome.

This was my first time in Rome so there were many iconic sites we had to see. We spent a lot of time near the Colosseum since it was a central spot for our comings and goings in the city. For our visit we scheduled a tour at the Vatican and the Necropolis that was found under the Vatican's maintenance garage. Lastly, we had a tour of the Franciscan skeleton crypts and Pagan catacombs that are outside of the city walls. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos on our tour of the crypts and catacombs. Here are but a small number of my photos from Rome...

My favorite image from Rome. A look down onto the stage of the Colosseum.

The Colosseum on the afternoon we arrived.

The Arch of Constantine beside the Colosseum...

...and another shot of the Arch of Constantine with the Colosseum in the background.

I found the Colosseum had such an amazing presence in persona and was just so much bigger then I ever imaged.

The ship fountain at the Vatican that can only be seen if you take the Necropolis tour.

Several of the graves uncovered in the Necropolis.

A very well preserved mosaic floor in the Necropolis.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Decay - Kaijudo - Process

Today I have for you the process and steps that went into one of my paintings that I created for the now cancelled game, Kaijudo. While I only worked on the game a short time it was a lot of fun and I was sad to see it go. The painting I will be talking about today depicts a very bad day for an unfortunate Beastkin. Here is the final painting for Decay...

"Decay"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9

Digital

Decay focuses on a spiked Beastkin getting a very bad touch from an attacker that is mostly out of frame. The touch and spreading corruption was key and needed to be very clearly depicted. I got to work on some thumbnails to play around with the cropping and how "in the action" production wanted the image. Here are how the thumbnails turned out...

Decay - Thumbnails

I really liked option "A" but I had a really strong feeling that production would be interested more in option "C". Turns out "C" was the winner. "C" is the over all strongest thumbnail... but my tastes and esthetics lean toward "A". Now that I had an approved thumbnail it was time for the drawing...

Decay - Drawing

12 x 9 - Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Wizards of the Coast

The drawing was approved without any notes and I was approved to get started on the final painting. The Kaijudo pieces allowed me to work a bit more colorful and playfully. Bright and shiny was the Kaijudo way. I had actually planned on taking the leap into painting traditionally a little sooner then I eventually did. I was gearing up to do one or more of my next Kaijudo assignment in real paint... but sadly that next set go cancelled before assignments went out. My leap into traditional paint was subsequently delayed by several months. ...oh what could have been. The painting for Decay came together very quickly...

Decay - Process Progression

Like magic the painting comes to life. It is interesting to look back at my digital work now that I have not painted digitally in a while to see how it compares to what I am doing with paint. The striking similarities and the distinct differences. I see a lot of my late stage tweaks in my digital work are usually addressed earlier in the process when I paint traditionally. The details come earlier and easier in my digital work. Pluses and minuses and pros and cons on both sides... but at the end of a traditional painting I have an actual painting.

As an added bonus here is a handy dandy animated process thingy to better show the process and creation of the painting...

Decay - Animated Process

Here again is the final painting for Decay and the card form of the art. I am really happy with how the Kaijudo cards printed. The longer I worked digitally the better I was able to ensure I had an image that looked good printed. I will now have to figure out the same for my traditional work. I know I making actual paintings that I am happy with their appearance, but I don't know how they look printed. I will know soon enough and then will adapt if needed.

"Decay"

Kaijudo - Vortex

11.3 x 9

Digital

Decoy in handy dandy card form (and don't forget the artist proofs!)

All of my Kaijudo Artist Proofs for all your Artist Proof needs!

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, June 8, 2015

Trandoshan Hunter - Imperial Assault Summer Organized Play Kit

FINALLY! The first of my traditionally painted Star Wars work has finally begun to appear! I have been working traditionally on all of my Star Wars assignments since September of last year. Needless to say I am more then eager to start sharing the mighty stack of work that has accumulated. The first to surface was my second card assignment which happen to included a pair of space lizards that are near and dear to me. I present the Trandoshan Hunter for the Imperial Assault Summer Organized Play Kit...

Trandoshan Hunter

Imperial Assault Summer Organized Play Kit

11 x 14 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

I have mentioned here on the blog more then once that I really like Trandoshans. With that in mind it seemed like a perfect fit for me to work on a pair as these lovely space lizards for the Summer Organized Play Kit for Imperial Assault. This alternate art card will be given away to players that take part in Imperial Assault events at their local game store or similar venue. Here is a look at the rest of the Summer Organized Play Kit...

Imperial Assault Summer Organized Play Kit courtesy of the Fantasy Flight Games website

I am still not happy with my image captures of my paintings. They are getting better, sometimes, but for me, there is room still for improvement. Since this was one of my first paintings this feeling is even more so. BUT, I make the most of it, the client was happy with the images, I am happy with the paintings (that looks so much better in person) and the images will look great on a card. In the end, everyone is happy with the part that they need to be happy about. ...but there is room for improvement. Here is a photo I just took of the varnished painting in its frame, it is not perfect either, but if you look at both the scan and the photo you can get a better feel for the piece...

Trandoshan Hunter - Framed

Imperial Assault Summer Organized Play Kit

11 x 14 - Acrylic and pencil on board

Original - SOLD

Here is the funny thing about the Trandoshan Hunter card for Imperial Assualt... this is not the first time my art has been used on this card, this is not even the second time my art had been on this card. This will mark the THIRD time my art has been used on the Trandoshan Hunter card for Imperial Assault. I have dug my fingers in deep with Trandoshans over at FFG! For the core set and the Adepticon exclusive giveaway versions of the Trandoshan Hunter work that I have previously done was used for the card. This version marks the first time I have created new work for the card. Here is a look at how the other two versions of the card turned out...

Trandoshan Hunter - Imperial Assault - Core set

Trandoshan Hunter - Adepticon exclusive giveaway

I am also including the original paintings for the two previous Trandoshan Hunter cards as well so you can compare and contrast and look at the progression of my digital work and transition into my traditional work. I am really happy with the direction of my take on the Trandoshans, I feel like I am creating my own personal visual style and look for them as well as staying true to Bossk and the other Trandoshans that are cannon to the Star Wars universe.

AT-PT

Edge of the Empire

7 x 10 - Digital

DXR-6 Disruptor Rifle

Imperial Assault - Core set

10.1 x 9 - Digital

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, June 5, 2015

Career Entrepreneur - Process - Far Horizons

Today I am once again away from my computer doing Star Wars related activities so I thought I would leave the monsters in charge to share some process work for a Star Wars project. This time around is the crafty Chiven Career Entrepreneur from Edge of the Empire, Far Horizons! I first shared these pieces last November, so here is how the final Career Entrepreneur turned out...

Career Entrepreneur

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

I have always been fan of the Chevin and was thrilled to do a pair of them for Far Horizon. If you are wondering about the Chevin, think back to Ephant Mon in Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi. If you are wondering about Ephant Mon... there is Google. Anyway... Chevin, big, hulking alien monsters! YAYS! I started things off as usual with some thumbnails...

Career Entrepreneur - Thumbnails

The Career Entrepreneur offered up an interesting situation since he is counting credit chips and is not very adventurous. HOT counting action! But not everyone in the universe can be a Jedi or smuggler. Imagine starting out your character as a Career Entrepreneur and ending up a crime lord! That would be some great RPG fun. Anyway... I submitted some thumbnails and option "B" was selected. Once I had an approved thumbnail it was time for a drawing...

Career Entrepreneur

Edge of the Empire - Far Horizons

9 x 12

Pencil on paper

Original for sale over on my web store!
© 2014 Lucasfilm, Ltd. TM Lucasfilm, Ltd. Under license to Fantasy Flight Games

The drawing was approved and it was time for some painting. I got to start on the Career Entrepreneur and in 12 easy steps the Career Entrepreneur took shape. The Aurebesh was it's once process. Fear naught, there are no secret messages in the Aurebesh, it is all random letters that stand for fictitious Star Wars corporation followed by numbers. It is just a big stock market holo feed.

Career Entrepreneur - Process progression

Once again I have for you a handy dandy animated process thingy to better show the process of creating the image. Hopefully this better shows how the image comes together and takes shape. ...and the blunders I have to fix along the way...

Career Entrepreneur - Animated process progression

I shared this before but it bares repeating here, the Career Entrepreneur made a repeat appearance on and in the Entrepreneur Specialization Deck. I was not expecting such attention for this little guy but it sure is nice!

Entrepreneur Specialization Deck cover and card back with hot Chiven counting credits action!

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

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