Barbarian Charge vs Barbarian Sneak

HarnWorld Barbarians, Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

I was asked by Columbia Games to update a cover for one of their publications- Barbarians of Hârn. They wanted something featuring a lone warrior- something with a bit more action.
One of my big goals for this years production running up to the next Gen Con is get nice covers done for all the Kingdoms and the major cities. I think Hârn needs covers that will help sell the product to a new fan base. This was a good way to get the ball rolling on the cover situation for new products and to fancy up the current product like.
The original cover was done by Eric Hotz, the illustrator who set the gritty visual tone for Hârn and is one of the reasons I was drawn to this fantasy world in the first place.

Barbarians cover by Eric Hotz, Copyright © 1984, Columbia Games, Inc. and Eric Hotz

The original cover is 30 years old (that does not seem possible!) and was due for an update. There is something quaint about this cover but I always thought the barbarians looked more like shy, fat Dwarves.
I decided to compose my cover after one of my favorite Hotz covers- Nasty Brutish and Short.

N, B, & S cover by Eric Hotz, Copyright © 1984, Columbia Games, Inc. and Eric Hotz

Imagine your players being attacked from the right by goblins when suddenly a barbarian tribesman charges out of the woods on your left.
I started with some very rough sketches to get approval.

I did about 10 or so, some on horses, but thought a closeup of the barbarian would be more interesting.
I chose the Equani tribesmen known for their rough facial branding and collecting of scalps.
After posing myself for some very manly reference photos (which you will never see), I started sketching it out. I had a sword initially but the axe is just too bad ass.

Barbarian Sketch, 11" x 9", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

I tweaked it a bit, printed it out on 11x14 card-stock then coated the drawing with amber shellac. The oils in the paint will eat the paper, something is needed to protect the drawing.

Barbarian drawing , 14" x 11", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

I just started in painting in oil, working towards the big look of value and color on that first day.

Barbarian Day one Lay-In , 14" x 11", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

Each day I refined the drawing, bringing it into focus.

Barbarian Day 4 , 14" x 11", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

Once the painting progresses problems start to emerge and you discover things you just don't like. I did not like the back arm and totally repainted it removing the leather guard. The sketched in brands were starting to take on  a gross dimensional look.

Barbarian Day 5 , 14" x 11", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

After I fixed the back arm, the one in the front started to look terrible. Looking in the mirror, I found a pose I liked better and I took some new reference shots.

Barbarian Day 6 , 14" x 11", Copyright © 2015, Columbia Games, Inc. and Richard Luschek

A bit more tweaking and I was basically done. I ended up adding a purple glaze over the whole figure to darken him down and give him a more swarthy look.
I shot a high-res photo of the painting. A bit of photoshop cleanup and it was ready for the title- which ended up covering more than I had hoped.
The cover was printed and added as a wrap around to the books in the warehouse. The interior text is all the same, so if this is already part of your collection, but you'd like to update with the new cover, contact Columbia Games for purchase.


The framed original painting is available for sale as well. Contact me if you are interested. If you have young children, this would look great hanging at the foot of their bed.