Brick Built Boxer – Catan Brick Resource Reimagined 🧱🐕
Project Type: Personal Work
Category: Illustration / Mixed Media
Theme: Board Game-Inspired Concept Art
Overview
This piece explores the idea of transforming a familiar game mechanic into a character-driven visual. Inspired by the brick resource from Settlers of Catan, I reimagined the concept as a Boxer dog—chosen for its strength, structure, and grounded presence.
The goal was to take something purely functional within a game system and give it personality, symbolism, and visual weight. The brick wall background reinforces the concept, acting not just as an environment but as a direct representation of the resource itself.
Concept & Design
In Settlers of Catan, brick is essential for expansion—used to build roads and settlements that define a player’s growth. This idea of structure and progression guided the composition.
The Boxer stands firmly in front of the wall, embodying stability and resilience. The composition is intentionally simple, allowing the relationship between subject and environment to carry the concept.
This piece is designed with the idea that it could function as a custom hex tile within a Catan-style game, bridging the gap between illustration and game design.
Process
The workflow combines traditional media with digital refinement:
Traditional:
• Acrylic paint pens (POSCA)
• Stuart Semple Super Base White 2.0 acrylic paint
• Protective Mattify Membrane Coat varnish
Digital:
• Snapseed (color/contrast adjustments)
• Procreate (final polish and cleanup)
The focus was on maintaining bold shapes and clean readability while preserving the tactile quality of the paint.
Links
📖 Full breakdown (blog):
https://www.theartisticshepherdart.com/blog/blog_posts/brick-built-boxer-strength-in-every-stroke
🎥 Process video:
https://youtube.com/shorts/edznWF1PxLY?si=CM-c__pI1RtSKh0O
Closing Thoughts
This piece is part of an ongoing exploration of translating game systems into visual storytelling, using dog breeds to represent different roles and resources.
