🐾 Forestbound Guardian: Swiss Shepherd Hex
“Forestbound Guardian: Swiss Shepherd Hex” is part of an ongoing series created for Acrylic April, where I am reimagining Settlers of Catan through a dog-centered visual world.
Each hex tile represents a core resource from the game, paired with a specific dog breed. This piece represents the forest (wood) resource, embodied by a Swiss Shepherd—chosen for its calm vigilance and strong guardian presence.
The goal of the series is to transform familiar tabletop elements into narrative-driven artwork, where each tile functions both as a standalone piece and as part of a cohesive, collectible system.
🌲 Concept & Design
This piece explores the idea of environment as character. Rather than treating the forest as a backdrop, the Swiss Shepherd is positioned as a guardian of the woodland, reinforcing themes of protection, stability, and life.
The hex format was preserved from the original board game structure, while the composition was designed to read clearly both as a game element and as a wall display piece.
🎨 Materials & Process
The original artwork was painted directly onto a wooden hex tile using:
Culture Hustle Superbase (mighty matte medium)
White 2.0 acrylic paint
COAT (protective mattifying membrane / top coat varnish)
POSCA acrylic paint pens
The piece was then digitally refined using Snapseed and Procreate to create a clean presentation suitable for print reproduction.
🎥 Process Video
https://youtube.com/shorts/Xy4OQK2UV-g?si=VNe6GFeN39f5Q9zu
🧩 Series Direction
This project is part of a larger initiative to build a fully illustrated, dog-themed Catan board, where each resource tile is represented by a distinct breed and environment.
The long-term vision includes:
A complete set of hex tiles
Cohesive visual worldbuilding across all resources
Collectible print series and potential physical game integration
🛒 Print Availability
