Artist Spotlight: Anthony Burchett

This year, we’ve had a ton of talented artists join the Inked Gaming community, all of which now have their work featured on our gear. One of those artists is Anthony Burchett! Ever since Anthony’s art started popping up on our playmats, mousepads, and more, we’ve seen a nice response among fellow gamers who are to give their game a fresh look and feel. 

Anthony’s collection page is packed with a host of stunning designs and products. He even provided a nice bit of background to give us and our visitors a better idea of who he is and where his inspiration comes from. Of course, when it comes to an artist as awesome as Anthony, we want to know more. We want that special peek behind the digital canvas, so to speak. So, we sent them some questions to answer for this month’s Artist Spotlight feature!

Let’s see how they responded! 

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Anthony Burchett, and I am a freelance digital artist and graphic designer out of St. Louis, MO. I specialize in fantasy-adjacent landscape pieces, but am I always trying to become better where I am weakest.

What inspires you?

I make art primarily as a form of self-expression. I think all of us have a deep longing to know and be known. So I have this innate desire to create little pieces of me, and I make them in hopes they will resonate with others too. I've always been drawn to Japanese woodblock art, and particularly how the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional worlds can collide in ways they cannot in our reality, and how much can be felt in so little complexity.

What are some hobbies you do when you’re not making art?

I've been a musician for many years, but as life moves along, I spend most of my time and energy with my four kids and my wife. In my spare bits of free time (which are seldom between mountains of laundry), I like to play Magic: The Gathering with friends and guests on Twitch streams as much as I can.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Seek never to be shocked. It rings true for me in so many areas. When my work ends up looking different than I imagined, I can be shocked and disappointed, or I can do what I can to make something beautiful despite it not being what I had in my head. When my kids break something, when a friend hurts me, when someone says something unkind, I can be shocked by it, which usually leads to anger, or I can recognize that these are pieces of our human experience. Rather than being surprised, accept it as inevitable reality, and let that lead me to choose an intentional response. I'm not always very good at it, but I'm always happier with how I respond when I can accept the person or situation in front of me rather than let it shock me.

What would your perfect Saturday be like?

A small group of friends. No hurry, just room to enjoy each other's company. Coffee, sweatshirts, and games once we've done the important work of being present with each other.

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a little hat. What do they say and why are they here?

“Mr. Burchett, I come representing the Council of Penguin Affairs. I am here in representation of the council to address our concern that we have a record of you, many times, slandering penguin kind with words such as, and I quote, 'Penguins smell so bad.' And yet, we also have you on record claiming, 'Puffins rock.' Can you confirm or deny these allegations?”

How do you know when your art is finished (if ever)?

I make a lot of decisions with my gut, for better or for worse. Eventually, I reach a point where my creative energy is tapped, and I know continued work on a piece runs the risk of making it too busy, less clear, or frankly just worse.

You’re a new addition to the crayon box... What color would you be and why?

I'd like to think I'd be a nice periwinkle. A calming presence, not prominent, but can play the background and bring some peace. Maybe I should start asking the people around me if I feel periwinkle to them.

What's your favorite genre of music to jam out to?

I love some good Motown. But it also depends on my mood. Sometimes I want to borrow some energy from Bleachers and Misterwives, sometimes I want to sit in my emotions with Regina Spektor, sometimes I want to relive a little teenage angst with Yellowcard.

Where can we find more of your awesome artwork?

You can find everything I do on my Linktree, linktr.ee/listeneralters. I keep that up-to-date with every new place my art ends up. If you want to interact with me, Twitter is best, but if you just want to see what I make without any of my self-indulgent commentary, then Instagram is the way to go.

BIG thank you to Anthony for participating in our August Artist Spotlight and for the amazing designs that he’s delivered…and keeps on delivering every month. As always, we also want to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to learn more about Anthony and what he brings to the Inked Gaming art community. We hope that you have as much fun with these as we do. 

If you like what you saw and heard, we encourage you to check out Anthony on the platforms he mentioned above or stop by his collection page here on our site before you bounce. There, you’ll find more of Anthony’s designs and the different products that they’ve been printed on so far. 

Happy Gaming!

Best,

Team Inked