There’s something powerful about taking a familiar world and reimagining it through a new lens—and that’s exactly what inspired “Forestbound Guardian: Swiss Shepherd Hex.”

This piece is part of my Acrylic April Art Challenge, where I’m creating a full set of custom, dog-themed hex tiles inspired by Settlers of Catan. Each tile represents a resource, and each resource is brought to life through a specific dog breed. For the forest hex, I chose the Swiss Shepherd—a breed known for its loyalty, awareness, and calm strength.

🌲 A Guardian of the Woodland Hex

In the world of Catan, the forest tile represents wood—a foundational resource tied to growth, structure, and expansion. I wanted this tile to feel alive, not just as a background, but as a place with presence.

The Swiss Shepherd steps into that role naturally.

There’s a quiet watchfulness to the breed that makes it feel like more than just a subject—it feels like a protector. In this piece, the dog becomes a guardian of the forest itself, standing as a symbol of stability and life within the landscape.

This isn’t just a tile—it’s a character within a larger world.

🎨 From Wooden Hex to Finished Artwork

The original version of this artwork was painted directly onto a wooden hex tile using a mix of experimental and high-performance materials.

Materials Used:

• Culture Hustle Superbase (mighty matte medium)
• White 2.0 acrylic paint
• COAT (protective mattifying membrane / top coat varnish)
• POSCA acrylic paint pens for color

After the traditional work was complete, I refined the presentation digitally using Snapseed and Procreate—adding a clean white background so the hex shape stands out clearly as a display piece.

What you see now is a print version of that original handcrafted tile—making it easier to collect, display, and build into a larger set.

🎥 Watch the Process in Action

Want to see how this piece came together? Watch the full short here

🧩 Building a Dog-Themed Catan World

This piece is just one part of a much bigger vision.

Each hex in this series is designed to:

• Represent a Catan resource
• Feature a specific dog breed
• Contribute to a fully illustrated board

From forests to fields, mountains to deserts, every tile will tell its own story—while still fitting together into a cohesive world.

Imagine a full wall display where each hex connects like a real game board, but instead of resources alone, you have guardians, companions, and personalities tied to each piece.

🛒 Shop the Print

You can view and collect this piece here

✨ Final Thoughts

“Forestbound Guardian” is more than just a forest tile—it’s a reminder that even the simplest elements of a game can be transformed into something meaningful.

A resource becomes a place.
A place becomes a story.
And a story becomes something you can hang on your wall.