Track for the piece: [link]
This piece, which I consider my best to date, needs a rather lengthy preface, if you can read through it.
I, naturally, love everything memorial-related. Possibly, due to my military background, the only things that can make me sentimental is stuff related to wartime comradery, heroism and stuff revolving around it, because I now it and the price of it.
That being said, one of my all-time favorite military sculptures in the Iwo Jima mermorial in Arlington, US, even though I don't rank the American's army performance in WW2 overall to be something glorious. But the memorial is damn fucking good, so when I was listening to FGFC820's "Legion", I got this picture of the memorial in my head and it went on from there.
But since I didn't just want to redraw the memorial, I decided to sort of combine it with my fave fandom and theme. There was also a great pic of another crossover, between the Star Wars universe and another US memorial which name I can't remember - you know, the one where Darth Vader stands near a granite slab with the names of the fallen written on it and sees the reflections of the Death Star personell in it.
But, I decided to make it not memorial-esque but more like spur of the moment image-catch. I looked up for a fitting photo, found it, and reffed from it, factually overpainting over it.
Another concern was that you know, I have the reputation of a person doing rather unorthodox Warhammer fanart in the sense that I root for the "losers" and glorifying Chaos, but I didn't ever draw actually anything truely uplifting for the faction.
I thought about it, and realised, that there's not a SINGLE piece of fanart showing Chaos - or any Renegade militia faction - acting as a cohesive, bound-together unit, achieving some kind of glory. Which is kind of dumb, because ANY military has it. I thought that the Iwo Jima memorial was fitting, because the Americans were fighting a desperate war against the Japanese all in all, because they were on the enemy's turf, and that sort of reflects Chaos in a sense, because they are the once fighting over a much mightier foe.
The theme of "no step back", fighting against all odds is what always drew me to be explored in art, and that's actually why I always chose Chaos over every other faction.
So I decided to draw just that - Blood Pact being victorious, gritty and display that they are a solid military force with bonds amongst soldiers. Something no-one ever did in fanart or official art, and something that I'll probably get flak for from the "hardcore fans" who can't have anything but fucking zombie cultist hoards in their Chaos.
I put a lot of myself and for a change, emotion into this work, experimented with photoshop brushes to achieve a more rugged look to the work, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the result. This is the kind of art I always wanted to make and it makes me happy to achieve the vision. I'm also glad that I can explore more positive scenarious in my artwork now.
So, I hope you enjoy it as well, and thoughtful comments and critique are as welcome as always. Hope me using the memorial as base for the painting doesnt offend any veterans too.
UPDATE: fixed minor issues, some reflects, Blind's hand and most importantly left-top cultist expression, added goggles.
This piece, which I consider my best to date, needs a rather lengthy preface, if you can read through it.
I, naturally, love everything memorial-related. Possibly, due to my military background, the only things that can make me sentimental is stuff related to wartime comradery, heroism and stuff revolving around it, because I now it and the price of it.
That being said, one of my all-time favorite military sculptures in the Iwo Jima mermorial in Arlington, US, even though I don't rank the American's army performance in WW2 overall to be something glorious. But the memorial is damn fucking good, so when I was listening to FGFC820's "Legion", I got this picture of the memorial in my head and it went on from there.
But since I didn't just want to redraw the memorial, I decided to sort of combine it with my fave fandom and theme. There was also a great pic of another crossover, between the Star Wars universe and another US memorial which name I can't remember - you know, the one where Darth Vader stands near a granite slab with the names of the fallen written on it and sees the reflections of the Death Star personell in it.
But, I decided to make it not memorial-esque but more like spur of the moment image-catch. I looked up for a fitting photo, found it, and reffed from it, factually overpainting over it.
Another concern was that you know, I have the reputation of a person doing rather unorthodox Warhammer fanart in the sense that I root for the "losers" and glorifying Chaos, but I didn't ever draw actually anything truely uplifting for the faction.
I thought about it, and realised, that there's not a SINGLE piece of fanart showing Chaos - or any Renegade militia faction - acting as a cohesive, bound-together unit, achieving some kind of glory. Which is kind of dumb, because ANY military has it. I thought that the Iwo Jima memorial was fitting, because the Americans were fighting a desperate war against the Japanese all in all, because they were on the enemy's turf, and that sort of reflects Chaos in a sense, because they are the once fighting over a much mightier foe.
The theme of "no step back", fighting against all odds is what always drew me to be explored in art, and that's actually why I always chose Chaos over every other faction.
So I decided to draw just that - Blood Pact being victorious, gritty and display that they are a solid military force with bonds amongst soldiers. Something no-one ever did in fanart or official art, and something that I'll probably get flak for from the "hardcore fans" who can't have anything but fucking zombie cultist hoards in their Chaos.
I put a lot of myself and for a change, emotion into this work, experimented with photoshop brushes to achieve a more rugged look to the work, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the result. This is the kind of art I always wanted to make and it makes me happy to achieve the vision. I'm also glad that I can explore more positive scenarious in my artwork now.
So, I hope you enjoy it as well, and thoughtful comments and critique are as welcome as always. Hope me using the memorial as base for the painting doesnt offend any veterans too.
UPDATE: fixed minor issues, some reflects, Blind's hand and most importantly left-top cultist expression, added goggles.
You've been featured on Reddit's /r/ImaginaryWarhammer - www.reddit.com/r/ImaginaryWarh… - jump in to the thread for a moment of gory-glory if you want (:
I'm an Imperial Guard fan, through and through. Space Marines are a close second. But, surprisingly, I found myself somewhat sympathetic to the Pact characters in the book Blood Pact. They were much more human than I expected.
So, bravo for this. Pact troopers appearing human and having a sense of camaraderie. I like it a lot. But, I have to ask, where are the masks? Everything else is perfect!
So, bravo for this. Pact troopers appearing human and having a sense of camaraderie. I like it a lot. But, I have to ask, where are the masks? Everything else is perfect!
Amazing Piece of art! Love your work, probably some of the best on DA! as a massive fan of 40k and a staunch chaos player your art has provided a ton of inspiration for my army. I love the look your blood pact have, very destictive
the flag raising on iwo jima was not done by the "army" look your stuff up so you don't look dumb. And that other memorial is The Vietnam Wall.
aside from that I love the work. It looks amazing. I'm a Tau player but my second army is chaos. keep up the good work.
aside from that I love the work. It looks amazing. I'm a Tau player but my second army is chaos. keep up the good work.
I prefer REAL Chaos soldiers instead of the weak-ass cultists who are just born for canon fodder. But if i joined the Blood Pact, I won't even survive day one...
Best Chaos Art I've ever seen for the traitorous guardsmen. Games workshop should have miniatures of badass Chaos soldiers. Why on earth do we need cultists...
Or Dark Mechanicus. Even though If I would join, I would probably be a test-subject for all their wacky experiments or become an Obliterator.
Maybe someday, the soldiers you drew will be exactly the same as the miniatures if Games Workshop noticed your work.
Great job on the armor details. I've always respected the Blood Pact for their lack of "We captured it for Kay-oss!!" nonsense.
Your art is the reason I collect a guard army now and why that army is blood pact...thank you!
This drawning is very impressive; an excellent work dude!
I'll spread this pics to my Caos mates
.
By the way, I'm a loyal Imperial Guard player and I hate you.
Cheers.
I'll spread this pics to my Caos mates
.By the way, I'm a loyal Imperial Guard player and I hate you.
Cheers.
who says chaos cant feel emotion, not all cultists or gaurdsmen are insane or dribbling idiots. thats what makes them dangerous. its what makes my job hard (spess mehreen of teh dark angles) that even the most fanatical of the emperor's servants are suseptibal to falling. I think there should be a book or movie about the blood pact because they are basicly the gaurd, just with more khorne, i find it funny how much my own personal friends like chaos more then the other human/astarte factions. (me liking orkz and the imperium in general) anywho, nice art with a nice feel to it.
Honestly this might be my favorite art I have seen on this site. Not only does it show Chaos in all of its awesomeness with the Guardsmen not the overused Chaos space marines but my great grandfather fought in the Pacific so it has that too. Five stars.
Dude this is a great piece how the hell did I miss this?! The overall impact that anybody (especially us heretics!) should get from this is just out there! Also, I believe this is the piece you mentioned about the Death Star : fav.me/d1ygyce : Just in case you wanted to know man!
i noticed your swazitga? on your profile and i have one question for you? are you part of the nazis or a fan? (p.s if a offend you i am sorry) any way i like the soldiers
Ха-ха! А ведь политика бойцов Хаоса напоминает Американскую! В темном мире будушего будет царить ТОЛЬКО Хаос!!!
На планетке под названием Земля Будет царить только ...
Отличнейший арт, просто бесподобный, круто!
На планетке под названием Земля Будет царить только ...
Отличнейший арт, просто бесподобный, круто!
Actually, they're the good guys. Well, if not good, which is impossible in 40k, then RIGHT. The right guys.
true, the dark gods are the original human religion in 40k, as it is shown in the horus heresy novels.
It's always interesting when a monument or pose traditionally seen as 'good' is augmented to showcase something 'bad'. I like the level of detail in each of the figures, and how you were able to clearly define each individual even though they all dress in much the same way with very similar colors. Nicely done. That being said, I always enjoyed the Blood Pact fluff more than any other Chaos faction, and the collection of pieces you've made for them are all great lol
I enjoy Chaos because they LACK honour, unlike the boring 'ol Imperium. They're the insane, near anarchic bad boys of the galaxy.
I always thought that 'Honour' to them was that if they wanted to, they'd use their pal as a meatshield against enemy fire. 'Cuz they're cool like that.
That being said, this is a refreshing concept and you've blended it perfectly to the historic image of the Marines planting the flag in Iwo Jima. Great work.
I always thought that 'Honour' to them was that if they wanted to, they'd use their pal as a meatshield against enemy fire. 'Cuz they're cool like that.
That being said, this is a refreshing concept and you've blended it perfectly to the historic image of the Marines planting the flag in Iwo Jima. Great work.
Unfortunately, military can't function like what you describe. Chaos would never be a threat to anything if it was just insane weirdos doing weirdo shit, no matter how violent.
What I think Chaos has, is alternate honor and alternate morality.
Which is actually what is present in real life. For example, for a 20th century european, say, blowing oneself up in kindergarten, or cutting out a still alive POWs liver and eating it raw, is pretty damn fucked up and insane. But for some other cultures, its pretty fucking honorable. So, I write chaos from that point of view.
Killing all your comrades in sight isn't really rational for self-preservation reasons, even.
What I think Chaos has, is alternate honor and alternate morality.
Which is actually what is present in real life. For example, for a 20th century european, say, blowing oneself up in kindergarten, or cutting out a still alive POWs liver and eating it raw, is pretty damn fucked up and insane. But for some other cultures, its pretty fucking honorable. So, I write chaos from that point of view.
Killing all your comrades in sight isn't really rational for self-preservation reasons, even.
Well, I think Chaos could pull it off, seeing as how they have the unholy assistance of Daemons and defiled armor. The Japanese were pretty fucking threatening during our advance in the Pacific, sending soldiers mixed in with civies to take Allied fire, the Kamakazi flyers, and the infamous "Help me, American, I can't get up... Oh and here's a live grenade!" Trick.
In W40k, the legions of Chaos are usually influence by the Chaos Gods, anyway, and they don't really care if their soldiers die, Khorne actually would enjoy it.
And killing your fellow allies may not be the best tactic... But the Imperium seems manage.
In W40k, the legions of Chaos are usually influence by the Chaos Gods, anyway, and they don't really care if their soldiers die, Khorne actually would enjoy it.
And killing your fellow allies may not be the best tactic... But the Imperium seems manage.
Well if someone likes silly, more fantasy-like, flat and one-dimensional warhammer, guess that works. I tend to go for gritty realistic stuff even with demons, more "hard sci fi" than "konan the barbarian in spess", so I envision shit like this.
There's lots of works for the former, so I guess if you like that style, there's an abundance of your prefs. No need to push that on me.
There's lots of works for the former, so I guess if you like that style, there's an abundance of your prefs. No need to push that on me.
Well... Warhammer IS fantasy...
But I never said I didn't like what you did. "A refreshing concept" as it were, nor did I ever oppose your opinion on how Chaos should act. It's a deviation on how I see them behaving, I'll admit, but I've seen much worse deviations of typical behavior done by other artists. I can honestly say this concept isn't far-fetched, compared to depictions of certain factions... Getting Along, ugh.
But I never said I didn't like what you did. "A refreshing concept" as it were, nor did I ever oppose your opinion on how Chaos should act. It's a deviation on how I see them behaving, I'll admit, but I've seen much worse deviations of typical behavior done by other artists. I can honestly say this concept isn't far-fetched, compared to depictions of certain factions... Getting Along, ugh.
Remember that this is Chaos. Chaos is, by definition, a multitude of possibilities. Some of them are very prevalent in depictions of forces of Chaos in Wh40k - the kind of frothing, suicidal madmen and total fuckups you talk about. But, there are other possibilities. The galaxy in 40k is a vast place, which is explored in books, RPG systems and games by only a fraction.
Also, this is Chaos. The deviation. There cannot be deviations in what is already deviated. Or, more truly - the deviation is irrelevant.
=torture-device shows us one of the limitless possibilites in which a Chaos force could operate - an idea of a disciplined, elite "core" of an organized Chaos planet/state/Black Crusade army (these guys are similar to those military Khornate outfit from Gaunt's Ghosts... what were they called? Blood Pact?).
I, for one, am instantly sold for it. A clash of organized militaries are always more interesting, than some cultists wailing about killing, powerz of de Dark Godz and losing their spleens...
Also, this is Chaos. The deviation. There cannot be deviations in what is already deviated. Or, more truly - the deviation is irrelevant.
=torture-device shows us one of the limitless possibilites in which a Chaos force could operate - an idea of a disciplined, elite "core" of an organized Chaos planet/state/Black Crusade army (these guys are similar to those military Khornate outfit from Gaunt's Ghosts... what were they called? Blood Pact?).
I, for one, am instantly sold for it. A clash of organized militaries are always more interesting, than some cultists wailing about killing, powerz of de Dark Godz and losing their spleens...
As I stated before, the dipiction seen above isn't farfecthed, as much as it is just different to what I'm used to seeing. I really do appreciate the homage to the iconic image of the Marines, and this twisted, spiky version of it just makes it more awesome.
The reason Chaos exists, as far as I understand, is that the Chaos Gods abhor the mortal realm, and wish to manipulate, plague, ravage, sabotage and mutilate it, seemingly, for nothing but entertainment. Wanting secession from the Imperium is, in my opinion, just partly the reason for traitors and cults to exist in the first place. The majority of these cults, however, outright revere the Dark Gods, and will do whatever to please them.
Now if this were a cult to Tzeench, I could imagine order and discipline, being a cult dedicated to the God of Control, but this is a group dedicated to Khorne, the God of Slaughter. Khorned purpose is to bring about destruction and death, wherever they may be. Not saying Khorne cultists cannot know discipline, but you don't normally see them raising flags, or giving heroic speeches, to raise morale. Followers of Khorne know that Khorne only grants strength and favour to those who kill. Khorne Beserkers have even been known to kill their own brethren when they cannot find any other enemies.
I'm not saying something like a disciplined Blood Pact army is impossible. It IS fantasy after all, and anything can happen. I've just always respected the distinction between Chaos and the Imperium, without that distinction, they're just another army, raising different banners.
But again, I have never had anything against Torturer's depiction on the Chaos. I enjoy his originality, and the ironic twist of story he's developed for them, letting people view them as "Anti-heroes" rather than all out villains. Codex Warhammer 40k lore is, admittidly, terribly boring and repetative. It's always fun to imagine characters with actual personality and conflict, things that only people like Torturer can give us.
The reason Chaos exists, as far as I understand, is that the Chaos Gods abhor the mortal realm, and wish to manipulate, plague, ravage, sabotage and mutilate it, seemingly, for nothing but entertainment. Wanting secession from the Imperium is, in my opinion, just partly the reason for traitors and cults to exist in the first place. The majority of these cults, however, outright revere the Dark Gods, and will do whatever to please them.
Now if this were a cult to Tzeench, I could imagine order and discipline, being a cult dedicated to the God of Control, but this is a group dedicated to Khorne, the God of Slaughter. Khorned purpose is to bring about destruction and death, wherever they may be. Not saying Khorne cultists cannot know discipline, but you don't normally see them raising flags, or giving heroic speeches, to raise morale. Followers of Khorne know that Khorne only grants strength and favour to those who kill. Khorne Beserkers have even been known to kill their own brethren when they cannot find any other enemies.
I'm not saying something like a disciplined Blood Pact army is impossible. It IS fantasy after all, and anything can happen. I've just always respected the distinction between Chaos and the Imperium, without that distinction, they're just another army, raising different banners.
But again, I have never had anything against Torturer's depiction on the Chaos. I enjoy his originality, and the ironic twist of story he's developed for them, letting people view them as "Anti-heroes" rather than all out villains. Codex Warhammer 40k lore is, admittidly, terribly boring and repetative. It's always fun to imagine characters with actual personality and conflict, things that only people like Torturer can give us.
I notice that you don't do anything Tzeentch-related, unless I'm failing to look back far enough. Do you not like Tzeentch or do you have difficulty putting anything Tzeentian into your draw-style?
I think the expression of the top-left trooper just *makes* this piece. It's a relatively small detail but it really works.
For me it is more the center guy's expression. He is like "FINALLY we captured this point. Five minute break before we go jump down the loyalists' throats again."
And in the development of that thought, the fact that their armor has a lot of spikes makes it all the more horrifying.
And in the development of that thought, the fact that their armor has a lot of spikes makes it all the more horrifying.
Fun Fact: The famous image of the troops raising the flag on Iwo Jima was actually staged. The original flag they stood was considered "too small", and so another was brought in and the image was taken.
Сап, вишерка, как дела? Хороший, годный арт. Няшно. Не в последнюю очередь из-за отсутствия кровь-кишок. Хотя сие не есть твоя лучшая работа, по моему скромному мнению. Алсо, раз ты так любишь такие темы, рисовала бы побольше панорам или пейзажей войны или чего-то похожего или памятного, а то маловато у тебя такого. Масштабного. Ладно, пока, удачи, все равно ты не отвечаешь на подобные реплики.
Oh wow. Just wow. I am blown away by this man. You're already an amazing artist but this is just... fantastic. The image leaps from the screen and holds so much strength and feeling. You've outdone yourself, sir.
I wanted to critique this for quite some time, but honestly can't find that much to point out besides one shoulder not quite lining up to my eyes (Blind's left arm can only work if he has two elbows...) . It has red, but you have avoided making it too red, and thus it feels pleasant to look at. I love the scrachtiness of it.
This is awesome, historical context or not.
This is awesome, historical context or not.
This is far superior than just "enjoy it".
I'm a great Warhammer 40k fan, even if I still more on the "Imperial side", so basically in a "Internet Fag logic" I have to blame you for this "chaos pointed fanart": So why I don't do that?
Because you're art is unique: nobody ever dares to paint "Chaos Cultist" as comrades, or united for their cause. This paint is "l'eccezione che invalida la regola" (=the exception that invalidate the rule). It paints Chaos in a totally unhortodoxy but still realistic manner, and that's why I love your 40k fanart.
In other words, you have the ability to reproduce stuffs in their true nature. And that's a hell of a gift.
Vision: you said you did this as a memorial, I salute you sir, or ma'am.
Originality: Only art with Chaos as brothers in arms I have ever seen.
Technique: You made each cultist unique and I can see personality in their eyes.
Impact: The combination of all the above things makes a huge impact. This is awesome. You have earned yourself a watcher.
Now I pretty much have to fill in the rest of this thing to make the minimum words. Like I said, all the cultists have personality, the one in the forefront says to me "This was hard, but it's done."
The one in the back says, "Hell, yes. We got this done."
So, yeah, awesome work.
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