#rh.img

...my personal Mt. Rushmore of Warhammer artists (minus the uninvited defacing of any mountains). Not a ranking, mind you. Just had to list them somehow; they're all greats to me.

First among equals, John Blanche.

His works made much of what would become the stock visual language of 40K. Brutal, overwrought, bodies meshed with armor and machinery. This has since inspired the 'Blanchitsu' painting style- miniatures that looked tattered, worn, caked with dust.

Second up: Karl Kopinski.

Not only does Kopinski expand on the visions of 40K's world, he also has a serious strong suit in his art for mayhem. He captures hordes and legions so well, framing the scale of battles that stretch over continents, planets. You can nearly choke on the dust thrown up by marching feet and grinding treads.

Coming along for third, it's Adrian Smith.

Smith's excellence is how baroque his art is, how fantastically minute. Every cable, every rivet, every spike- and oh, he liked spikes -sticks out and blends in; it makes this fantastic tangle of business. It gives an aura of intricacy- makes sacred armor of the Astartes feel fanatically decorated, ramshackle weapons of the Orks truly crude.

Rounding out the gang is number four, Clint Langley.

Clint's work has an amazing feeling of texture- metals, flesh, fabrics, plumes, it all gets captured with his signature, slightly glistening look. You can feel the soot and grease, the bile, the sweat, metal gleaming polished and smooth or just oozing tetanus.

And- because he deserves it -the honorable mention: David Gallagher.