Warhammer would not be the rich and vibrant universe it is without a long history of stellar artwork bringing its worlds to life. Our 40 Years of Warhammer series has so far focused on glorious miniatures, from ancient skeletons to living ancestors, so now we take a walk through a gallery of 40 of our all time favourite illustrations.Much like the painting styles of the miniatures themselves, Warhammer art is emblematic of distinct eras. Early army books, Codexes, and boxed sets were radiant with colour and character – like the cover art from the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth editions of Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
The Blood Angels took centre-stage on the cover of the second edition Warhammer 40,000 boxed set – similarly vibrant, and painted by John Blanche. Other pieces like Dave Gallagher’s cover of Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War popped thanks to the striking composition and prominent primary colours.
Even during this time of bright hues and lively characters, the gritty vibe Warhammer fans know and love was very much alive.
One of the most memorable Warhammer 40,000 pieces remains John Blanche’s image of the immortal God-Emperor of Humanity, sat atop the life-sustaining Golden Throne. Or, rumour has it, merely a macabre facade for gullible pilgrims to Holy Terra, concealing the true arcane workings of the Emperor’s gruesome existence. There have been many versions of this image over the years, but the first sepia-tinted fusion of the ornate and the macabre is perhaps the most iconic.
The Emperor is – unsurprisingly – the subject of many of the most eye-catching pieces, and we got an early glimpse of the Master of Mankind in his duel with Horus, captured by Adrian Smith. The duel is so momentous in the Warhammer mythos that several different interpretations exist, like the version painted by Neil Roberts for the cover of Visions of Heresy.*
That’s not to say that all of the art was doom and gloom. Codex: Eldar inspired a whole generation of xenos fans with an intricately detailed pandaemonium of colour by Geoff Taylor, matching rich blues with vibrant yellows. Taylor produced many stone-cold classics for the era, his signature legs-akimbo pose cementing the era of “Herohammer”.
Wayne England was another mainstay of this period, with his distinctive saturated style with exaggerated heads and hands.
Karl Kopinski took up the baton slightly later, producing dozens of iconic images in a gritty, detail-packed style that would illustrate a new generation of Warhammer in the 2000s. You’ll find his work on everything from book covers, to artwork for miniature boxes, to eye-catching sketches that populated the corners and columns of codexes and army books.
Alex Boyd meanwhile produced many covers for codexes and Warhammer Armies books. His duel between Valten and Archaon remains one of the most recognisable scenes from Warhammer Fantasy Battle – even if it’s missing a certain Grimgor Ironhide clobbering his way in to steal the victory.**
While much of the artwork remained dark and moody, especially as the End Times spelled doom for the Old World, the rise of Warhammer Age of Sigmar was mirrored in a gleaming new aesthetic. The first boxed set cover practically beamed with light reflected from the Stormcast Eternals’ golden armour, and Raymond Swanland’s highly contrasted style soon found its way to Warhammer 40,000 in the striking covers for 6th and 7th edition Codexes.
Of particular note is the Stormcast Eternals Liberator by Alessandro Baldasseroni, which set a high bar for Warhammer Age of Sigmar portraits.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar brought with it a huge amount of inventive art to convey the character of the newly-formed Mortal Realms. Kevin Chin captured the blazing heart of a magmahold, while Catherine O’Connor’s depiction of Nagash’s court oozed the cold gloom of the Nighthaunt, and Mark Holmes’s chaotic moonlit battle scene encapsulated the madness of the Gloomspite Gitz.
The modern day continues to shower us with incredible art, like the awe-inspiring coronation of Roboute Guilliman, with many of the most important figures from recent Warhammer 40,000 history in attendance. In an age of plunging doom for the Imperium – split in half by the Great Rift – this majestic illustration by Pedro Nunez carries a hint of the hope that must have been felt following the return of a real, living Primarch.
What are your favourite pieces of Warhammer art from days past? Be sure to tune into the Warhammer Day Preview Online this Saturday, to see what the future holds.
* You can browse through the whole artbook on the Warhammer Vault – it’s a cracking tome.
** Ask whichever one of your mates took part in the Storm of Chaos campaign.