New art by Adrian Smith

[SpecialIssue]

On 1/23/2024 at 8:53 AM, apologist said:

Adrian Smith's artwork has always had a wonderful sense of horror to it. I can't really express it beyond he really seems to get the obsessive madness that's so key to the Warhammer universes. 

 

Obsessive madness is a great phrase to describe it. The almost-overwhelming level of intricate detailing in a lot of the works is very gothic, and conversely the detailed minutiae I think contributes to making the universe seem even larger and more horrifying - imagine all that horrifying gothic detail, not just on one or two subjects in a picture, but across an entire room surrounding you, or across an entire battlefield or city.

 

His style (and Kopinski's as well in particular) straddles a blurry line between interpretive / artistic, and representative / 'realistic', all while evoking a feeling and sense of setting unlike any other scifi out there that is immediately identifiable. The idea of a dark far future 40,000 years away in time and space is inextricably linked to their art for me.

[Redcomet]

One of the best artists Gw ever had, alongside Mark Gibbons

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

On 1/22/2024 at 11:36 PM, grailkeeper said:

He also had this on his instagram (couldn't seem to link directly on mobile).

 

This one borrows heavily from his Hate-themed works (except guns), the first one looks more "vintage".

[Rain]

I don’t know the artists by name (except for John Blanche, I guess) but judging by the style, this is clearly the guy that did the iconic art in the 3.5 ed Codex, which is what made me fall in love with Chaos as a faction.

 

The combination of intricate detail and realism with a warped Hellraiseresque horror aesthetic is very uniquely 40k. Also, the sense of age is palpable with the various tokens and fetishes encrusting their armor, like barnacles. This guy is *the* Chaos artist. Modern Chaos art is too clean by comparison. It looks like art of the models, and not art of “actual” Chaos Space Marines.

[gideon stargreave]

1 hour ago, Rain said:

I don’t know the artists by name (except for John Blanche, I guess) but judging by the style, this is clearly the guy that did the iconic art in the 3.5 ed Codex, which is what made me fall in love with Chaos as a faction.

 

The combination of intricate detail and realism with a warped Hellraiseresque horror aesthetic is very uniquely 40k. Also, the sense of age is palpable with the various tokens and fetishes encrusting their armor, like barnacles. This guy is *the* Chaos artist. Modern Chaos art is too clean by comparison. It looks like art of the models, and not art of “actual” Chaos Space Marines.

He also did a lot of stuff in rogue trader times. His realms of chaos work is something to behold for both settings 

[Alby the Slayer]

15 hours ago, Rain said:

I don’t know the artists by name (except for John Blanche, I guess) but judging by the style, this is clearly the guy that did the iconic art in the 3.5 ed Codex, which is what made me fall in love with Chaos as a faction.

 

The combination of intricate detail and realism with a warped Hellraiseresque horror aesthetic is very uniquely 40k. Also, the sense of age is palpable with the various tokens and fetishes encrusting their armor, like barnacles. This guy is *the* Chaos artist. Modern Chaos art is too clean by comparison. It looks like art of the models, and not art of “actual” Chaos Space Marines.

 

I agree with what you said, Mr. Smith is quite the Chaos artist, except about the "modern chaos" art that is too clean part.

 

 

 

 

 

I think Lewis Jones is doing something incredible, in his own style of course. Granted, he is not the only wh40k chaos artist but so he was not Mr. Smith at the time.

 

By the way I love Adrian Smith art and I am still waiting for his Chosen of Abaddon to become actual models (When I was young I believed it!).

 

Amazing.

Edited January 25, 2024 by Alby the Slayer

[Asbestress]

10 hours ago, Alby the Slayer said:

 

I agree with what you said, Mr. Smith is quite the Chaos artist, except about the "modern chaos" art that is too clean part.

 

 

 

 

 

I think Lewis Jones is doing something incredible, in his own style of course. Granted, he is not the only wh40k chaos artist but so he was not Mr. Smith at the time.

 

By the way I love Adrian Smith art and I am still waiting for his Chosen of Abaddon to become actual models (When I was young I believed it!).

 

Amazing.

Oh, Lewis Jones, probably my all time favourite artist to have ever worked for GW. I think he's really good at blending the feel of older art (like Adrian Smith's, who this whole thread is about :p) with the more detailed and defined modern miniature designs that imho creates an almost perfect compromise between artistic freeforming and representing the actual things most people who buy Warhammer stuff will see on store shelves, their painting desks, and on the tabletop.

 

Kinda miffed that he's now just doing miniature concepts which will most likely not see the light of day for a long time (if ever).

[Taliesin]

I recommend you guys that love his work check out his Dark fantasy graphic novel Chronicles of Hate.

Its available online too, excellent.

[Evil Eye]

Adrian Smith is a fantastic artist. His and Kopinski's work definitely helped make the 3.5E Chaos Codex as magnificent as it was. Love to see him doing more stuff.

[grailkeeper]

I didnt want to set up a new thread so I decided to post here.

 

Adrian Smith has posted more art on his instagram. He's also posted a number for free on his patreon here. 

 

https://www.patreon.com/posts/chaos-icons-ink-114881605

 

 

 

 

 

[Marshal Rohr]

On 1/22/2024 at 5:58 PM, TheMawr said:

 

Not meant as a snap at both pieces of artwork, but both give me the feeling of being AI art trained on adrian smith work rather than work from adrian smith himself.

I cant yet fully put my finger on why exactly. Its also difficult, as some elements that are things to recognise very good AI work, are elements he always had in his art. (and before anyone questions the logic.. AI has made massive steps past few months, its way beyond what was in some topics here same time last year.)

 

edit : it could be they are quicker more sketchy work from him perhaps, and Im used to his more finetuned work. Contrast is also lower than usual ( and I dont mean as a filter or setting,but manually made contrast.)

This is a phenomenon people are seeing more and more where their brain is starting to tell them something is AI that was actually done by people. Louise Sugden got brigaded over FW art with tourists in it by insufferable puritans insisting the art was AI generated. We’ve moved beyond the uncanny valley response that protects us from skinwalkers to full blown hostility to AI garbage, but some artists are catching strays 

[grailkeeper]

Of those headshots I think the Lhorne one is my favourite.

 

Here is a recent video of him inking a Black Templar. It's Metal :cuss:.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DE7dkSGMEg5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

 

[Corswain]

Love his work and it's wonderful to see some new stuff.

I got into the hobby with Lord of the Rings but Adrian Smith pulled me into 40K and, even more than Blanche, his work set the tone, visually, for what Warhammer is to me.

[Dr. Clock]

On 2/20/2025 at 3:24 PM, grailkeeper said:

more art on his instagram.

Yooooooo... Super excellent.

 

If they were done in '24 is there any possibility these will show up in some form in the forthcoming cult codexes I wonder? Seems possible, although would be surprising if he'd be allowed the publish them if they were the result of a GW commission, considering how protective GW is of their imagery. Obviously I'm hoping these were working drawings for coloured works we haven't seen yet lol.

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

I remember looking at his art in 3.5 CSM dex with horror, awe and intrigue. Adrian Smith’s work and that of Kopinski, as others have mentioned, is Warhammer 40,000 at its absolute,  very best, at least as far as I’m concerned. As much as I love the miniatures, and artwork we currently get (we finally got plastic DKoK, fleshed out Cult Marines for Nurgle, Slaanesh, Khorne and Tzeentch and so much  other cool stuff) I find myself longing for and lamenting the loss of a lot what we had in the past. I think that the Chapterhouse lawsuit and it’s fallout (not blaming GW but the situation where we find ourselves in as a result still sucks), along with the current state of the actual game, both in regard to the current game not really exciting me and the constant rules updates and patches, as well as the moving of 40k beyond the ‘five minutes to midnight’ setting that had existed for decades, prior to the Primaris and Ynnari nonsense, has made me fall out of love with contemporary 40k. I wish we had the cool minis we get now along with the artwork, rules and fluff of the late nineties and early 2000’s. But alas you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Anyway it’s good to see this new artwork of Adrian’s, and I was hit with a wave of nostalgia viewing it.

Edited Wednesday at 05:31 AM by FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants

[Ayatollah_of_Rock_n_Rolla]

GW also hasn't forgotten about Smith.

 

[MasterBlaster]

On 1/22/2024 at 12:53 PM, grailkeeper said:

Hopefully this is the start of somwthing more.

This isn't new at all lmao