How to paint Warhammer concept art like John Blanche

[@MidwinterMinis]

Hey team. Looking for those timestamps? Here you go! 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Materials 02:29 Idea sketches 02:56 Technical pencil: sketch form 07:54 Fineliner: line work 19:36 Sign & title 19:55 Ink: paint and tone 27:24 Ink: splats 28:28 Ink: background 29:39 White paint: highlights 33:03 Ink: shading & extra splats 33:57 Hairdryer: dry painting 34:05 Fineliner: linework 39:00 Fineliner & Ink: title card 40:44 Outro

[@MidwinterMinis]

I'm just replying to this so it stops showing up in my "haven't responded" list. Ignore me.

[@yaboyzzz9098]

He makes music, he paints, he sketches. Is there anything this man can't do?!

[@MidwinterMinis]

I only learnt to ride a bike at 31, I'm not that great ;)

[@BasedGhoul]

@@MidwinterMinis At this rate, by this time next year you'll be showing us how to create sheikh furniture and art pieces all the while geeking out over nerdy sci-fi minis on the side. Thanks for the video brother. Your stuff is excellent and I appreciate your hard work. I can hardly wait to see what your next speed paint will be. Question, you into any of the artwork from the sci-fi art dystopian comic magazine Heavy Metal? Some of the stuff they used to have was pretty out there and quite intricate depending on the artist.

[@yaboyzzz9098]

@@BasedGhoul I see you are a fellow MGTOW?

[@BasedGhoul]

Ya Boyzzz yep, been red pilled for maybe 3 or 4 years now. I've begun to apply the MGTOW philosophy to my life over the last 18 months or so. It's good to see a fellow brother on the thread. Much respect to you👍😀

[@yaboyzzz9098]

@@BasedGhoul it is reciprocated

[@Kid_illithid]

I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed your art videos until now! Very cool and a great change of pace. Also I could listen to this music for days. It really lends itself to that vast, cold and ancient feel that 40k has

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks mate! Music coming soon, so watch out!

[@danncozey]

Loved this! Thank you Ive been craving jumping into creating art like this and this was really everything i needed to get started ❤

[@TeaPoweredModels]

Glad to see your back - Hope you both are well! Excited to watch this later!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy your MWM fix later on :)

[@ceilingface]

For when you're burnt out on painting minis, another outlet presents itself! Thanks for sharing once again. At this rate I expect you'll be able to produce a Grimdark 40k themed cooking segment. Speed-baking corpsestarch perhaps?

[@MidwinterMinis]

Actually, baking is one thing I've never really done! I made a cake once, it was amazing, so I feel like I can't top it. I'd rather just live with the experience knowing I did it once, really, really well, haha.

[@bldos5362]

It is like a mix of John Blanche and Ralph Steadman! Pretty fu@king cool. I'm impressed.

[@JoshmanJoyce]

I hope you are well Guy. You are a born teacher, your intonation, your clear direction, your creative spirit. Thank you for sharing this with us. I truly love all of your content!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks so much Josh! Just taking things day by day at the moment, but happy to be creating again :)

[@JoshmanJoyce]

@@MidwinterMinis of course. Big love from all of ours!

[@fifthofascalante7311]

In the name of the Emperor, beloved by all, I demand this become a series! I'm not into figurines, but I do like 40k. I really like this style, and subject. Make this the Grimdark Joy of Painting.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks! I think I'll do another in the future, sure :)

[@fifthofascalante7311]

Midwinter Minis as in the grim darkness of the far future or as in later this week?

[@MayerMaxim]

You should really do some more of these, such a great video, I find myself coming back to rewatch this one!

[@crazyhorse360]

Seriously do some more of these. So good to watch whilst sculpting.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks so much, that's really kind of you :)

[@freecomtergat]

@@MidwinterMinis More boobs and tits please ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWbNZ2udlsyLd5I )

[@AssassinVgaming]

Using a marmite jar as a water pot is so top notch British, also airbrushing paint palettes is surprising effective and quite useful so thanks for that tip

[@MidwinterMinis]

Ahaa! Glad you appreciate my quirks :)

[@trolleymouse]

> Marmite jar for paint water I love it.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Only the best!

[@asdasd9174]

I hate it!

[@MidwinterMinis]

BANNED ;)

[@ncscotsman]

So good to see you back and creating again. Thank you SO MUCH for doing this tutorial. Nobody can really nail Blanche's style perfectly but you do an amazing job with it! Plus it's 100% clean language so I can show it to my classes! Cheers!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Not bad for a first try! Maybe I could get better over time, become Blanche the 2nd ;)

[@ncscotsman]

@@MidwinterMinis I think you should! I'm going to go out and get a watercolor pad now! I finally have a reason to break out the inks that been sitting in the supply cabinet of my classroom! Thanks again for doing this!

[@Gh0stSalad]

Always wanted to try this style of painting, but was afraid of messing it up. Might give it a go after seeing this video!

[@tristismagnis4567]

Until your recent video for Arcane Ugly, I didn't even know you'd covered Blanche! I'm gonna take the tips from both videos to try and make my own art. I haven't really looked to deeply into watercolour, but I really love the look of your use of the paint.

[@kindafishy6248]

Nice to see you back, and with this super cool video aswell. Can't wait too see more from you. Love your vids, keep doing what you're doing Cheers!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it, even though it's a little out of the ordinary :)

[@kindafishy6248]

@@MidwinterMinis Oh, i absolutely don't mind seeing stuff that's out of the ordinary. I'd even love to see how you compose and produce your music or something like that. Then again, you could propably record yourself peeling potatoes and i'd absolutely love it xD

[@MidwinterMinis]

Cooking episode: confirmed

[@andersskriverjensen2441]

Very inspiring! Somehow this channel is linked to my life: I decide to get Blackstone Fortress in an attempt to reboot my Warhammer hobby after a 25+ year hiatus... Midwinter Minis emerge as I start to wonder about painting the minis. A couple of months later I’m using my sketchbook to develop content for a narrative campaign in Age of Sigmar (hobby reboot went well, of course), and I’m looking for inspiration on ways to illustrate/conceptualize some of the stuff alongside tables, lists, etc... Midwinter Minis delivers exactly on this! Thank you very much, Guy & Penny.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Nice! Haha, not only are we passionate hobbyists, we're also mind-readers too ;)

[@padraighegarty7114]

Welcome back. Super looking video. Impressive as ever. Hope everything as good as can be.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Padraig, taking it slow and steady, all the support from the MWM community has been amazing :)

[@plasmofandwedge7142]

Great vid love the stuff can’t wait for you mini painting toturials

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! Yeah, I thought I'd ease myself back with something a bit different :) Glad you liked it.

[@zaksauerwald6910]

i really enjoyed this video. it actually caught me by surprise. i never thought i would be interested in painting concept art. but now i am i will have to push my models aside and give it a a go. great video!!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Zak! Yeah, it's fun way to get ideas out of your head, for sure :)

[@Paintedfigs]

This is sheer genius!

[@DakkaDakka2]

Fantastic content as always! Always looking forward to another video.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@DeltaUnderscore]

Now this is the grimdark I was looking for!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Hah, thanks mate :)

[@benrafferty3084]

It’s good to see you back! This is really cool btw

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you Ben :) Good to be back

[@magnusharris581]

Holy shit, I just discovered john blanche an hour ago, you read my mind, I'm even going to attempt to make one of his arts into a miniature now!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Maybe this reality is actually just a simulation that only exists to entertain you?... Wake up, Magnus.

[@magnusharris581]

@@MidwinterMinis *matrix noises*

[@euansmith3699]

If you have a look for John Blanche's minis too, they are amazing and totally unlike anything from the 'Eavy Metal Studio. I'm really glad that he followed his his own path, as it opens up a massive spectrum between the super controlled paint jobs of the Studio artist, and Blanche's own incredibly impressionistic and painterly style. It kind of offers validation to people who don't want to or can't paint like the Blessed Duncan Rhodes. As a result there is a whole world of grim-dark painting out there to enjoy on the Internet. :D

[@Arkygator]

Oh lovely. I would like to watch you to more stuff like this.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it - something a little different for sure :)

[@Arkygator]

@@MidwinterMinis I'm thinking of trying out something similar with some pastel water colours that I have lying around.

[@MidwinterMinis]

I bet that would still look pretty awesome! Inks are just grimy watercolours anyway, hah

[@Arkygator]

@@MidwinterMinis Oh yeah, I also want to avoid that trap of going out shopping for new supplies that I might not end up using a whole lot later. Otherwise I usually just draw all my stuff with ballpoint pens. So I'm used to drawing on a budget. So this will be unusually extravagant by default.

[@Finding_Arcadia]

It'd be interesting to see similar again, but done using grisallie, so we can see how the techniques we use from slapchop originated and can be used outside of mini painting

[@Aralaas]

This was really cool and fun! I really like John Blanches style, very moody and grotesque. I might try a picture like this in the future for my army, seeing as there's obviously no art for homebrew.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, good luck trying your own :)

[@carpemkarzi]

Nice, I always felt that good concept art should convey not only the technical shape/structure but also the feel and emotion of the setting. I have a couple old Roger Dean artbooks and his concept sketches were amazing, especially as you could see the evolution of the final painting. Again, Nicely done.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks mate! Yeah, maybe some doomy, gloomy architecture or interiors would be a nice addition :)

[@carpemkarzi]

Midwinter Minis oh no that wasn’t a criticism, you captured the “oh crap” 41 millennium nicely

[@someonesusingmyname]

Welcome back! Cheers, mate!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Woo! Thanks :)

[@1nicerboi759]

Very cool, very different Video from you guys!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Yeah! Keepin' things fresh :)

[@reftnumble8448]

His job in battle is to pass out hotdogs from his glizzy belt

[@Galezki16]

that is so cool man ! well done

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Emerson :)

[@SciFi_Soup]

More of this please :) Please

[@MidwinterMinis]

Double please! It has to happen ;)

[@freecomtergat]

@@MidwinterMinis More boobs and tits please ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWbNZ2udlsyLd5I )

[@Subfuture]

Quite a wonderful idea, thank you!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Ah! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@MayerMaxim]

Still waiting for more!) Maybe do one with Hatty in celebration of Johns retirement? And maybe launch a fan challenge to submit their art, too? I would gladly participate!

[@Grimvids90]

Welcome back Guy, good to hear from you. Hope you're getting on ok.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Not too bad matey, things still feel pretty weird, but we'll get there in the end, eh? :)

[@WhatTheScoots]

Awesome! Please Please make a tutorial to do blanchitsu in model panting too

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! I'll have to figure out how to do it, first :)

[@ubiquitouspov1060]

Hi Guy! Wasn’t expecting you but glad you’re here! I’m not going to David Brent you and say ‘yeah... keep up the doodling’.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Haha, I wasn't expecting me here, either ;)

[@markoleinonen7901]

I really like the background music.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Marko! :)

[@5chr4pn3ll]

Reminds me of that Krang robot from TMNT, and of Baron Harkonnen

[@MidwinterMinis]

... Baron Hakrangen, eh? EH? ;)

[@a-nittwit]

Good job buddy. Looks good, not big on drawing but i can appreciate what you’ve done.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Stephan, nice to do something different once in a while :)

[@halloweencrab]

wow, it might not be mini's, but extremely interesting and helpful video nonetheless! i've always struggled with this rough concept art style, mainly because i never had a clear understanding for the process of taking it from loose shapes to line art, but seeing the entire process right from those extremely loose shapes makes it so much clearer to me now. definitely going to have to try my hand at some idea's i have floating around!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Excellent! I'm glad this step-by-step can help you :) I've been doodling for so long, I suppose I take a lot of the "basic" stuff for granted. You should absolutely try it out for yourself! It's a really rewarding use of time!

[@euansmith3699]

I like that you've got a grim-dark hairdryer to match the artwork.

[@MidwinterMinis]

It's. So. Old.

[@asz3337]

Aaah you're back! ❤️ And while I'm not doing painting myself, the video is pleasant as usual up to now! Much more important - hope you're as good as one can be under the circumstances and all. Edit: damn, that video actually just might get me into painting/drawing. As usual you're making things look accessible and achievable!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you, my friend! Yeah, it's good to be back. Things might still be a little irregular for a few weeks, but we'll get back in the swing of things in no time, I'm sure :)

[@TearingMeFromWithin]

@@MidwinterMinis What are the circumstances?! Hope everything is all good over at midwinter minis!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks for caring, mate! My dad died 2 weeks ago.

[@TearingMeFromWithin]

@@MidwinterMinis Fucking hell mate, there are no words for that. You just make sure you take the time you need and take care of yourself and those closest to you. We'll all be here ready and waiting for your next upload whether its in six days or six months. Thoughts are with ya'.

[@asz3337]

@@MidwinterMinis oh, I forgot to tell you up there - Sunday we finished the basic Blackstone fortress!!!! We started around lunch time...... Don't ask when I finally got to open the envelope! 😂 😂 😂

[@RickyBurgess]

Great video, I wish gw made more miniatures like this. Maybe a stand alone inq28 game.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Or maybe some kind of "domestic" 40k kit with non-combatant parts, people, and animals. That would be awesome.

[@RickyBurgess]

@@MidwinterMinis that would be great! Would be awesome to use as objectives and in dioramas.

[@euansmith3699]

A Servitor kit and Civilian kit would be fantastic. A sprue that had a pile of weird, snagglily cybernetic arms and bits of odd belt clutter would be great for conversion work. The Kataphron Battle Servitors kit is a good source for these sorts of bits; but there are never enough! :D

[@LinkiePup]

THIS WAS 4 YEARS AGO?! I thought this was new!!

[@mt-ti7lt]

Fantastic video!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks Miroslav!

[@meanderingshade]

Great to see you back with another awesome video. I really enjoyed this it was pretty calming and inspiring. Therapeutic I suppose. I've been going through a bit of a hobby slump for the last couple of weeks. Nothing seems to have been working to shift it. But this... A lovely bit of Blanchitsu inspired art :) I really enjoyed the #GrimDarkCards challenge on Instagram with a load of others recreating John Blanche art in miniatures. Maybe I'll have a go at building your amazing picture up there in miniature for a bit of fun, see if that helps in dragging me out of that pit.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Man, if you DO make this, send me pics to the email address on my "about" page, I'd love to see it!

[@meanderingshade]

@@MidwinterMinis I do fully intend on doing it. Just painting up some classic Heroquest figures at the moment. I've got one lonesome video on my channel of the last bit of Blanchitsu I created. There's one or two on my Instagram, same username without a space between. I'll definitely get in touch and send you a message as requested. Keep up the awesome work ;)

[@JustJuru]

Hey, video was great, and its very good to see You're keeping well. Your (and Your's girlfriend) work is fantastic!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thank you! Yeah, it's (obviously) been a pretty rough couple of weeks, but a good sketch is a nice distraction :)

[@aidensmodels2858]

This make me want to do it

[@MidwinterMinis]

Go for it!

[@socialnetworking4782]

I have to ask, where do you get your music? It captures the exact feeling I like to have when I'm painting.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Hey Nathan! There's actually 3 tracks being cycled through, one that I made, and two made by some very talented friends of mine. They'll shortly be available, watch this space :)

[@socialnetworking4782]

@@MidwinterMinis Thanks! I look forward to hearing more. The soundscape is fantastic, you and your friends are doing a great job!

[@inquisitorlev8456]

John Blanche is a true great. Sadly, what is currently marketable is the anime inspired, artifact-less, convenient, digital art--which is as consumable as it is forgettable. But what Blanche did/does is anything but forgettable. He is an artist in the full sense of the word. His name is included along side old school fantasy/sci-fi greats such as Gibbons, Otus, Pepper, and Miller. These guys are legends, set apart from today's content-cogs who grind out the predictable electronic dreck. Sure, today's digital illustrators have technical skill, but their "product" is as indistinct as sand on a beach.

[@MurderHoboRPG]

Lovely video

[@MidwinterMinis]

Thanks!

[@stevesandford1437]

Although I don't DRAW or PAINT in 2D, I found this really interesting and entertaining... As with all Midwinter Minis posts, the enthusiasm and willingness to share appears to be the poster's primary concern. (As to those who 'dislike' or make unkind comments, well, REALLY? Negative comments ONLY come from negative people...) So EASY to diss genuine posts on KZbin... And so UTTERLY POINTLESS... (In Ireland, we'd say. "Say something positive... And if you can't. save your breath to cool your porridge...") xx SF

[@MidwinterMinis]

Haha, amazing. Thanks Steve. Yeah, I receive very few negative comments, which is nice I suppose. I must be doing something right. Even if one of those negative comments was from John Blanche, haha. Oh dear.

[@stevesandford1437]

"Ahhhh, but it WASN'T!!! (Another person REPORTED that JB didn't like it...) In a court of Law, this would be referred to as 'hearsay'''... (A journalist by trade, WE can't print ANYTHING that we don't have On Actual Record... Sometimes we can't print things we actually HAVE on record!!!) Though, as I explained, not an Illustrator myself, I am interested in the talent. Your references to Scarfe, Tim Burton and Quentin Blake indicate that you too are a 'fan' of the form... (It's a lesser-known fact that Quentin Blake based many of his more grotesque/humourous illustrations, including his "St Trinians" drawings, on incidents he'd observed as a Japanese POW during WWII, severed heads included...) So, (and here I return to my Irish oeuvre...) FUCK JB if he doesn't appreciate the compliment, ie. a Young Artist might attempt to be inspired by his work and share that inspiration. I have NO INTEREST WHATEVER in Fantasy/Sci Fi mini painting... Except 'Strontium Dog', but you're FAR to young to remember THAT!!! (I'm PURELY an historical 28/32mm painter.) I WATCH and ENJOY your 'videos' merely because they AMUSE ME. (And, in truth, I've LEARNED a thing or two also!!!) Enthusiasm, Information, Entertainment, Humour... (You and your SO are doing something INTERESTING!!!) Obviously, I'm talking PURELY in terms of The Hobby... (Wink!!!) xx SF

[@hunterlaskey]

Oh, I thought you were going to show how to paint MODELS like J. Blanche. Loved the video and can hardly wait to see what you come up with next. HINT, hoping its painting models like J. BLanche.

[@MidwinterMinis]

I'll definitely be trying this out in my spare time, I love Blanche-style kitbashes :)

[@OriginalOldhammerArtwork]

Fantastic

[@invisiblehandstudios1071]

How much for this piece?

[@MidwinterMinis]

Who knows? I might put it on eBay for charity!

[@invisiblehandstudios1071]

If you do pm me a link. I'll win this auction lol.

[@MidwinterMinis]

@@invisiblehandstudios1071 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Midwinter-Minis-Anti-grav-Servitor-Warhammer-style-concept-sketch/192924436862

[@freecomtergat]

​@@MidwinterMinis "I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, and Your Motorcycle" kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZPXnYN5l82Jfdk

[@mobylka]

very cool !

[@MidwinterMinis]

Cheers :D

[@theartofjayden1761]

Wait... YOU CAN DRAW AWSOME TOO!!!

[@nutyyyy]

I love that classic 40k artwork look. It always has a real gothic lovecraftian element that reminds me of HR Giger's work that inspired alien. That's how 40k should be, rather than more cartoony and clean versions you see increasingly.

[@thatdarnpanda]

Video is great. But the backlash from it made me rethink if I even like John Blanche anymore haha

[@MidwinterMinis]

Haha, yeah, me too. I sent him a message, but he hasn't responded. Oh well.

[@Trazynn]

Now paint one like Adam Smith!

[@MidwinterMinis]

The wildlife artist?

[@freecomtergat]

​@@MidwinterMinis Adrian Smith ? ( duckduckgo.com/?q=Adrian+Smith+hate )

[@frankchavez4052]

Or did he mean Adrian Smith? If it's Adrian, do a drawing like his old pencil GW artwork.

[@wezab]

Watching this I thought a comb over. It would have been hilarious and pointed to the last vestiges of conceit and arrogance in the servitor that it thought it was still human might still look attractive. I suppose it is a success of the picture that I would give the character an identity of sorts. In the mean time I am simply too poor an artist to draw as you have done. Ironically, back in the day I studied technical drawing and still have my old board and T-square. Who knows, if I get through that hoard of plastic crack I might go there.

[@samahell9488]

Great !

[@angrytreespainting]

Nice! Keep the cool videos coming! I subbed for more! ;-)

[@MidwinterMinis]

Awesome, thanks for subscribing!

[@Rathammergames]

INQ28!!!

[@MidwinterMinis]

Yes mate!

[@euansmith3699]

That's where my love lies :D The dark and grubby corners of the 40k Universe.

[@lifesucks2558]

Why have I never watched this?

[@MidwinterMinis]

Bit of a wild card, eh?!

[@aimeejoesbury5916]

This guy looks a lot like my Nurgle hellwright on dark abeyant conversion: instagram.com/p/Bu5CgpKn5S-/

[@MidwinterMinis]

Oh yeah! Haha, what an awesome model, great work :)

[@aimeejoesbury5916]

@@MidwinterMinis Thank you! Love this video

[@fungustech8371]

Guy's music: 'In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only... chilled industrial ambiance!' I can feel the mist blowing across the local wasteland as me and my multi-race merc homies just stand there evoking mood, waiting for the next mission.

[@MidwinterMinis]

Haha, thanks mate, glad it hits the spot! :)

[@OmnishiaLP]

Is it just me or does the servitor look really sad xD

[@MidwinterMinis]

I mean, he doesn't look like he's having the best day, does he?

[@OmnishiaLP]

@@MidwinterMinis Well he is a servitor that would ruin anybodies day xD

[@euansmith3699]

@@OmnishiaLP Sad Servitor, "I pray for Mindlock."

[@Jose-ur7jz]

I doodle stuff constantly, very bad but tons and tons of papers. It's like a disease for me.

[@BaijoGosum]

This video reminded me of your sketch. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ_VdKSPe6ufb7M He painted the mini in the same style that you emulating in your sketch tch. Real neat! Used pigments too lol

[@MidwinterMinis]

Yeah! The end result is awesome :)

[@TheKlink]

230gsm, when ordinary printer paper in 80. that's the difference.

[@JT_1290]

John Blanche has seen this, his comments were not favourable...

[@MidwinterMinis]

Haha, oh really? I'd love to hear his feedback. Anything online?

[@JT_1290]

Laurence Blanche: Nah looks crap missess the point dont look anything like what i do just trying to capitalise on another persons gig ...

[@MidwinterMinis]

Amazing! Well, I don't know about you, but I'm inspired. Never talk to your idols, eh? ;)

[@meanderingshade]

@@MidwinterMinis I must admit, when I first saw his comments, I was taken aback. My friend I was chatting to at the time told me walk away and think about what I want to say instead of knee-jerk reaction response. I think it's a case of miscommunication from the things I've seen in the comments. Your piece is inspired by John Blanche's awesome artwork and is in the spirit of Blanchitsu and this your interpretation of that art style. You aren't literally saying "This is how John Blanche paints!" which I think is what's happened. Art is subjective and open to the interpretation of every single person that views it. I still think you created a really nice piece as a homage to that style.

[@MidwinterMinis]

I'm not really bothered at all, and I won't waste my time dissecting a throw-away comment :) I'm glad you like it though!

[@99Plastics]

anti grav servitor, so you mean to say PRIMARIS servitor lol