I have to agree with fade_74, this army is an example of what artistry our hobby can reach. As in music, some are bad at it, most are good at it with practice, and there are a few masters of the craft. Victor is quite clearly one of the latter. The freehanding and use of absolutely the right colours is outstanding.
My own efforts will never match this... but I shall try :-D
Caveman87
· 1 year ago
*Jaw hits floor* Man I really need to start picking up my brush and start working on my guys cause I just got blown away. PHENOMENAL JOB!
joshua saxton
· 1 year ago
Viktors army is completely stunning!! His DP gettin knocked for 'religious' iconography was craptastic to say the least. i have to say though that i am truly overjoyed to know that something painted to that level is on the tabletop!!! Heck, his standard troop paint jobs on the juggy deamons is on par with my Hi-end paint jobs...beautiful!! Wish I lived in Texas just to come down to your shop and pick his brain!!!:)
Parcival
· 1 year ago
While his entire army is perfect, the religious iconography really is the best of it for me. Nothing depicts a demon's deep fall better than this banner. It's like wandering through a landscape filled with ruins of former Elfish colonies, but all canned into one model.
Disgruntled and Shakey
· 1 year ago
Damn you Victor! Damn you to the level of hell reserved for those whose outstanding talent and remarkable painting quality mock me!
After seeing talent like this, it makes me wonder why I even bother to paint my figs at all....
Bollocks.
papasmurf
· 1 year ago
wow... victor, if you ever read this post, i would like to commend you on everything, but i think the banner on the demon prince is especially detailed and unique.
jwolf_bols
· 1 year ago
There are so many good things about the showpiece models in this army, it's hard to know where to begin. Behind the armor over the right knee of the DP is a face that looks like 3 different faces, depending on the angle you take. On his wings are intricately detailed stories, in High Medieval style, really a perfect take on the Chaos point-of-view on the Emperor. I've seen a lot of Golden Daemon work, but that DP is in a class by itself.
RTM
· 1 year ago
Well, it's pretty obvious that I suck. I think it's better for my own fragile ego that I do not live in the Austin area.
RTM
TwoHeartsButOnly1Wound
· 1 year ago
Wow!!!! That puts a lot of the stuff you see in white dwarf to shame!!!!
The greater demon and demon prince are just amazing!!!!
I'm with you RTM we all suck compared to that. Its like playing Tiger Woods in a pick up game of golf.
If I ever even have to travel through the Austin area my figs aren't leaving their carrying case.
Timo
· 1 year ago
Amazing!
Yriel_The_Angelic
· 1 year ago
Wow this dudes immortal! i remember seeing 2 of his figures on the 3rd edition Chaos Codex Where they have the showcase!....Pretty jealous i am lol
Kris
· 1 year ago
Wow! I still remember that first Bloodthirster from way back in the day, both in White Dwarf and then in the Chaos Codex. The second one is even more amazing though, especially the base and the banner (which is unreal). My props go out to Victor!
mike at santa cruz warhammer
· 1 year ago
This is like listening to Art Tatum on the piano: you can enjoy it but there is NO way you can ever understand how the artist got to this result. This painting is just unbelievable.
papasmurf
· 1 year ago
i wonder how long it took him to paint something like the daemon prince or greater daemon?
sodcactus
· 1 year ago
I think the DP took some 600 hours according to what Victor wrote on CoolMiniOrNot. If I remember correctly.
Hmmm, don't know what broke the link. Just past it into google or something and it will set you right.
Stelio
· 10 months ago
The Bloodthirster took 200-300 hours. Read Victor's comments on competition painting here: "http://www.miniaturespace.net/Victor Hardy's advice.htm"
Guytholimew
· 1 year ago
If Victor were one of the Dark God's, I'd worship him...
Culial
· 1 year ago
in "VH-daemons-army-03.jpg" is that Angron? resembles the GW Datasheet art a lot, doesnt the mini pre-date that?
Amazing work all around, but those banners blow me out of the water...my biggest failing shown how it's meant to be done!
pinhead
· 1 year ago
WoW I didn't think you actually play with those models..if i could paint something like that i would lock it in a showcase and guard it with some mercenaries lol..you could do a tutor on the red, iv never seen a red like that!
JohnOSpencer
· 1 year ago
Yeah, he plays with the same models he puts in for Golden Demon. He came by the shop I ran after one Games Day (pre-2000) and threw down with the models he'd just entered. He's a fun guy to play, also. Good times.
Shin_Ra
· 1 year ago
lol i love the banner on the daemon prince "'mommy there a big scary monster" those juggernaut base seem pretty plane though dont get me wrong there all well painted an converted but those long purple tongs on the juggernaut is rly creeping me out its like some sort of hentia tentacle tongs coming to rape u. . . >_<'
Catzilla
· 1 year ago
I would love to see a better shot of the lower side of the wings of the prince. Are these tortured souls writhing there in pain? IMO the best model in all the pictures!
fade_74
· 1 year ago
I remember seeing "Golgotha" on coolminiornot years ago. It is as stunning now as it was back then. The wonderful thing about Mr. Hardy's style is that it is never going to look "dated". Nobody is ever going to say "Wow...that's old school" His freehand is masterful. His colors are realistic and beautiful. The piece as a whole is one of the most perfect examples of our artform.
BTW I don't think anyone should make themselves feel bad about their own painting skills. Aspire to be as great as you can be. Have fun painting, love what you do, and be proud of the work you accomplish. Be inspired by great artists. Steal their ideas. Emulate them. But never feel bad.
SSG_Snuffy
· 1 year ago
That's very good advice... but I still feel bad. ;-)
No More Room In Hell
· 1 year ago
These are about as awesome as it is possible to be. Superb work.
David
· 1 year ago
Epic painting. That is really awesome.
The_Steve
· 1 year ago
Indeed, very amazing! I can only ever dream about having minis as well done. But one question; looks aside, how are his tactics?
YellowRex
· 1 year ago
It seems like one could get a kind of perverse glee of having one's functionally-painted lascannon team take out a Slayer Sword-winning masterpiece like those greater daemons.
Darkwynn
· 1 year ago
On top of them looking great too his army is mean !!!
12 blood crusher dropping in on you can um give you some trouble :)
Selb
· 1 year ago
Nice paint job. Mould line on the soul grinder though :o
dethmansam
· 1 year ago
Oh man, PHENOMENAL. I especially love the prince, and I would like to see better shots of the wing.
People are going to yell at me for this, and i acknowledge i will probably never paint like this, but here goes:
Ugh... Mold lines...
dethmansam
· 1 year ago
I'd also like to see more shots of the other infantry guys, I.E. plague bearers and screamers, as well as that face above the knee that jwolf_bols was talking about.
Chris
· 1 year ago
That banner is awesomely creepy!
Strykin
· 1 year ago
Simply amazing, it's paint jobs like this that pulled me into the hobby and inspire me to improve my painting style. Personally, my favorite is tapestry on the DP, the detail is unbelievable.
Anonymous
· 1 year ago
Thats one hell of an amazing and beautiful Daemon army. Needs some horrors though !!
shadow puppet
· 1 year ago
I must say that Deamon Price is truly amazing! I would like to see more pics of that alone. I would not be a happy camper setting up against that force of art though.
mike @santa cruz warhammer
· 1 year ago
show us more!!!
Herald of Nurgle
· 1 year ago
Nicely done!
BoLS: For some reason I just had a burst of inspiration: I'd LOVE to see an animated comic version at the top of each post for some reason. Like, a RL resemblance in order to say 'damn, that bi*** knows how to write st00f'!
rockdeity
· 1 year ago
Like everyone said, great work. The Daemon Prince is simply wonderful. I would like to call attention to the basing and dressing on the DP and the BT. He didn't even skimp on the bases. That DP base alone is a work of art.
On a tangent, I wish the juggernaut model didn't lean like that. I was really disappointed when I got mine. Actually, at first I was puzzled, trying to figure out how to stand it up straight and then it hit me like a manstopper... it's supposed to lean! In a big mob like that it looks even weirder. Like speed skaters going around a turn.
Zack
· 1 year ago
I've had the pleasure of looking through Victor's collection of models a couple times now, including the night these photos were taken. This dude is incredible. Looking at him, you wouldn't think he's got such amazing skills, as he looks like a regular dude (not that a talented artists looks different), but alas. While yes, his daemons here, particularly Golgotha, are amazing, what I think is even more astonishing is the amount of models that he has painted, all of which are better than my best figure. I'm no slouch when it comes to painting, but every single figure he has is at least on par with my very best, if not better. I can't imagine the kind of dedication and time that must go in to his armies.
What boggles my head even more - look at the bloodcrushers - that red on the daemons is not dipped. He's layered and wetblended that. Redonkulous.
This man is truly a master.
Azzy
· 1 year ago
Part of being a great painter is not only skill, but choosing a palette of colors that look good and look good together. You choice (and execution) of muted red and gold is fantastic, giving it a "scorched" look is just the icing on the cake. Kudos, Victor, nicely done.
deus of dice
· 1 year ago
WOW ... I mean... WOW!!!!
those models are absolutely incredible.... I cant take my eyes off of them. Victor, congradulations you are the Paint God. You have inspired me to work harder and to improve my skills with every model that I produce. I would love to see these in person and just stare for hours on end , because judging on the details you can see I am sure pictures do not do these demons justice.
WOW!!!
Savark
· 1 year ago
OMG that is the best army i have seen since, well ever
dethmansam
· 1 year ago
Honestly, I agree with whoopwhoop. This is a fantastically painted army. Also I love the prince. However, the rest of the army is this very particular style which I do not like. It is thid really soft-looking, gradual highlight style that has been very popular recently in the golden demons and in a lot of the top painter's collections. To me it looks too soft, and that lends almost a rubbery quality to the model. A perfect example of the style is a particular night goblin squig hopper I saw a while back in the white dwarf. You would know if you have seen it. It is very pale, which i geuss makes sense if he lives in a cave, but it did not look real to me because of the style.
I love realistic painting. To me this style does not look real. It is not the technique involved, in face many of the techniques involved in painting in this style would vastly improve my painting, but rather it is a matter of personal taste.
Inquisitor_bob
· 11 months ago
Nice...
Just a note. Victor Hardy grew up in the Houston area. I went to school with him back then. He's the one that got me into 40K.
Nikromunda
· 9 months ago
The maddest of Props to you Victor. Its nice to see a Golden Demon Winning superstar still knows how to paint and field a playable army with simple colour theme.
Me
· 5 months ago
Not bad army, ok paintjob, but not great
son_of_gar
· 2 months ago
Im sorry, but you fail sir. The two GD's alone make me cry, and i dont even like the demon price Golgotha.
gilbert93dt
· 2 months ago
Son of Gar is right. This is one of the best painted armys in the world.
fetalblooddemon
· 2 months ago
Ive always loved the way his models look! amazing!
whoopwhoop
· 1 year ago
No doubt the mans got talent.
However, I just don't like his style. It somehow looks so boring.
All Comments
My own efforts will never match this... but I shall try :-D
After seeing talent like this, it makes me wonder why I even bother to paint my figs at all....
Bollocks.
RTM
The greater demon and demon prince are just amazing!!!!
I'm with you RTM we all suck compared to that. Its like playing Tiger Woods in a pick up game of golf.
If I ever even have to travel through the Austin area my figs aren't leaving their carrying case.
http://dragonforge.com/Painting%20service/galle...
resembles the GW Datasheet art a lot, doesnt the mini pre-date that?
Amazing work all around, but those banners blow me out of the water...my biggest failing shown how it's meant to be done!
IMO the best model in all the pictures!
BTW I don't think anyone should make themselves feel bad about their own painting skills. Aspire to be as great as you can be. Have fun painting, love what you do, and be proud of the work you accomplish. Be inspired by great artists. Steal their ideas. Emulate them. But never feel bad.
12 blood crusher dropping in on you can um give you some trouble :)
I especially love the prince, and I would like to see better shots of the wing.
People are going to yell at me for this, and i acknowledge i will probably never paint like this, but here goes:
Ugh... Mold lines...
BoLS: For some reason I just had a burst of inspiration: I'd LOVE to see an animated comic version at the top of each post for some reason. Like, a RL resemblance in order to say 'damn, that bi*** knows how to write st00f'!
On a tangent, I wish the juggernaut model didn't lean like that. I was really disappointed when I got mine. Actually, at first I was puzzled, trying to figure out how to stand it up straight and then it hit me like a manstopper... it's supposed to lean! In a big mob like that it looks even weirder. Like speed skaters going around a turn.
What boggles my head even more - look at the bloodcrushers - that red on the daemons is not dipped. He's layered and wetblended that. Redonkulous.
This man is truly a master.
those models are absolutely incredible.... I cant take my eyes off of them.
Victor, congradulations you are the Paint God. You have inspired me to work harder and to improve my skills with every model that I produce. I would love to see these in person and just stare for hours on end , because judging on the details you can see I am sure pictures do not do these demons justice.
WOW!!!
that is the best army i have seen since, well ever
This is a fantastically painted army.
Also I love the prince.
However, the rest of the army is this very particular style which I do not like.
It is thid really soft-looking, gradual highlight style that has been very popular recently in the golden demons and in a lot of the top painter's collections.
To me it looks too soft, and that lends almost a rubbery quality to the model. A perfect example of the style is a particular night goblin squig hopper I saw a while back in the white dwarf. You would know if you have seen it. It is very pale, which i geuss makes sense if he lives in a cave, but it did not look real to me because of the style.
I love realistic painting. To me this style does not look real. It is not the technique involved, in face many of the techniques involved in painting in this style would vastly improve my painting, but rather it is a matter of personal taste.
Just a note. Victor Hardy grew up in the Houston area. I went to school with him back then. He's the one that got me into 40K.
The two GD's alone make me cry, and i dont even like the demon price Golgotha.
However, I just don't like his style. It somehow looks so boring.