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It may. That is the John Blanche painting.

I have always loved it, but felt it was a bit too mundane for such a powerful person.

Your interpretation where there isn't much of the Emperor physically left... The John Blanche imagery could just as easily be interpreted as a figure head or something just representative of the Emperor.

Or if the Emperor only survives as a brain in a jar inside this large machine, what other physical bits of him that don't decay are just placed on display like this. I imagine as his physical body decayed his brain was placed in the machine but bones don't really decay and the Imperium isn't the sort to toss those out.

I really like this interpretation of the Golden Throne as a massive effigy to the Emperor, rather than the more literal representations we see in the books.

There's one picture, I can't remember where, that shows the throne room filled with the Emperor's attendants and sycophants etc. It's centered on a massive staircase that leads up beyond where the eye can see. I can definitely envision something like this at the top of it.

The remaining eye on that mannequin is creeping me out. Are you planning on eventually working it over in the same fashion as you've done with the rest of it? Either/or could work I'm sure.

This is fantastic! I have always loved the Gothic imagery in Sci-Fi movies and in the 40k universe, and you are capturing it brilliantly. The Nostromo reference really brought that back--Giger's art influenced a lot of the set design of Aliens 3, I saw years ago, and it was very dark and Gothic. I spent the past summer in Oxford, and seeing actual human skulls adorning the walls in Christchurch Cathedral really drives home your point about people living "across the pond" (as most GW background people and artists do...) seeing not only the architecture of the Gothic, but also very "Grimdark" 40k-like features embedded in this architecture.

My wife teaches an English course on the Gothic & Horror and I actually sent her some links and excerpts from your posts. We were discussing just the other day on how images are largely absent from English classrooms, but brain science research shows that images are a sure-fire way to create memory in students (or any of us...hence the nightmare comment in this post ). So, I suggested that, per your comments, perhaps some images of Gothic architecture might help her students to feel some of that "worshipful/fearful" sense in the writing.

So, thank you for sharing your amazing project--the scale is amazing and inspiring!--and also for your excellent and stimulating thoughts!


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 More Dakka wrote:
I really like this interpretation of the Golden Throne as a massive effigy to the Emperor, rather than the more literal representations we see in the books.

There's one picture, I can't remember where, that shows the throne room filled with the Emperor's attendants and sycophants etc. It's centered on a massive staircase that leads up beyond where the eye can see. I can definitely envision something like this at the top of it.

The remaining eye on that mannequin is creeping me out. Are you planning on eventually working it over in the same fashion as you've done with the rest of it? Either/or could work I'm sure.

Yes, I was looking for that image as well. I actually couldn't find it, but this one from the new 40k rulebook set does give a very clear Gothic impression as well.

 GMMStudios wrote:
It may. That is the John Blanche painting.

I have always loved it, but felt it was a bit too mundane for such a powerful person.

Excellent! I will agree! The details you're providing make me shudder to think the workings in your head! The details are magnificent, and once it's completed one could stand at different angles and observe different things about it. I'm sure pictures won't do it justice.

One I especially enjoy is a skeleton worked into the hillside of a piece you made, it looks like it is the skeleton of a giant, where a town has sprung up in his resting place in the mountains. really great to see a truer scale of the Warhammer worlds both 40K and fantasy, I have seen similar yet not so elaborate work by Henry Higginbothom, http://hghigginbotham.com/ an old acquaintance of mine from Tennessee, took bits or remains of mannequins he turned into Eldar terrain, plus others but those were fantastic. Human sized mannequins put into 40K. the 40K terrain that is produced is great, however in the gothic setting it would all be enormous, scales would be far beyond our 4by8 foot tables.

Keep it up, it inspires me to work on my kits.

John Blanche is another favorite of mine.

I think I know the one you mean, it's origianlly from the 2nd edition rule book. I uploaded a bunch of images from that book for a retro review but not that one alas.

I do ahve this image of the gate though.



And here's one version from Rogue Trader

aka_mythos wrote:Your interpretation where there isn't much of the Emperor physically left... The John Blanche imagery could just as easily be interpreted as a figure head or something just representative of the Emperor.

Or if the Emperor only survives as a brain in a jar inside this large machine, what other physical bits of him that don't decay are just placed on display like this. I imagine as his physical body decayed his brain was placed in the machine but bones don't really decay and the Imperium isn't the sort to toss those out.

I will be addressing this idea of "image for the people" in comparison to THX 1138 in an upcoming post. It is arguably a bit more malicious in THX, but similarly I see this as the image for the people, whereas the true brains and bits are for the Emperor himself and a select few to keep behind the scenes to do the real work.

More Dakka wrote:I really like this interpretation of the Golden Throne as a massive effigy to the Emperor, rather than the more literal representations we see in the books.

There's one picture, I can't remember where, that shows the throne room filled with the Emperor's attendants and sycophants etc. It's centered on a massive staircase that leads up beyond where the eye can see. I can definitely envision something like this at the top of it.

The remaining eye on that mannequin is creeping me out. Are you planning on eventually working it over in the same fashion as you've done with the rest of it? Either/or could work I'm sure.

It is painted as a literal eye there simply because it is from the mannequin. In sculpted form it is less detailed and will be painted over as a gem, solid, I have not decided yet. I improvise quite a bit in everything, because no plan withstands the enemy, as someone said. I should cite that, but I need to hurry.

pantheralegionnaire wrote:This is fantastic! I have always loved the Gothic imagery in Sci-Fi movies and in the 40k universe, and you are capturing it brilliantly. The Nostromo reference really brought that back--Giger's art influenced a lot of the set design of Aliens 3, I saw years ago, and it was very dark and Gothic. I spent the past summer in Oxford, and seeing actual human skulls adorning the walls in Christchurch Cathedral really drives home your point about people living "across the pond" (as most GW background people and artists do...) seeing not only the architecture of the Gothic, but also very "Grimdark" 40k-like features embedded in this architecture.

My wife teaches an English course on the Gothic & Horror and I actually sent her some links and excerpts from your posts. We were discussing just the other day on how images are largely absent from English classrooms, but brain science research shows that images are a sure-fire way to create memory in students (or any of us...hence the nightmare comment in this post ). So, I suggested that, per your comments, perhaps some images of Gothic architecture might help her students to feel some of that "worshipful/fearful" sense in the writing.

So, thank you for sharing your amazing project--the scale is amazing and inspiring!--and also for your excellent and stimulating thoughts!

My pleasure! There is certainly something to be said of conditioning vs lack of exposure in the old and new world.

pantheralegionnaire wrote:



Yes, I was looking for that image as well. I actually couldn't find it, but this one from the new 40k rulebook set does give a very clear Gothic impression as well.

I love that image. While I did spend days doing nothing but image research, I kept away from going back over any actual GW imagery. For one I have seen it enough to be influenced already, and secondly I wanted more of the classical style to seep into it to make it my own and more representative of my own taste. We all know as I have said before the official GW throne would likely be a giant Imperial Sector kit, if they ever made a model of it. Nothing wrong with that, not to sound derogatory, I just wanted something with my own twist. I wanted to make something that would stand on its own equally as well without any reference to 40k, as it would from the viewpoint of a literal interpretation of the throne.

I will note while I am overall 100% satisfied with my progress so far, in a world with unlimited resources, time (I have/had about 3 weeks to build) and access to cad machines I would prefer more of a spire look. Trust I have scoured every possible modelling, hardware, and craft source and nothing is available to have that look without scratch fabrication.

There was always the option of buying dozens of $50 model kits for their spires, but I have to draw a line in the budget somewhere, and this as it stands is several thousands in supplies. Also what does exist is rather chunky, compared to the sleek and dangerous look I would want.

But I am very happy with the steampunk/gamepiece themes in the spires as they are.

Kelly502 wrote:

 GMMStudios wrote:
It may. That is the John Blanche painting.

I have always loved it, but felt it was a bit too mundane for such a powerful person.

Excellent! I will agree! The details you're providing make me shudder to think the workings in your head! The details are magnificent, and once it's completed one could stand at different angles and observe different things about it. I'm sure pictures won't do it justice.

One I especially enjoy is a skeleton worked into the hillside of a piece you made, it looks like it is the skeleton of a giant, where a town has sprung up in his resting place in the mountains. really great to see a truer scale of the Warhammer worlds both 40K and fantasy, I have seen similar yet not so elaborate work by Henry Higginbothom, http://hghigginbotham.com/ an old acquaintance of mine from Tennessee, took bits or remains of mannequins he turned into Eldar terrain, plus others but those were fantastic. Human sized mannequins put into 40K. the 40K terrain that is produced is great, however in the gothic setting it would all be enormous, scales would be far beyond our 4by8 foot tables.

Keep it up, it inspires me to work on my kits.

John Blanche is another favorite of mine.

Bookmarked! Really wonderful stuff. I love it when modelling goes outside the box.

Found 'em.

I doubt GMM needs to see these but since we're on the subject...

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I think I know the one you mean, it's origianlly from the 2nd edition rule book. I uploaded a bunch of images from that book for a retro review but not that one alas.

I do ahve this image of the gate though.

Ah yes I remember this image well. I no longer have that book but it is burned into my mind.

Lots of stained glass inspiration in that, I love it.


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 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

Yes that little thing at the top, that is what I am after. I wish I could model the whole tower, but this thing has to fit in a trailer.

That's fantastic. Those are indeed the images--and the scale of them is much more like what you are trying to create. So well done on that ambition!

I have since ogled your GMM website and holy crap, you can really paint too! So this will not merely be a magnificent piece of terrain, but will in all likelihood boggle the mind with paint as well! So I am even more excited than before.

And just for the record, I AM hoping for some Cherubim or Custodes or Mechanicum adepts or something...if only just to provide scale reference for the Throne.

 GMMStudios wrote:


Yes that little thing at the top, that is what I am after. I wish I could model the whole tower, but this thing has to fit in a trailer.

You can. The Imperial Throne is seated between two warlord titans of the Fire Wasps. The imagery has titans of unknown design and like a lot of GW titan art grossly out of sale. We have a more reasonable canon size for titans and your throne would fit between them comfortably at current size.

That doesn't necessarily mean there is no vast pyramid in Empy's pad. It sounds like he sort of feature a galaxy spanning divine warlord might want as decor for his sitting room. You can't out-do the Imperium of Man for dictator chic.

 Orlanth wrote:

 GMMStudios wrote:


Yes that little thing at the top, that is what I am after. I wish I could model the whole tower, but this thing has to fit in a trailer.

You can. The Imperial Throne is seated between two warlord titans of the Fire Wasps. The imagery has titans of unknown design and like a lot of GW titan art grossly out of sale. We have a more reasonable canon size for titans and your throne would fit between them comfortably at current size.

That doesn't necessarily mean there is no vast pyramid in Empy's pad. It sounds like he sort of feature a galaxy spanning divine warlord might want as decor for his sitting room. You can't out-do the Imperium of Man for dictator chic.

Just to quibble, the gate to the throne room is between two titans (who've sttod there so long they've sunk into the floor), there's nothing solid on how big the room beyond them is.

On a practical note, I am hoping you are getting to do this with some proper heat. This month has been blisteringly cold.

If I miss Adepticon, I'd still like to see this thing. Can you get this in a gallery, so I can come down and see it?

 pantheralegionnaire wrote:
And just for the record, I AM hoping for some Cherubim or Custodes or Mechanicum adepts or something...if only just to provide scale reference for the Throne.

You can spot a marine (Brother Waldo?) in some of the pictures to give a sense of scale. Though I think models of living humans will be abscent from the finished model, precisely for the reason of keeping the scale somewhat open to interpretation if I correctly remember GMM's previous posts.

Let me also chime in with the choir of admirers of your work here GMMStudios. You deserve every bit of it.

 GMMStudios wrote:

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I think I know the one you mean, it's origianlly from the 2nd edition rule book. I uploaded a bunch of images from that book for a retro review but not that one alas.

I do ahve this image of the gate though.

Ah yes I remember this image well. I no longer have that book but it is burned into my mind.

Lots of stained glass inspiration in that, I love it.


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 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

Yes that little thing at the top, that is what I am after. I wish I could model the whole tower, but this thing has to fit in a trailer.

I've always assumed the top picture is the eternity gate or the door the throne room, and not the throne room. You can see a massive crease in the middle of the mural at the back, just assumed it was a door.

awesome

When you say 'spires', what are you referring to?

 GMMStudios wrote:
It may. That is the John Blanche painting.

I have always loved it, but felt it was a bit too mundane for such a powerful person.

I prefer the Golden throne being small and unimpressive. It reflects on the poor foundations the Imperium and its beliefs are built on.

However this is amazing. I could see this dominating the skyline of Terra or Ultramar.

i also like the way you have fleshed out your emperor as most drawings i have seen he is just a skeleton really

"Thou art a subject of the divine, created in the image of man, by the masses, for the masses." Spoken by a tinny speaker and plexiglass screen of god in THX 1138. The image of the creator in science fiction is usually a technologically overgrown and encrusted version of the 17th century, both visually and liturgically. A grand empire is a common theme, held together by a massive character often with two sides to one coin. In THX it is an image of god, stylized and classical, but behind the curtain a mass of wires and reels of tape with canned responses (perfectly timed by Lucas) to only be less than awkward to these sedated people. In Warhammer, the image of the Emperor for the people, is a massive effigy of the Emperor surrounded by a grand palace. While behind the scenes only a very select few, or perhaps only the Emperor himself know the dark truth, and keep the last masses of his cells alive.
















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 moonpie wrote:
On a practical note, I am hoping you are getting to do this with some proper heat. This month has been blisteringly cold.

Its supposed to get up to 35 this week!

I do have a heater, but it is flameless and doesnt raise the temp much more than 15-20 degrees. So when it is 10-15 it is just slightly above freezing.

Burn a lot of calories though!

 moonpie wrote:


If I miss Adepticon, I'd still like to see this thing. Can you get this in a gallery, so I can come down and see it?

I would like to at some point put them in to a proper gallery. After this I will be putting some lines out.

i like all the pipes at the back of the head

Glorieus, to watch and to read

Thank you

That is amazing! I don't know if you're doing some sort of photoshop effect (because there's still color in the background) but the "black and white" shots are awesome at showing detail and texture. And that's kind of counter-intuitive for me, since usually color helps detail "pop." But I guess there's so much going on on this structure that it actually helps in this case; prevents the riot of detail from distracting. I wonder what thoughts you have for painting this, if you share my assessment above. I guess I'll see eventually! Very exciting.

Just to highlight a couple of new additions that I love:

- The "underbelly" of technological gizmos and fans and what-not, powering the Throne, is fantastic. Very Wizard of Oz (as a counterpoint to the THX reference)

- The Louis XIV statue which you coverted to be some crazy hard-wired something is very 40k, and I like the leering skull in the background behind and above it.

- The disembodied hand is looking better--the bracelet was very effeminate (as was the ring to a lesser degree) so the added detail helps in my opinion.

- What is that angel you are building on the thigh? That is also very awesome.

Anyway, fantastic Monday treat for me! Thanks for sharing! And I did spot "Waldo" in the one shot.

Thank you, and all very valid comments.

The angel is holding an impaled serpent banner

just amazing, keeP it coming!

I am really enjoying the 'spot the GW parts' game.

It isn't easy! You can count them on one hand.

That is, counting all the skulls as one

I'm having fun with spotting all the Pegaus bits. I love those kits.

How did you do the forehead eagle and other brands?

Sodering iron and a steady hand?

Looking good