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I've been having a read of the newest SM Codex and I've noticed that some of the artwork is a bit mucked up, if you know what I mean

Is it just me or are these pieces of artwork a bit "wrong"?

Page 56: Librarian: Is his right leg too big for his body? It looks grossly out of scale.

Page 92: Why does Shrike have smoke launchers on his jump pack?

Page 94: Look at Khan's arms: Do they look too small in proportion to his body?

Dark Angels Codex Page 56: Towards the top of the page there is some sort of vehicle which looks like two Marines sitting in a pair of seats, with a las-cannon jammed between them. What is this vehicle? Is it an old verison of the Land Speeder?

I'm not critising the artists: I love the different pieces of artwork in the hobby. I'm just wondering if these small things are just me looking at it wrong or is it actually a small mistake?

Thanks,

Valk

Sometimes 40k art can be a bit silly.

Valkrie, could you post some pics.

The only marine codex I have is puppies and I think they're all fine in there.

Looking for total factual accuracy in 40k artwork is a fools errand.

Different artists.

Asking these questions, I can't believe you left out "How does each image of a Space Marine battle show a sea the Chapter's marines fighting, when all but a scant handful number approx. 1000 Marines, and they're rarely deployed all at once in a single battle?"

Analysis of 40K artwork is like going into a Star Wars Vs Star Trek discussion and telling everyone that their arguement is pointless. You'll get nowhere

But yea - the human form is the most difficult thing to illustrate. So a few mistakes in proportion should be expected.

None of that is as bad as the picture I saw with grey knights with bog standard bolters.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Greyknights2.jpg

I do like how someone just wrote, "it was how grey knights used to roll way back when" when its obviously a case of artist not understanding his subject.

The Shrike artwork might just be from an older version of his rules, where he had a grenade launcher on his back, since his hands were busy with the lightning claws.

It adds to the fun of the game, and takes away from the seriousness. Of course all the pictures don't agree, the artist probably don't discuse all prior images of what they are about do draw, also artistic lisense.

Shaman wrote:None of that is as bad as the picture I saw with grey knights with bog standard bolters.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Greyknights2.jpg

I do like how someone just wrote, "it was how grey knights used to roll way back when" when its obviously a case of artist not understanding his subject.

hahahahahaha true that!!

Have you ever seen that classic image of an Ultramarine with red powerfist and without helmet, walking towards you? I think his head is too much... ridiculous?!

That was a crismon fist. He's a master of the marches.

Aduro wrote:The Shrike artwork might just be from an older version of his rules, where he had a grenade launcher on his back, since his hands were busy with the lightning claws.

Does he still have frag and krak grenades? He needs to throw them somehow.

Black Templar codex has a dreadnought pictured with two CCWs when only chaos dreads can be equipped this way. I know the artists dont always get exactly how things should be equipped and proportions right i just think it is kinda funny when you see the artwork wrong.

Vindicator#9 wrote:Black Templar codex has a dreadnought pictured with two CCWs when only chaos dreads can be equipped this way..

could be an ironclad dread, or furioso dread - but black templars can't have those either! must be an apoc only dread
- they only wake him up for mega battles

Maybe it was a poke at what will happen for dreads in the future BT codex.... yeah i can see BTs saying that they dont awaken the bad ass dreads until there is a big enough battle.

My favorite was a picture from the 3rd edition book of a Leman Russ driving forward shooting its battle cannon, las cannon and sponson heavy bolters.

The funny part is it was on the page of the rules where they explained you cannot drive and shoot everything, nor can you fire any other weapons if you fire the battle cannon.

It was a Demolisher.

Just nitpicking...

Kid_Kyoto wrote:My favorite was a picture from the 3rd edition book of a Leman Russ driving forward shooting its battle cannon, las cannon and sponson heavy bolters.

The funny part is it was on the page of the rules where they explained you cannot drive and shoot everything, nor can you fire any other weapons if you fire the battle cannon.

Lol I know right? They make it look all badass then its like. Pg~~ says I cant do that

And KK, the rationale is that the all the guns are firing all the time, it's just that with a big boom/movement there are some major accuracy issues.

56: Sort of? You also have to consider that even with the Black Carapace, the chestplate of the power armor makes his torso about twice normal size... (If you were talking about his LEFT leg, I'd say it was a trick of perspective, although in that case his left HAND should also be larger.)

92: Uhh ... because it looks neat and he had extra Bitz? >.>

94: Considering the fingertips of an arm at rest usually reaches halfway to the knee, I'd have to say no, actually, his arms aren't that small. The armor could maybe stand to be a bit thicker there, but if he's lefthanded and that's his shield/offhand arm, it doesn't need to be all that armored because there's either a shield in front of it or most of his body if he's two-handing a weapon. (Er, yes, I do medieval combat occasionally, why do you ask?)

DA56: I ... got nothin'.

Anyone else notice that the drawing of Pedro Kantor in the codex is wearing ultramarine symbols on the end of his tabard?

Those are not ultramarine symbols, but rather metal caps made to keep the leather/cloth from fraying, just like the plastic tips on shoelaces or the tips on straps on purses or other bags.

this has come up on other mini's as well.

H.B.M.C. wrote:It was a Demolisher.

Just nitpicking...

LOL!

My nerdiness! it is useless against yours!

Maybe it's just me, but there's one picture (I believe it's in the SM Codex...) of either a special character or a Primarch sitting on a throne in his armour. It always felt to me that it was tremendously silly, just because his head was so out of proportion with his armour. My friend used to joke that all he had to do to kill that guy was to make him facepalm in that armour of his.

Valkyrie wrote:
Dark Angels Codex Page 56: Towards the top of the page there is some sort of vehicle which looks like two Marines sitting in a pair of seats, with a las-cannon jammed between them. What is this vehicle? Is it an old verison of the Land Speeder?
Valk

This is the original pattern of Land Speeder. The Space Marine one had a multi-melta (top) and melta gun (underslung).
The Army one (as the IG were then known) mounted a plasma cannon (heavy plasma gun) and heavy bolter underslung.

The rules then allowed for more modularity and weapons fits though - and characters swapping out regular crew for the BS boost.

Valkyrie wrote:
Page 56: Librarian: Is his right leg too big for his body? It looks grossly out of scale.

I'd say it's more his arm that is out of scale, it's probably just his boots are exaggerated so he looks more imposing standing on that rock. Librarians also have extra armor plates on their shins it seems.

Page 92: Why does Shrike have smoke launchers on his jump pack?

because he has frag and krak grenades? And because the model actually has that bit?

Page 94: Look at Khan's arms: Do they look too small in proportion to his body?

Accounting for his armor possibly not, but you might have a valid point on this one, or at least the proportions of his body and armor don't seem to match that of the other space marines. It's interesting though that he's basically the only guy in the space marine codex art who is standing (more or less) at attention from a front view.

I have one of the old books that has CSM using the exhaust nozzles on their backpacks like jet boosters.

starbomber109 wrote:

Valkyrie wrote:Page 92: Why does Shrike have smoke launchers on his jump pack?

because he has frag and krak grenades? And because the model actually has that bit?

Yup, it's an autolauncher, not a smoke launcher.



So far as artwork not matching rules, like the BT Dreadnought, it's been pointed out before that the rules in the codex only represent the more common options found on the battlefields of the 41st millenium. Over 10000 years or so of history, not everyone sticks strictly to the rules...

Well in the IG dex, In one of the first pics a Catachan guy is slicing anothers throat right under the commisar.