Inside Games Workshop
GAMES WORKSHOP, THE MASTERS BEHIND THE MINIATURES, ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PASSIONATE AND TALENTED PEOPLE TO JOIN THE TEAM
Our editor takes a trip to the Games Workshop HQ for an inside look at the studio known for their incredible miniatures work
“EVERYBODY WEARS THEIR PASSION ON THEIR SLEEVE AND THEY ALL SHARE IN THEIR LOVE OF MAKING INCREDIBLE MINIATURES”
Being a 3D artist can mean many things to many people, but there is a common thread that binds most of us to the community as a whole and that is the love of building worlds. This can take the form of a single character that inhabits the mind of a hobbyist in their bedroom, or could be an automotive designer looking for a fresh way to deliver an engaging driving experience. Or it could be someone creating fantasy and science-fiction masterpieces for film, TV or, as we investigate here, the tabletop.
I have to be up front here: I used to work at Games Workshop’s Nottingham studio, and still have a love for Warhammer in its various guises. In fact I still have a hobby area in my own studio, so when not editing this magazine or working on my own 3D projects I can often be found, wet palette at the ready and brush in hand, working on one of many painting projects. I even have a weekly gaming evening with a bunch of friends. The best nerds I know.
I share this mostly as I think it illustrates what Games Workshop has done for so many people, inspiring them to create their own tales, revel in the grim darkness of the forty first millennium, or battle across the mortal realms in Warhammer: Age Of Sigmar. For my group that means around 30 years of passion, collecting, painting and gaming and there are many other groups out there with similar stories.
As a 3D artist I’ve managed to combine my love of world building and gaming with 3D modelling and new technologies, as have many others, making terrain for their gaming tables, while evolving the background of their battles. But what if you want to take this further, becoming a miniatures designer yourself, creating a new generation of models? Where is it all done? How do you get involved and what does it take to join the ranks of some of the finest artists in the world of wargaming, modelling and painting? After 17 years I returned to Games Workshop’s headquarters to see what has changed and how things have progressed, talking to some old friends and meeting some rising stars of the miniature design world.
The lasting impression for me was that, even though the company has grown from strength to strength, the feel of the place was the same. Everybody wears their passion on their sleeve and they all share in their love of making incredible miniatures and being
part of a hobby that is hard to surpass for levels of depth, variety and longevity.
For those of you who don’t know, Games Workshop is a Uk-based company who design and manufacture a large range of hugely popular war games, miniatures and all manner of associated things, from hobby supplies to novels, and even have a licensing department who deal with computer game versions and much more.
I took a trip up to the HQ, which stands out as being both the design studio, manufacturing centre and distribution hub for the business, which is a rare thing and goes a long way towards the community feel that is evident. There’s also a flagship Warhammer store, events hall and exhibition and museum on site, where gamers, hobbyists and fans can celebrate the history of their hobby, or compete in tournaments to fight for dominance over their contemporaries.
It’s rare to be invited behind the closed doors of the studio, but 3D World was given exclusive access to some of the masterminds behind the biggest success story in wargaming, with a mind to sharing how you could play a part in the next chapter.
Some of the key people in the design process spoke with me about how the concepts become a reality. Matt Toone, the Citadel Miniatures Designers development manager, veteran designer Jes Goodwin, and Sam Dinwiddy, the lead design manager, sat for a chat about how GW does what it does best: making the best toy soldiers in the world.
“40K HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STORY OF GRIM WARFARE, SAVAGE ALIEN RACES AND THE THREAT OF CHAOS”
CREATING WORLDS
The key to GW’S current success is clearly the miniatures and the worlds that they inhabit, with the two main stages being the far future of the forty first millennium (here-on known as 40k) and the fantasy landscapes of the mortal realms in Warhammer Age Of Sigmar, which is a step beyond the more traditional, previous high fantasy versions.
40k has always been a story of grim warfare, savage alien races and the ever-present threat of chaos, where the human factions were tenuously held together by the will of the Emperor, whose psychic strength led the species across the stars, a glowing beacon to the navigators and their psychic powers. Right from the first edition, Rogue Trader, 40k has presented a grim landscape home to various races and factions, providing a depth of background to really enhance the range of models used to play out some of the titanic clashes, even driving the background narrative through linked campaigns across the country. While there are some races like the Orks (orcs) and Aeldari (essentially elves in space) that were driven by a need for a futuristic analogue for the fantasy counterparts, they have become their own races, with a depth of
backstory and species history that makes them stand tall as armies of originality and character. Others started out as invented races from the off, such as the Tyranids, that cross the galaxy in their hive fleets.
It’s this IP building that GW does so well, combining fresh new ideas that are respectful of tradition, that makes their games and miniatures special. Paying homage to what went before makes the worlds easily understood by gamers, while the attention to detail adds the narrative and shows fans the motivation and backstory of each model and faction. Take the Warcry Iron Golems gang.
The details of their outfits and close combat weapons clearly give them a cohesiveness and flavour, demonstrating the savagery of their nature while also enhancing their aesthetic as a group of related individuals.
Talking of backstory, every game GW makes is filled with narrative, with intricate histories, heroic deeds and calamitous events that brings the world the miniatures inhabit to life. This all supports the work of the miniatures designers, as does the incredible artistry of the ‘Eavy Metal team, who paint the models ready for rule books, packaging and White Dwarf magazine, the monthly title that brings all the latest news, rules updates and model releases to the community.
DELIVERING MODELS
But what does this mean for a 3D artist? It’s all very well talking about the worlds GW have created, the stunning art and so on, but you are here reading this because you have an interest in the process, or because it’s something you would have dreamt about doing yourself. The process itself is one of those that is both very simple but incredibly complex. The pipeline is fairly straightforward. Once a direction has been decided for a range, the concepting part starts.
This isn’t necessarily a linear process but is often a conversation led by one of the design managers. Often these conversations can include a number of artists and sculptors to explore the possible direction and opportunities for new miniatures and ranges. Once the initial concept phase is complete, the sculptors can take on the job of designing the individual models and it’s here that the designers’ insight and skills jump to the fore.
Some of the designers with longer service have made the transition from sculpting by hand, using wire armatures and modelling putty (often ‘green stuff’, a two-part epoxy and the most common material used for this task) to using computer-based design tools to accomplish the same task. Software like Zbrush is commonly used at this stage as it bridges the gap between traditional sculpting and digital, with its artist-centric workflow.
Other designers have come to the job with a completely digital work experience who rarely, if ever, work outside the computer. But as Maxime Pastourel points out, it really doesn’t matter which medium you trained in. What is most important here is the designer’s understanding of the principles used. Being able to portray a character, using form, silhouette, anticipation and weight are what really counts, and the tools used to take the concept into the third dimension are of less importance.
Obviously working digitally does bring with it a number of workflow enhancements and speed improvements. Working in Zbrush means a designer can very quickly create an STL file that can be sent to a rapid prototype machine, giving a fast turnaround for revisions. There is of course the undo option which is undoubtedly a speed enhancement, and the ability to create versions and options is also a very handy way
“EVERY GAME IS FILLED WITH NARRATIVE, WITH INTRICATE HISTORIES AND CALAMITOUS EVENTS”
to add some extra versatility to the miniatures.
There’s an element to the design process which is maybe less obvious, as Matt Toone explains, and this is ‘engineering’, turning a virtual sculpture into a physical, manufacturable miniature. In days past, the sculpted figure would go to tool makers and mould makers, who would make masters and produce the moulds for the white metal figures, but with the move to a plastic range things are a little different. The designers are in part engineers and as such, are also responsible for designing the way a multi-part model fits together, with keys placed to allow for a wellconnected kit but with an eye for aesthetics too.
Painting a model with ugly seam placement is detrimental to the enjoyment of the hobby, so the designers put a lot of skill and experience into running seams cleverly to hide them along design details. This means designing a miniature is part art, part technical, with the process supported and informed by the experiences of many people across the team, all coming together to deliver the best results possible.
NEXT GEN AND RECRUITMENT
So, how does one actually become a Citadel miniatures designer? Well, this is an easy question to answer, make some miniatures! If you’ve already made some, make some more. Hone your skills and insight and when you feel confident, visit the Games Workshop job page and apply. If you rocked up at the GW headquarters with a case full of stunning miniatures you designed, that could land you a place. More likely that would get you a wellearned foot in the door, but there’s still a journey to take and one that is as important as your design skills. You’ll need to demonstrate the ability to follow a brief, work with a team, receiving feedback and performing critique on your own work.
Matt went on to explain that this a great time to find out more about the person, not just the talent or skills, “we want people to join the team for the long haul”. What’s different about this team of creatives is that it feels almost like being part of a family.
If you were successful in your application, you will be invited to join the Talent Programme, where you will undertake a series of practical, creative assignments, at home, in your own time. Each successful assignment will be met with objective, written feedback from the Design Managers.
At this stage, the tools used to complete the assignments don’t really matter, what matters is the understanding and insight in terms of what makes a Citadel Miniature. For more information, head to games-workshop.com