Skarbrand, Bloodthirster of Khorne
Showcase level
This Warhammer Skarbrand, Bloodthirster of Khorne, was painted to showcase level, with a focus on brutal scarred red flesh, dark armour, aged brass, bone horns, and the raw aggression expected from one of Khorne’s most infamous Bloodthirsters. Sunny even developed new methods to make the scarring look deeper. The goal was to make him feel ancient, furious, and dangerous, with enough contrast to keep the details readable across such a large and violent model.
Client instructions
The client wanted Skarbrand to feel powerful, brutal, and unmistakably tied to Khorne. So we tested several ways of painting red flesh and scarring, excuse me, Skar-ring. We showed them grimdark methods, more artistic methods, and several other approaches, before ultimately spending a gruesome amount of time looking at medical reference pictures. We also wanted to give the sense of molten lava running through his veins, as can be seen on his broken horns.
The Story & Process
We made a video about this exact Skarbrand project, looking at the tension between his design, his lore, and how that shaped the final paint job.
Skarbrand needed to feel scarred, ancient, brutal, and furious, not just big and red. In the video, we first go through a mythologised version of Skarbrand’s fall in the lore. Spoilers: don’t listen to Tzeentch, and following the Dark Gods is a mug’s game.
Then we go over the process of bringing this beautiful monster to life. Also, can someone give Sunny credit for that thumbnail blending our version into the official art?
Summarised Process
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Scarring for Skarbrand
We started by sketching in the scars, then built up colour, depth, and highlights to make the damage feel carved into the flesh.
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Flesh and Shadows
For the wings, we wanted a dark, brutal look while still letting the scars show through. It became a balancing act between shadow, texture, and readability.
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Brass and Bone
We focused on the aged brass, dark armour, bone horns, weapons, and smaller details to give the model a brutal Khorne finish. So gotta start with the weapons, right?
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Final Assembly
Finally, we brought the full model together and checked that the pose, colours, weapons, and scars all sold him as the fallen champion he is.
