You know a Warhammer 40k miniature is well painted when people have to stop and ask whether it’s a 3D render, a large scale action figure, or even AI-generated. When Immaterial_Creations shared this custom Deathwing Knight-Master conversion in the r/Warhammer40k subreddit, the top rated response was “My brain is having trouble comprehending what it is seeing” – people literally did not believe their eyes.
This really is a Warhammer 40k miniature, albeit a heavily converted one, which uses components from a Space Marine chapter Centurion, plus 3D printed parts for the shield, head, legs, and sword. Immaterial_Creations even made the sword and legs for themselves using Blender.
They even shared a picture of the mini on their work desk under normal lighting conditions to demonstrate just how small and real it is.
The Reddit comment thread is packed with people trying to determine what it was about this Dark Angels miniature that is triggering their sense of the uncanny. As user Crashed_Tactics states, “there’s something about the combination of the model and the paintjob that’s giving me that uncanny valley vibe, I can’t quite put my finger on it”.
User MagnusThunder wondrs if it is “just the image’s white background”, as “the later images in this Deathwing album don’t have the same visual effect as there is a bit more shadow”.
End_My_Buffering hypothesises that “it’s the smooth paint style combined with the lighting that makes it look like a render”, while bullintheheather wonders if it’s because “it is full of elements that are 40k, but is like some weird bootleg 40k in its end product” that combines grimdark designs with an ultra-smooth finish.
You’ll find loads more of Immaterial_Creations’ work on Reddit and Instagram. This isn’t the first time we’ve covered their incredibly beautiful minis – check out this wonderful Blood Bowl Lizardmen team painted to look like real lizards.
Are you an avid miniature painter? We’d love to see your work in the official Wargamer Discord community. People have already shared some fantastic miniatures there that need to be seen to be believed.
Never painted before? Check out Wargamer’s guide on how to paint miniatures for lots of easy-to-digest recommendations.
Source: Wargamer
