Smash Bash 2023: Birthed in Blood

The pitfighter towers over these Sisters of Sigmar.

Earlier this month I showed the conversion for my entry into this year’s Smash Bash: a brutal pitfighter whose existence is violence and blood. The original model was sculpted by Lux Thantor Miniatures and is being sold by Totally Not Panicking to celebrate Smash Bash. I tried to channel Blood Meridian energy in the model to create a paragon of mankinds’ ultimate trade: war.

I used a lot of natural colors on the model to ground them and normalize the brutality of their trade.

I tried to paint their skin to be pale and unhealthy looking. Who knows, maybe they were left for dead in the sea?

I wanted to use this model to explore painting a variety of worn leathers, from light to dark.

I wanted the silver to have a blue tint to it, while still looking beaten and used.

The bleached skull on his base really emphasizes how large and imposing the pitfighter is.

I used Tamiya X-27 to paint the blood spatter.

I am looking forward to seeing all of the other Smash Bash entries this year to see how people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zones to create miniatures.

- Adam Wier