A sheet of A3 tracing paper containing the original high-detail preliminary for the cutaway artwork of The Baneblade Tank as published in Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse: Catacylismic Battles – 2013 / Published by Games Workshop. Drawn by John R. Mullaney in 2016. Measures 42 x 30cm.

Commissioned in 2012, this precisely drawn high-detail artwork was the basis for the eventual full-colour artwork published the following year and underwent multiple changes before this final preliminary was approved by Games Workshop.

The exterior of the Baneblade tank was set up using a photo of the vehicle's GW model kit, but the interior had never been seen before and required extensive collaboration between John and the GW team. Running with their brief that the interior should look like a 'World War II U-boat meets a Cathedral', John employed real world submarines and tanks as reference to achieve a mechanical verisimilitude. GW supplied John with a wealth of reference and instructions to create the look of the 40K architecture mythos & its characters, including the wealth of servo skulls, servitors and human gunners that inhabit the vehicle.

About The Artist

A lifelong fan of science-fiction cinema, John R. Mullaney has over two decades experience producing beautifully detailed sci-fi cutaway art for publications licensed by major film studio properties.

His career in studio-licensed sci-fi cutaway art began in 1999 when he was recommended by the Society of Architectural Illustration to Dorling Kindersley who were looking for an additional illustrator for their Star Wars Incredible Cross Sections series of publications. Following an extensive audition process, John secured the position and subsequently illustrated multiple iconic locations and ships from the franchise.

In addition to his work with Lucasfilm, John has gone on to be commissioned by many other major studios such as 20th Century Fox, Pixar, Universal Studios, 343 Industries, the BBC and Games Workshop. As well as Star Wars, he has produced art for Alien, Batman, Halo, Firefly/Serenity, Doctor Who, Wall-E and Warhammer/40K. Published by DK, Lucasbooks, Insight Editions, Egmont, Titan and Free League, John ensures his artworks are as screen-accurate as the reference allows, working not just from film-stills but from production blueprints & digital models, on-set photography and archive imagery of original miniatures.

Each unique large format piece has a production time running into hundreds of hours, using a process of carefully applied multiple watercolour layers, to achieve a complex and nuanced richness of colour, tone and texture. Measuring up to 76x55cm these intricately detailed large format pencil, watercolour, ink & gouache pieces on 300gm watercolour paper, pack a huge visual punch. Alongside these are the preliminary artworks for most cutaways. These pencil artworks are all created on A3 tracing paper and form the basis for the full colour artworks - the majority are as detailed as the size of paper allows before they are enlarged and traced.

In a world of predominantly digital art, John's original paintings of iconic vehicles and locations from world famous science fiction properties have become much sought-after unique investment pieces for pop culture collectors, film enthusiasts and corporate buyers.

John is a fellow and council member of the Society of Architectural Illustration, and is also an award-winning film-maker.