GHOSTMAKER - Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt

It's been a long while since I've visited the Dark Millenium of Warhammer 40,000. Luckily, my return to it is through some of my favorite characters from the great Dan Abnett: Tanith's First and Only, also known as Gaunt's Ghosts.

This set of illustrations is part of a big batch of images I was asked to do by the ever-patient and kind :devwolfravenwood:; so, for all of you fans of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade's stories, you'll find some very familiar faces popping up here in my Gallery.

First up is the Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt himself, whom I was asked to render in a quiet moment of reflection, as opposed to the usual action-driven imagery of him out there. Granted, there's not many quiet moments when you're an Imperial Guard Commissar, but I believe that's why they're so precious and interesting to illustrate.
I tried to give Gaunt both the battle scarred and hardened looks of someone who's constantly leading a handful of men into the worst situations, yet also bringing up his intellectual and deeply empathic side. One of the advantages of the Tanith when going into the battlefield is being commanded by Gaunt, who's brilliant strategies and bravery are unparalleled amongst Imperium officers.

As usual, I tried to be as thorough as I could with my research when working on these illustrations and I hope I've made Dan's characters justice. I'm sure many of you will point out any flaws and help me continue my improvement on this subject, though there's also a bit of :devwolfravenwood:'s own imaginings I can't overlook.

I hope you enjoy these and let me know what you think!

Nic.-

PS.. Although impossible to make visible, Gaunt's reading material here is 'The Spheres of Longing'. Anyone know the author of that piece of Imperial Literature?

© Games Workshop Ltd. 2013