Warhammer and 40K fans unite for America’s most prestigious mini-painting competition

polygon.com:

Artists from around the world flocked to the AdeptiCon wargaming convention last month for the 2023 Golden Demon, the biggest Warhammer painting competition in the world. It was the second such competition to be held in the United States in more than a decade, and featured work from some of the best miniature painters around.

At the end of the weekend the top prize — the legendary Slayer Sword — was given to Neil Hollis for his work on Dark Angels Space Marine Master Lazarus. Publisher Games Workshop, in its official announcement, noted that Hollis’ work made use of some of the most difficult and time-consuming painting techniques, including non-metallic metal and freehand work. After hundreds of hours spent on the roughly 1-inch-tall figure, the results are absolutely stunning.

Dozens of other models filled the cases in Schaumburg, Illinois. Polygon sent photographer and Warhammer fan Jim Vondruska to capture the scene. You can click on individual photos below to view even larger versions of his work, all captured with a medium-format Fujifilm GFX 50R.

The first day of AdeptiCon, a Wednesday, is usually the slowest and most lightly attended of the event. As guests start to trickle into the venue, representatives from Games Workshop are already on hand setting up lighted glass display cases. The smell of window cleaner fills the air.

The Golden Demon has multiple categories, including small-scale models and dioramas. There’s even a category for young painters, the so-called “young guns” who will carry the hobby forward into a new generation. Artists patiently line up for their turn, before gingerly handing over their work to be judged.

Models are placed on display without the names of their artists attached. The