u/Flimsy_Drive_596

In my opinion the core value that sums up dwarves is persistence. Think about it with craftsmanship you start with the raw stuff of the earth Clay, sand ores etc, the goal is to take these base materials and to turn it into radiant glass and shining metal. However getting to this finished product is harder said than done because natural materials have built in constraints and tendencies jade will fracture in a million ways if carved incorrectly pottery when fired incorrectly will shatter. So the goal of a craftsmen then is to work with the material to find out these hidden qualities lurking within it and guiding it to the desired outcome.
Therefore to bridge the short gap between success and failure we must reply upon persistence and hand work, disappointment will be a constant in this process . As to discover the qualities of the materials means we have to push it to its limits, what can it not take before breaking? The steps to make a single well made finished product rests upon the legacy of a thousand failures.

Because this knowledge is hard won it's seen as sacred, being passed down from master to apprentice an unbroken chain between past present and future. The traditional craftsmen isnt creating out of a need for self expression but rather reverence for the legacy of those masters that came before them. with adherence to these steps that have been passed down. This archetype is reflected in dwarves obsessed with mastery legacy and inherited tradition.

"Luck has, need keeps, toil earns!"
Leagues of Votann warhammer quote

I really like Upgrades design as he's not simply a generic blocky metal Robot but rather a living Liquid Metal Alien organism. His design communicates this very well being entirely smooth and rounded which suggests this fluid liquid like nature. This is further enhanced by the oil black surface textures used in his design. In addition to this the glowing Tron esque green lines also gives of a technological impression resembling the etched patterns of a circuit board.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel there is a certain shared artistic approach between the two styles of these religions as they treat matter as almost a living organic ecosystem. Like in the composition all the figures are locked in an intricate relationship ie vines Budd off and become animals, animals become floral patterns in turn etc. I wonder the reason why like if there are similar religious values which shaped this expression or something else entirely!

Correct me if I'm wrong but I feel there is a certain shared artistic approach between these two styles as they treat matter as almost a living organic ecosystem. Like in the composition all the figures are locked in an intricate relationship ie vines Budd off and become animals, animals become floral patterns in turn etc. In comparison take something like Assyrian or Aztec art which is the antithesis of this being linear and directly visibly ordered.

I really like these designs as it takes the iconic forms and shapes of old school cars but cleverly retools them for a futuristic setting. This is seen in the dominant use of sharp angular plating and glowing holograms. This retro style also lends an incredibly tactile element as seen within Blocky Dashboards of the cockpit.

I especially love this cover art its very restrained, a certain minimalism as most of the image is occupied by that beautiful imperial Roman red. This is furtherer enhanced by the composition as all the triumphal roman columns are very symmetrical highly ordered in their placement. So to me the overall impression I get through this combination is order, precision discipline. Which is fitting considering that the highest of Roman military virtues was discipline!

I Really like the unique art style of this anime As it takes the heavy industrial look of steampunk/Dieselpunk with its rivets welded plates and brass dials and fuses it to traditional Japanese architecture and clothing. For instance in the anime with its character designs, We can See kimono robes and baggy hakama trousers reinforced with riveted steel braces and bulky leather harnesses. Even the architecture looks like if you took a Victorian steel mill and fused it to a Japanese castle!

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4XzWLq
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Y1DVX

Take this with a grain of salt beacuse I'm no designer, but I believe Taking modern designs and materials ie smart fabrics tactical vests and decorating it with things from the past can make these elements often feel tacked on to the design. This is because the values that shape both modernist design and the past are fundamentally incompatible.

Think about it look at how they approach the concept of decoration (ornament) and design. to modernism function is the primary goal,so for this reason surfaces remain undecorated and the forms tend towards these shapes those that are sleek and clean. So in this mindset you would not apply gold embroidery to a tactical vest because that would be a waste it's not in service to the function which is protection.

Now look at how the ancient past understood design and ornament, For instance things like a gilded cuirass or a master worked helmet would not be seen as an excess to be stripped away as modernism would have it. Rather these things have an ideological and spirtual purpose. A knights heraldry shows you the house he comes from and the legacy he represents. it shows you the battle honours he has achieved in combat. The engraved scripture shows that the knight is a warrior of god fighting on their behalf. So to the ancient world what we might see as surface decoration in the modern day is instead essential!

But this is not to say that we can not take ancient designs and fuse it technological things. Rather we need a different template which is what brings me to the images above from warhammer 30k notice they're using dieselpunk instead as a frame. This works because the language of dieselpunk is size mass presence and visual complexity. This overlaps heavily with that of historical designs and ornament which we have said uses the same values.

Take a close look at the marines warhammer and look at the build of his armour notice that it in some regards resembles classical sculpture or ancient temple bronzes . It emphasises and idealises parts of the body a heroic barrel chest strong legs etc. This communicates that the marine is an ancient hero he is not a sleek interchangeable tactical operator. And so for this reason we can layer on goldleaf and all these other things on the marines designs without it feeling out of place.

https://40k.gallery/9th-legion/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DG8a1McuFaU/
https://www.warhammerart.com/products/flight-of-the-eisenstein

I love these designs as they really encapsulate the concept of an angel of death. Due to the collision of Industrial dieselpunk armour with ancient tabards hoods and occult symbols. This combination really works as it tells almost a narrative that these warriors have been given almost divine sanction being unleashed as holy executioners, which is communicated through the angels/ grim reapers imagery. And that they will not rest using every iota of their unrelenting heavy Industry to see it done. They will grind the enemy to dust beneath the treads of their tanks.

https://www.deviantart.com/joazzz2/gallery

I especially love the strange fusion of materials in how anachronistic it is, as the beauty of the carved wood and gold filigree rifles wielded by the skitarii can be contrasted against the Grotesque Industrial horror of their cybernetically augmented bodies . I feel this effect is very visually interesting.

Do you think this fractal star shaped layout used in Hoysala architecture would work very well if applied to modern types of architecture. given that it has a very Interesting property in how it's able to dynamically capture light and shadow. With some parts of the building being in shade and others exposed to the sun due to sharp 90 degree angles utilised as part of the star layout, Which creates this kind of stunning contrast. As the architect Fergusson says in his book the History Of Indian And Eastern Architecture

'"The mode in which the eastern face is broken up by the larger masses, so as to give height and play of light and shade, is a better way of accomplishing what the Gothc artists attempted by their projections".

https://archive.org/details/historyofindiana030585mbp/page/358/mode/1up

I really like these designs I think the key phrase for me that encapsulates it is a Swiss watch fused with a dragonfly!

The designs make sense if you are to approach it from a world building sci fi perspective in explaining what an armoured alien race would feasibly look like.
Think about it what are the closest analogue we have on earth in terms of the design it is insects Lobsters and beetles with their exoskeletons and carapaces.

As the design of Insects and crustaceans relies on hard outer shells and segmented armour plates. Now see the similarity to a transformer which consists of plates, interlocking armour and exposed mechanical joints which operates on similar principles. Fun fact with the original protoforms in the 2007 this type of body plan is clearly visible!
This is why I disagree with the complaint that these designs are visual noise, this is untrue after all nature is fundamentally maximalist to ensure survival! look at a lobster shell it's not one smooth piece rather its composed of many overlapping plates to facilitate movement and flexibility, a lobster with a singular fused shell would not be able to survive. The carapace of lobster is not visual noise with each specialised individual plate being integral for survival.

In addition the biology of transformers as living things reminds me heavily of Swiss watches with each watch being composed of over 200 components. And each individual gear constantly engaged in a complex relationship with every other piece constantly turning and moving alongside their fellows. motion and life more broadly emerges from many interacting systems which is the key take away much like a clock.

This is a really good principle for depicting a living mechanical creature with the constant movement of systems required to sustain life. Look at any of the bay formers when stationary and you will see this principle in action with actuators and rotating assemblies galore.
In my opinion the fusion of these two aspects go hard because the language of a dragonfly's exoskeleton and that of a mechanical watch is the same it is maximalism within a type of ordered complexity.

To see a bay formers transformers with its thousands of moving parts and gears It is to be confronted with something so beyond immediate human-scale and understanding. It is to say this creature, this living machine clearly has structure and purpose yet we cannot fully map it first glance in its entirety. That is the essence of bayformers to me design wise an apex predator a species so complex in their mechanical perfection so terrifying and awe inspiring!

I especially love these designs as it really encapsulates the biological horror of the orks with their exaggerated beast like proportions combining with crude scrap like cybernetic augments, whereby loose cables and rusty plates are almost hammered into their flesh. As a result of this combination the orks look incredibly terrifying.

https://www.kentantiques.com/portfolio/important-indian-talismanic-shirt/

I really Like this idea as it takes the brutality of industrial designs with its reactor tubing rivets circuitry and layers on top of this so much traditional craftsmanship and visual cues . For instance the design of the smaller ceramite plates on the marines in how they are arranged calls to mind ancient Middle Eastern lamellar like that worn by Islamic Egyptian Mamluk knights. To the helmets being almost a fusion of a Corinthian crest and a ww1 gas mask.

This is super cool as it feels almost mythical and timeless like you have taken the archetype of ancients warriors from Knightly crusaders Greek hoplites to Iranian sasanian Cataphracts and have resurrected them through the power of dieselpunk Iron and industry! It's very cool as I feel there is a lot of shared values between dieselpunk and the ancient past in the things they are trying to communicate namely Awe and power through size complexity and grandeur . Ie whether an ancient Assyrian carved stone relief or an Industrial battleship the effect is the same, so combining both as in the case of 30k goes very hard.