Communitys opinion on cartoony models

[Damikes]

I am trying to pick between a more gritty color for my models or one with a lot of highlights and shading. Just wanted you guy's opinion on this.

[Denzark]

FWIW I think 'cartoon'y should be what manga action figures look like, not 40K minis. I saw some only recently in a tournament - the paint job was the result of huge skill beyond my own meagre powers, but I thought it looked very out of place.

[Mr Mystery]

I prefer a more muted, realistic palette - think Star Wars' 'used universe' look, rather than hyper stylised anime inspired stuff.

As Denzark says, impressive as such paints job are (very, in case anyone was wondering) they just ain't 40k!

[CoffeeGrunt]

I have a mix of styles. My Guard have a Forge World-esque dirty, dusty, weathered look as it suits them IMO. Greasy, oiled mechanics, dust-covered tracks, paint chipping away, over a desert scheme.

My Tau are all airbrush gradient blue made to look shiny, with orange glows and muted grey under-armour to counter the overbearing blue a bit. I wanted them to look a bit Anime, it suits their style. :P

[Damikes]

Would this be too cartoony? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s12Yr_uUz1Y

[Morgrim]

Would this be too cartoony? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s12Yr_uUz1Y

That's fine. Space Marines are supposed to be vivid and heraldic. The trend to make everything brown and gritty and excessively battle damaged is boring.

[Damikes]

Yeah I feel the same way.

[Psychosplodge]

Do what you want they're your models that you paid your money for. Want fluorescent hot pink? go for it!

[Ravingbantha]

Just google 'Hello Kitty Marines'

[Erik Setzer]

Any army will look "in place." Just paint it how YOU want it to look. You can always find some reason for it. People trying to dictate "how 40K looks" miss that it's gone through a lot of looks over the years, and it's tiring when some Johnny-comes-lately claims my Orks painted up like a proper Ork Waaagh! circa second edition (i.e. with units from different clans based on their battlefield role) is "wrong" because they're not all bland, boring colors (and all painted the exact same colors). If you like a scheme, do it. If some tosser tries to claim it doesn't look "right," ignore them, and if they keep insisting, find a heavy hardback fluff book and smack 'em with it.

It's also amazing that some of the same people who'd argue that you should "play the way you want" seem to be against "paint the way you want." Seriously?

[KhornishGameHen]

Paint what makes you happy to look at, you spent the money on those models, you took the time painting them, you put the skill into the finished work.

Not everyone might like how they turn out, but not everything in 40K is color standard. Some SM chapters are shiny and brand new looking and highly colorful, some are worn and beaten and dusty looking... Some tyranids are painted glow in the dark, others are drab to match their environments!

You are the one who will be looking at and playing with those models more than anyone else, so do what is the most pleasing to your own eyes. If people complain, tell them they can go pay for their own models and paint them the way they want.

[Da Gargoyle]

I once gamed a dude where both of us had a CSM army and both had a defiler. Mine was red with strong bold gold boarders while his looked like a jackson pollock. He was comparing the two paint jobs and said he wished he had painted his like mine. I agreed and said his looked a little Chaotic. It took a second and then he caught on and I said as much as what the lads here have been saying. Paint your stuff the way you like it. If you don't like the result try again but don't let dudes tell you how your stuff should look.