Opinion question to all the 40k fans out there:

Opinion question to all the 40k fans out there:

Which do you prefer from Warhammer artstyle? Super vibrant or ultra-gritty? I know they're not necessarily exclusive, but it's really something I find myself thinking about when painting models.

On one hand, Warhammer is probably second only to Warcraft in terms of sheer over-the-top design in western fantasy, what with all the massive shoulders and runic engravings - only losing out due to lack of things like pauldrons made of floating volcanoes.

But on the other hand it's Warhammer, and likes to play up the grit because of that, so sometimes I feel compelled to make everything look super worn-down and dirt-smeared.

Do you have preferences? Do you have favorite artists who you feel have captured the purest essence of 40k?

40k is so large all styles may fit. I like both the apocrypha things, the "ancient rememberancer scetches" and the photo aspiring actions shots of today.

The only art I don't like all that much is the old stuff from the RT times. I mean I smile with nostalgia when I see them and they indeed are cool in a way, but c'mon, a five year old child on LSD would draw better.

Give me Blanche or give me death.

Depends on the race for me. Nids and eldar and dark eldar can be vibrant but I like guard and Marines to be gritty and battle worn

I think I would say I'm somewhere in the middle.

Not a fan of the modern at all while the gritty I can take or leave depending on the actual scene.

I've always been somewhat split on Blanche.

I can't stand his "sketches" that are just blobs of red and brass but his actual art can be great, especially when he isn't drawing figures.

...

Got to agree with you on the Blanche stuff, I think his style best fits the demon art.

You get death.

Adrian Smith or Karl Kopinski had the best wh art.

I like it gritty. It's part of the reason I don't care so much for AoS over WHFB, all the art seems to clean.

Though mainly I just really enjoy the aesthetic of "gothic dystopia" over "valhallan aspect wars".

Then why don't you post some?