Do weathering and paint effects make Warhammer models look more realistic?

[sonal2789]

Hey everyone,

I’ve been looking at different painting styles for Warhammer models lately and noticed how much weathering and surface effects can completely change the final look of an army.

Things like battle damage, rust effects and layered coatings seem to make models feel much more realistic and detailed, especially on vehicles and larger units. I was also reading about how advanced surface finishes are evolving in areas like the  camouflage coating market, where materials and textures are designed to improve durability and appearance.

Personally, I think subtle weathering often looks better than overly clean paint jobs, especially for grimdark-style armies.

What’s your approach — do you prefer clean models or heavily weathered and battle-worn effects?

[Gillyfish]

Well, I think it depends on the faction and the 'feel' you are after. Guard and Genestealer cult vehicles definitely make sense to have weathering on them; they may been deployed for extended periods and it works really well over camo schemes or other iconography that might otherwise appear to clean or bright.

 

Space Marine vehicles can also benefit from weathering, although perhaps not to the same extent; they are not usually deployed for such lengthy periods (after all, marines are supposed to be a precision tool, hitting hard and fast, rather than a meat grinder used for extended attritional deployment). But they would still have mud and dust and scratches on them.

 

Infantry are a bit more to taste. You can absolutely do it, but it seems fewer people tend to, possibly because of the scale of the task (whereas vehicles are centrepieces)! There is an argument that marines, for example, might take pride in their heraldry and repair armour damage with armour cement in the field and they would certainly have it repaired by the chapter artisans between deployments.

 

Other factions might not look so good with weathering: the Eldar aesthetic is all clean lines and strong colours and weathering just doesn't seem appropriate for them. Similarly, the organic feel of Tyranids would make weathering seem inappropriate, although you could seem an argument for a Lictor emerging from a swamp...

 

Finally, there is the 'feel' you are after. As noted above, the Eldar, as a faction, have a particular 'feel'. You don't have to go with it, but many do. Weathered Eldar vehicles might be quite interesting, but also difficult to pull off given they are made of wraithbone.

 

To take marines as an example, you might use weathering to say something about the army; has it been on extended deployment, do the battle brother take pride in their heraldry and armour, or are they more pragmatic? When you use the weathering, you are helping tell a story of your army and I try to think about what my concept overall is (I mean, I say that, my army was assembled over decades and has models with goblin green bases sitting alongside ones with brown bases and static grass, but at least I think about it! ).

[Grotsmasha]

I tend to paint my Marines clean, and believe it would be high treason, punishable by death, to paint Orks clean.

 

Head Cannon: Dirty worn Marines suit Heresy, whereas 40K Marines are too prideful, the Mechanicus, to set in their ways to allow their armour and vehicles to remain worse for wear.

Like 40K see their equipment of Relics, worthy of honour, the 30K marines are more practical with their "tools" of war.

Edited May 26 by Grotsmasha

[GSCUprising]

It's a good question and quite subjective based on what the viewer sees, their tastes, and what image the painter is trying to achieve.

 

To my mind, and please consider this my opinion based on my tastes, painting and weathering techniques do not make a model look more realistic. What they do, however, is help give an army or a particular model theme.

 

My own GSC forces are dirty, grubby, worn Resistance fighters, ambushing from the sands after travelling for hours or days through the beating desert sun, the freezing desert nights. They're worn, tired, but determined to clear the way for the coming of the True Four-Armed King. Thus, they are heavily weathered: Kromlech's Dark Dirt weathering powder, AK's wet mud, pool sand on the base with chipped Cork, desert scrub all as some examples. 

 

If I were to model The Emperor's Children, however, an army I love the look and idea of but never taken them up (...yet...), they would be crisp and clean, perfect lines, gleaming armour, immaculate hair and heraldry. I would avoid the sonic heads on the Noise Marines as they don't fit into my vision of a bunch of Henry Cavills running around. The Keeper of Secrets would have its armour and claw painted in a similar way, but its lace, veils, hair and so on would be soft and flowing, alluring, you could almost smell the faint aroma of cinnamon and cloves with a hint of brimstone under the scent. Their bases are where those imperfect and devoured souls would lie, broken and bloodied at their feet; a fitting defeat for those who have not attained perfection. 

 

So...uh...I got a bit flowery. Can you tell I've considered that army?

 

Anyhow, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.

Edited May 26 by GSCUprising
Edit: I hate typing on a phone.