Grimdark Might Be Up to Us Fans

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In this video Jay explores the idea of grimdark and explains why it's actually the lore that is the driving factor! We have new videos every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! We're streaming Monday-Saturday starting at 9PM CST!! JOIN USSSS! Thanks for watching!
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Intro Animation By: Liqerise
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#warhammer40k #miniatures #gamesworkshop

[@wiseoldwyrm765]

Grimdark thrives on tragedy, when something precious and beautiful is bitterly warped and twisted. The Imperium is grimdark because is depicts a humanity that has achieved its dream of exploring the cosmos, walking on new worlds and meeting other intelligent life - but in the process everything that is good and wonderful about humanity has had to be sacrificed. Outer space has become a source of fear, death and pain rather than wonder, awe and inspiration. 'There is no peace among the stars'

[@Josh24861]

William Shakespeare Sicarus 2022

[@anniebae7049]

this is why I didn't find the old tau to be "destroying grimdark." 'good guys' who can't win and are constantly being crushed and beaten but trying to push through their hellish surroundings because they hope for a better future they can never reach is... grimdark. Pushing through and constantly being crushed by a helpless situation is grimdark. Moreso than just making them imperium but with magic brain washing, anyway.

[@savagex466-qt1io]

You got it bud. I love it. Its like every single race / faction has it bad. Mybie the orks are the only ones enjoying there lives or the Tau ? 40k is my favorite sci fir for sure. I understand your comment. Well said I do say.

[@SiKaHe]

Maybe the real grim darkness is the friends we made along the way

[@Josh24861]

You must be living in mlp then since there’s no grimdark to explain why you don’t have friends

[@griffinspady9019]

@@Josh24861 that’s what makes it grimdark…

[@oldmanaz.6811]

Only if I'm one.

[@GHOSTSTALKER90]

Friendship is magic ...and magic is HERESY!

[@carpemkarzi]

And the heretics we purged on the way as well…good grim dark times

[@nakenmil]

People seem to forget that the 40k universe always have been massively tongue-in-cheek and satirical. It's goofiness contrasted with genuine tragedy.

[@Hot_SpicyGrill]

To me the best example of 40k grim dark, is the dark eldar. So comically evil, and horrible it loops around into humor.

[@doncoyote68]

That's just something people on the internet repeat to themselves. Super early 40k was a mishmash of stuff, with a lot of it inspired from fantasy - bright and heroic - but the parts that were ripped from Dune or Dredd or Elric where still grim dark.

[@nakenmil]

@@doncoyote68 I'm not saying EVERYTHING was tongue in cheek, but a lot of early imperial culture was literally a play on 80s punk culture versus authoritarian Thatcherism. Look up Rogue Trader art. All the Astartes look like 80s skinheads, for example. Also, did you miss the last sentence of my comment? "It's goofiness contrasted with genuine tragedy." Like, it's an unabashed shithole and a complete negation of every optimistic future hope Star Trek had, with unrelenting suffering - but in it they also stuff shit like the Rainbow Warriors space marines being purged (a joke about a Greenpeace ship being attacked), or naming a primarch "Lion El'Johnson" after a British poet who wrote the poem "Dark Angel" and went to a gay bar named "The Rock", or giving the Orcs cockney accents obviously, or making the mechanics of the empire a bunch of cargo-cult fanatics, etc. etc.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

Exactly, like the time billions of Skitari died going into the eye of terror to find an STC which turned out to be for self heating ration tins. The STC was hoarded away and forgotten

[@richardb1816]

There’s something about a universe where there’s no hope for anyone and that an agonizing and empty life filled with torment is inevitable, makes a goofy joke about murderous mushrooms or pretty demigods so much funnier

[@OmegaLittleBob]

For me Grimdark only works if it’s contrasted with a little hope and life. A fictional world disinterests me if there’s no hope, because then there’s no reason to get invested. I think Dan Abnet put it best in an interview where he said there is no Big “H” Hope in 40k but there is little “h” hope on the smaller more personal scales.

[@sergeiyamagoro431]

This is where I'm at. A pure noir film where you go in knowing every character is going to get shafted in the cruelest way possible holds no interest for me. Instead, the honorable struggle for heroism under the yolk of a blindly destructive bureaucracy is an interesting quest. Can an army prevail without committing atrocities? Should they prevail, even when setting out with decent intentions? Far more interesting questions.

[@snarkymcsnarkface1863]

I hope GW puts out balanced rules... But in the grim dark future there is only disappointment and codex creep

[@sleeplessknight99]

Wow, those paintjobs look great. Never occurred to me to use a different color as a zenithal basecoat before!

[@huntahman80]

Underpainting is super fun to play with. GRG miniatures has a great series on the technique.

[@johnmertens3022]

Grimdark is a never ending loop where all you can do is delay the inevitable so stuff like Tyranids and chaos cause 40k to be grimdark

[@Dalmango]

Just as 40k has the right mix of fun and grimdark, this channel has the right mix of entertainment and tips! Keep up the great work

[@majorplums]

Grimdark /grime-dork/ Adjective 1. A Zorn palette John Blanche illustration, in a rusted tin can, floating down a sewer pipe, with a rat on it, with a laser for an eye. 2. Portmanteau word derived from the tagline of the Warhammer 40k universe, similar to frenemy, chillax, or brunch.

[@frontline989]

Your painting never ceases to amaze me Jay. Great job!

[@sebastianporebski3778]

It was really funny how you said Zdzisław Beksiński for me Pole, I needed a moment to get it. Amazing job!

[@dbskipworth]

That’s crazy how much difference the base color made between the white and the orange! Thanks for the information. I am just a week into painting miniatures and I have a limited in my knowledge of painting in general. I appreciate the tips,tricks, and advice you give. It has kept me from feeling overwhelmed with my newfound hobby. I’ve tried to reach out of my comfort zone and not be scared of details and not in a sense “paint by number” and make my miniatures an extension of my creativity and your videos do that for me to encourage that unique approach. Thank you for doing the content you do!

[@jeremyjohnson9053]

I liked how you mention no box art. I am a newer painter and I feel like box art only makes my life more difficult. I like having a reference but only when I want it, but once that box art gets into your head sometimes it is hard to forget.

[@EonsOfBattle]

totally agree! I kinda like it when the box art is a drawing or painting of the "real thing" rather than an example of the mini painted.

[@SquizmWizzerd]

that orange zenithal came out kingly, so much more vibrant and alive than the comparison, and thanks for the comparison at the end! definitely gonna be trying out different undercoats with my models moving forward

[@bnamesmith]

Great video! Loved the animated intro haha. I like grimdark... but not going to lie I miss the old school vibrant/contrasted look from the 90's when I first discovered 40K and Warhammer Fantasy. Thanks for the video!

[@timothyyoung2962]

Man, those goblins look fantastic. I've been experimenting with using different colors for my primes instead of just the usual grey, white, or black. Tans, yellows, and even a light blue. It definitely changes how the colors react on your minis.

[@Warghoul]

Grim Dark represents(to me) the seedy underbelly of war and violence and what everyone involved has to go through when dealing with war of any kind. As a Veteran I have seen these things up close and personal, but it hasn’t kept me from see the beauty of the art we call “Grim Dark”. Great video, thanks for the inspiration for the goblins with the orange zenithal.

[@SpookyLaugh]

That goblin holding the chain was a clever idea. The white eyes making the troll blind was genius, though.

[@NafePaints]

I know this video is more about the theme than the actual paint job but honestly I think these are the best models you've painted, so much soul coming from these models that you bought out with a great paint job.

[@pcassar31]

Thank you for this! As a beginner I really like your approach to painting.

[@gribblegreeble]

Jay, that orange zenithal may have changed the game. Well done.

[@marshallephisto6449]

Jay my man they look amazing, whenever I burn out, watching your videos makes me want to grab the brushes right away. Fantastic video, thank you!

[@brokenheroics8223]

Fantastic idea using the orange as a zenithal. I'll have to try it out one day.

[@LARPBeard]

The most grimdark place I've ever seen- the church of the holy sepulchre. Tall ceilings hidden in darkness, pleanty of different robed figures, mumbling prayrs, icons and old ornaments in every crevice.

[@stuartlennon9511]

Grim dark is the setting and atmosphere, bit like a filter over everything. In terms of painting it feels like the realism that’s added particularly to figures or industrial structures that at a glance gives you that atmospheric feeling. It’s the difference between looking at 90’s eavy metal paint jobs where you can appreciate the model and the painting but then you look at the codex and see the artwork that you get the feeling.

[@lukesevern3923]

I've done a purple undercoat for orks, but definitely going to be trying the orange. Awesome work Jay.

[@revolverAshelot]

"Have you ever seen a purple ork before?"

[@almost_zab]

Those came out fantastic! Inspiration for the kill team orks I'll be painting up for the NOCF this year :)

[@diehexenmaus185]

really love how these came out (and i generally find glazes and layering to be more meditative than working with an airbrush so it's always nice to see.)

[@FrankieRogersArt]

I just want to say how nice it has been as an audience member to see the HUGE jump in the quality of video in the last year or so. The content of your videos have always been amazing but in the last year the actual composition of the video has grown massively and it has been awesome! Keep up the great work, we are all loving it!!

[@Tryel]

As well as zenithal with another colour than white as the light, I've been loving priming them with adarker ambient colour like blue or magenta, you get some really vibrant highlights, but get nicely contrasting shadow tones

[@chrisattwood5930]

My eyes made the orange look green almost, very cool

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I JUST had the "colored zenithal" idea the other day but haven't tried it yet. (I was trying to think how to get around a camo primer and was thinking to do a skin tone zenithal). So happy that this works so incredibly well!! Also, that nose chain thing is brilliant.

[@MiguelFuentes11]

Bam! Great lesson in underpainting! It's the tutorial I needed, not the one I was expecting.

[@charlesv5h975]

Love the paint job and the little story at the end! Great vid

[@Anambor69]

I just subscribed to BlackCrag yesterday, they have really excellent orks!

[@knighthaunter]

Nice!, its always great when speed and awesome show up at the same time and you really nailed it on these with both.

[@ollyp-smith7058]

These are absolutely amazing! great paint job! In my opinion they are the best that you have painted!

[@venkelos6996]

I'd say those turned out really good; that orange tint dis a great job of bumping up their profile, and making them look less like every other Goblin, or Orc. Even in the quick glimpses we got, I saw you doing stuff I can't, but maybe someday. A similar video idea; could you go over a way to practice with greenstuff/puty? I have a special character I've been on again/off again working on for years, and one reason he's still not done is greenstuff sculpting. Whenever I think trying it, either to give a dragonskin look to his coat (he's mostly a tweaked Tempestor Prime), or how I'll eventually have to cut the head off of a Pathfider mini I got, because there isn't a good head for him in the 40k line, I panic. I don't just buy cheap boxes of stuff I don't need, and plaster greenstuff on them in ways that don't matter, so I can practice, but I'll need it for him, and I'll need practice because he's my most important 40k self-made character (my personal Rogue Trader). Lots of regular troops minis don't often require greenstuff customization, and characters should look good, so how do you practice using greenstuff without just cranking out a little heap of minis that don't matter, and you had to pay for them, and the pity? Any advice would be great! For me, the grimdark element is how little anything you do will matter, and while you might win a battle, the cost still might be great, while the war goes on forever. You might almost win, just to be defeated by an enemy who had seen it all coming, or by "allies" who can't condone what you're doing, or more, and ruin everything.

[@thbreadman23]

The True Meaning of Grimdark Grim: is my determination as, inspired by you videos, I set out, brush in hand to strive for the higher echelons of creative endeavour. Dark: is my mood when the result of my labours more closely resembles something that fell out of my ass, one dark and stormy night. It is the battle within me!

[@djvertical]

Think these might be some of the best miniatures you have done on the channel. Look absolutely amazing! 🔥🔥🔥

[@jodezero]

Quick tip for weathering balsa wood, use a brass wire brush! Creates grain like real wood

[@kosachilles2504]

This is my favourite video yet! Grimdark to me is dark, dirty and sinister

[@davidrobotham309]

Lovely stuff, best models I've seen you paint!

[@NagaNaga-mx5tg]

Wow your skills really inspire me. I want to get into painting myself, watching the painting makes me only want to get into it more.

[@prancingpirate]

Dude. D U D E. The orange underpainting is fucking inspired. I was watching this while doing some test painting trying to figure out a good system for painting my boyz that wasn't going to keep taking forever and I tried this and I am still in awe at how utterly perfect this turns out. And equally shocked at how heckin fast it comes together. Holy mother of Gork. Thank you so much for sharing this!!

[@philrynda]

Great video! I feel like you’ve really leveled up your painting. 👏👏👏

[@deadbane]

You are my favorite channel for mini painting. Thanks for everything!

[@wesbrown3831]

Jay, that was one of your best paint concepts 💡. Definitely in your top 5, maybe top 3 for me. Well done!!!! Your skill has grown wonderfully. Carry on! As for your question, I honestly think your title says it all.

[@damonx99]

Wow, this one was great. Learned a lot of cool things to try. Somehow these vids keep restarting that fire for the hobby. Thanks!

[@whiterose7055]

Jay, thanks for these really great technique vids ! I'm a modeling O G but a Warhammer newb. The models I have painted in the past were by all precise and technical by design (Sci Fi spaces ships and military planes and tanks). These vids really help an old dog learn some new tricks. I thought I'd let you know I joined the channel's Patreon, you guys definitely deserve the support. See you in the live streams And Nick, grow your hair, LOL!

[@j453]

I love those goblins, really great job on the paint job too

[@godemperorphatty7185]

You gotta have that bright, stuff to get dragged down into the muck and mire, of "Grim Dark"..That's why my ideal movie idea would be Either during the Crusade, with Space Marines descending on an innocent world, of kind likable people, being forced into the Imperium. OR I would like a movie starting with an idyllic life on some Xenos world, only for the Space Marines to arrive and start Grim Darking things up.

[@Virakotxa]

The painjob ended up really impressive and realistic! One of your best ever!

[@murray1867]

Really well done. Some of your best paintjobs I'd say. The orange basecoat was a great idea!

[@mraide]

great use of orange undercoat

[@p4cca]

This video is what got me to subscribe. Loved the simplicity of the paint job!

[@clawhammr666]

Very nicely done, those eyes definitely make 'em look pretty crazy

[@gfan1972]

Ok this is the best green goblin I have seen, orange is the key!!! Thanks for this new tip.

[@hazzie2005]

Love how these turned out! 😍

[@benjaminmoser6890]

You have baffled me with this one. Insanely good work

[@ManBeastBear]

These were some of your best work, dude. Way to go!

[@fredrik241]

Haha amazing I did exactly that setup with a snotling leading on a chained GW fantasy Ogre using an added chain to his nose with nose ring just like that! :D That was about 30 years ago and some of the first GW minis I ever painted. Unfortunatly I think Iv'e lost that one as it got moved around my parents place as I was finding myself in different parts of the world. The Ogre I used was one wearing some chain mail and leather and had a round headed spiky mace/club.

[@GermanNightmare1976]

It might sound a little strange, but whenever I start another 40K novel, I always -- always -- read the introductory page that sets the mood, even though I must've read it over a hundred times before (and even managed to sneak it into my university paper and final exam). I think it boils down the grimdark aspect of 40K into a few short paragraphs. And luckily, the rest is up to us to interpret and fill with meaning. When there is very little hope, never forget that "The Emperor Protects!"

[@Simon-rd3pc]

These are brilliant! I love how much content you put out and how you just throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Please keep making these fun videos and don't ever get too "youtubey"

[@stewartmartin8382]

Very cool looking goblins, and I really have no clue on grimdark, but love the styles within grimdark

[@Matti_Mattsen]

Man, i do love me some good speedpainting methods and these models look stunning. Considering you only painted them for like 30min per model, its actually mindblowing. I'll definitely try something similar. Might be fun to explore this idea some more with different colored zenithals

[@heh_boaner]

My illustration professor loves painting figures in off-color tones, but always brightens up the nose cheeks and ears with warm colors regardless of the base skin color. His reasoning was that they were alive, not zombies. I havent tested his theory on 40 k minatures yet, but I think when using cool tones on figures like green and blue, it's especially important to contrast with warmer colors on the figure's skin - assuming they're not undead. I'm going to practice on some resin prints and hopefully try it out on my ork kill team.

[@phm6834]

Blanchitsu is peak grimdark to me, when we talk design. As a philosophical concept: Dirt, inhumaine life, a lack of happiness, except about others' misery, fulfillment in fighting the enemy, the few mean nothing compared to the many.

[@whimsicalcellbooster]

Wow that airbrush and washing looks awesome. Already game ready 😲 this video shows my favorite style yet.

[@casamarfantasybattles4923]

I love how these turned out, great job!

[@Jamesviolaofficial]

This is your best paint job to date my dude

[@williamwilson1870]

Amazing what a difference that orange zenethal made!

[@chrissteadman4614]

Brilliant! I'm defo going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!

[@Narcomancer1943]

That green skin recipe is lovely dude!!

[@TheGuilleStrike]

This overall video was amazing! Incredible result man!

[@abeljuttner6667]

For me grimdark is the life cycle of a beast of nurgle. A beast has the mind of a puppy and he just wants to play with every one but the beast doesnt know that he is a huge disgusting monster and every one they touch turns into a puddle.😢😢 And the beast just becomes depressed...

[@miniaturefun-guy]

These guys are fantastic. Great work.

[@doctordoubledakka3939]

Dude, super sweet paintjob

[@Seoz]

I've recently been in Beksiński muzeum in his hometown. Some disturbing stuff. But for me grimdark is just world for painting dirty dark minis. Something in direction in blanchitsu style.

[@harazhangf5782]

The paint job is awesome !!!

[@cainedicarde]

id been looking at these goblins for a while but wasnt sure. the renders do not do these boys justice. they came out awesome. cant wait to print them.

[@teasteel4900]

Grimdark - something brutal, dark and twisted Warhammer grimdark - nails the dark and grim estetic with little bits of humor, good times to keep it clean and something to look forward to enjoying

[@Kid_illithid]

You should try the 40k roleplaying games. All the stuff that gets you excited about the hobby is hardcore role player sounding.

[@EonsOfBattle]

I probably should!

[@RodneySloan]

Wow, this is such a great idea! Thank you!

[@2ndhendrix631]

For me grimdark is just synonymous with 40k. They've encapsulated everything that it means for me. Great marketing!

[@John_on_the_mountain]

I mean im pretty sure they coined the term "grimdark"

[@tristanspahr6164]

40k is at it's best when it combines grim dark with satirical absurdity.

[@lowriderbug]

Grimdark is that feeling that you’re just prolonging the inevitable. You know you are dead you are just putting it off as long as you can.

[@williamings773]

So... everyday life?

[@wasserhammer]

Great job on this paint job

[@beardhammerwargaming]

This looks amazing, love the outcome and how vibrant the skin came out =D

[@madboczek866]

Damn, good Job, they look really good! I do not expect that

[@wesley2249]

Dude, you did an amazing job!

[@Machinationstudio]

Love the idea of the orange undercoat.

[@wiccanthropy1956]

Grimdark as a setting: no matter how good things get for you, it can always be taken away at a moment sometimes without warning. Hope Should be acquirable but not the default state for your average Joe. Grimdark as architecture: so large and grand in scope that you feel insignificant or so tight it can only force you to develop claustrophobia. Grimdark as an aesthetic: so much of it should be not built to purpose. It should, from rifle to the largest structure or machine be built in ways that can and will be esoteric and complex with people too simple or too lacking in access of knowledge to properly explain how the things they use work.

[@zamo9660]

Congrats, IMHO these are your all time best minis. A long way it's been from the short basing tutorials to here ;) For me, Grim Dark is John Blanche. It's the rogue trader era. Grim is grit, it's texture: much like the looks of Star Wars are compared to say, Star Trek. Scratches in your gear, scars in your skin. It's not just weathering but a testament for a life lived. Look at your hands today, which went thru some work, and baby's hands. Pristine. The contrary of grim. Stuff happens, mostly weird and twisted and all the leaves its footprint. Dark isn't just a temperature or a gloomy mood, like a weirder and more macabre version of a Disney tale: Dark is the void of light. Where light is knowledge. That's where 1st and 2nd 40k editions shined. They were obscure. Anything could happen. There weren't models for everything and rules encouraged creativity. It's like taking (not to offence, I may get lost in translation) a hillbilly, a deep country silly dude: he's kinda dumb, not very bright just like a puppy inside adult lion's fur. Take the daylight focus out of him and you got Ed Gein, Leatherface... because what you don't it's what's scary. And it all happen under darkness' mantle. Take Alien as a second example: grim dark. The ship, the clothing... and of course the xenomorph you were hardly ever seen completely. That made it work. But when later on the franchise xenomorphs are all over the place the dark veil goes off. No mystery, no fear, no threat... no place for imagination. Grim Dark were hillbilly silly orks enslaving and selling other people. Grim Dark were high race of space elves fallen off grace and being pirates about to get extint... Grim Dark were Space Slann or Industry heavy Squats. No one (I bet even GW dudes) knew much about them so they were an open wound in that universe bleeding opportunity for creativity. And then tyranids. The big (bug?) WTF in 40k's universe. What had termagaunts to do with genestealers? And warriors leading... squig bases !? It all silly but, when reason sleeps it produces monster. In a nutshell: deodorant spaceship!

[@cl8931]

Fantastic paint job on those gobbos!

[@stevehonour9668]

Thanks I've been looking for a scheme for my Green skinned mob an was holding back,as you say some of the best things just fall out of the sky.

[@tillyoudiefromit]

the Orange undercoat is dope. those models rule!

[@lucasathus]

Wow, that orange looks so freaking good

[@exturkconner]

They look very much like the Goblin Slayer goblins. Which is to say kind of silly proportion wise but when you know what a pack of them can get up to the grim dark is baked right on in.

[@aaronbrown4275]

Other color zenithal is something I've been experimenting with. I've found the best results are using complementary color combos.

[@SvartElric9]

I strongly agree with you on the grimdark issue