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I have been debating this and am still unsure. I have the aspects fully painted according to the fluff, but after seeing images online of people's awesome eldar armies, in which each unit is similarly coloured, I have been leaning towards craftworld (in my case alaitoc) colours. What do you all think?

Hi there,

Of course people are going to tell you it's your preference ultimately. I went the route of painting my aspects according to the craftworld because particularly Biel Tan who are known for high incorporation of aspects would for me make the army look a bit disjointed. I like the original aspect color schemes and have incorporated something from the original colors in each of my aspects but still keeping the craftworld colors as the primary scheme.

for my eldar army I've been thinking about painting the body the craftworld color and then paint the helm the aspect color

It's your choice, but I always prefer a co-ordinated army theme. However, I'm sure I've seen some good armies which lie in the middle - maybe by having all the robes/cloth sections of the aspect warriors in the army colour.

Also, many aspects use a few colour schemes, which could just be 'weighted' towards your army. So, if your army is painted as Alaitoc, it's blue and yellow with bone detailing, right? So...

Striking Scorpions - instead of green with touches of yellow, do mostly yellow with touches of green. Keep the robes bone.
Howling Banshees - bone already, just change the red 'hair' bits to blue or yellow
Dire Avengers - already the right colour!
Fire Dragons - favour the yellower colour schemes instead of the red/orange ones

etc etc etc....

Personally I think it depends on a couple of factors:
1. How many different Aspect squads you have in the army compared to other units (vehicles, jetbikes, Dark Eldar allies);
2. What conversions, base treatments or other things are present in the army to unify it visually outside of color.

An Eldar army *does* have a tendency to go full-on Skittles ("Taste The Rainbow") when there are nothing but aspect warriors on the table. If you run a lot of vehicles, Vypers/Jetbikes, WraithX, etc. though, then the aspects stand out as accents rather than the dominating color element.

Eldar armies, however, are sort of expected to be varied in color; that's part of their background and their milieu. Color is also not the only way to unify an army. If you give each unit a similar conversion or secondary painting treatment (give them all a banner, for instance, or cloaks, or ensure that the squads have a dominant added color on their bases) then they will be tied together visually in ways other than the color.

I do not think there is any one right answer. Obviously, my own Craftworld uses the separate-colors choice, but there are several other unifying elements: the back-banners, heavy use of wraithbone/desert-colored bodysuits, Blood Angels debris on bases. I also have repainted my vehicles recently which increased the unity of a large block of the army as well. That is just one way to go, though, and no matter which way you choose I don't think you'll do wrong.

I am doing mine with the undersuit in the same colors as my craftworld but the armor panels and weapons in the traditional scheme.

When I did 40k and eldar I would do partials. Mostly Craftworld colors, Blue and Purple, and the traditonal colors on the helmet or something else. You don't need the whole figure painted the same to "tie" them together.

I agree with the above statements. Do them in your craftworld scheme, but with a helmet, banner, tabard, etc. painted in their aspect scheme both as a nod to their aspect and to help them stand out a bit on the table top. I'm thinking something similar to Black Legion-based Cult CSM troops. Khone 'Zerkers would have Black Legion colors on their armor with either their helmets or pauldrons painted red.

I've already started going full craftworld. I really like my colour scheme and I think that the unique build of the units will help keep them differentiated.