Would make a dope retrosynth album cover.

I was not expecting a basic PC building question to follow this picture.

Totally agreed. Most thermal paste is non-conductive, so it's not really an issue if it goes too far. However, if you ever use liquid metal, you have to be more careful

Thanks! It probably looks odd because of the lighting and angle. My room has an overhead light that's to the right, but I was using a magnetic flashlight to help on the left. Also, this is through a mesh panel. I think you can sort of tell if you look at the black heat sink (not the CPU one). It sort of gives a pattern over the image, but it's so out of focus you can't see it.

Yes, it is! Good eye!