Yep, I've spent a while studying how to trick bryce into looking a certain way. That is why bryce is so powerful, you can basically do anything you want with it, if you have enough patience. Cartoonish looks result from poor material properties and lighting rigs. Remember to look at bump and dif/amb settings. Soft shadows create more realism. Bryce can be molded into whatever you want. You just have to want it enough.