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Bases...How do you do yours?

2K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  And 
#1 ·
Hey all

I was wondering how people did their standard miniature bases i.e. not character or diorama bases but just the standard infantry base.

I'll start with mine

-Glue the top of the base with PVA (after the model has been completely painted)
-Sand the base (then wait to dry for about an hour)
-Brown ink the sand (then wait to dry for about 15 mins)
-Drybrush the base with scorched brown
-Drybrush the base with Bestial Brown
-Drybrush the base with Snakebite Leather
-Drybrush the base with Bubonic Brown
-Drybrush the base with Bleached Bone
-Dot small pva shapes around the base
-Apply static grass to the base so that they stick to the dotted areas
-Paint the side of the base wither Dark flesh or catachan green


Ive been using this technique for a while now and gives the model a basic temperate look, whilst making him look very neat and tidy.

Anyone else got any other methods?
I'd especially like to hear techniques on Desert/ice or anything unusual?
 
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#2 ·
I have recently decided that I like an interesting look to all the bases. Regular guys or not. I am most proud of my space marine bases - using an urban rubble theme.

The basic shape is to have a piece of cork tile glued on to the base to allow for the feet to grab on to (I drill a hole on one foot and glue a paperclip to the foot then clip it down to the width of the cork tile and glue it into place in the cork).

To the cork I embellish the sides with rock litter (in the most recent case - the small slate piecs) and then add bitz of this or that - be it larger slate pieces, small chunks from the city buildings, wire, tubing, basically anything...

Here are some examples of my bases...










Cheers,

-Mike
 
#3 ·
Well, after seeing those bases I feel rather deflated. All I do is paint the base graveyard earth and then apply static grass. Quick easy, and looks okay with minimal effort. I'm too lazy for my own good sometimes...

Oh, by the way Slorak I like those marines. Very nice. Are they a DIY chapter? I don't recognise the colour scheme.
 
#7 ·
Oh, by the way Slorak I like those marines. Very nice. Are they a DIY chapter? I don't recognise the colour scheme.
Yes it is a DIY chapter. Took me months to decide on a color scheme! ;)

Yeah I used to not care so much about the bases but then I got to thinking that the base is part of the model and if done to the same standard as the figure rather than an after thought it lends that sense of immersion into the figure as a whole. It becomes, if you will, a part of the story that you are telling about your armies.

Cheers,

-Mike
 
#4 ·
I don't really make anything fancy of it. I buy a tub of bag of sand/flock I like and keep to it. Though, I do give my base a basecolour. For my desert schema on the DA i'm doing, I keep it at a Bubonic brown, let it try, add thinned down PVA, dip in flock and paint the sides of the base with Bestial brown. Every now and then I add in a little bit or so. I added a skull once and a ripped apart front torso of a marine. Or even a helmet.

As for "characters", I didn't do anything special, yet. The most "special" thing I did was adding a couple of rocks made out of corks from a wine bottle on the base of my Master of the ravenwing in speeder.
 
#5 ·
Glue the top of the base with PVA (after the model has been completely painted)
-Sand the base (then wait to dry for about an hour)

For straight sand bases, I prefer glueing the sand on (with pva) BEFORE I undercoat the model - I find it much easier to paint that way.

Also, when I glue it on, I do the same first step as you, but after it dries I also apply another coat of watered down PVA over the top. For some reason, this eliminates the chance of the whole lot peeling of the base sometime in the future, which used to happen upon occasion in the past when I did things the way you currently do.


And nice bases/marines, slorak!
 
#6 ·
I'll throw some cork on a base when I'm feeling ambitious, but for the most part I just go with the sand/static grass/snow route.

However, like Ancalagon, looking at Slorak's bases has made me rethink that approach. I'll be starting my Dark Anges here soon, and I might have to try something a little fancier. Well done, Slorak!
 
#8 ·
I usualy make snow bases (SW FTW:D ).

I do this:
*Give the base a coat of PVA glue
*Apply sand and some small rocks/slates
*Let dry (+-30min)
*Mix PVA glue with snowstuffthingy bought at a modelshop
*Apply it on the parts of the base you want snow
*Sprinkle flock over the whole base and remove the excess snow
*Add some small bushes and grass (for the bushes i use pre made snow coverd trees and cut them in small bushes)

Voila snow base ready
 
#9 ·
I make the base before the model is painted. And I do them separately! Only two times in the procedure the base and the model come near each other: when they are primed and when they are glued!

But basically I put on static grass, rubble anything actually. I decide what to put on from I want to show, where the army has fought and all!
 
#10 ·
Here's a tip I found through experimentation:

If you're having issues with flock coming off and getting the green crap all over whenever you move the model, try putting on another layer of glue- so coat in glue, apply flock, let it dry, another coat of glue. Often the flock becomes saturated and turns a slightly darker shade of green, but then you can just drybrush over it.
 
#11 ·
Well, I am pretty blocked off from supplies, so I do mine kinda nrmal. I just like to experiment with ideas. Although I am not a very good modeler or painter, but to see what I'm talking about you can look at my project forum, "The Night Stalkers".
 
#13 ·
For my Tau I use the same scheme as the OP, my Imperial Guard, who come from a heavily volcanic world are based to match their homeworld, which means
Apply sand, apply black ink (i tend to base after painting), drybrush 50:50 Codex Grey:Chaos Black, drybrush Codex Grey.

For my Eldar I am planning on a snow scheme, just not sure how to do it yet, suggestions are welcome
 
#14 ·
My bases take a while :(

1) Find your bases
2)Find foam
3)Glue desired ammount of foam on base
4) Carve foam to shape of rock/mountain cliff/canyon thingy
4) Base sides not covered (yeah right eh?)
5) cover with PVA glue, then black paint
6) add figure
7) prime figure
8)paint figure
9) paint rock
10) admire your work
11) get a snack, you deserve it!

Hm...that reminds me of my 8 steps on how to dig in a 10 step write-a-guide-to-the-treasure thing in english... Anyway, thats the 'even the dumbest soul in the universe will get this' version. If you do it right, it looks magnificent.
 
#15 ·
And don't worry about not being a good modeller/painter, as you say... I am not too but I give it a go! If you don't experiment you will not learn! :yes:
 
#21 ·
Admitedly, I didn't make them. They were bought on Ebay. I posted them mainly because they're simple and cheap. The ebay seller casted them out of a latex/resin mix (I believe). More of my friends are moving towards casting their own models from resin or plaster kits. It's suprisingly easy, but takes a little experience in order to prevent air bubbles from forming into the model.
 
#20 ·
i'm making my orkiebases to fit in my future project of making a gaming table...

this table will be a cities of death tabel so my orkos are currently standing on a base of fine and medium-fine gravel with some bitz of sprue on each base. I also put some o the GW barbedwire on the larger bases...
 
#22 ·
i've changed my bases..

now using:

GW gravel
paint black
drybrush with graveyard earth
drybrush again with graveyard earth+bleached bone(optional)
drybrush with bleached bone
GW snow
add birch seeds.

there you have it. AWESOME looking autumn look!
 
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