Nerdanel Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hello all, I'm interested in doing more with my bases for my minis. What kind of things do you guys do for your bases? I just need some quick tips to start on. thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kormydigar Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hello all, I'm interested in doing more with my bases for my minis. What kind of things do you guys do for your bases? I just need some quick tips to start on. thanks! There are several different things to do for bases that are not that complicated. One of my go-to simple bases is made from simple DAP spackle. You can get a small container at any home improvement store, it even comes in pink that dries white so you know when its done. I just glue the mini to the base and apply spackle around the bottom and onto the integrated base of the mini (if it has one that I don't like such as the everpresent broccoli ones). Once applied, you can shape it into little flat and rough surfaces to resemble rocky ground. After it dries, you can snip off any little bits you don't want with a hobby knife or just use sandpaper. I usually do this type of base before I prime the mini. It may be tough to do on an already painted one without messing up the paintjob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stern Kestrelmann Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hey N. Well, I am a stickler on base work. Without good base work all the effort you put into your model can potentially be lost... Thay being said, do you use your models for gaming or display? This may dictate how you do your bases as well. I have a very simple technique I go through when basing a model for display. Others may have suggestions about doing a bases that with hold up under gaming conditions. 1. Put the model on a round or square base prior to painting. 2. Adding ground texture. I have a small bowl of Woodland Scenes medium balast (sp?) 1 part black and one part brown (mixed). I apply white glue to the top of the base and area surrounding the model. I usually water down the white glue just a bit with water before application. 3. Dip the model in the bowl of balast. Blow off excess. Let dry. 4. Adding rock and/or grass. Static grass is fun and easy to apply. Small rocks can also add a lot to your bases. I'm no expert, but I hope this helps... SK This topic has come up in the past check for past posts for reference as well... SK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kormydigar Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hello all, I'm interested in doing more with my bases for my minis. What kind of things do you guys do for your bases? I just need some quick tips to start on. thanks! The type of base Stern is describing also looks very good. It is possible to do this type of basework on painted minis if you are careful with the glue. You may also want to check out the awesome article Flynn wrote about cork bases pinned in this forum. I have made a couple of these and they look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlavanish Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I usually end up sculpting all my bases by applying green stuff or some other epoxy putty to a standard base and shaping it to different textures. Wood planks, cobblestones, brick, rock, etc. are not too difficult with a little practice. And it makes for a very solid base, unlike glued on basing material that may be knocked off with rough handling. I then pin the miniature to the base using brass or steel wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintRigger Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I have some mixed sand (larger pieces with smaller grains and stuff) that I like to use. I personally tend to stay away from ballast as it's designed to be too regular in size and shape - although there are moel railroad ground covers that are less regular. When I base the model - generally before I primer - I will glue the sand to the base using a white glue. Once it's dry, I'll go over it again with a really thinned down mix of white glue and water to "lock" the sand in place. Then I primer, and paint the model - and I quickly can drybrush the base then I'm done. I can then add static grass and what not. If you want to make your base busier, you can stick gubbins in before you primer as well. Here is a peek at the latest models I've done using this method to base - I paint the figures, and then hit the base with 3 shades of brown followed with an ivory for the bigger pieces to make them look like rocks. Glue a little static grass down and Robert is your father's brother. It also works for other terrain types. Using greys will give you a nice urban feel Different greys give a wasteland feel, lighter browns can create a desert feel etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spatula Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Mix paint with sand/ballast/flock in an old blister.(90% sand) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankthedm Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Once the mini is painted [1], paint white glue[2] onto the base. Sprinkle on sand or dry coffee grounds. Let dry. Done. 1.{Having the base be painted the color of the basing material helps with consistency.] 2.{Thinned down with 20%-50% water can work too. Do not use the “washable school glue”] For more complexity: Drop a few tiny rocks on the base before sprinkling on the sand. Use flock or Static grass.{only after using spray sealants] Advanced: If there is a large gap or uneven area on the base, mix sand and white glue together. Fill the gap or even the base out with this mix. Apply white glue only a part of the base. Apply the tiny rocks, then a pinch of sand to the area. Let dry. Then apply white glue to another part of the base. Add more tiny rocks followed by flock, coffee grounds or Static grass. Continue until the base is completed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vil-hatarn Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 I've got a couple different materials I use. The main one is a mix of flock and some sort of model railroad ground cover; it's a bit bigger than the flock. I'll also attach rocks of various sizes for interest. When painting, I paint roughly half brown and half gray. At the end, I'll flock or static grass some of the brown parts, leaving others bare. Depending on which color you make the rocks, this will work for almost any terrain (you could even drop the last step and make it desert!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lars Porsenna Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 Rather than just sprinkling sand on the base (inherently messy), I instead use a tub filled with sand and dip just the base. Tap soundly to get off the excess. Done. This of course assumes slotta-base type figures. For ones with the broccoli base or any other integral base, I use a variety of techniques, including: -Epoxy paste slathered all over to blend the bases together (this stuff is like epoxy but has the consistency of peanut butter -- halfway between putty and glue...) -Modelling paste from Liquitex. Works well on figures with thin bases; cracks with figures with larger bases. -Sand mixed with white glue. Works ok, not the most ideal. I use it on my 15mm figures as the texture in that scale isn't overdone. I've also used Liquitex Gloss Medium too, and that works OK, if a little spongy... -more recently, pumice (actually resin) paste from Liquitex. So far so good, and adds texture... Damon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousekiller Posted March 2, 2006 Share Posted March 2, 2006 It all depends on what the end effect you want is. For me, I like my like models to be based the same (i.e. elves, dwarves, etc.) so that when I place them on their like shelf they sort of tie into each other. For Dwarfs I use a sand/rock mix that I just apply with watered down glue. Then paint with GW fortress grey, to include the sides of the base, then wash with black, then highlight with fortress grey and hit any areas on the side that need a touch up, then highlight with white. That's just an example - but there are so many different things you can do. Try to use different methods, think about where your mini is supposed to be. Is he in the desert, the woods, on the beach, city, sewer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingwreckage Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 Fast base: superglue, fine sand. FLat Earth (VMC) followed by bone-ish drybrush. A few irregular spots of superglue, static flock. Looks good. Recommended for gaming miniatures. A gaming miniature on a gaming base looks better than an intermediate miniature on a sucky base. Especially across a squad or army, it's a major addition to looks for very little effort. I only learned this recently, the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabberwocky Posted March 5, 2006 Share Posted March 5, 2006 The folks over at www.brushthralls.com have an extensive set of tutorials. Look in the "modelling" section for ideas on bases. There are several articles on the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twjolson Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 To explore the topic of bases could take up an entire book......hint hint......Anne......Hint..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingwreckage Posted March 6, 2006 Share Posted March 6, 2006 I just want to reiterate how much better decent, or even OK basing will make your miniatures look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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