Baugi's Basing Basics for Beginners

[Baugi 3910]

Next up: a tiered mountain base! Quite similar to the previous one in many ways, but a little more dramatic, and much better for small minis.

 

Tiered Mountain Base

 

Materials:

- base - I prefer circular ones

- cork - thin sheet, in this case, but thicker can work too

- superglue (I used Gorilla Cyanoacrylate)

- white glue (Elmer's school glue in my case)

- acrylic gesso

- flocks, static grass, "urchins", whatever you've got

- either snow flock or baking soda (bicarbonate of soda to the Brits)

 

Step the first: tear cork into 2 or 3 suitably sized pieces. Glue largest first, then next largest... You get it. We're looking for stairs here, after all.

 

 

 

Next, either prime and paint black, or prime black. I have a big bottle of black acrylic gesso for this sort of thing. Works like a charm!

 

 

 

More to come!

Edited August 5, 2014 by Baugi

[Baugi 3910]

Ok! After the gesso, I heavy drybrush with P3 Bastion Grey (quite a bit like MSP Stone Grey). It's a warm, green brown grey. Looks great for natural rock outdoors. Then lay down a couple brown washes.

 

I should mention that at this point, I went back and put down some pumice gel in the cracks between the cork and base lip, primed and painted it too. Should've done that earlier!

 

Next, drybrush up with p3bastion grey, rainy grey, icy grey and a little AP ash grey.

Also some russet brown down on the pumice.

 

 

At this point, you can add any finishing touches you like. I did a bit of moss flock and a dead grass tuft around the other side. I considered doing snow again , but I do like it as is.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Baugi

[Baugi 3910]

Next!

 

Deep forest, woodland base

 

None of your bright yellow grasses here! This is a woodland base inspired by the forests near my home. That means dense greenery, rich browns of plant decay, the browns and reds of cedar and greens of moss.

 

 

Materials:

1 base

Gesso

Sticks

Leaf scatter, dried tea, whatever you like

White glue and cyanoacrylate

Green flocks

 

 

 

First, bust off a length and width of stick that works for you. I bought a decorative stick broom from Michaels a couple of years ago on clearance, and it's been a great source of sticks, twigs, etc. Get some gesso on there and let it dry.

 

I'll update tomorrow!

[Baugi 3910]

Once you've got your wood element(s) a nice solid black, bring some colour back up. I wanted to give the impression of old deadfall, not a recently cut log, so the traditional lighter colour on the inside doesn't make a lot of sense. Quickly, with a cheap flat, i painted it in blackened brown. Then, using the side of the flat , streaked it with auburn shadow and carrot top red, to get that red cedar bark look.

 

 

Then I took some old dried tea (make tea, drink it, tear open the bag, scatter on a paper towel, let dry), put it In a baby food jar with a few drops of Vallejo sepia ink and red shade, and shook. The result was this:

 

 

Next, we start putting it all together!

[MissMelons 32743]

I just want to say. I love your tutorials.

[Baugi 3910]

Thanks so much for saying so! I hope some folks find them helpful. Basing rapidly became one of my favourite parts of the hobby when I came back to painting a couple years ago. I don't know that I've done any minis other than my LTPK1 Anhurian and rat that didn't have some kind of custom base.

[MissMelons 32743]

I'm pretty intimidated by basing so seeing this so detailed and in steps gives wonderful insight and security.

[Evilhalfling 20050]

this looks very helpful.  Whats next? 

[malefactus 45860]

You do have a fine way of presenting your tutorials; i.e., avoiding the long drawn explanations in favor of to the point statements & LOVELY photos. It's always enlightening see how other Folk's approaches to the craft. VERY WELL DONE!

[Baugi 3910]

I had intended to begin assembly at this point, but nevermind! I'm going to try something I've never done before that I read about on massive voodoo or somewhere!

 

Blister-foam moss!

 

Materials:

Blister foam (grey stuff in the blister pack behind the miniatures)

Cyanoacrylate (super glue)

Gator/binder clip

Paints, inks and washes

 

First! Apply glue to log.

Second! Wrap blister foam around log and glue!

Third! Clip foam in place!

Fourth! Wait!

 

Next! Pull off foam! Glue will hold some behind, pluck away excess with tweezers.

 

 

Then! Mix up some inks or washes for a dark green. I uses a mix of Army Painter green and Strong tones.

 

 

Finally, drybrush greens. I used p3 gnarls green, p3 wurm green, p3 ordic olive, rms leaf, rms olive and some rms clear yellow. Dark to light, with blue greens toward the lower ends on the sides, and yellow on the topmost fluffy bits. I'm insanely happy with this, and will absolutely do it again.

 

 

Next time assembly! Probably!

[chaoshead 3731]

Very nice little tutorial on the moss.

 

I had done that once on a base by accident!

 

Well, actually my son did it to one of my bases on accident...maybe, he was three or four and got into my stuff.

[ShadowRaven 54641]

love that moss. I'm gonna have to use that on some of my current projects.

[aku-chan 22546]

Awesome moss idea!

[Baugi 3910]

Thanks! I read about it a while ago so I can't take credit for the concept, but I'm definitely happy with the result!

[MiniCannuck 1774]

Great tutorials - much appreciated.  I especially liked the moss idea.