How to Base Figures - Part II
A Little more advanced
By Steve Crofts

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This next article deals with adding a few little extras and is designed to enhance things like command bases or large monster bases, but there is nothing to stop you from using these tips, etc… on your other models.

The steps are a little different to those in my first article and these that I am about to go through are done BEFORE the first article, but I will tell you when and what to do as I go along.

Are we ready….

Cue the music and away we go!

Getting Started

You will need the following: -



Tub of texture, (see first article for the recipe)

Scatter Flock

Acrylic paints

Paint brush bristles, ( I used some hair I’d bagged when my daughter had her hair trimmed!)

Super glue gel

A few small Twigs

A few small stones or gravel.

P.V.A. glue

Scalpel

Scissors

Paint brushes



Begin

First of all I started with the small stones, after giving them a wash and drying them, I glued them in various places around the base using the super glue gel.

Next comes the “long grass”.

To make this I took a small amount of hair and holding it with one hand I put a blob of gel across it, I then gave the hair a couple of twists and held it whilst the glue set.

I then cut the hair in two at the point where it had been glued, (this is to be the base of the “grass”.

Now take the scissors and trim it slightly just to neaten the bristles.

Using the scalpel I then “bored” small holes just big enough for the base of the “grass” to stick in, and glued the “grass” in position, again with the gel.

Once the “grass” was dry in the hole, I then splayed it by pressing my finger in the middle and adding a small amount of pressure, once the “grass” was splayed I then trimmed it to look better and more natural.

This was done about a half dozen times.

After the “grass was in place the next items were the “Logs”.

I used about three small twigs o this base and glued those in positions again with the gel.

Texturing the Earth

I then added the texture and bird grit, (see my first article to find out how to do this).

And I also painted the earth and rocks using the same method as before.

Don’t go on to adding the flock yet as this comes later!

The logs and grass were painted after the earth had been done, and I will now cover this.



Painting the Logs

First of all after the earth I painted the logs.

A base coat of black was applied to the twigs, don’t put this on too heavy otherwise the bark grain will be obliterated and you will have nothing left to dry brush!

The second coat was heavily dry brushed on, the colour I used was Charcoal/ Anthracite grey.

The final dry brushing was light and for this I used the colour Quarry Pebble, ( a very light grey).

This last colour then finished the logs.

Painting the Grass

The Long grass was painted next, I used the colour Jungle green for this.

Once dried the first highlight was brushed on lightly, this was forest green.

The final highlight was a mixture of Forest green and Oatmeal mixed in a 50-50 consistency.



Flocking

To finish the base I then went through the process of flocking as described in my first article.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these two articles and are of use and benefit to you, If there is anything else you would like me to write about let me know Via the Editor and I’ll see what I can do.



Cheers
Steve.

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