Basing walkthrough
For this style basing you will need tools and brushes similar to the ones in the picture.
You will also require paint that is similar in shade to the ones in the photo, this is what we use, however these colours can be changed for different effect. Not to worry if you don’t have the exact colour a similar shade or brand will suffice.
For this style of basing we’re going to use sand and siflor grass, the image shows the kind of sand we use. Any sand will do and does not have to be as stony as ours. Again this is down to personal taste, just remember to let your sand dry out indoors overnight if it has been damp, or bake in the oven on a metal baking sheet at a low heat for an hour.
Apply a generous coat of PVA glue to the base of the figure using a longer thin brush for accuracy, being careful not to get any on the figure itself and your lovely paint job!
Dip the base of the figure in the sand until the base is fully immersed, then leave for a few minutes. Then remove from the sand and tap the underside of the base over your sand, this removes any loose particles. Put the figure and base aside to dry out, this can be speeded up with the aid of a hairdryer, however please be careful as plastic figures are light thus they will take off in the hurricane and will melt under the high heat of the hairdryer.
Once the sand is dry apply a base coat of rich praline mixed with a dash of water, this makes the paint the right consistency so it’ll be soaked into the sand allowing for easier coverage and a nicer finish. Again be careful of your paint job.
Now we need to start dry brushing, the reason for this is to build up several layers of paint on the high points of the sand grains to give the base more depth. Each consecutive layer needs to be brushed on slightly lighter then the previous layer. So apply a heavy dry brush with Macharius solar orange with a flat chisel ended brush, we apply some paint to the tip of the brush and using a block or palette edge we remove the excess with a few downward strokes. It is important that only a dry, thin amount of paint remain on the end of the brush. Next we gently brush the sand on the base with a downward flicking motion so just to leave a highlight on the grains of sand. This process will need to be applied in this order allowing for the previous layer to dry before applying the next. Macharius solar orange, Foundry Orange C, Corn silk, White.
Next thing we are going to add the grass tufts, decide in advance where you’re going to place them on the base. Next grab the tufts firmly with the needle nose pliers and pull firmly away from the sheet. Once the tuft is free apply some PVA glue to the underside of the patch and press into the desired position on the base, repeat the process for any additional patches of grass you may wish to apply. For our base we have chosen two.
The next thing we need to do is apply a dry brush to the tips of the grass once it has set onto the base. This will give it a greater depth and improve the aesthetic of your base and your miniature. Apply dry brushes the same as in step 7 in this order Corn silk and then white.
Finally we tidy up the edge of our base with a coat of black paint to frame the figure and the texture we just added to the base.’.
Voila! We are finished.
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