Part 2, or ‘Paint It, and They Will Look Even Cooler.’

You can find Part 1 of this tutorial – ‘Base Building Basics’ here!

So, you now have the basic knowledge on how to build a few different kinds of bases, with a few basic materials. Now, how do we go about making them as beautiful as the models you’ve spent so much time painting? Well, for one, more paint! We won’t need much more than what was listed in Part 1 of Base Building Basics; water effects (I used Vallejo – Still Water for our Swamp base), some tall ‘Field Grass’ (from Woodland Scenics), and a few minor things from the Army Painter – Battlefields range. The only thing that is really essential that I didn’t mention in part 1 is the water effects. You can build beautiful bases without these extra supplies, but every bit always helps! There were a few things that we have to do before we get to painting up our bases, and these small steps will require at least an hour or two of waiting before we can move onto the painting. Let’s quickly go over what we’ll need to do to prep our bases for paint. All of the paints used in this article are Formula P3 colours, unless mentioned otherwise.

Working from left to right, the Cracked Earth Base was scrubbed with soap and water using a toothbrush to remove any vaseline residue. It then received a liberal coat of primer, as putty doesn’t take paint very well; it tends to slide all over the place. The Lava Break-up was covered in three layers of pure white glue to smooth out the sand. You want smooth edges between the grains, the reason which becomes evident as we begin painting. Don’t cover the top with glue, as that part can remain rough. However, after finishing the bases, I found that the Lava Break-up could have been left bare on the top to give it a more rock-like appearance, which would have looked much better. The Rock n’ Flock cork was given an even coating of 50/50 white glue water mix only on the cork. This is to seal the pores in the cork, and to act as a primer for our paint. Acrylic will adhere very well to white glue, so primer was only needed for the Cracked Earth base. If you want to prime your bases, go ahead, just make sure you seal any cork with a mix of white glue and water before you do.

The Lava Flow(left) was given a white glue and water seal over the cork, and more pure white glue was added to the ‘lava’ after each layer was dry. It took four layers of glue before the thickness was appropriate enough to hide the edges on our lava bubbles and fill almost to the lip of the base. The Forest (right) base was given the same white glue/water coverage over the cork, and the stick. The resin tree stump and putty mushrooms were brushed with a black primer. Again, feel free to prime the entire base if you’re using a spray.

The Junk Pile base (left) was given the same treatment of all of our cork bases; 50/50 white glue/water. The metal and styrene bits were brushed with some primer. The Swamp base (right) needed more sand in the bottom to get good coverage over the clear bottom. More white glue was brushed into the deep parts, and shaken in the tub of sand. I added two more layers of sand to make sure it was good and solid.

Once all of the extra white glue/water mixes, primer, and extra sand layers were thoroughly dried, you can begin with paint. Depending on how thick you apply your water/glue mix, wait at least an hour before moving onto painting your bases.

Our Cracked earth was base coated with Thornwood Green. The Lava Break-up was base coated around the edge with Menoth White Highlight, and our Rock n’ Flock was base coated with Bastion Gray. Only the cork was painted at this stage on our Rock n’ Flock base.

Our Lava Flow (left) was given a base coat of Menoth White Highlight around the edges, where our ‘lava’ will be. The cork will be painted last, after we completely finish the lava. The Forest (right) base was base coated the same as our Rock n’ Flock cork; Bastion Gray.

The Junk Pile base (left) was given the exact same treatment as our other ‘rock’; base coated with Bastion Gray. I should mention why I use it for rock. Bastion Gray has a brownish hue to it, and it makes a very natural rocky base colour. The other grays in the P3 range don’t have such a natural hue. I always use Bastion Gray for base coating any rocky surface I have to paint; the only differences between one project and the next is the highlights. The Swamp base (right) was base coated in Ordic Olive, which again, is another very natural looking colour and works well for our purposes here.

The Cracked Earth (left) was given a wash of equal parts Armor Wash, water, matte medium, and a spot of Thamar Black. This wash mix will further be referred to as the ‘Rock Wash’ for the rest of the article, since we’ll be using it a lot. Our Lava Break-up (middle) was dry brushed with Sulfuric Yellow, and then Khador Red Base. The Forest (right) wash washed with the same mix as the Cracked Earth base.

Our Lava Flow (left) was washed with two very thin washes of Sulfuric Yellow. Mix the wash 2:1 water to paint, and then 2:1 water/paint mix with matte medium. Wait until the first wash is completely dry before applying another, as we want this to merely tint our base coat. If you put it on too thick, don’t worry, we’ll go over how to touch it up later. The Forest (right) was washed with the same mix from our Cracked Earth and Rock n’ Flock; ‘Rock Wash’. You’ll see a lot of repetition, as I did all of these at the same time, and painted them assembly line style. As you gain more experience you’ll be developing methods and mixes that you like, and work well for your purposes.

The Junk Pile (left) was washed with the ‘Rock Wash’, and the Swamp was given a wash of Thornwood Green and water. As with all wash mixes, use a 2:1 water to paint ratio, sometimes even greater. I’ve found 3:1 works well with a touch more matte medium to keep the pigment from separating. Mix the water/paint mix with matte medium in a 2:1 ratio. When washing something, cover the entire area with the wash, and make sure it seeps into all the crevices and cracks. Try not to brush it too vigorously on rough surfaces, as it will create air bubbles and will leave your surface with pockets that don’t look natural, and are impossible to remove. Simply push the wash around gently with your brush. This becomes especially important when washing surfaces textured with sand, or that are rougher.

The next few steps are pretty quick, as we simply dry brush several layers of paint onto the bases.

Our Cracked Earth (left) was dry brushed with Thornwood Green, Gun Corps Brown, Hammerfall Khaki, and Hammerfall Khaki with a bit of Menoth White Highlight. The Lava Break-up (middle) was dry brushed with Thamar Black along the outside, and the top was base coated with Bastion Gray and washed with ‘Rock Wash’. After the final dry brush of Thamar Black, the ‘lava’ was washed with a 50/50 mix of Khador Red Base and Red Ink, a drop of water, and matte medium at a 2:1 paint/water to medium ratio. With this wash, we don’t cover the entire surface; just carefully wash around the black spots, and leave the deepest parts yellow/white. This gives the illusion of a molten glow. The Rock n’ Flock was dry brushed with Bastion Gray, Cryx Bane Highlight, and lastly, Trollblood Highlight. The sand was base coated with Rucksack Tan.

The Lava Flow (left) was given another light wash of Khador Red Base, water and matte medium. A mix of 2:1 water to paint, and 2:1 paint/water mix to matte medium. This time however, we don’t wash the entire surface of the lava. Leave the middle alone, and wash around the edges of the rock, around the bubbles, and along the lip of the base. Our Forest base (right) was dry brushed with the same colours as our Rock n’ Flock base; Bastion Gray, Cryx bane Highlight, and Trollblood Highlight. This will be referred to as ‘Rock Drybrush’ for the remainder of the article, and as the ‘Rock Wash’, we’ll be re-using it quite a bit. The tree and stump were base coated with Gun Corps Brown, and the sand was given a solid base coat of Rucksack Tan.

The Junk Pile base (Mind if I stop saying right and left now? I’m sure we all know which base is which at this point, correct?) had all of the brass bits, tubing and junk base coated with Games Workshop Boltgun Metal. The P3 equivalent is Pig Iron. All of those parts were then given a wash of Armor Wash and matte medium, 2:1. The Swamp base was dry brushed with layers of Ordic Olive, Iosan Green, and Sulfuric Yellow. Leave the recessed parts of the base alone. The base coat and wash is enough for that area. We want it to be darker, and look muddy when we pour the water effects in there.

We return to our medium and large bases for a moment, and we’ll let the small bases stay to the side for a bit as we get the rest of the detailing done on the larger ones.

We need to touch up the lava, and give the tree stump and tree a wash. The Lava Flow was painted in the centers of the lava, and on the tops of the bubbles with two very thin coats of Menoth White Highlight; this brightens it up, and gives the lava a glowing effect, as if it were very hot. The cork was then base coated with Bastion Gray. On the Forest base, the tree and stump were given a wash of Thornwood Green. The standard wash procedure; 2:1 water/paint, and 2:1 paint mix to matte medium.

The Junk Pile’s junk was highlighted with Games Workshop (GW) Chainmail, and Mithril Silver. The P3 equivalents are Cold Steel, and Quicksilver. The water effects were then poured into the Swamp base. Several layers are needed when using Vallejo Still Water, as it settles significantly as it dries. 4 applications were needed to fill the large recess in the middle of the base. Set it aside, and let each layer cure for at least an hour before adding another.

Back to the small bases. These ones are nearly finished, and all we need to do to the Cracked Earth is clean up the base lip with some Thamar Black. We can call this base complete, as nothing else needs to be done for models to be mounted on it. The Lava Break-up was highlighted with our ‘Rock Drybrush’, and the base lip cleaned up with Thamar Black to call it finished. The Rock n’ Flock base was given a wash of Vallejo Model Colour (VMC) – Smoke. The wash was made with 50/50 water and ink, and 2:1 ink mix and matte medium.

The Lava Flow rocks were given a liberal wash of ‘Rock Wash’. Be careful when applying this wash, as you want to keep it off of the lava. I advise to make the ‘Rock Wash’ a bit thicker by adding in a bit more matte medium. The Forest’s sand was given a wash the same as the Rock n’ Flock base; 50/50 water/VMC – Smoke, and 2:1 mix to matte medium. We will call this a ‘Sand Wash’ from now on. The tree and stump’s bark were painted exactly the same, and the stump had the exposed parts painted. The Stump’s interior was based coated with Hammerfall Khaki, washed with Thornwood Green, and highlighted with layers of Hammerfall Khaki and Menoth White Highlight; add in more Menoth White Highlight and cover just the outer edge of the interior of the stump for the final highlight. The bark was painted in thin lines with Gun Corps Brown, Beast Hide, and Hammerfall Khaki.

Our Junk Pile was given a ‘Sand Wash’, and the metal bits were stippled with thin layers of Bloodstone. The best way to paint rust is to leave the middle as bare metal, and cover the edges completely. Think about where water would pool on the metal parts, and paint a lot of rust there as well. The best advice is to observe and photograph actual rust for the most realistic look. More water effects were added to the Swamp base.

All the Rock n’ Flock base needs now is a quick dry brush of Rucksack Tan, and then ‘Jack Bone. Tidy up the lip with Thamar Black, and all of our small bases are finished being painted! All that remains is to add a bit of static grass, and/or grass tufts.

The Lava Flow rock was painted with a ‘Rock Drybrush’, and the lip was cleaned up with Thamar Black. We can call this one finished as well. The Forest base sand was dry brushed with Rucksack Tan, and then ‘Jack Bone. The mushroom stems were painted with Cryx Bane Highlight, and highlighted with Menoth White Highlight; for added realism, you can paint the ribs on the underside of the mushrooms with Menoth White Highlight. The tops were painted with Exile Blue, and Trollblood Base, and Skorne Red, and Khador Red Base. The spots on the blue are Menoth White Base, and the spots on the red mushroom are Menoth White Highlight. Aside from some static grass, and other small details, both medium bases are now finished being painted.

The Junk Pile gets a dry brush of Rucksack Tan, and ‘Jack Bone on the sand, and more water effects were added to the Swamp Base. At this stage is when I add some tall field grass to the Swamp base. Two clumps were enough (and of course, I forgot to photograph this part). You want to leave them out until the last layer of water effects is poured in is because the water effects will leach up into the grass, and ruin the realistic look of it. I used Woodland Scenics – Summer Field Grass. It’s really long, and must be cut to length; it’s best to cut it uneven to give it a more natural look. In the final photo, you’ll notice that the Swamp base’s water is cloudy. This is perfectly fine, as I didn’t have enough time to let the water effects completely cure. Leave it for a day or two, and all cloudiness will disappear. After the water effects were dried, I added a bit of Army Painter Winter Tufts, and Poison Ivy Tuft. These are shown in the final photo.

The rest of the basing is mere detail, and adding things like bushes and static grass. I hear a lot of folks on the forums wondering how to get static grass to stand up, and look like grass. So, I’ll show you how to get the most out of your static grass when basing.

To make our Forest base’s tree actually look like a tree, take two things; CA glue, and some clump foliage from Woodland Scenics. Put a small dot of CA glue on the end of each branch. Grab a few small clumps of the foliage and hold it on the end where your dot of glue is. Apply some pressure, and give the glue a few seconds to dry.

I added one dot of glue to the middle of the stick, just below our jutting branches, and stuck a small piece of clump foliage there. This creates some balance, and looks more natural, as the tree is more asymmetrical, which gives it a more wild, natural feel over the three evenly spaced branches. Now it looks like a live tree! After that, I added a small bush I found in a tub of Army Painter – Battlefields Autumn Undergrowth, and some static grass.

For the Rock n’ Flock base, I simply used a few tufts from the Army Painter Battlefields – Winter Tufts blister. It’s best applied with tweezers, and will stick best with a dot of CA glue underneath it.

For applying static grass, you need a few things in order for it to stand up, and to look it’s best; some tweezers, and a plastic container. I use a small tub I found in the art store, which works great for static grass. Put a small amount of your grass in the tub; no more than 1/4 full.

Give your tub of grass a really good shake for at least 30 seconds. This builds up static. Hence, the name static grass. This will help it to stand tall and actually look like grass. Apply a bit of water/white glue mixture (50/50) to the area you want your grass. Tweeze a bit of grass from your tub, and apply it in clumps over the glue. Let it dry for at least one minute, and blow off the excess. Don’t shake your base in the grass, and don’t dump it over the glue. Apply it in small amounts with tweezers for the best results.

That is all you need to know in order to build the best looking bases for your army. Don’t be afraid to experiment by using variations of these methods, and certainly don’t be afraid to try out new products! The Army Painter Battlefields range is excellent, and has some very interesting and useful (some not so useful) supplies for basing in it, and I highly recommend them. Expect a review of this product range in the very near future. Without further ado, our finished bases:

Rock n’ Flock

Cracked Earth

Lava Break-up

Lava Flow

Forest

Junk Pile

Swamp

Tags: Bases, Basing, Materials, Modeling, P3, Painting, Privateer Press, Thematic bases, Theme bases, Tutorial