Ruined Flagstone Bases

[Griddon]

All.

 

I was asked in my Hawks thread how I do my bases so I thought I'd provide the tutorial.

 

Griddon’s bases

I like to make my own where possible. People like back to basics make awesome resin bases and these really do look great and save effort. But, to be honest I don’t find bases hard to make and I tend to batch them before I start painting my force. So, here is how I’ve been doing mine.

 

The materials

 

Ok, these bases are designed to look like an old ruined urban area smashed to pieces by the current conflict. Materials used;

 

Sand

Plasticard (not pictured)

Snow flock

Styrene Pipe

Balsawood (not pictured)

Slate chunks.

Standard GW bases, either slotted or non slotted.

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0017-1.jpg

 

The Method

 

OK, step one. Smash up some flat balsa wood sheet. Attach to a base. This is an opportunity to use any slotta bases you have knocking about as you can cover the slot with the balsa wood. I use superglue for this stage as it is quick drying.

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0019-1.jpg

 

Step 2. Add some random sections of pipe and slate to flavour and apply sand to the remaining areas. The sand is applied with PVA using a brush to spread on the exposed base areas and then either sprinkle the sand on top or submerge your base in the sand pot and shake. Knock off the excess here and make sure you are happy with the amount and the areas where the sand is adhered. Wipe off anything you don’t like.

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0020-1.jpg

 

Step 3. Score a flat sheet of plasticard in a deliberately inaccurate grid pattern. Thickness of car to flavour. I used about 0.5mm sheet. Once scored the card is easily snapped to create the flag stones of my eventual design.

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0021-2.jpg

 

Step 4. Apply the flag stones to the top of your current bases. Create nice overhangs and try and make look natural with some flag stones toppled and perhaps broken. More wear and tear can be added once the glue has dried. I used PVA for this step as the excess PVA is useful when applying Step 5.

 

Step 5. Apply small amounts of snow flock to random areas of the flag stones. This is designed as splattered mud and it breaks up the surface of the slightly too perfectly flat plasticard ;)

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0025.jpg

 

Step 6. I seal the bases once the glue has dried with a PU sealer spray. Any will do. This helps fix the flock and the plasticard. I then spray basecoat with black. I apply a dark brown wash using a mix of chaos black and cathlan brown foundation.

 

Step 7. Drybrush time. I start with adeptus battlegrey. Using a tank brush I perform drybrusing in 1 predominant direction to add some ‘grain’ to the flag stones. I aim to pick up the sand flock as well. Following the adeptus I move through to Fortress grey and finally a light dry brush with skull white.

 

Step 8. OK. At this point everything on the base has taken a grey drybrush. I want the snow flocked and sand areas to become mud. I’ve been achieving this with a devlan mud wash followed by selective oldschool GW chestnut ink application. GW don’t supply this anymore so you’d need to go looking for an alternative in an art shop of something from a Vallejo or similar range. Once dry, these areas only gain a drybrush with bleached bone.

 

Step 9. Finishing touches with tufts of an appropriate colour grass. These tufts are awesome and are available from a few places. Simply remove them from the backing with tweasers and apply to the base. I did use glue on my Xenos force but have found the adhesive on the film backing to be strong enough.

 

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0030.jpg

 

So, the end result;

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll233/Griddon/DSC_0029.jpg

 

Thanks!

[Brother Nihm]

Nice tutorial, ;)

You should consider submitting this as an article in the Librarium. (link on the top bar).

[aneato]

great job,I didnt expect to see a good ending but i was blown away.