Sand flock tips (Black sands of Isstvan V)

[Bloody Legionnaire]

I am just starting up my Legion Word Bearers army and I'm planning on making the bases Isstvan V "black sands" themed. IMO painting over sand gives it a different look that is more like wet dirt/soil that has dried and the paint also causes the sand to lose the "sparkle" that makes sand look like.. sand. 

I was considering just using black sand but I am unsure as to what the finally product would look like. Finer sand would be better I think and I've seen some silica sand on Amazon that is used in aquariums.. figured that would work well. However, I'm also not quite sure what the best way is going to be to model the sand on the base. What I mean by that is making sure the miniatures look like they are realistically standing in a sandy environment as opposed to sinking in it. 

 

any tips tricks for keeping the sparkle on painted sand that looks like light is reflecting off of it? 

[m0nolith]

Simple solution, gloss or satin varnish depending on how reflective you want it to be.

 

Also, although you seem to know what you want to do, whenever someone asks about Istvaan V bases on here I usually post this up just in case.

Its just another option to keep in mind.

 

[Isolia]

Since I have black sand in my aquarium, I used that on a base, but I usually paint over it with dilute dry brushing to give it more depth. if you don't have the glossy glassy sand used for kid's fish bowls it's usually quite near and natural looking, and the granulometry is usually quite homogeneous . Fish around in an aquarium shop ;)

[Brother Crazywolf]

I snagged some very fine black sand at the local pet store that is used for hermit crab enclosures. Was only a couple of dollars for a pound or so of material. I would suggest looking there as well. The black was close to a dark ash in color so it may work for an Armageddon type base as well.

 

As for not sinking iinto the Sands, maybe do some shims using plastic and to get your marine up off the base a touch and then build up layers oof pva glue and sand to make the transition smoother. Just an idea. Maybe a touch time consuming though. An alternative would be to just use a thin bead of pva around the feet of the model, shape as desired while tacky and the flock with the sand.

 

I grabbed it since I am considering a scorched earth look for my bases but haven't had much time to work on them.

 

Crazywolf

[M@verik115]

Just get astrogranite and then wash it with nuln oil mixed with a tiny drop of black ink. 
It worked really well for me. 

[Aspecti]

Look for Vallejo Black Lava, it's incredible and much cheaper than GW products

[SW1]

A layer of PVA then dunk the base into the sand will give you a fine layer on the base. If your concerned about it looking like it's sinking in just be neat with your PVA application and don't get it on the feet!

 

Though saying all this in a sandy environment a Space Marine would sink in a bit to sand. They'd probably struggle to fight in certain sandy environments as they weigh so much. So is there an issue with modelling this?

[NovemberIX]

Warning: Most of the stuff I do is borne from bad habits, and lackadaisical experimentation. Experienced modelers tend to think of my methods as "slightly nutty"

So, I do black sand "glasslands" bases .

I evenly apply CA glue to the top of the base and then press it into one of my sand containers (I have different coursness), sometimes adding more glue on to one side to add on some different grains and height variation.
I'll then spray black, and drybrush it with a couple of different metallics to bring back a sparkle, for my bases I go heavy, but a lighter touch will give a finer look to the sand. If too much metallic get applied hit it with a black ink or wash to even it out again. I like using chains and piping to break up the monotony. Once all is said and done, just glue the model down with some more CA, though it's probably better to pin in place.