This is a step-by-step on how I do my bases.

1. I mount 2 magnets on the bases and on the vehicles. Step-by-step can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17738


By nickfun at 2012-02-15

2. I hot glue small pieces of carton box cut with scissors to add bumps to the base.
(NOTE: if you intend to pin a mini on the base, use, instead of carton box, cork, mdf bases or whatever offers you a solid base for pinning.)




By nickfun at 2012-02-15

3. Ready mixed filler to smooth the bumps.




By nickfun at 2012-02-15

4. While the filler is wet I dip stones of different sizes, so that the stones are not ''standing'' on the base but ''emerging'' from the base.




By nickfun at 2012-02-15

5. PVA and medium sand. At this point I start my basing for the 25mm bases.




By nickfun at 2012-02-15

6. Mixture of beastial brown, PVA and lots of water.




By nickfun at 2012-02-15

7. Drybrush with vomit brown and Bleached Bone.




By nickfun at 2012-02-15


By nickfun at 2012-02-15

8. Stones are painted German Grey, Khaki, Dheneb Stone, Mirage Blue (random colours), washed with green-black wash and drybrushed with Codex and Fortress Grey.


By nickfun at 2012-02-15

9. Static grass blend of scorched, glade and normal grass.


By nickfun at 2012-02-15

10. Adding some new stuff I bought lately, bushes, underbushes, summer undergrowth, and purlpe and yellow flowers!

Bases done! (apart from the rim of the stealthsuits which is done with graveyard earth)


By nickfun at 2012-02-15


By nickfun at 2012-02-15


By nickfun at 2012-02-15


By nickfun at 2012-02-15

Hope you like the article!

Nikos.

Very cool article on your process. I've edited the name for easier reference. Just adding it to our Resources sticky!

Where do you get your "flower" grasses?

- T.

Thanks for the sticky inclusion Tael!

Hope you do something for the Devilfish, too...

The flowers are woodland scenics flowering foliage. They are like ultra small yellow sponges attached on a nylon mesh. I drybrush the static grass of the base with pva and apply the flowers on top.

Nikos.

Wow this is very useful! I was looking to rebase a couple of my armies and may just use this technique! Thanks,

Carl

Really great tutorial.

I might add a step of inking or washing the earlier stage of the base to help save dry brushing steps, but this method works and turns out gloriously.

I like the way you have built up the base using the cardboard/filler - makes the bland flying base look much better

It might be worth painting the rocks before you glue on the sand to avoid the grey paint wandering onto the sand areas and as Nevar says us an ink or wash on the sand to avoid the need to drybrush at all

The undergrowth is good too!

Thank you Nevar and El'mo!

Definitely there are many different ways for the sand and many other steps. Actually, the colour combination I use for the sand is from GW website, the deamonic incursion.

This deserves its "Added to Resource Articles" promotion. Bases are every bit as important to making a model look 'finished' and your article shows us just how simple it can really be.

Thank you for your efforts, nickfun.

I also have a question for you. I have found from experience that the PVA glue when applied to flying bases can tend either to "contract" on itself, or else doesn't do a good holding job when dry. Is there anything you could suggest to assist this happening, or is it primarily because the bases have still got a degreasing agent on them which needs soap and water?

It's just particularly annoying, and your bases do not seem to be showing that sort of problem.

Thanks for any help.

E.

Thank you Eiglepulper! After every comment you do I feel proud!

I am just trying to give back to ATT a small fraction from what I am getting.

The problem with the PVA and the base is actually the resin of the base. The problem is easily solved by priming the base before you do anything else (not the flying stand). Afterwards, applying the PVA on top of the primer layer gives you a nice coat easily manipulated and it sticks. Any primer does the job and the PVA does not shrink to blobs.

Though, I forgot to do it on the step-by-step. What I did was actually applying the sand straight after every brushstroke of PVA and after drying covering the exposed areas again in the same way.

Hope this helps!

Nikos

Yes it does, and thanks for the insight.

E.