Natural Looking Bases

by: Jeremy Bernhardt

So, you've got a beautifully painted miniature sitting on an empty black base. Or maybe
you've got a miniature that looks great with the rest of the unit, but the unit still looks
incomplete. Maybe you're just tired of all of your models standing around on sand or in a lush
meadow somewhere. Whatever the case, you need to spice up your bases. The techniques in
this class will give you a solid foundation for making bases that look realistic, and that add to the
overall presentation of the miniature. Without the base, the model just isn't complete.
If you've never done any basing for your models, now's the perfect time to start. If you're
already basing your models, but you're just brushing on some glue after you've painted model,
then dipping the whole thing in sand or static grass, this class is going to give you the tools to
create bases that are going to have much more variety. If you're already doing some fancy bases,
you can always learn new techniques, and you might just be inspired to try something completely
different for your next pieces.

The Basics

What is a base?

Sounds simple, right? Well, when I think about my miniatures, whether they are display
pieces or gaming models, the base is more than just the piece of plastic the model is standing on.
The base is just as important as the painting and the model itself. All three of these things work
together to tell a story. The base sets the scene for the model. The same model will tell a
different story if it is standing on a snow base than if it is on a desert base. It will tell yet another
story if the base is a rocky cliff.

Where do you want the miniature to be?

This question has two parts, actually. They are both equally important when you're
planning your bases.
First, what is the setting you want for the miniature? The unit? The army? Do you see
the model in a swamp, a forest, a cavern, or perhaps the ever-popular dusty wasteland? Once
you have an idea of the setting, gather some pictures of those types of locations for reference and
inspiration. Google Images makes this really easy, and the more you use certain base styles, the
less you'll need to refer to your collection of images. Whenever I'm working on a new setting for
some bases, I'll grab reference pictures. Getting a base to look realistic is a lot easier when
you're looking at a picture of a real place.
Second, where will the model stand on the base itself? You've got a great idea for
building a desert base with a sun-bleached cow skull. Well, before you go and glue the skull
down, think about how and where you'll need to place the model. If it's a display model, you've
got more freedom to use a larger base. If the model is for a game, you might not have that option
open to you. Placing a running model so that his foot is right next to the skull might let
everything fit, but if that model were alive, he probably wouldn't have stepped right there while
he was running. Your mind will pick up on these things subconsciously when you see the
model, and the more you look at the model, the more things like this can stick out.

Should basing come before or after painting the model?

This follows right up on the second part of the previous question. The honest answer
here is that it all depends on what you prefer. I will usually build whatever parts of the model I
can that won't get in the way when I'm painting, then I'll build the base separately. I have my
bases as completely separate pieces from the models and I paint them each in turn, then I bring
them together when I am finished with both. I also remove the metal tabs from my miniatures
and fill in any slots in the bases before I start my base work. I prefer to pin my models to the
base. Not having to worry about the slot gives you more freedom when you're placing the
model, and you don't have to worry about going back and filling in the top of the tab to match the
rest of the base.

What materials do I need?

Just like paints, brushes, additives, media, and models, what materials you have in your
basing collection will grow and change over time. Here are a few that I will use in all of the
examples in this handout. Some of them aren't going to be used as often, but you never know
when inspiration will find you coming up with a great idea for an interesting base.

● Sand - multiple types of sand, from super fine, to course, to small gravel. I keep a tub of
my "sand blend" on hand so I don't have to mix it each time.
● Static Grass - like the sand, static grass is a basing staple. I like to keep a few different
colors and lengths on hand. Different static grass works for different settings
● Cork Board - Yes, cork. Thin, thick, whatever you've got. Cork is great for rocks and
cliffs.
● Slate pieces - Whether you're using actual slate chips, or you use the recipe from this class,
slate pieces work in lots of places, especially in snow bases
● Glue - white glue (Elmer's) and/or wood glue. You've got to attach those materials with
something, right? These can also be used by themselves for some interesting affects.
● Putty - Apoxy Sculpt, green stuff, etc. Putties are great for building up a base, making a
hill, and lots of other fun things.

Let's Build Some Bases

Here are a few classic base styles. None of them are very complicated, and all of them
will help to bring your models to life.

Sand and Grass

The most basic type of base is a sand/dirt base. You put some watered down white glue
on the base, then dip the base into your sand. Let this dry for a few minutes, then shake the extra
sand off back into your container of sand. Simple enough, right? Well, there's a few things to
keep in mind to make this look like dirt at model scale, instead of having your model look like
he's wading through a field of rocks.

● Use mostly extra fine sand, but mix a few other grain sizes into your mix. (Remember that
"sand blend" I mentioned?) This keeps the surface irregular, but doesn't break the illusion
of scale. Craft stores like Michael's or A.C. Moore are great for this kind of stuff; just
check in the floral/candle section.
● Always paint your sand. It might already look like sand to you, but when you see a
painted model standing on bare sand, the scale is wrong and it makes the model look out of
place.
● Drybrushing is your friend for sand, and you'll want to go a bit brighter than you'd think.

Once you've got your sand in place and painted, it's time to add some static grass. Again,
break out the white glue, and put some thinned spots down with an old brush here and there. Dip
your base upside down into the static grass, and remove it. Tap the sides of the base to knock off
most of the extra flock. Once you've got most of it gone, blow lightly across the static grass to
help it stand up (unless you want it to look light trampled grass).
This patchy look works great for deserts and for fields. Unless your model is standing in
the middle of a meadow, you probably won't have the base completely covered in static grass.
Even if you are covering the whole base with static grass, adding the "dirt" underneath is only a
little bit more work, and adds a subtle effect to the finished model.

Rocks

A rock base is a great way to add some height to a model. This is useful for picking out
the leaders of a unit, or just to give a bit more depth to the scene you're building for the model.
You might be limited by the shape and size of the base horizontally, so adding a bit of variety
vertically can do a lot for a model.
Cork is a great material for doing rocks on a base. You can usually find cork in sheets at
a craft store, as trivets for pots, or even already broken up at craft stores. (noticing a pattern?) It
breaks up into very irregular shapes with lots of pits and crags. You can just glue these pieces to
your base and put your model on them, but to get it to look more natural, there's a little bit more
you'll need to do.

● Pick at the top of the cork and/or add some of your sand mix to the top. You'll rarely find
rocks that are flat and level in the real world.
● Use some sand where the cork meets the base, or where two pieces of cork meet each
other. This helps to camouflage the edges of the cork to make a more natural transition
from the ground to the rough rock face. This is also a great way to blend two layers of
cork together.

One thing I've seen all too often with people who are first experimenting with cork for
their bases is to use two small "rocks" placed so each of them is under one of the model's feet.
How often would you find two rocks perfectly placed for you to stand on like that, and why
would you stand there instead of standing somewhere that takes less effort (a larger rock, the
ground, etc.)? Sure, cork "rocks" are cool, but if you wouldn't stand there in real life, your
models probably won't look right if they're standing there either.

Snow

A snow base is a great way to completely change the mood and the feel of a miniature.
Like the sand and grass bases, snow bases also give you a lot of room to play around with the
details. You can go with a fully snow-covered base, patches of snow banks left over from a
previous storm, or even have the snow melting away as spring returns. It all just depends on how
you mix up your snow, and where you put it on the base.

Here's the snow recipe I like to use:

Mix your water and glue at roughly equal parts, and add in your baking soda. You're
looking for a mixture that it similar to toothpaste. Sometimes you might want thicker, but that's
a good reference. For melting snow, add more water to your mix to get a consistency that is
closer to thin slush. I've seen some people add a bit of gloss medium to this recipe, but I
personally leave it out.
Once you've got your snow mixed up, use a toothpick or a sculpting tool (or whatever
else you've got handy) to add it to the base. This is kind of like putting icing on a cake. Add a
blob, and spread it a bit over where you want it. This is particularly effective with layers of slate
because they give you lots of flat surfaces where the snow would sit, but you've still got edges
exposed to add a different color and texture to the base.
After you've got your snow mix on the base, but before it dries, you can make footprints
in the snow with your model's feet. Usually, there's only going to be space for a single footprint,
two at the most. A casual walking stride is usually around 2/3 to 3/4 of the length of your legs,
so use that distance on the model as a guide. If the model is dragging something, or is wearing
coat or cape that touches the ground, figure out where the model will be on the base, and then
leave a "trail" where it's been dragged over the snow.

Taking It To the Next Level

Any of the bases described above work fine on their own, but there are extra things that
can be added for display pieces, centerpiece models for an army, or just to help make each base
unique. Pieces from other models can help further tie the model into the base. The materials
used in architectural models can save you time and add a lot of detail with only a little effort.
You can even add water elements to your bases.

Details, Details, Details

Just like replacing a blank base with sand, flock, texture, and paint helps make a model
look more complete, adding details to your base helps to add a sense of life and realism. Broken
weapons, bones, and blood can tell a story of your model surviving a mighty battle. Using the
weapons, armor, and colors of a friend’s army can show a history of warfare between your
forces. Jerrycans and ammunition are supplies that you would normally expect to see in this
environment, so adding them helps to place the base into a larger context. Adding these at
various stages of building your bases lets you decide to have things appear long buried or freshly
dropped. Adding real sticks for fallen logs or roots works well, but you should prime and paint
them, just like the sand. You might even sculpt a small animal somewhere on the base. It's
something to paint differently from the base, and it will show that your model really is part of the
world, not just posed for a pretty picture.

Styrene is Your Friend

Architects, engineers, and model railroad enthusiasts have known this for years. Using
plastic parts can be a great way to save yourself some time and headaches. You can get sheets of
“plasticard” in various thicknesses and patterns. There are also rods, strips, and tubes that come
in an equally impressive selection of sizes. There are even I-beams, H-beams, right angles,
girders, ladders, and all kinds of other things you can use. Instead of sculpting your own
cobblestones or bricks, see if there is a style of plasticard that you can use as the starting point
for your base. If you are making bases for models for a pulp gangster setting or a wild west
game, using pre-made sheets with a wooden board texture gives you a quick and easy way to put
your models on wood floors without cutting your own scale lumber and laying each board
individually.
The various types of plastic shapes and textures work especially well with modern and
sci-fi settings. I like using these techniques to build bases for my Nomads and my Haqqislam
army. The Nomads get bases to reflect the fact that they live on 3 large space ships according to
the Infinity fluff. My Haqqislam army is living on a desert planet, but their cities are modern,
and I have gone with a light industrial theme for the bases.
The first thing to figure out for these bases is whether the ground is going to be smooth or
textured. Select the appropriate sheet of plasticard, and you’re ready to go. Since you’ll use the
plasticard as the new surface of the base, you don’t need to worry about whether there’s a slot in
the base or not. Cover the top of your base in plastic glue or super glue, and then stick it on the
bottom of your sheet of plasticard. Since this is just to give you a different surface on your base,
the thinner the plasticard, the better. Let it dry, and when it’s set, you’re ready to move on. You
can also mix and match with different pieces of plasticard (such as half diamond plates and half
smooth, for example).
Once everything is dry, you’ve got a base (or multiple bases, if you’re doing a bunch of
similar ones) glued to a much larger sheet of plasticard. The first thing to do is to cut the general
area out around the base. A good pair of scissors is more than up to the task of cutting thin
plasticard, so cut out the area around the base, then use the scissors or a pair of side cutting
clippers to cut the extra away. You can just follow the curve of the base with the clippers to
make things easier. This doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth or even. Once you’ve gotten most
of the extra plasticard cleared away, use a file to clean up the edges. Once you prime and paint
these bases, you shouldn’t notice anything unusual about the edges.
After cutting out your base, you’re ready for the fun to begin. You can add details on top
of these bases the same way you would for other bases, or you can build completely new detail
pieces from more plasticard and plastic rods. You can also cut holes out of your bases and place
detail pieces underneath the base to add another layer of detail.
 Since there are so many different ways to build these bases, here are a few examples for
inspiration.

Water, Water, Everywhere

From a still pond or gentle brook to a rushing waterfall, adding the wet stuff to a base
always draws some attention. You don’t need to setting for painting the base blue if you want
show water on it. You use different materials depending on which type of water you’re looking
for. For still water, you will use a two-part resin that is poured onto the base. For turbulent
water, I use Woodland Scenics Water Effects.
Regardless of what type of water you want to do, the preparation is essentially the same.
You’ll need to have an indentation in your base for the water to fill, and you’ll want to have
everything else on the base finished before you start adding your water. It is easiest if you have
the design planned out before you start building the base. If the base is going to be largely
covered with water, you may want to remove the center top of the base and glue the remaining
ring to a sheet of plasticard with glue specifically for plastic models. This will lower the surface
of the base so you start with a place to pour your water. You can add rocks, logs, or whatever
else at this stage, prime and paint everything, and then add your water.
You don’t have to have your painting doing all the work for you when you want to add
liquid to a base. You can add a little bit of ink to your resin to tint your water, or you can add
thin glazes on top of the resin when it has cured. You can do the same with the thicker Water
Effects material. Use the tiniest bit of ink you possibly can if you are adding it to the resin when
you are mixing it up. It is really easy to go overboard and have things end up a lot darker than
you originally intended. Coloring the water effect is great for slime, blood, and acid.