Bases for MeG - 15mm Bactrian Army
Bases are a secondary thing to models themselves but certainly they should not be ignored. Well made bases can make a huge difference. Poorly made - spoil the effort to make models look good. So please, let me offer some ideas on bases and what techniques can be used to achieve a simple but not boring base with a little effort. Or at least I hope you consider the result to be ‘ok’ :)
As it is an army - I see no point to spend a lot of time on individual bases. The main thing is to keep to chosen, for the army, theme. In my case - Bactrians (modern Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) that ride through the vast steppes of Central Asia.
Once the models are ready I go for basing. Start with Vallejo Earth Texture - Brown Earth.
This paste allows for quick effect, grains are really small - suitable for 15mm scale. Of course there are several colours of such pastes to choose from. It is the only one I used though, so can’t tell if all of them have the same properties, but I assume that they do.
Paste is strong enough to hold the models in place. I simply dip them in about a 1,5mm deep paste cover, no extra glue. The reason I do so is that it is way easier to put the paste of an empty base. Also, it allows for some positioning of the models for as long as the paste is not dry yet.
Paste is best applied with medium-soft flat brush. Then I make corrections, after models are already placed, with a small brush to get to areas near the models. I suggest making the corrections after placing each individual model, not only after all are placed. Sometimes it is really tricky, but any imperfections can be covered with a flock later - do not worry about some space left uncovered. To be sure no metal is visible, I paint bases of the models (those that come fixed to the legs) with Vallejo Parasite Brown before I add them to the final base.
Now we have some free time as the drawback of this paste is that it takes a couple of hours before it dries. Minor issue, but keep it in mind, especially if you decide to add some extra paste as a second layer - it can not be done sooner than after at least 2h, from my experience.
The next step is to add some highlights with drybrush. Paste is a bit glary without that but the main reason is to expose the pointy areas for more 3-dimensional effect.
I suggest 2 layers of highlight. In my case the first - with Iraqui Sand and second one with Icy Yellow.
At this stage it is slightly overdone. So the next step is to go for light Sepia Wash (diluted). It makes transitions smoother and lower parts of the surface deeper. Sometimes I use the second wash - for the deep parts only (non-diluted). (Photo shows only the first wash)
The next stage is to add some flora to the bases making them more ‘alive’. The choice of tufts and static grass depends a lot on personal preferences and also the area our army normally fights on.
I tried to replicate Central Asian Steppes (Bactria). Which allows a lot of flexibility in fact as the colours change a lot during the seasons of the year. Fairly bright grass is a common thing. But also low bushes/high grass can be found there. Often pale due to heavy sun.
(source of the photo 1: http://www.karakalpak.com/histuzbek.html , the photo 2: https://romainlorrilliere.wordpress.com/2016/05/05/houbara-bustard/central-asian-steppe-kazakhstan/ )
For that purpose I used 2mm static grass, fairly bright colour (usually such colours are called ‘spring grass’ or similar). Then I use 3-4 different types of tufts. At first I used only 2mm dark grass tufts (Gamers Grass) + steppe grass 6mm (Paint Forge) + Marshes 6mm (Paint Forge). Then I decided to add some brown grass 4mm to make the bases less pale (Gamers Grass).
The choice in the market is huge, the key thing, in my opinion, is to use a few different types of flock on the base and to not be afraid to experiment and use strong colours. Sometimes we have some imagination about a certain region we wish to represent (especially the remote ones) and after a quick research it turns out it is more versatile than expected. It is good to use that fact.
As the final touch I like to add some small, bright rocks. Again - the reason is to make it more 3-dimensional and ‘alive’. Even in the open field you can find a rock here and there.
Here is the final result:
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