Advanced Basing Techniques Continuing with the Golden Demon tutorials! I’ll be discussing basing techniques that require a bit more than the standard glue ‘n’ flock approach of my earlier article. This is an excellent step for competition entries, as well as a way to make your special character stand out from the crowd of troop models. One quick and easy way is to use ready-made bases. GW and Forgeworld make resin-cast bases for their dioramas and vignette bases for special characters, as well as the Dreadnaught bases, which are excellent for larger minions. When painted with the same attention as the figure, they accentuate the whole piece and save you the step of creating elaborate bases from scratch. One thing I’ve found out when it comes to this hobby is not to get rid of the extra bits. All of these extra bits go into your Bitz Box, and over time you will have quite a collection. This Pack Rat mentality has prompted me to purchase a tool cubby to keep them in, but I don’t lack for bitz!  The GW ruins sprue comes with plastic tiles that can be cut apart and glued onto the top of a base with polystyrene cement. For some minis I want a design painted on top of the tile. I pin the model but don’t glue it onto the base, and then paint it separately. A little dab of CA glue, (Super Glue), when everything is painted will secure the mini to the painted base. . A touch of static grass will make the tiles look overgrown and worn down. If you feel adventurous you can add further foliage. You can see from the pictures the variety of toadstools and flowers I’ve added to the bases. These are easy to create and add tons of character to the miniature bases.   If I have extra Green Stuff after sculpting, I will roll it into balls or cones to use as toadstool caps. When the balls harden I can cut them in half to make round caps. After drilling a small hole and gluing a small pin, they are ready to pin to the base and paint!   For flowers I draw out the flower petals with a pencil, and then cut out the shape with a sharp X-acto knife. I use tweezers to hold the flower and glue it onto the stem with PVA glue, (Elmer’s Glue). The stem is already glued into the base to facilitate assembly. I add a drop of PVA glue to the inside top of the flower to give it a 3-dimensional look.  I paint them with inks and finish with paints, but I don’t drybrush! I don’t want to accidentally tear the petals off with a heavy-handed brush stroke. I can also add little bits of rock and debris. Small rocks taken from around your house applied with CA glue or 5-minute Epoxy cement will affix them to the base. I will take a small bit of Green Stuff to mold around the rocks or debris, making the items look sunk into the ground. Depending on the size of the base, I can also add a familiar or small creature. This can add a touch of humor, (as seen above), or display a familiar the character possesses.  Base tiles can be added with plasticard or sculpted on with Green Stuff. This is great to show dungeon-denizens or broken down ruins, especially if painted with chipped iconography.  Tiles can be cut out with an X-acto knife and glued on with polystyrene cement. To show weight, I’ve made some stand upright by bolstering underneath with a touch of Green Stuff. Sculpting tiles is even easier. Roll a small ball of Green Stuff flat on the base, and then make small impressions with a sculpting tool or an X-acto knife.  After priming the mini, the depressions can be inked and the raised areas highlighted to your choice of colors. Using Green Stuff or Milliput you can create your own rocks or formations. If you want to make hard edges I recommend Brown Stuff. When hardened this can be filed down into angles or cut with an X-acto to make rocks and ledges.  I hope these pics and tips will add to your Miniature Art repertoire. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at rg@raginggaijin.com and I will respond ASAP!