"Simple basing technique wanted" Topic

Right now I am using little plywood bases bought from Micheal's Arts and Crafts Store to base my individual 15mm figures. I am looking for something simple to apply on the base and just paint to get a better looking (more realistic) base. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks Again!

As long as your figures' bases are well sealed with paint, I would suggest PVA wood glue with greenish acrylic paint added and well mixed. This can be diluted, painted onto the base and then sand/ crushed cat litter or similar can be sprinkled on. Once it's dry, use dry brush of ochre/ browns/ other green colours according to region you want your troops to fight in. Alternatively, mix up several different flocks and static grass material; blob dilute PVA mix onto base and sprinkle the flock mixture to get more texture and colour variation.
It is important to make sure that figures are really well sealed as there is A possibility that PVA type glues may be a promoter for " lead rot" in some alloys. Modern mixes are not likely to be a problem, as lead content is minimal or non- existent, but if figures are more than about 20 years old, be careful.

Option 1) Mix sand (free from local parks) with green paint, apply to bases; after it dries, drybrush with a yellow/ochre/brown color.

Option 2) Apply dabs of Clear School Glue to the bases, then sprinkle train ballasts of appropriate colors to the glue spots, and then dump the excess ballast back into its container -- repeat as necessary. After the glue dries, your ballast should stick well enough. You could drybrush the ballasts, but not necessary.

Option 2A) Purchase colored sands from hobby stores (Michael's sells them -- I bought black sand for a specific purpose, but other colors would serve here); apply Clear School Glue dabs, and apply the sand in spots, or just mix it with the Clear School Glue, and paint it onto the base lightly, or in daubs, here/there, sparingly, to form patches of colors.

Option 3) Use the aforementioned Clear School Glue to apply bits of lichen to form scrub brush on the bases.

Option 4) Use the previous techniques together, or in various combinations on different figure bases for variety's sake.

Cheers!

Paint bases brown. Add pva then sand. Drybrush cream/beige/bone etc. Add pva and then static grass, about 1/3 of the base. Looks very good and matches a multitude of terrain types.

I follow what Agent Brown does. Picture guide here link

Smear wood glue on base. Dip in sand. Shake off excess. Then I wash w/ minwax and drybrush.

Slap on undiluted PVA.
Dip in dry builders sand. It is already brown so no painting required.
If desired apply clumps of static grass.
Job done

Realize that depending on the thickness of the plywood some water based glues and paints can cause warpage.

Martin

I've always used pet shop 'bird' sand which is just like beach sand. Is your builders sand a really earthy colour?

Richard

Acting upon the premises that:
1 I am rather lazy
2 nothing looks more than earth… than earth.

result:
1 paint bases in light brown (use water based paint from DIY store; lately use mainly bases from Minibits; most of the surface is then already of a convenient colour!

2 use big pot (2kg) of glue for ceiling tiles; thickish, whitish. paste it on base with scalpel.

3 dip in in mix of mostly thin earth (made so by compacting it with hammer then glass) and small rocks from "cement sand".

4 add or not a mix of woodland scenics grass and turf, if you want a bit of green (not necessarily for WW2 who would often go in buildings…)
If feels like it (often skirmishers, generals) cut some old thread and plant (!) on normal glue, paint (green then top light yellow green) and let it appear as a clump of high grass;
For more desert setting; less earth and more sand.

quick, err can I say dirt cheap?
and it looks like, well earth, especially tramped by thousands.

After gluing figs to base and dry, put white glue down and use dirt, regular dirt and let dry. Primer and then paint as normal, painting dirt what ever is your choice, and then add some flock.