"Texture for bases" Topic

I was watching the Terrain Tutor and he was using some sort of "filler or spackle" to texture his bases. He'd put a light coat of it on with his fingers, smooth it out, then dip his finger in water than touch the filler to give it some nice texture.

Any idea what the US version of this filler he is talking about?

Drywall compound. Some US spackles aren't water based and so can't be worked with water.

I've had good luck with DAP DryDex as shown in this TMP Workbench article.

TMP link

I used DAP Concrete Patch. link

This stuff is great. Don't even need any sort of sand or whatever afterwards. It can be smoothed with water, but I generally tap it with the side of the dental tool I use to spread it, to give it a touch more texture. For centerpieces, I'll throw a bit of larger grain model railroad ballast.

I use artists modellling paste by Galleria (available from artist shops). it is a bit dearer than wall filler and it is acrylic based.

I like it because it is very fine and soft for working with, you can add a drop of acrylic paint to tint and kill the white.

I don't use their other mediums, even the textured ones as I have never been happy with the finish, the plain stuff gives the best results for basing purposes.

It is also a good medium for filing in joints on buildings etc.

I use premix grout – goes on easy, dries rock hard, several natural earth colors, and has a sandy texture. A $10 USD quart container can do hundreds of bases and last a couple of years or more.

I used to use brown grout but found it impossible to replace when I used up my last tub. :(

I make my own "not basetex" now from emulsion paint, PVA and grit/sand but the brown grout was great.

John T

I use Golden course pumice gel, or Liquitex modeling paste.

Seconded; re Golden's Coarse Pumice Gel.

That Golden's stuff is a bit pricey when I'm on a tight budget, but thank you all for the suggestions.

If you're just looking for cheap-n-easy suggestions, also check out this basing tutorial by Mateus. His technique is quite literally dirt cheap.

I also discovered I can save a step over Mateus and just sprinkle on the bushes, sand and grass while the dirt mixture is still wet. Since it's wetted with acrylic paint and white glue, the wet mixture soaks into the terrain bits while it's wet and glues it down as it dries.

- Ix

Pumice gels for me as well. Set hard and do not crumble.

silicone based bathtub and tile caulking. I have been using it for over 20 years. Squeeze a glob on each side of your fig. Spread it around with an old paint brush with no bristles. Sprinkle fine to course model railroad ballast. Press it all down with a flat knife or your fingers. Shake off loose stuff. Let it dry. Paint a base color. Dry brush. Add any grasses or vegetation. Dullcoat the fig and base at the same time.

I use this technique on 25-28mm figures, but it will work well enough for 15's:

1) Attach the figure to the new base;

2) Paint PVA Glue on the figure base, using a cheap, school paint brush (pack of 30 for $1 USD, at Wal-Mart, or the Dollar Store);

3) Dunk the figure's base in a mixture of two different colored sands (usually tan, and green, purchased from the Dollar Store) in a small container -- do them in mass, then throw out the brush;

4) Tap off the loose stuff, then let dry for several hours;

5) Apply a thin layer of 50%-PVA-and-50%-Water mixture, again, using a School paint brush -- this seals in the sand, minimizing any that might fall off. Throw out the brush when finished;

6) Optional: apply small tufts of lichen, or colored foam bits, for shrubbery, if desired.

Done! Quick, easy, inexpensive, and it looks decent. Cheers!

Vallejo makes a line of textured paints that I use for just this purpose. Black lava, white pumice, brown earth, etc. It dries securely enough that I can often skip gluing entirely and just rub some of the paste around the pewter footprint so that it's seamless.

I us wood filler ( Elmer's or Ace ). It works great . Been using it for years….. 20 +.

I have been doing a bit of recycling, I use dried coffee grounds glued to the base. Then I add a some flock here and there, very occasionally I add unwound twine cut about knee height like tall brown grass.