"Are YOU An Old-School Flocker Or A Modern-Flocker?" Topic
14 Posts
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06 Aug 2018 2:56 p.m. PST by Editor in Chief Bill
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Cacique Caribe | 06 Aug 2018 1:18 p.m. PST |
He he. See what I did there! :) NOTE: This is NOT about your choice if flocking material (dyed sawdust, ground up foams, static grass, whatever). This is about changes – if any – in the application of those flock/turf/foliage materials. Okay, what I really want to know is … - Is there that much of a distinction between early flock application styles and those of today? - Has it changed all that much? If so, how? What has changed? - Or has it basically remained the same over the years? - When you look at someone else's final results, can you tell right away when they developed their flock application style? Dan |
Saber6 | 06 Aug 2018 1:33 p.m. PST |
I flock my bases to match my terrain (GeoHex). I do mix some static grass in (not clumps) to give a subtle effect (a few long strands poking about rather than big "plantings". Several thousand bases and the overall effect is good in my view |
Tony S | 06 Aug 2018 1:40 p.m. PST |
The early days just had green painted bases. A friend of mine recently did an army like that. It has a wonderful old school Feathstonian charm to it. Very "clean"; In fact, I think it shows off his figure painting more than modern, super busy ground bases I also remember when GW always flocked their bases with sand painted green, apparently because it photographed better that way. As for myself, I glue sand, add a top coat of glue and black paint, dry brush and then add static grass. |
DisasterWargamer | 06 Aug 2018 1:46 p.m. PST |
While I like the look of super flocked bases on 25mm and larger – I stick with basic dyed sawdust etc for 6 and 15mm |
Winston Smith | 06 Aug 2018 1:52 p.m. PST |
I used to coat the entire base with Elmer's glue and then pour medium ballast over it. Then I would dab the surface with Testor's Flat Brown, and sprinkle flock over it. Sometimes a lot of flock would stick, sometimes not so much. Now I coat the entire base with Elmer's but now sprinkle a mix of tiny gravel and ballast, and then dump flock mixtures on it. I think the new way looks better. |
Flashman14 | 06 Aug 2018 2:08 p.m. PST |
Ya, in the old days, we just painted the bases. Later we glued ballast down and painted that green. For me it wasn't until the 90s that static grass become the norm and it's only been in the last 10 years or so since tufts have been around. At first it was mostly bare earth with a single tuft or two and yet further, I'm seeing a lot of some combination of grasses and various colored tufts. Some seem to have spent many dollars worth of tufts for use in a single unit as folks try and emulate wild natural meadow growth or other overgrown terrain features. This: link .. is giving way to this:
and this: link |
Frederick | 06 Aug 2018 3:31 p.m. PST |
Modern – have really changed my basing techniques over the years, especially for character and command stands |
Cacique Caribe | 06 Aug 2018 4:30 p.m. PST |
Frederick How have you changed the method you use to apply the flock? Thanks Dan |
Stosstruppen | 06 Aug 2018 6:46 p.m. PST |
Combo I guess. If the bases are additions to an older period I match the flocking style, basically just plain green flock to cover the base. If the base sizes do not leave much room I do the same. My bases for my 28s and my Impetus/Baroque bases get the full treatment, flock, static grass, rocks and tufts. |
Wolfshanza | 06 Aug 2018 10:46 p.m. PST |
I use Tamiya earth right out of the bottle. Dip the base in my own flock mix before sealing. The thick Tamiya seems to hold quite well. |
23rdFusilier | 07 Aug 2018 8:54 a.m. PST |
Not sure if this is what you are looking for. W h en I started miniature wargames I mounted figures on balsa bases and painted them green. They looked nice. Later, after Miniature Wargames magazine came out in the 1980's I covered the base I. Sand and white goue, painted brown abd highlighted tan to make it look like durt. I then added woodland scenic grass. Nice. In the 1990's I changed to static grass from flock. I used a bottle that puffed the grass. Again,nice. Today I go with a minimalist approach to terrain. It is not as basic as back in the 19 's but it 8s very much not ultra realistic. More functionality. Same with bases. Now I just glue static grass that match my ground cloth. My figures look like they belong on the board. Nice. |
Glengarry5 | 08 Aug 2018 6:51 a.m. PST |
23rd Fusilier, I haven't used static grass but I thought you needed some expensive machine to make it stand up, What is the "bottle to puff the grass" refer too? |
Glengarry5 | 08 Aug 2018 6:56 a.m. PST |
I polyfilla my bases and then "glue" on flock with green paint, a mix of various coloured "grasses", shredded foliage and sprinkled with white "rocks" for highlights. I use grass and flower tuffs when I like the figure enough, mostly for skirmish games. For winter bases I polyfilla, paint grey-blue, dry brush white and dip in "snow". |
Sgt Slag | 09 Aug 2018 6:07 a.m. PST |
I started with green paint only. Then I tried model RR soft 'grass' stuff: it came off too easily. Then I tried one color of green sand: I liked it, but it was too bland. Next, I began mixing green sand, and model RR ballast (small rock bits): I liked it, but it was still too bland. After that, I mixed three colors of sand together (dark green, light green, and some tan, uncolored sand), along with the model RR ballast. Been using that ever since. To be honest, my current basing method has improved the appearance of my miniatures to a large degree. My painting is an army style, "Get 'em on the table!", approach: block painting, followed by The Dip, or Magic Wash. The improvements to my basing technique has drastically improved their appearance not only to me, but to my gaming friends: they were quite surprised by the improvements they saw, eliciting numerous positive comments. At first, they thought I'd taken my painting level up a notch (Never gonna happen…). It was a bit humorous to see, really. With my current basing technique, there is no painting required. Brush on PVA Wood Glue (stronger than White Glue) to the base. Swirl the based, fully painted figure in the pan containing the mixture, tap off the excess into the pan, let dry, and done… I began adding small bits of lichen, and foam foliage, as well. I add these randomly, onto the base. Not every figure gets it, but those which do, get it in a different location from other figures within the same unit, so as to vary their appearance. For figures with large bases (2", or larger), I began applying the Wood Glue, in swirls, dipping the based figure in a reddish-brown sand, from the North Shore of Lake Superior. After that dries, I apply more Wood Glue, and swirl the based figure in the normal, green sands/RR ballast mixture. This yields a mottled, irregular, brown and green pattern of ovals and swirls on the base. On larger figures (i.e., 54mm Army Men figures -- fantastic appearance; they look great en masse', base to base), this technique is quite effective, and visually appealing. On smaller bases, it is not nearly so pleasing; it is also quite difficult to achieve a decent final result. This is the final modification to my technique. Fast, super-easy, and it looks better than what other techniques I've tried. I am not looking for 'realistic' bases. Rather, I am looking for decent, aesthetically pleasing bases, at arm's length, which are fast, easy, inexpensive, and durable. I am happy with my trade-off's. Cheers! |
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