FLAGSTONE BASES
 
by Andrew Lum
 
 
This article will show you how to make cool looking flagstone bases foryour Warhammer Quest (Or any other) miniatures. They're easier to makethan they seem, and you only need a few tools as follows:

A base (no model attatched preferably)
Epoxy or modelling putty
A nice sharp knife
Modelling tools (a pin or toothpick will also do)
Your standard collection of paints and brushes
Superglue


Stage 1. Sculpting the stones
 
Step 1. Putty
Step 2. Smooth
Step 3. Reference Line
Step 4. Details
Step 5. Edge

Get yourself some nicely mixed putty and put it onto the base (1). Smoothout the putty so that there are no bumps or lumps and make sure the puttyis all flat (2). If there is a slot in the base, fill this up with puttyfirst, or else the putty will collapse into it when you are sculpting onthe details.

With a sculpting tool or pin, draw a line across the base (3). Thiswill form a reference for the other lines you draw. Add some perpendicularlines off this reference line. Now you should have the basic stones sculptedin. You can go crazy with your details now, adding cracks, or apply someblobs of putty to sculpt some moss or whatever. For the example above,some cracks have been added on two of the four basic stones on the base(4).

See? Sculpting the stones is dead easy, and the last thing to do nowis to trim away the excess putty around the base (5) and you should endup with something like the base below.


Stage 2. Painting!

(Some of the photos turned out blurry and I didn't bother puttingthem in. I will retake the photos for these stages the next time I makesome bases, but for now just follow the instructions, they are pretty straightforward).
 
Grey Stones with Dirt Gap
Brown Stones with Moss
Grey Stones

Undercoat
OK, as usual, the first thing is an undercoat. If you want grey stones,give the base a black undercoat. For brownish clay looking stones, givethe base a white undercoat (if your putty is white like mine you can skipthis step).

Grey stones
Give each stone (careful to not get paint in the gap in between eachstone) a nice base coat of dark grey (about 7:3 ratio of Chaos Black toSkull White). Now gradually increase the ratio of white paint in the mixand paint around the edges of each stone till you get almost white forthe very edges. If you want you can add some brown in between the stones(and make sure the brown is not think or else it will ruin the effect)to look like dust and dirt.

Brown stones
Give the stones a basecoat of Bestial Brown. Now paint around the edgeswith Snakebite Leather and then the very edges with some Orc Brown. Onceagain becareful not to get paint inbetween the stones.

Moss
If you have sculpted any moss onto the stones, give it a coat of ChaosBlack and then a basecoat of Dark Angel Green. Now paint the prominentbits of the moss with Goblin Green.

Finishing Off
Give the edge of the base a coat of Black to cover up any paint there.


Stage 3. Attach the Miniature!


Get your nicely painted miniature and carefully remove its tab. Youcan use clippers (easiest way) or pliers and knives (be careful not todestroy the model's feet or your fingers). Make sure that the soles ofthe model's feet are flat or else the consequences are fairly obvious.Apply some superglue and position the model onto the base. It couldn't be easier!
 
 

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