Cork Bases Part 2: Painting

In my previous post I went through the process of making the bases.  Now comes the painting process.  This is a little more straightforward.  As with most things I paint, I will apply at least 3 layers - basecoat, shadow, highlight.  Feel free to add as much detail as you want.

1) Prime black - My preferred primer is Color Decor right now.  It's cheap and gets the job done.  The nozzle is much nicer than the very bottom shelf primers.  Any matte black will be fine though. 

One thing to keep in mind is that we need to remember which model goes with which base.  You can use a marker on the underside of the base and cover with some masking tape so the primer doesn't cover it.  Sometimes, I will drill small holes in a place that will be unseen.

Because we sealed the base with the glue, the cork shouldn't absorb too much of the primer.  It's still best to use short, sweeping bursts to apply the primer through several passes.  Check all around, and the underside to make sure it is covered completely.

2) Drybrush grey - For this, I use a cheaper acrylic from the hobby store rather than one of GWs paints.  It's half the cost for 3-4 times as much paint.  Most of it will end up getting wiped on a paper towel anyways.

I use a lighter grey called rainy day gray by Anita's from Joann Fabric store.    Use a larger wide drybrush, dip in the paint, then wipe most off on a paper towel, and go to town on the bases.  This is another important reason we seal with glue.  No sand or cork should come off.  If it does, consider adding more sealing coats in the future.

We'll be painting over the sand directly on the base later, but it's important to still drybrush it so that it helps create highlights on the dirt.

The grey will darken as it dries, so you'll want to make sure the coverage is good.  Get in-between all the pieces and especially around the edges.

3) Drybrush longbeard grey around edges - I did use the GW dry paint here.  We won't need very much, just touching up the edges.  You can use a pure white or very light grey as well.

I didn't touch the flat surfaces in this step, only the edges and other jagged points that are going to grab this highlight.  Applying the lighter highlight to the flat rocks will wash out the overall base.  You want to maintain some contrast.

4) Paint with thin mournfang brown - It's trick to water it down properly.  It should flow into the sand but still stick to the higher parts.

I paint most, but not necessarily all the sand.  This includes sand spots I added to the cork and all the sand applied directly to the base.  The sand up against rocks and bigger pieces can be left along as it helps blend the details.

You don't have to be super neat here.  It represents dirt that spreads and doesn't stay in neat areas.

5) Wash with agrax earthshade - Any dark brown wash will do here.  You don't want one that's glossy at all.  Since GW washes are expensive, you might consider using Vellejo dark brown wash as well.

Make sure the mournfang is completely dry before starting. Cover all medium browns with the wash, ensuring it gets all the way to the lower levels and doesn't leave any air bubbles.  In the picture above, you can see what it looks like after drying.

6) Drybrush the brown earth with a lighter tone.  It depends on what you're going for, but your choice of lighter brown here will be dependent on your skill and what you have available.  You have to be careful with this drybrushing step because you don't want to have to correct other areas.  I use a small brush with tyrant skull, though I would like to try the new Sylvaneth Bark.

Make sure the wash is completely dry.  It will take at least an hour or two.  I let mine dry overnight.  In the picture above, I started painting a few items in step 7 while I was waiting for the wash to dry.

7) Basecoat bits - At this step, it's more a guideline of what to do rather than how.  Depending on which bits you used, you'll have different painting methods.

For any skulls, I use screaming skull. Bullet casings can be hashut copper or balthasar gold.  Grenades are pretty much any green.

8) Wash bits - Next apply the appropriate washes. Thinned earthshade for skulls, nuln oil for casings, camoshade for grenades, etc.

9) Clean edges - This step is actually out of order.  Cleaning the edges should be the last step, but I grew impatient waiting for the washes in step #8 to dry and went ahead with it.

My biggest problem with Abaddon black is that it is more of a satin finish than a true matte.  The edges should be fully matte  You can mix in a medium or go with another company's black.  My current favorite is FolkArt licorice.  It does need to be thinned down appropriately, but it's a fantastic paint and goes on as matte as can be.

10) Detailing and highlighting the bits is the final step.  Most metals will have a light drybrush of necron compound on them.  For skulls, I use screaming skull mixed with glaze medium.  You can just thin them down, you really don't want a heavy line highlight on the skull.

When you apply the model, you'll want to scrape off some of the paint on the metal or use very rough sand paper, which will also help the pin to grip into the model.

You could apply a matte spray varnish at this step or wait until the model is on the base.  This way you don't have to worry masking off some areas where the model will rest.

A lot of modelers will add flock or moss patches.  I've never personally used flock but it can look great as well.  Some tiny bright green moss patches would look outstanding here adding a little pop of color.  These bases are for Renegades and I want it to reflect a dead, barren land without any life.

It is a lot more work than plain bases but really makes the model stand out and truly 'finishes' the model.  You can make more elaborate scenes for characters or make the bases slightly higher so they stand out.  Overall, I enjoy building my own bases.  I plan on using my own custom bases for all of my 30k models, primarily out of necessity since I want them on 32mm bases.