Empress Miniatures USMC Vietnam
Basing
The basing for the current batch of figures reflects a rural setting, and I wanted a fairly lush green environment for the figures to act as a contrast to the drabber greens and greys used on the figures themselves.
The basing for these figures is a simple process, and yet from the comments I have received it seems effective.
Step 1
For these figures I am using 25mm diameter mdf bases for the single figures and 40mm diameter bases for the teams, with these all being 3mm height. These particular bases having been purchased from Warbases here in the UK. I’ve drilled a hole and added a magnet with superglue to each base and the photo shows the top and bottom of a base and the Evo Stik adhesive I use to fix the figure to the base.
Step 2
Here the base has been liberally covered with the Evo Stik and the figure placed. I have offset the figure to try and keep the gun barrel within the confines of the base so as to protect when in play and transit. At this stage I now leave the adhesive to dry before proceeding to step 3
Step 3
I now cover the base in a further liberal covering of PVA glue over which the base scatter is added. I have a large container of Diall Decorators PVA which I use for this. This is labelled as a general purpose adhesive and is much runnier than the Evo Stik. I decant a little of the PVA into a palette and apply it to the base with a size 5 paintbrush. This enables careful placement of the glue so avoiding getting any on the figure.
Step 4
The figure is now placed in the “scatter box” and gentle stirred around in the scatter so as to get the entire base covered. The excess scatter is gently tapped and blown off and again the PVA is left to dry. I have a theory that the use of mdf bases helps with the drying of the adhesive as I believe it soaks into the mdf a little helping it dry and improving the strength of the bond. I’ll have to test this on a plastic base, but regardless I much prefer the aesthetics of the mdf bases.
What’s in the “scatter box”
I guess in many ways this is a matter of personal preference and what effect is being sought. The basis of mine is an ancient mix of a very fine scatter that I have had for many years, so much so that I can’t remember what it is called or where I got it from, but I suspect it has its origins in the model railway world. To that I have added some static grass, a very small amount of flock, and some Battle Zone Field Scatter by Jarvis Scenics. I like the look this mixture gives, and it adds enough depth to the base that I don’t need to use any filler the blend the raised figure base to the mdf.
Step 5
While the second coat of PVA does not need to be bone dry before you proceed it does want to have dried sufficiently that the glue does not run around when the base is tipped. As you can see at this stage the base is a vaguely green/grey colour and lacks any impact.
Step 6
This is the stage where things start to come alive. I use a green and light brown to paint the base, applying this paint very wetly, with the same no 5 brush that I used for the PVA. Paint the green and brown around the base mixing and adding each colour as suits. Pure green sees an intense spot of colour, while the brown suggests bare earth. Make sure the colour edges are blended or mix by themselves so as to ensure no hard demarcation lines between the colours. The overall effect I am trying to create is of an area covered with a range of differing, but similar colours. At all costs avoid the base being painted overall in one colour, as that destroys any sense of depth and looks artificial.
Step 7
Once the base colour is dry the surface can be dry brushed if required, although I have not done this on recent figures and the larger tufts and plants can be added. When adding these I think the old adage of “less is more” applies and so do not overdo the planting. I try to keep to a theme for the tufts and plants used so that all the figures when viewed together are on bases that can happily sit next to each other. Also try to avoid putting tufts in the same place on each base, while placing them in a position that enhances the overall effect of the figure and base.
For this figure I just went with a couple of Silfor grass tufts as I found a tuft that nicely fitted in the space in front of the figure. Once this was stuck in place with a dab of PVA and had dried I gently dry bushed it with yellow to give it a sense of depth and blend it colour wise to the base.
What’s in the “tufts box”
Again this is a matter of personal preference and what effect is being sought. My current choice for the Vietnam landscape from a slightly wider selection is.
Army Painter Lowland Shrubs
Footpath Small Shrub Tufts – Green
Silfor Grass Tufts
In addition I have a little pot of dried Basil which I use when I want leaf scatter or dead plant debris
Step 8
The final step is to carefully paint the edge of the base, and if you wish the underside. I use an acrylic black for this and again I sense the mdf absorbs the paint a little which means it won’t scratch off in the same way it can on a painted plastic base.
