Greenstuff basing

I decided I wanted to try something different with my Retribution this time around. Instead of just going straight for the flocking and lichen to cover the base, I wanted to add a bit more details, something to give the force a united feeling. This will be the first time for me to use this method personally, as well as the first field test of our mew macro lenses (got a photo studio in the works).

I decided to go ahead and try to use greenstuff to create a  'topper' for the Warmachine base. Thankfully Anima Tactics and Warmachine both uses the same base style, and I had a spare Anima Tactics base roaming around to waste if I needed. The preparation was relatively simple to knock out, and the creation of a very fast base only took a few minutes. Obviously, this being my first time using this procedure, it doesn't look anywhere near professional, but I am happy with the outcome none the less.

First I took just a small pinch of the greenstuff compounds and mixed them together thoroughly, keeping my fingers slick with water or Vaseline (both seemed to work decently as I tried both procedures). While I kneaded the greenstuff in one hand, I put a small dab of Vaseline on the base surface I was going to work with, this way it would spread easier for me.

I placed the greenstuff in the center of the base and began to use small circle motions to spread the greenstuff out to the lip of the inner base. I used the small circling motions to avoid having finger prints in the greenstuff once everything was said and done, as well as help level out the greenstuff. Obviously I could spend much longer and get better results, but I'm aiming for ruins and not a pristine palace or anything. Of course during this whole step I keep my fingers wet with water to allow me easy movements and manipulations of the greenstuff.

Once I was happy with the surface area covered by the greenstuff, I let it sit and dry for ~5 minutes. This way it became a bit more solid and I could actually start putting some minor detail work in. I didn't do anything overly complex, as these minis will be gamed with, and not for show.I stated in a previous blog that I used my frilled dragon's pooper scooper, and I was not kidding. I put Vaseline on the scoop so the greenstuff didn't stuff as It squashed through the various small openings. The end results was a tile looking pattern on the greenstuff. Have to be careful at this point however, as I found out the hard way, if you use Vaseline to help spread the greenstuff, be careful that the greenstuff does not try to separate from the base as you peel away the scoop.

At this point the base was almost complete, but there were still some things I was unhappy with at this time. The good thing about this method is that I was able to pop out many more base greenstuff bases faster then if I bothered trying to sculpt each base on my own.

You will need to let the base/greenstuff dry for a few hours to become stiff and easier to work with. At this point it was time to add in grout, which was also a decently easy task to complete. This was done with a mix of white hobby glue, water, and modelling sand. Before applying the mixture to the bases, take the time to gently wipe away the excess Vaseline that might still be on the bases. Once that is complete, simply use a tooth pick, or other fine pointed object, and draw the sand mixture through the lines. Once this is dried, it will create a decent looking grout filling for the mini.

Overall, I am happy with how these bases came out, especially considering it is my first time dealing with such a task.