Basing Methods?

[darthgus]

Frostgrave is set in a city beset by snow and ice. So it is my intention to reflect this in the bases I create for my miniatures, and I'm sure many others will be doing the same.

So I wanted to ask the people on this forum about the various methods for preparing a snow base.

1. Snow Flock
Has anyone used this stuff? Is it any good? Any tricks to getting it right?

2. Bicarb. of Soda (Baking Powder)
I noticed that some one indicated that it would yellow with age. Is it worth adding paint to the mix or simply using it as a texture to over paint.

3. Sand or Fine Tallus
This is about getting the texture right then over painting it. What colours would you uses for painting snow? Thin pale blue with white to highlight?

Any other options out there?

Ideas anyone?

[Gutbukkit]

Hi, on my miniatures I've used snow flock from GW, it provides the impression of a light dusting of snow rather than deep snow. I guess if you paint the base white it would add to the effect. On my terrain I've used baking powder scattered over pva. It may yellow with age but I heard its the glue that makes it do that so I used a good quality pva wood glue. Will see in a few years if it's turned yellow (that's how long it took last time). On my objective markers I mixed baking powder with pva and dusted some over the top and it looks like melting snow with some new snow fall on top. I'm happy with all methods used so far.

I've yet to try the GW snow texture paint, mixing some paint with the baking powder, and sand and white paint. I'm sure over the course of this project I'll get to try out many more snow methods.

[joe5mc]

Warning. I used GW snow. In places where my while glue was thick, it yellowed over time.  Now it appears that my snow trolls had trouble controlling themselves... probably not inappropriate, but not really what I was going for.  I would suggested watering down your glue if you're going with this option.

[Awesomeshotdude]

For my snow, I've been using Woodland Scenics Soft Flake Snow and mixing it into a paste and then applying it over areas I have pre-painted white, making sure the snow mix extends about a mm or so past the edges of the white paint.

Also, I'm going to try adding some Woodland Scenics Scenic Glue over the top and sprinkling on a second layer of the Soft Flake Snow.

[Harry]

The best modeeling material for snow is something called micro balloons. Nothing else comes close.

I shall be using sand ... painted white.

[Stepman3]

"White Pumice" from the War Store. Very fine grit in a easily applied resin stuff. Dries kinda rubbery but help hold figures to bases and holds paint very well...The grey pumice is a bit more grain-y...

[Major_Gilbear]

Assuming you want something that's simple, relatively cheap, and also readily available, my observations are:

1) Bicarb. Cheap, easy, and gives nice results. You need to buy a non-yellowing UV-resistant waterproof PVA glue if you want it to last though. A pint of the stuff from a DIY store is pricey, but will keep you going a very long time. As well as mixing the glue and bicarb, it's worth adding a spot of white acrylic miniature paint as well - just a little - as it helps to keep the snow looking opaque. Downside is that it can still absorb some moisture and therefore discolour over time if you're not careful, and it doesn't take repeated handling very well (i.e., keep your fingers off it!). That's also why the glue and dab of white paint matter, as they help to mitigate this.

2) Decorative sand. You can get very fine white sand that's used for interior decoration. This stuff won't yellow over time, and is extremely hard-wearing. You can even paint it or glaze it if you want. To apply, you mix it with glue and a touch of paint as the bicarb above, and dab it on with an old brush. You can also add a little pearlescent craft paint if you want it to glitter a bit more, although some decorative sands are a bit glittery anyway. A sample bag will normally give you a couple of tablespoons' worth of sand for something like £0.25 plus a stamp (occasionally the samples are free!), so you can even try buying several samples and even mixing them to get different effects.

3) Putty or plaster/wall filler. You can simulate thick drifts of soft snow quote well by putting a small blob onto the base, and shaping it so that it looks like soft snow. Once it's cured/dry, you paint it suitably. If you think of pre-made resin bases, and how you can buy ones which have sculpted snow on them, this is essentially the same principle. It is obviously very durable, and can be formed into little drips over ledges or have footprints made in it if you want. It needs to look somewhat soft and pillowy though, and careful painting with suitable colours is required to make it look convincing - you can't paint it plain white or wash and drybrush it!

4) Water effects. You can add some white paint to water effects and build up the snow as you require it. It will dry rather glossy, but a some suitable sealer (matte or semi-gloss, as you refer) will know that back into something softer and more realistic. This is hard to pull off convincingly and requires patience. If you have some water effects gel already, it may be worth some experimentation to see what you think.

After those options, you move into more esoteric stuff:

5) Ground glass. This stuff is not the best to work with (wear a mask, goggles and gloves - you don't want to be inhaling powdered glass!), but it does produce extremely convincing results. You generally mix it with some water effects to make a loose paste, and then sprinkle a little on afterwards before it dries. After it's dried, it does look like melting snow. Building up thicker layers gives you a "whiter" effect - just the real thing. I know Secret Weapon sells it (or used to), but I don't know where else you can find it.

6) Microballoons. Pretty much like (4), but using a different material.

Finally, you come to the stuff which doesn't really look very good to me:

7) White flock. I've seen this used like normal flock, and also mixed into a glue and paint paste. I personally don't like the look either way (doesn't look very convincing to my eye), but a lot of people seem happy enough with it.

8 ) Sand, painted white. Like the sand/goblin green/yellow drybrush bases of old, I think they look poor. Occasionally, if the sand is fine and there are other features on the base, you can get away with it. I personally don't like it much either way.


I used to use (1), and now use (2) because the bicarb kept rubbing off at the edges in my foam-lined cases.

[Sir_Theo]

I've used a mix of snow flock, pva and water.

I've now switched to bicarb as he price was killing me! I just add a few drops of blue wash to the mix. 

[Awesomeshotdude]

Here's a link with a Hi Res pic showing the results of some different methods;

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bRs2PDoz8iw/U_alOEqG7II/AAAAAAAAEOI/Hr66Mz1x6L8/s2048/snow-reference.png

...and it is further explain here;

http://hakomike.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/snow-basing-materials-reference.html

[Rob_bresnen]

I plan on giving mine a coat of sand, painting it black then dry brushing it grey, through to white to make it look 'frosty', then using fine surface filler to make blobs of snow. You can use a wet paint brush to smooth it down. When it is dry paint it white (even though the plaster is white to start with it can discolour over time as it absorbs colours from the base)

This was the technique I used here...


Here I added a layer of sand with PVA to the base to create texture, than painted it white. I then used PVA to apply a layer of white flock (games Workshop I think). I think it looks OK but not 'ruined city' enough for Frostgrave.




The white snow flock makes a thin layer of snow, like a light dusting or perhaps melting snow. The base colour will show through, which can look cool if that is what you are after, but if you want thick snow you are best painting the area white first. I use a thick white 'base' paint from GW.

Hope that helps. Let us know how it turns out for you.

[Cubs]

For my snow, I've been using Woodland Scenics Soft Flake Snow and mixing it into a paste and then applying it over areas I have pre-painted white, making sure the snow mix extends about a mm or so past the edges of the white paint.

Also, I'm going to try adding some Woodland Scenics Scenic Glue over the top and sprinkling on a second layer of the Soft Flake Snow.

This is my own method for deep snow. For light drifts I just paint a pva-water mix on and then sprinkle the snow flock on.

[Daniel36]

Simple sand painted white is what I will do.

[tin shed gamer]

Me well,I take a slightly different approach,
 I never cover a whole base in 'snow' it never looks right to me when you move into an area of different texture,so I leave roughly a third of a base in an earth colour(and some times a little tuff of grass)
I start by covering the snow part of the base in plastic card ( the depth is a personal taste issue)the remaining section of the base I apply liquid plastic glue and while wet I sprinkle fine sand(yes it sticks)then I return to the plastic card and apply more glue and while its wet stipple the surface,and repeat if the whole process if I feel it necessary ,then paint.
I also use this method on vehicle bases with slight variations in the materials but achieving the same effect.
For the snow areas I use card then stipple neat pva onto the surface and add additional layers (drying each layer with a hair dryer before stippling on the next)then I go back and apply the fine sand to the earthen areas.
It's effective and easy and very fast .
Mark,

[horridperson]

If your are still interested here is another method for producing snow.  I played around with this because I was always disappointed that my snow had no depth and laid flat over existing groundwork.  Rather than try to reproduce the explanation here is a link; http://horridvoidspace.blogspot.ca/2013/01/producing-snow-and-groundwork-on-your.html

[SotF]

While not snow on its own, taking some of the clear plastic from blisters or even old jewel cases cut to fit can be easily frosted over with a bit of superglue