1. I always paint and assemble my figures before basing as this allows me to position the figures in a manner that allows all of the figures to fit properly. To affix the figures to the base I use Goop, a silicon based adhesive.
2. Using a mix of 50% white glue and 50% water, I liberally cover the base. I then dip the base into a container of builders sand to apply the texture. The remove the figure and lightly tap the edge of the base to remove any excess sand. If there are bare spots I apply more glue to the spots and repeat. Once I have a coating of sand, I take a small, soft brush and immediately remove any sand ont he edge of the base or the figure. This is very important as the sand will hard to remove without damaging the paint if the glue is allowed to dry. I then put the figures aside for a period of at least 8 hours to allow the glue to dry. For the glue I use either railroad adhesive or Elmers glue.
3. After the sand is completely dry, apply your basecoat. A yellowish brown color is best. My personal choice is Ceramcote pigskin. I slightly water the paint to allow it to flow into all of the recesses. Once again, set the figure aside and allow to dry.
4. Lightly drybrush a sand colored shade on top of the base. Definitely use an old brush for this! I use Ceramcote Sand for this stage. Since this is the only thing I use this paint for, I have left the bottle open and allowed the paint to semi-dry out, and it has a very thick consistency. I have found that this helps when drybrushing. At $.79 a bottle at the local craft store, I feel comfortable making this sacrifice.
5. I now affix any larger items that I want to the base, such as gravel for boulders, logs, tree stumps and tall grass using white glue. I have found that small oak twigs from my front yard cut to size work great for logs and stumps. The small twigs even have a ring or two on them for a more realistic look. I immediately apply a 50/50 mix of the water and glue to small areas o the bases and apply static grass. To apply the static grass, drop clumps on the patches and then tilting the figure, lightly tap the side of the base. Then holding the figure above your head at an angle, lightly blow of the remaining excess. At this point, place the figures on top of television and turn it on. This will make the grass stand up. For my static grass, a picked up a large bottle at the local Railroad Model shop for $8.00. My daughter should inherit the remainder when I go to the great wargame in the sky!
6. After the glue is dry, I lightly drybrush the tops of any tall grass I chose with a lighter color for a more realistic look.
