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Snow Basing
By: grey_death

In keeping with the season, I thought it only proper to have a winter inspired tip this week. So we're going with a quick and dirty method for snow basing! A lot of folks avoid this as they really don't understand how simple it can really be. So I'll break it down to the basics!


You can substitute with a myriad of things here and there. You don't NEED a GW sculpting tool for example, I just happen to find it to be the best tool I have on hand for this particular job! You will however NEED PVA glue, some sort of snow medium, and something to mix and place all that snow! And of course the miniature is a given...


The first thing you'll want to do is squeeze out an appropriate amount of glue onto your paper towel. Then shake out about the same amount of snow medium right next to it. A little more or a little less snow isn't going to hurt your end results, so just get it roughly equal.


Once you've figured out how much you'll need, it's time to mix it up. Continue to mix the snow into the glue until you start getting little clumps.


Applying the mixture to your bases is rather straight forward. Take up some of the mixture and press it down onto the base with your sculpting tool. You can add as much or as little as you want, it's your base afterall!


Below is the finished application. Be sure you clean up the rim of the base with a finger and wipe away any overhanging excess snow. Though really that's just personal preference!


I normally use snow as an accent to the basing, not completely covering it, so additional drybrushing and some static grass would have gone down before this to get the effects I've achieved with my Skaven in the begining of the post.

It's a very very simple thing to use, and it just takes a few tries to get familiar with. This method is MUCH faster than gluing successive layers of the stuff until it really looks like snow. Trust me, I've done it!

What do other folks use for snow basing?

I usually put the PVA/Wood glue on the base then dip the base in the snow.
Then PVA glue in smaller are over top, dip again and repeat one more time.

Gives a lower profile to it.

Poor bat

Be sure you check out This Post at Bell of Lost Souls. Bushido Red Panda has a guest tutorial on snow basing there that was posted today as well ^_^.

Thanks for posting this, I've actually been looking for a good snow effect for an upcoming project.

Do you think that baking powder would work in place of the snow scatter?

scotty kahn wrote:Thanks for posting this, I've actually been looking for a good snow effect for an upcoming project.

Do you think that baking powder would work in place of the snow scatter?

If you check in the Bell of Lost Souls link above, you will see a tutorial for using Baking Soda instead. I haven't used it personally so I'm really not sure if it's 100% compatible with the method I described in the original post.

grey_death, do you have some photos of finished articles we could see? I've had the Woodlands Scenics snow for ages and tried different ways of using it but none look right to me yet as they all look different when they dry...
Cheers, Mick

Grey Death, I've used baking soda in place of snow effects with fair success. It looks pretty natural, but not as much as the snow effects does. A nice, frugal alternative though.

I mix the soda with glue and apply as normal, lightly dust it with dry soda, and then allow it to dry. I use a soft "tank" brush to clean away the excess. Sorry I don't have any pics at the moment.

I admit that I'm a curmudgeon and get skeptical every time I read a new "tip" post. ("Yeah, like I don't already know that!")

But every single one of these posts is a clever, concise instruction on really useful subjects--and this one is no exception. Great ideas grey_death, please keep them coming!

Mick, I have multiple models I've used this method on, including the one in the Skaven at the top of the article, who has a completely finished base for you to check out. For some additional models check the links below:

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/raynotisick/Black-Skaven-FightingClaws.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/raynotisick/AssassinAdeptFinished.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/raynotisick/nightrunners.jpg
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/raynotisick/IMG_0011.jpg

Gav, Thanks for the heads up on Baking Soda, I have more than enough snow medium myself (that ten dollar canister will last me forever!), but for folks who don't want to spend the extra few bucks, it's nice to know there are some household alternatives ^_^.

groz, Thanks for the compliment, I really try to make sure it's something useful! Something I might have just learned myself, or something that I've been asked about recently by someone else. Sharing information on techniques and theory is really what these forums should be about, not just showing off your latest models.

hard (or tough or whatever) as nails glue makes good snow and can be sculpted when drying to have drift peaks and have feet literally disappearing in it. I have a pic which I'll show when I get back. Give a soft light blue wash and presto.

You can hang ice on solid background pieces too using bits of dried super glue (if it clear and big enough), plastic packaging or broken clear plastic if small and suitably icicle shaped.

Cheers grey_death, I'm sold! (especially as I'm starting on a Skaven army now...)
Mick

I do my snow bases in a similar manner, but I typically aim for a early spring look



I do the bases as usual, including static grass, and then trowel on some snow. I dip a brush in some water and use that to feather the edges so that the snow melts into the grass.

Just as a heads up, I just tried your method with GW Snow Flock and it doesn't work as well. The flock seams to soak up the glue quickly and the mix becomes hard. This can be fixed by soaking the mixture with water and then spreading the resulting gell on your base. Even then, it is alot of work to get it to spread well.



I thought I might have done something wrong untill I tried the woodland scenic snow...worked like a charm. Thanks for the tutorial.

Comes out abit too fluffy

Locking thread for necron.