Mud Basing Ideas? (pics included)

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**Norn King**

Hi Dakka!
I recently finished some bases for my soon to be Astral Claws army. Basically they are supposed to be on a really muddy battlefield.
I mixed PVA glue with sand then painted with scorched brown and then gloss varnish (to make the mud look wet).
They look a bit basic though. Any ideas on Highlighting the mud, adding some other stuff, etc,etc.

Any advice?

**Tzarkahn**

Maybe a few spikes of grass, from the original surface or a large rock that's been dug up.

You could always make little puddles or craters/ explosion holes in the bases and fill them with water effect, also bootprints/tracks, you can run a cog or just press a model into it, when it's wet to get the desired effect.

**Norn King**

Thanks, i will do that, but ill have to wait for the next batch as these have dried=)

**GamzaTheChaos**

There is this really cheap paint called folkart you get at walmart I get the brown for about $1.00
I can do a few things here

1 is the paint is thick if I wish I can glob it on a base to make it look like thick mud
2 mix it with baking soda and a little water to give the mud some texture
3 normally I add a 2nd shade to the mud or a few rocks or the grass flock to add some more to the overall look.

here are some pics below the models with the flock are not actually finished but should show a basic example of what to expect.

**Leigen_Zero**

I would say that you need more texture in there (larger stones, bits of rubble, twigs, craters, puddles, anything) to give some more definition to the mud.

It's a good start, but currently it looks like chocolate cake frosting.

There is some absolutely fantastic mud basing (with tutorial) in this thread for some inspiration:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/314300.page

**Skippy**

They certainly need something else, some stones, grass, tyre prints or even just some small mashed up bits of sprue as debris. No mistaking its mud tho!

*edit* was typing that at the same as the post above with the same advice

**Oppl**

Am I the only one that is thinking of chocolate in the first pics?

You've certainly nailed the 'really muddy battlefield' look!

**Norn King**

They will look a bit better with marines on them. Picture Astral claws legs (silver) with mudd all over them.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
But yes, ill probs add something like barbed wire to them

**Doc EMP**

Good start. I think the thing that people generally always forget with mud bases are the footprints! I always notice that and always wonder why nobody else does.

**Norn King**

The problem is, the combination of PVA glue and dirt makes for a substance which; if you make it with to much dirt you cant work with it (eg footprints) and if you make it with too much PVA glue it sinks as it dries, taking away any detail i try to make.

**Thare1774**

Mixing in some dry tea leaves can add some realism to mud bases. Looks like sticks and other organic matter

**Orikl**

Spoiler:

york pepermint patty anybody?

what i would suggest as far as adding foot prints allow your substance to dry about 75 percent of the way then add the foot prints. That way there is less stick nor will the substance "sink" back down to a level surface

**Norn King**

Thanks for the input guys!

**Veteran Sergeant**

Oppl wrote:Am I the only one that is thinking of chocolate in the first pics?

You've certainly nailed the 'really muddy battlefield' look!

Mmmm pudding.

**Norn King**

lol, they are a bit 'choclatey'. =)