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Okay, I'm going to be doing my Tau with a snow base theme but I have a few questions that I bile that I can get answered before I start.

1 - Should I paint the base before adding the snow or leave it black? And if it should be painted then what color?

2 - Do you have to add paint trouble the glue/snow mixature? I'm going to use the GW snow flock.

3 - What is the best snow basing material? I'm thinking/planning on using GW snow flock but am not unwilling to entertain other products/retailers.

4 - Do you need to put a clear coat on the snow after you glue it down to keep it from rubbing off, or will the glue keep it on?

Thanks

I painted all my bases with Graveyard Earth and the snow was fine on top of them. All snow flock is mostly the same, but with some companies You are getting more for Your bucks - GW is as usually an exclusion to this. I simply went with the Army Painter Snow Tube - it is good and there is a lot of flock in the tube.

Do not use the GW stuff as it is little more than white static grass you are after powder type flock, baking soda or crushed glass. When it comes to applying it it can help to paint the areas it is to go white if you're going for a deep drift, but if you're going for something like a taiga then just base as normal; adding the snow last. What you want to do is mix the snow flock with PVA glue and water, the more you add the slushier the snow will be. For fluffy snow add just enough for it to be a sort of paste then after applying it, tease it up a touch with a toothpick or tweezers with a thin tip.

As for the differences the crushed glass will have more of a sparkle to it, the snow flock is somewhere in the middle and the baking soda will still do a good job, but you'll be best off adding a touch of white paint to it to combat yellowing.

This has the tutorial where I first learn about snow bases from.

This is the result I got from it, though I used Gale Force Nine's snow flock.


I'd suggest either the Woodland Scenics due to the volume and it's quality or the baking soda method. As while the GF9 stuff is nice you just get more in the WS one.

When I looked around for a way to do a snow basing, I eventually settled on this effect:



That's my Terrorgheist, and the Snow is made by taking Gale Force 9 snow powder stuff, and mixing with PVA glue and a little bit of water.
The mix is kind of hard to get right the first time, so I had to experiment a little, but I think the effect came out great.
The pros with this is that you're able to make the snow thick, like actual piles of snow, and the snow will be hard. Yes, it is actually pretty hard and rigid, even though it doesn't look that way.
As for what to have under, I have some grass under the snow, but a light blue / light blueish grey would probably do the trick.

edit: Damn, ninja'd by n0t_u
Well, consider the advice seconded.

Woodland Scenics snow is your best bang for the buck. I have enough snow flock to last 3 armies lol..

Also throwing in my support for Woodland Scenics.

Personally my method is more simple. I apply sand then paint and highlight it with Scorched Brown and Snakebite Leather respectively. I then paint the areas I want covered in snow white. Apply PVA to the white areas and then dip the model in the snow. Repeat PVA and snow until you are satisfied with the snow build-up.

The results aren't as impressive as the examples shown above but it is less fiddly.

Woodland Scenics is the best stuff.
Use Water Effects for ice.

You can get better results if you lighten up the areas where you're going to add snow before applying the snow. Blackness can show through.