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Hey,

I want to base my (Haqqislam) models like they are on a Martian desert.

Anyone done this have any suggestions for paints/weathering powder/etc.?

I'd use something like these dessert bases.

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_30_45&products_id=194

And go with a red clay kinda look on them.

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_38&products_id=74

I'm using the secret weapons stuff as that's what I know, there are other companies out there that have similar products.

Black/grey rocks and red iron-oxide sand/dust.

Also check out

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/images/index.html#.Ugpebm151_o

For some inspiring images

Paint sand squick orange. wash with angrax and reikland fleshade.

EDIT: Oh and it's really dusty on mars so don't be accurate with any drybrushing you do.

For Infinity, I would never use resin bases but the provided slotta bases. Because:
1.) Many models balancing on their toes are impossible to pin.
2.) Some bases have irregular shapes to fit the pose.

The modelling is easy - fine grit (or textured paint) with a few scattered rocks - the martian theme is all about the coloration. As Flinty says, black rock and red oxide dust will look the part.

Luckily, rust is one of the major uses for weathering powders, so there are plenty of brands to choose from. For your purposes, one is likely just as good as another, so get whatever is cheapest/easiest to source, preferably in at least two shades so you can work in some variation. If you're strapped for cash, ground pastel chalks are more than good enough for laying down a thick layer of dust on a base. They don't behave quite as nicely as dedicated powders if you start working your way up the models, though.

Don't know what brands you use/have access to, so I can't give you exact names, but the paints should be pretty simple. Black for the rocks, with a medium to dark gray for highlights (can easily be mixed). For the dust, you could use anything from oxide red to raw sienna to burnt umber as a base, depending on what you're laying over the top and how (lighter yellow-browns would take well to rusty red washes, darker red-browns are for working up with drybrushing and/or pigments).

Thanks for the advice! I haven't worked with weathering powders at all, so I'm excited to try them out. Between a well-stocked FLGS and the internet, I could probably get most brands. If I want the models themselves to look dusty, should I use the powder on them or just drybrush the proper red lightly?

Powders are easy to work with. You'll want some 90% isopropyl alcohols to "fix" the powders on. You can lightly brush it on the modes to give it a dusty look. After you have them in place you will want to use a gloss coat then a Matt coat of varnish to seal them in. If you look at my gallery you can see the Behemoth base I used powders.

Weathering powders generally give a more realistic effect than drybrushing. That's especially true in this case, since dust would settle more heavily in the recesses of gear and armor, as opposed to the raised edges that catch the most paint when drybrushing.

Pigments are pretty versatile, so there are any number of ways you could go about actually applying them. I'd recommend doing some reading on their use, if you haven't, already, before you dive in. Luckily, unless they're mixed with a binding medium (binder, specifically, not fixer) of some sort , you can wash pigments right off of a model (assuming you varnished first, at least) if you don't like the effect, so you can dive right in and start experimenting without having to burn through test models or try to extrapolate from work done on flat scraps.

Personally, I'd recommend applying the pigments dry, then fixing them with rubbing alcohol (plenty on that in the various threads/tutorials available). You'll be able to get both the fine surface layer and thick deposits in recesses that you'd expect after trudging through fields of fine dust. If you plan to game with these models, I'd varnish lightly over the top of that, too. If you're careful, the effect is only very slightly diminished, while becoming significantly more resilient to wear and tear. Others recommend using a dedicated fixer or white spirit instead of rubbing alcohol, but the difference in performance is negligible under varnish, if not generally (which I doubt, anyway, but that may just be me).

[edit:] Quick comment on darefsky's ninja-advice: The more varnish applied over the top of the powders, the less apparent their texture becomes, which is one of their big draws. While a few coats isn't likely to ruin the whole effect, I'd suggest doing your main protective varnishing beforehand, then applying a final light dusting of matte varnish to help seal the powders while retaining most of their initial appearance. Unless they're in very high-wear areas, that's usually enough to keep them intact.