Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I want to make some bases for a new army I am making. I want a desert wasteland look. I want my bases to have a dusty cracked earth look but I don't really like the technical paint from GW the cracks are a bit to small. Does anyone out there know of a product that can get me that look. Or is there a technique I can use to create that look, I have seen someone use a plaster like product that when it dries it cracks in nice large pieces. Any help would be greatly appreciated because I have over 100 models to do.

david70373 wrote:
I want to make some bases for a new army I am making. I want a desert wasteland look. I want my bases to have a dusty cracked earth look but I don't really like the technical paint from GW the cracks are a bit to small. Does anyone out there know of a product that can get me that look. Or is there a technique I can use to create that look, I have seen someone use a plaster like product that when it dries it cracks in nice large pieces. Any help would be greatly appreciated because I have over 100 models to do.

I think there's something you can do with nail polish

Ok what I have seen before is this:
Lay a thin layer of green stuff on the base. Make sure it's flat
Then press into the top some sand paper to give it a corse look
After this get a very small needle.
With the point, stab vertically down to draw lines and cracks making sure you overlap. Do this in several directions.
Once dry you can add a little glue and cover with very small sand in area do give a raised look at points.
Base in grey, paint in dirt.

Hope this helps, if you don't get what I mean i will try explain again in a different way.

I followed the above idea for one of my bases. I used the tip of my knife, rather than a pin, but the process was the same to make the cracks. I didnt rough it up much as I was after a smoother dusty effect rather than a sandy effect.

Looks good I think you have achieved what you set out to be. I might have made the cracks a little deeper.mbut that's my personal choice in effect. Again though good job.

i'll just put this here. Seems like the most simple solution if you want cracked earth.

Oh my, I need to rebase and have never even see this stuff....

I'm not a fan of that paint, imthink modelling your bases will always look better and give a better character. Non the less good video for newbies or lazy people lol

I have that stuff, its OK but expensive, I'd not do a army in it, its more for smaller sqauds and such, you'd need several pots I'd guess for 100 models

Smooth some milliput over your base and cut some cracks into it with a knife.

air drying clay put under a desk lamp or something will crack, Ive seen it used in reptile tanks

 heartserenade wrote:



i'll just put this here. Seems like the most simple solution if you want cracked earth.

RTFOP


Automatically Appended Next Post:
lots of companies make cracking mediums..although i imagine theyre like AE.

With a hundred models to do, you might want to decide whether you value time or money more. Several companies make nice 'cracked earth' bases. These would not be cheap, but they might be faster than doing the effect on each base.

You might also try (as suggested above) crackle medium from another company. I like Vallejo's, because it is transparent. You can paint the subsurface color, then paint on the crackle medium, and then paint on the surface color, which allows you to do nice effects like wet mud in the cracks of dried mud above.

I have heard that painting the medium on thicker (but not too thick) can leave larger cracks, while thin coats tend to crack into many smaller cracks.



I have just typed 'crack' so much that it has lost all meaning.

Whoops... there doesn't seem to be anything here.

Thanks for all the suggestions. It looks like the green stuff idea looks the best. I will try it out to see how it goes.

 Sillycybin wrote:
http://xenite.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/lets-make-bases/

Best cracked earth bases I've seen

This is definitely your best bet!