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Working on my Adeptus Mechanics force. Getting close to finishing my Onager, Tech-Priest Dominus, and Imperial Knight. I'm stuck on basing with not knowing how I want them based.

Bear with me on this one, there is method to the madness. You have painted some beautiful models and the basing question was a fun puzzle to solve. I think you should base them with a shoreline/beach theme. Here's why:


You obviously understand color theory enough to have incorporated orange & blue (compliments). Basing with blue water will add some more of the compliment color. Yellow sand will mean you have a triad with the blue lenses / water and the red stripe on your Onager. The orange base color is then a midtone. This will make the overall look of your army visually pleasing. See the color wheel below:




Basing with a beach theme also allows you some creative fun. You can use Vallejo water effects to create splashes against the feet to create a sense of movement. If you really wanted to go all out, you could use Still Water and actually submerge the feet in water on some bases. In addition, you could add rusty bits of metal/machinery for additional flavor that's in line with the admech theme. Depending on how you create the rust, you are free to add additional reds, oranges, and yellows to the bases to increase the visual interest. Finally, I googled "adeptus mechanicus base" and could not find any examples of a beach theme, so your army will definitely be unique.


Whatever you decide, the models look awesome!

They'd rust at the beach

Whatever the red crackle earth gw does would be an interesting test, potentially highlighted with sand as nodri suggested

Those are beautiful!! have no clue about the bases... I do like Nodri's suggestion though It'd certainly be different!!

Nodri, I like the idea! Not sure if my basing skills are good enough to pull it off though. Trying to find some examples but my googlefoo is failing tonight too.

No worries. My googlefu is strong enough for both of us

None of it is exactly as I described, but it should get you going in the right direction. If you need more information, check google for D-Day boards or bases. The Flames of War guys love beach themes. I only included beach-related research. Googling "rust tutorial" will give you the phone book and you can do anything from stippling acrylics to playing around with weathering powders and oil paints. How far you want to go is up to you.






Here's the tutorial. It's for a full table, so is more in-depth than you need, but it's still good info.



Here's a TerranScapes video on his ocean board. He does lots of experimentation, which is great for saving time and frustration.




Another TerranScapes video, this time focusing on shoreline.




And finally, a TerranScapes video on using water effects. Google Vallejo Still Water & Vallejo Water Effects for lots more tutorials.




Woodland Scenics (model railroad scenery maker) also makes a line of water products and they have their own youtube channel with lots of tutorials.





Let me know how it comes out. Good luck

Awesome, Nodri! I forgot about Terranscapes and I follow them on youtube too. I used them for inspiration on my dwarf display board for Kings of War.

The water effects look good, now to figure out how to build up the sand to a slight angle and a good way to wrap the base for the water effects.

If you want a complimentary color for the base, I wouldn't go for a water base. Instead I'd go for a grey urban base with a slight bluish tinge.

If you want a complimentary color for the base, I wouldn't go for a water base. Instead I'd go for a grey urban base with a slight bluish tinge.

Ghaz may be on to something. You could go with a blue-grey asphalt surface and add yellow road stripes. It would utilize the same colors as a shoreline theme, would have the same flexibility regarding debris, and would be easier to build.


With regards to wrapping the bases for water effects, check out this video:

Very nice paint jobs. Thanks for sharing!

 Ghaz wrote:
If you want a complimentary color for the base, I wouldn't go for a water base. Instead I'd go for a grey urban base with a slight bluish tinge.

This had been my other thought too. I've been looking at examples of asphalt and concrete with the use of cork (as I have plenty of it) but I find it to be too textured for the worn concrete look.

Finally got time to work on the base for my knight to try out the theme. Used hydrocal plaster to create the "concrete" and Vallejo Grey Pumice as the rubble. I feel like there is something missing from it still.

I think you catched the grey/blue concrete color but imho, as Nodri said, you should add also some "sand". In this case you add the yellow line, but it looks like it's not enough.
I'll try adding some sand tone to the rubble and add some other urban ruins to the base, like bricks and stuff like that in order to add some warm color.

Btw, great job on the models!

Tutho, thanks for the feedback! I went back and did a medium brown and a sand dry brush on the dust/rubble to lighten it up and bring in more of the yellows. I also added some burnt umber and black weathering powders from Vallejo and topped it off with a couple layers of matte coat.

Looks good. Maybe weathering the yellow line to match the weathered road. The paint is too clean for a broken road.