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Hello all. Here is a base I finished for a Wood Elves Glade Guard champion. (Wintered themed) Does anybody have any suggestions as how to improve the bases look? Or ideas on placing the rocks different or anything? Any help/suggestions/criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Well, if you're going for a winter theme, how about some snow? It wouldn't be difficult to dust a bit of snow across that rock and bush.

Also, I'm a HUGE detractor against unfinished contend on bases. Unless a model is painted so well that it looks (literally) like a miniature person that truly could just walk around, it's so realistic, then the base should not be made of realistic items. The base content should be painted, too.
Myself, I would get some paint on that bush. Covering it with black paint, then putting a couple thin layers of green in increasingly light tones, would pull it into the base more, rather than have it sticking out. If you're worried about the black sticking out too much, you can use a medium to dark shade of gray.

Eric

Wow. That was exactly the advice I was looking for! Thanks SO much!

I'd agree with that. With woodland scenics snow (the same that GW sells, but at a fraction the cost), I find that painting where you'll put the snow in white, then putting down 2 layers of white glue with snow sprinkled on top gives the right volume and doesn't look like you sprinkled white sand on your base.

With your mini, I'd suggest a thin, dark wash, and highlights of the colors you're using (if you don't have the colors, simply mix your color with a little bleached bone (or other warm off-white, if you have it), then drybrush lightly, trying to catch upper edges. Mithril silver would work for the metal. (Metallic paints don't react the same way as normal paint, so you can't mix or dilute them well.)

Thanks for the help! I haven't finished the model yet, I was planing on putting a black wash on. I probably should have finished him before I put him on the base. What is their website? Thanks!

Woodland scenics is a big name in model railroading: most hobby stores that sell that sort of stuff will carry their stuff or be able to get it (it'd be like a gaming store not being able to get GW stuff).

Alternatively, I've got a bunch of the stuff (PM me if you want some).

Ok thanks for the help! And PM sent!

I'm going to disagree with Cadaver on something.
You're looking for a winter theme... Instead of washing it in badab Black, you should test one our with a wash with Asurmen Blue. I'd wash all of the blues and even the whites with it (not heavily, though!).
I'd do Gryphonne sepia on the face & tan/brown colors.
I probably WOULD do the black on the blades, though.

You might want to consider painting the base edge black, for a better "pop" against the winter theme or a gray (like Wolf Gray) for a better blend with the winter theme.

Eric

CMSheats actually said he'd be doing the black wash, I just suggested a dark one. I'd agree that black isn't the optimal wash, but straight blue isn't necessarily the best. Blue would obviously work well towards a cold look, but I think that a secondary slightly warm wash and a little bleached bone mixed in to the highlights would do an interesting job warming up the blue just a little, and drawing the color scheme back to a more natural look.

spiralingcadaver wrote:CMSheats actually said he'd be doing the black wash, I just suggested a dark one. I'd agree that black isn't the optimal wash, but straight blue isn't necessarily the best. Blue would obviously work well towards a cold look, but I think that a secondary slightly warm wash and a little bleached bone mixed in to the highlights would do an interesting job warming up the blue just a little, and drawing the color scheme back to a more natural look.

My bad.
I read your "dark" then his "black" and that was the part that stuck in my brain.

I think you're right about what could warm it up. I was under the impression that he wanted something a little more 'quick fix' to make the mini POP. In fact, that's why I only mentioned the base at first; because he didn't ask about anything otherwise.

Eric

Ya sorry, when I said black I ment dark. I also think that the blue would be a good idea. (Thanks MM) I will have to do some experimenting.