Pros please help!: Base decoration tips

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

So obviously a decent looking base under a model makes it look so much better and wondered if you had any tips? Im looking to create a jungle based environment, some mini furns, moss, long grass etc but dont know where to aquire anything besides the basics! I have some dirt looking stuff and grass looking stuff, any tips and advice would be very appreciated!

 

[Aginor]

For jungle there are a few different options many people use:
- aquarium plants. You can get them very cheap online. Don't forget to paint them though, most of them are green but don't look too good.
- cheap plastic deco plants. Same as above
- tea leaves. Those make great jungle floors. Also drinking tea is healthy, so the need for basing material helps you drink more.
- then of course the basing materials you can buy. Grass tufts of different lengths, by GW, Warlord, Army Painter etc. Or make them yourself using a flock box.
- natural materials like seeds or capsules of some plants, that you can dry, spray prime, and paint.

 

[Deed525]

As said above ;D

I use tufts - you can get 150 bunches of various colours/styles for about £5 on eBay - just bulk buy like £30s worth and they will last ages.

If you want to be a bit more experimental - use good old green stuff, it’s actually very easy to make your own flora (and they will be just how you want them)

What I do is go on google - search for the style of plants you want (in this case ‘jungle’) to see what plans actually exist - find a few you like and replicate.

Leave to dry overnight them cut/trim and add to your bases.

Some examples could be;

Vines - easy as hell to make (roll a thin snake like bit of green stuff and add parallel leaves to it - mark the leaves slightly with a tool and bamn done.

Big leaf grass/banana plant style leaves - take a piece of green stuff to the size you require and squash - aiming to have one end wider then the other (leaf shaped) score the length with a tool and across the width either side of this, make 3/4 leaves of the same type and bunch together at the bases - move leaves to required angles/bends/add damage etc and hey presto a decent sized plant that looks good.

Reeds/hot poker style flowers - create a tall thin stem to required height, add some small upright leaves at the base. At the top add a thicker rolled piece of green stuff - bamn a reed - make a few of these of varying sizes to hang close together - add a small water effect beneath them and you now have a swamp/pool effect with decor.

Water pools - Lizardmen love water - jungles often have water in them - pools are simple to make, leave a patch of your base clear at any shape/depth required (use basing sand/stones etc for the surrounds and to hold the water effect inside,
Paint colours where the water will lay ontop (murky browns/greens etc - (make sure to use brighter colours) add water effect ontop - let it dry overnight and add some white dry brush to bring out any ripples etc youhave in it.

I could go on and on lol - message me for more if you like

 

[Deed525]

Just to prove how easy it is;

10mins work - rushed because I wanted a bath ;D

When dry they can be bent/cut/trimmed/added etc

Can do a million things with the green stuff - there are no limits ;P

 

[Aginor]

Very useful, thanks for posting!

 

[Deed525]

My pleasure