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Tutorial Water wave effect on bases

Slann

Crowsfoot

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In this tutorial I’m going to attempt to show you how I create wave effects on my bases.

1. (I'm using a 40mm) Paint your base green and while still wet paint on some blue, just be random and don’t worry about the look.

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2. Once dry apply a thin coat of your chosen water, I’m using realistic water from Woodland scenic.

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More to follow ;)
 
3. Once the water effect is completely dry apply some thin lines of your water effect, this is thicker and has a consistency like pva glue, I’m using water effects by Woodland Scenic.

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Now we all know waves aren’t straight so we now take a cocktail stick and manipulate the lines, move them back and forth and flick crests into them with your trusty cocktail stick.

When your happy with the look leave it to dry completely usually 24/48hrs, you know when it’s ready as it goes completely clear.

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4. Once the water effects are completely dry simple drybrush white on the crests, do this from every angle as you want white to be on the crests and the water.

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An example on a bigger base, on this I followed the shape of the body to create a sense of movement.

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And there you have it, simple but effective.
 
Rally helpful, thanks. I definitely going to try this some time!

Do you need tape or something else around the base when applying the 'realistic water'?(preventing it from flowing over the edge)
Or does it stay on top of the base by itself?

Gr, Imrahil
 
Rally helpful, thanks. I definitely going to try this some time!

Do you need tape or something else around the base when applying the 'realistic water'?(preventing it from flowing over the edge)
Or does it stay on top of the base by itself?

Gr, Imrahil

It's just a really thin layer so it stays without masking the base off.
 
Look’s similar to my technique - paint blue, drown in varnish and apply modelling paste. I can’t wait to see how your’s ends up!
 
Hey do yoI have any other examples of base paints to use with the water effect. In the tutorial you did green and blue like sort of murky or tropical water. What would dark blue (like deep ocean) look like. Or light blue like (clear tropical) look like? Do you have any other examples?
 
Hey do yoI have any other examples of base paints to use with the water effect. In the tutorial you did green and blue like sort of murky or tropical water. What would dark blue (like deep ocean) look like. Or light blue like (clear tropical) look like? Do you have any other examples?

I don't but it will look fine no matter what colours you use, heck you could even paint the base orange, red and then drybrush the waves yellow to represent lava.
 
Followup question: to create deeper water, can you repeat step 2 a couple of times?
or is this a bit to pricey and are there other method's?

Gr, Imrahil
 
Followup question: to create deeper water, can you repeat step 2 a couple of times?
or is this a bit to pricey and are there other method's?

Gr, Imrahil

Any clear resin will work but you may have to mask off the base
 
Really great wave tutorial! I wish I had tried something to this extent when I built my canal tiles... I didn't think I needed to slop on that much water effects! Yours turned out fantastic, especially that troglodon base. Next time I will just add more.
 
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