Some years ago I started converting my WW2 army from Command Decision to Crossfire. It is still a work in progress and I am plagued by doubts about the right size to make bases as well as details like material to use for bases and flocking techniques. I decided to test out a new size and technique on a pair of Russian mortars I had left over.
The mortars were based for Crossfire, but I trimmed the base size down to 30mm square. I had also bought myself a new craft cutting mat for Xmas (my first – previously I had just used bits of wood). I was amazed how easy it made things.
Then I experimented with some texture paste from Jo Sonja. This is not something I normally do when I base figures, but this time it also served triple purpose:
· try the paste out and see what it was like to use;
· try and give the impression of a mortar pit; and
· build up around the Airfix Russian ring-in (all the other figures are Esci Russians) as I had positioned him so he was totally within the base (no overlap).
I should say that at the same time I was experimenting on the pair of mortars I was also rebasing some ACW 15mm for Fire and Fury. They were already based to the correct width, but the depth was slightly deeper than all my other ACW figures: just enough to annoy me. Enough said. The figures were Old Glory and beautifully animated, but with bayonets fixed they were very tricky to arrange. This resulted in lots of overhang, something I wanted to avoid with my WW2 troops (and all figures really), particularly on the sides or flanks of the base.
After the paste I then applied some sand a few ubiquitous kitty litter rocks.
Then an undercoat of some brown paint and a dry brush of a lighter shade (Folk Art 416 Dark Brown and Jo Sonja's Fawn respectively).
I tried doing a highlight in white, but I didn’t care for the result (although it can be seen later on the “dug-in” markers).
Finished with some flock.
Nicely dug-in and ready for action.
The models were finished with a matt spray (Wattyl's Estapol Matt)
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