Creating a Custom base...on the Cheap

Having custom bases for your army or projects really adds an element of realism (or surrealism) to the miniature as it can help transport the miniature into a fantasy realm for the viewer. There are tons of manufacturers out there at the moment who are producing a lot of high quality resin bases for miniatures that are really fantastic.

They can also be expensive though...sometimes costing up to $1-2 per base...if not more...

So I've thrown together this quick 'How to Make Custom Bases' tutorial to show how you can quickly, easily and cost effectively create your own custom bases.

So to begin you're going to need a base. In this example I've used a 20mm square base which is standard for many miniature gaming systems.

 

I've then mixed some green stuff and pushed it onto the base. Like the picture above. Try and avoid fingerprints by wetting your finger and rubbing sideways across the surface to remove them. I've obviously forgotten to this in the photo. 

Taking a flat blade on one of my sculpting tools I've begun to make the markings on the putty. I started by marking all the vertical lines first and then went back and made the alternating pattern to make it look like brickwork. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, old timey brickwork or cobblestone wasn't perfect either...

  

Finally I finish the base off by putting some sand around the edges...And your done! 

Once you get into an assembly line fashion you should be able to create bases similar to this in a very short amount of time. I think i did 30-40 in under an hour. So good luck and have fun experimenting.