Basing Tutorial - Snow & Tarmac (Urban Winter)

This is the basing method I use for all my Inquisitor figures. It gives a dark tarmac/rubble look with patches of snow. To achieve this look, you will need the following:

• Sand or an alternative product to base the model with.
• Black paint (GW Abaddon Black)
• Dark grey paint (Revell Anthracite Grey)
• Light grey paint (Revell Grey)
• Dark/Navy blue paint (GW Necron Abyss)
• Black wash (GW Nuln Oil)
• Water Effects or PVA glue
• Bicarbonate of Soda or Modelling Snow

For my bases I use GW Water Effects and Bicarbonate of Soda, but PVA and/or Modelling Snow are preferred by other people. For a detailed look at the different possibilities offered by these different products, look at this post at From the Warp.

The first step is to base the model with the texture of your choice, in this case sand glued on with PVA glue, and to paint it black.

Then, wetbrush all over with your dark grey, leaving black only in the deepest recesses.

Next, a heavy drybrush of a medium grey. To keep it simple, I used a 50:50 mixture of my dark and light greys, but if you wish you can use a seperate colour. As well as being easier though, I find that using a mixture of the two other layers ensures a continuity in tone,

Next, a light drybrush of light grey is applied, catching only the high points of the base. At this point, if you're in a hurry, you could skip ahead to applying the snow, or even finish as you are. However, I think that the next four steps add greatly to the look of the basing.

Then wash the base with a watered down blue (or blue wash) to give it a cool tone.

Now apply an  even lighter drybrush of light grey to bring out the contrast in the base again.

To finish the painting of the base, apply another wash, this time using a black wash (or watered down black).

I always paint my base rims with black, and if you do the same then at this point is the time to do it. 

To apply the Water Effects to the base, I use this old splayed brush, which helps to give an irregular, patchy look to the snow.

Now apply the Water Effects in small, irregular shapes.

Then coat the base liberally with Bicarbonate of Soda, in the same way as you apply static grass.

Then knock the excess off, using a damp paintbrush to remove it from the base rim and figure. The basing is now finished.

A rear view of the same base. NB, although I used a painted figure for this tutorial, it's much easier to do if you paint the miniature after basing, allowing you to be much less careful with the drybrushing. If you do find yourself needing to base an already painted figure, it's a good idea to leave any complex painting of boots and feet till after basing.