Basing - Before or After Painting?

Shieldmaiden · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:15 pm

I've always done it after, but I've seen a few WIP blogs and some users do it before.

What are the merits of both?

.:Gunslinger:. · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:00 pm

I glue the sand on the bases before I spraypaint them with Chaos Black primer. Than I usually drybrush the sand before I start painting boots/shoes/whatever to avoid messing up the paintjob. Finally I glue the grass/flocking material onto the base after I finished painting and than give the complete thing a coat of matte varnish (which helps reducing the shinyness of plastic grasstufts as Mininatur and sticks the flock firmer to the base). So it's a mix of both for me!

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:12 pm

I paint the mini first and the base separately afterwards, I don't use the slotta in the base. all my miniatures are pinned to the base.

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:45 pm

I do it before, couple of quick drybrushes and they are done. Can then paint the minature without the worry of trying to do the bases when the model is looking all nice when finish. I add the flock after painting though.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:28 pm

I put sand on the base after assembling, let it get spraypainted with the rest and paint it around the same time as the model, with the grass added last. I cannot vote since you don't have the option for at the same time.

SeveredHead · **Joined:** Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:40 pm **Posts:** 57

I tend to do my basing in large quantities and don't fret over dirty or buried feet so I leave basing to the end.

Farmer Maggot · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:41 am

I glue sand on before undercoating and then paint and add grass after the model is finished.

Although maybe that isn't the best idea as I often have to repaint feet.

thewhitehand · **Joined:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:03 pm **Posts:** 128

Quote:

I paint the mini first and the base separately afterwards, I don't use the slotta in the base. all my miniatures are pinned to the base.

+1

I do have a couple of exceptions though, as I've some models I procured off ebay that have been superglued into the base with a lot of superglue

and I'm not bothered sawing through, so I do the base first for them (minus flocking of course)

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:47 am

thewhitehand wrote:

Quote:

I paint the mini first and the base separately afterwards, I don't use the slotta in the base. all my miniatures are pinned to the base.

+1

I do have a couple of exceptions though, as I've some models I procured off ebay that have been superglued into the base with a lot of superglue

and I'm not bothered sawing through, so I do the base first for them (minus flocking of course)

I know that feeling too - I just snap the base off them and paint as usual

valpas · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:36 am

Sanding the base before priming is good. The spray primer helps bond the sand even tighter on the base. If you use black primer, you get free sand shading at the same time.

Sanding the base before priming is bad. If you use white primer you will need to be extra careful while painting the sand to make sure no white spots show after basecoating the sand.

Painting the base before painting the miniature is usually good. It often involves drybrushing, which can make a mess on already painted parts of the mini. At least painting the base before boots is sensible.

Of course you can do like DMS and paint them separately, which has its merits too.

I usually sand, prime spray, basecoat (medium brown), wash (dark brown) and drybrush (light brown) the base and then I just put the mini in a box to wait for a few years. It's good to have a strategic reserve of unpainted but based miniatures in case the inspiration hits, because basing is the part I dislike most.

Only after the miniature is painted I add static grass, leaf scatter and such details to the base.

-- Pasi

Telchar · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:43 pm

I do it afterwards, as I don't paint my sand, and I usually make a mess of the base while painting the feet.

Ring_of_Gyges · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:05 pm

Dead Marsh Spectre wrote:

I paint the mini first and the base separately afterwards, I don't use the slotta in the base. all my miniatures are pinned to the base.

Curious. What don't you like about the slotta?

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 8:14 pm

Because most of the time i spread putty over the majority of the base and scratch stone work into it.

the above base is the best example i can find - using the slotta it would be impossible to add the amount of stone flooring like in the example. It runs through to the back of the base.

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 12:32 am

What putty do you use, greenstuff? (if not, do you think GS would work?) And how do you create the tone texture?

Ring_of_Gyges · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 7:41 am

Interesting, I'll have to take a stab at that. I've always been pretty lazy with my bases.

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Sat Jul 28, 2012 8:17 am

@Josh - I use Milliput - spread it over the area you want the stone to be on your base - wet it a little then push scrunched up tin foil into it. once dry scratch the brickwork into it with a sharp file. Greenstuff probably would work but imo is harder to spread flat and also to scratch once dry . good luck mate

werner · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 6:29 am

.:Gunslinger:. wrote:

I glue the sand on the bases before I spraypaint them with Chaos Black primer. Than I usually drybrush the sand before I start painting boots/shoes/whatever to avoid messing up the paintjob. Finally I glue the grass/flocking material onto the base after I finished painting and than give the complete thing a coat of matte varnish (which helps reducing the shinyness of plastic grasstufts as Mininatur and sticks the flock firmer to the base). So it's a mix of both for me!

Exactly the same here...

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

I glue the sand down before painting and paint everything at the same time.

Basing - Before or After Painting?

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