Plan before you start.
What to protect from bumps thin stuff like weapons, what can be crushed
Base heavy or wide enough to protect from tipping over.
Base dirt matches dirt on figure.
Base does not detract from or overpower figure.
Don't get base material or dirt all over figure.
Base will fit into your cabinet.
Base:
Wood craft plaques; cut up boards, shape with sander or router; picture frames; plastic cut to shape; packaging material; gardening bark;
Wood base: stain, clear coat-don't want warpage, but other material needs something to stick to.
Plastic-rough up surface.
Base material: dirt & white glue & acrylic paint Cheap but thin Styrofoam to build up elevation. Glue with white glue, hold together with toothpicks. Balsa and cardboard ok too.
Spackle or dry wall crack filler slow drying so you can manipulate, white, may crack; might add white glue.
Celluclay, slow drying, lumpy, may warp; might add white glue, won't take grass too well.
Plaster of Paris; rock hard putty strong, dries fast
Mix only what you need. Have extra water and material available to adjust consistency. Want soft enough to eliminate lumps, hard enough to hold it's shape.
Layer deep enough to cover and hold rocks, plants, etc, thin enough to dry reasonably fast.
Don't for get to ensure that where the feet, wheels, treads are going are level or as appropriate for what you are doing.
Smooth covering with wet finger. Have plenty of towels handy.
Rocks: chunks of plaster; moldings; real rocks-road gravel, stream/beach gravel; Kitty litter; gardening bark; sand
Press rocks into groundwork. Rocks (and walls, roads, etc) are in the dirt, sticking up, not resting on top of it.
Consider what would be around rocks; how would the figure be in relation to the rock, hole etc. What would be growing around the rock?
Stream beds rocks in a depression, dirt cutaway showing(?); may be dry or have water in it-water over the rocks clear, the casting involved; muddy, any material colored with gloss surface.
Try and not have lines parallel with the base unless you want them to point to something; may not be able to avoid if doing a building.
Tracks in path or dirt-foot prints, hoof prints use figure dip in water, make tracks, don't forget right and left feet, look at real tracks to se tow direction and width apart, distance apart.
Wheels best if a pair of wheels on road correct distance apart. Dip in water and roll. Do not count on the wheels on your model to do the trick, but may be a way to get dirt on wheels and wheel well. Don't stop non-model tracks unless they go on rock or hard road. Make sure you stop the tracks your vehicle is making where it is going to sit. You may want to leave your vehicle sitting in its tracks while the groundwork dries.
Treads same as above, maybe you can make a stamp with a few spare links.
Cobble stones & bricks smooth layer and make as flat as practical; stamp pattern (change in pattern for variation). Add curbs, manholes, drains, pot holes, mud puddles as you go (plan ahead). Wet and press flat while still soft you don't want feet, treads and wheels floating in air. Sand flat when dry-rescribe lost detail.
Ground cover and other features.
Walls, fences, sighs, trees and other things you have already made and are going to add. Press into ground while still pliable; build up ground around base as appropriate.
Lichen looks bad beyond HO scale. Use Woodlands Scenes systems for bushes and trees.
Long grass-cut from craft broom, rope (if straight), dip clump in white glue, press into soft ground cover. Vary length and density. Paint later.
Static grass. Apply to glued surface, blow across when dry.
Moss, add small bits for low bushes.
Floral spray-use for flowers, small bushes.
When thoroughly dry, paint ground, wash, dry brush;
May spray ground cover with clear flat for strength, paint or more likely dry brush and or washes.
Wrought Iron fence, porch, railing-two strips of plastic and toothpicks
SCRATCHBUILDING
Planning and Research:
The Art of Scratch building; How to build Dioramas; modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles; How to Build Miniature Furniture and Room Settings
All the detail you can find. Books; magazines (modeling and subject matter); photos; DRAWINGS
Plans: Idea is 6 view drawings; if you don't have them, must make them before you start.
Scale the plans. Determine measurements of the real thing. Side to side is generally best; determining where the top/bottom and front/end is can be difficult.
Determine what the measurements will be in your scale (divide actual measurements by the scale your using)
Determine how much you must increase/decrease your drawings to make them scale (divide drawing measurement by the scale measurement).
Look for basic shapes-boxes or subassemblies. (ASU-85 parts/box)
Laminate to make depressions.
Strength vs. scale thickness.
Look for doodads that resemble shapes you want ie a thumbtack for a ventilator dome.
Always remember to include the thickness of plastic/materials in your calculations.
Basic material: Sheet plastic or garage sale signs; Evergreen strip; wood; stretched sprue; bits and pieces; wire; wooden box of scrap parts
Basic tools: Rulers (measurement and cutting) cutting board; Xacto knives; hole punch; Chopper; saws; circle cutter; filler; sand paper; files; scribe; drill and bits; lead foil/tin cans/no-tear paper; metal shapes; tissue paper & white glue; magnetic jig;
Ammo cans plastic sheet, strip singles and multiples
WASHES AND DRY BRUSHING
Dirt wash Polly S Dirt, Earth, Mud, etc
Gives overall dirty appearance; watch for Polly S airbrushing thinner
Runs; go light, use multiple passes. Also Water; brush, cleaning
Good for streaks dark colored model
Black wash for grills, exhaust, cracks Polly S Black,
Armory black washes
Dark background wash Acrylic paint of darker color
Fills low areas; tints Original plus black
Any light to medium model
Any figure
Oil stains Polly S oily black, browns
Runs to low area, slipstream
Faces, hands acrylic red brown wash
Figures with base coat of flesh
Figure clothing darker variant of original color
Consistent shadow effect Figure with uniform base coat
Defines edges, folds
Tones down colors
Dry Brushing flat brushes, card stock
Dark model with dirt wash original color, lighter colors
Grills, etc original colors
Washed model any model with base coat and wash
Faces, hands original, lighter colors
Clothing original, lighter colors
Instrument faces white/silver on black
Black on white
WEATHERING
Wash and dry brush highlights detail, doesn't necessarily replicate natural weathering or real appearance.
Weather in layers in the order it actually occurs.
Assume its been painted overall at the factory.
Paint weathering
Shadows-dark wash or two tones of base coat the traditional method. Need to determine light direction, and what areas will be in the shade.
Grills, cracks dark shadow/Black for fill and depth, normally a black wash, could be dirt.
Paint weathering. May fad or become chalky over time, especially in the desert. Replicate with lighter shade of paint where the sun will hit; or with a very thing coat of diluted white. (maybe Polly S dust, never tried). Example Panzer IVF1 Afrika Korps. Demo, drybrush lighter shade of base color.
Paint chips--wear areas, brush, damage, crew walking, paint wears off, exposing color underneath color under camouflage, primer or metal. If bare metal, may have rust, or be spot painted. Could add in layers and sand off, dry brushing normal technique. Reference, photo of National Guard M-113's or M-106's. Base color paint, rust, metal, model example. Chisel brush, cleaning, airbrush thinner. Example ??
Track and sprockets--plain to bright metal, base with rust, metal, rubber, dirt, bright metal; alternate, metal, black or rust washes, dirt, bright metal. Examples ???
Muzzle blast--black grime--powder or chalk; maybe paint or wash; Soldiers clean their weapons, dirty gun oil stains paint., gray wash.
Dirt goes over what; covers all (very dusty, just a little, how much, colors, type. Techniques: Airbrush, spatter, paint, wash, chalk, combination. Bottom rear, all over. New dirt, all over, old, recesses only, worn off. May be different colors. Streaked from rain. Examples
Mud--Where, especially nooks or crannies. Mix dirt or powder, white glue, water, paint, clear flat/gloss. Darken with gloss or paint. Dry brush with lighter color to represent drying mud.
Examples
Window--tape over areas cleaned by wipers, light wash or airbrush. Example ?
Snow--fresh, old Baking soda, some white glue.
Oil stains--thin brown or black wash over or under dirt.
Polly airbrush thinner, water, white glue, dirt, dark (OD) painted model, light (dark yellow) painted model, chalks, chalk brushes, M-113/M-106 photos, Poly S mud, earth red, dark yellow, rust, brown 30051, oily black, Polly Scale scale black, graphite, night black, bright silver, earth, dirt Delta mustard, olive yellow, burnt sienna, aleenes dusty khaki; brush wide flat, medium flat, medium/small pointed, Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles; How to Build Dioramas
MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Camera bag:
35mm SLR; lense with macro; flash; cable release; filter; film; close up lenses; bellows