Basing for Autumn, and Squats.

I have been asked several times about how I have been doing the Autunm bases on my Wood Elf army. So for this update I have done a small step by step guide on how.

Also, in spite of the fact I 'should' be painting Wood Elves I have been painting a few Squats. I finally decided on a cross between the Mjolnir Brotherhood colour scheme, and the colour scheme from the early Rogue Trader releases/Book of the Astronmican painting guide.
 I chose that scheme because I always think of Squats in that shade of green, and the combination of the red flak armour looks good and lightens the green up without being too bright.

First of all, the Autumn basing:

The  ingredients:

Autumn flock from 'Gale Force Nine', leaves from 'Treemendus', and cut down bits of twigs from the local park.

 I first add PVA glue on the base, usually with a cocktail stick.

 Then put the miniature in the flock, and add flock to the base to make sure it's all covered.

 I then remove any excess flock and flatten it down with my finger.

If I decide to put a piece of twig on the base I choose where it is to go, and then put a line of superglue on that area.

I have never had any problems with the superglue setting white, but if that were to occur I would paint over it in a suitable colour. Occsionally it can have a slight shine, but that can either be suggetive of water/damp, or painted over.

   I then place the twig almost immediately as the glue sets very quickly on the flock, which is very absorbant. 

 It sometimes needs to be held down for few seconds so the twig sticks to the base rather than just rests on  top of the flock. 

 Adding the leaves.

To do a pile of leaves, I put some superglue on the area and then just sprinkle leaves onto the glue. If you want to do a higher pile of leave, wait until the first pile is dry, and put on more glue and sprinkle more leaves on.

 Pile of leaves. 

Once I have left them for a minute or so to dry I tap off the excess leaves and put them back in the pot.

 When adding individual leaves I again place superglue where I want the leaves to go, and then immediately place the leaf with a tweezer. Never use fingers unless you are prepared to occsionally have leaves glued to them! 

 The finished Wood Elf.

I just painted the edge of the base in black, although a brown could work well too.

 Close up of the twig and leaves.

 Close up of the leaf pile.

 Squats! 

As the Rogue Trader Squat army list calls for a Warlord and Hearthguard, I have organised some of the characterful, command, and special weapons troopers miniatures into one.  It saves me having to find the 'official' Warlord/Hearthguard minatures on e-bay, of which I do have a set to use but I don't really like them. I prefer to make use of the more charaterful models from the rest of the Squat ranges.

 The Iron Claw General figure as a Warlord.

I have to admit whilst in the past I have never been impressed with the Bob Olley Squats, after painting a few of them in the last few days they paint up really nice. I always loved the Goblins, but I am starting to like the Squats a lot more now.I still prefer the Perry ones though.

I have taken to painting Warlords with gold helmets/armour/equipment.

 Standard bearer and Musician, sculpted by the Perry Twins.

In constrast with the Warlord and ordinary troopers, I am painting the Hearthguard with metallic/silver armour. 

They are all meant to be equiped with Carapace plate armour and so it helps to differentiate them from the flak equiped troopers of the Brotherhoods.

 Another Iron Claw Squat with a Melta Gun, and Perry one with a Flamer.

 First Completed Squat Brotherhood Squad. 

For those of you unfamilar with the Squat army list, the ordinary squads are 8-strong and can have several Heavy Bolters in addition to one other heavy weapon.

 Heavy Bolter trooper, and Squad leader. The green is a mix of black and Citadel Warpstone Glow, and then highlighted with Warpstone Glow. The brown is Vallejio English Uniform, the red Citadel Evil Sun Scarlet (the new version of  Blood Red).

 I might add more depth to the red on the targeter eye piece.

 Trooper with bolters. The one on the right is the re-painted test model from last week.

 Conversion beamer and Boltgun trooper. 

The trooper on the left is a conversion from a broken version of the one on the right with a metal Conversion Beamer.

  Plastic box set trooper slighty modified to carry the Heavy Bolter in his arms rather than have it on his shoulder.

 Part of the second squad, only two more to paint.

 Another plastic trooper, like the Heavy Bolter one above, modified to carry a heavy weapon, in this case a metal Heavy Plasma Gun.

 Another metal Trooper and Squad Leader.

Two more plastic Squats, the one on the right carrying a bolter from the RTB101 Space Marine box set. 

Not sure what the next update will be on.

 In theory I am meant to be painting a Wood Elf army, but I seem to be painting two armies at the same time, which won't do at all! 

I'll probably focus on the Wood Elves and update on them probably thursday. :)