Basing Caradryan progres

After the priming I left base for a day to completely dry. As protection from dust and other small air elements I put a glass over the base. Next day I have started with basecoating. I am using for most of my paint job only Vallejo Model Colors.

STEP 1:
For rocks I have used glaze (75:25 color-water mix) of VMC Black Grey with touch of Light Grey and Azure Blue. Three coats should be enough as a solid base for next steps.

STEP 2:
Then drybrush with Light Grey/Black Grey mix with retarder for slower drying followed by local drybush with Black Grey/Azure Blue mainly in darker places. Light Grey drybrush was next step for places in direct light (top sides of stones).

STEP 3:
Now, its time for washes. I have used washes in this order:
- Royal Purple + Azure Blue (mainly for darker places)
- GW Gryphonne Sepia
- GW Devlan Mud
- Olive Green (simulates a moss in darker and wet places)
- Smoke (darkest places)
For better variety combine them randomly for a last touch in to the random places.

STEP 4:
After the washes some places need re-highlight. For final lights I added into the previous drybrush mixes a bit of GW Dheneb Stone and Pale Sand. Next day I checked final result on daylight.

STEP 5:
Since I have washes ready on my wet palette I have glazed ground (and some top of rocks when will be grass, moss or flowers) with English Uniform followed by wash from Flat Earth, GW Gryphonne Sepia, GW Devlan Mud and Smoke. Borders when ground meets rock received light wash from Olive Green. For good feeling, drybrush of Pale Sand for ground one more time.

STEP 6:
Rock cracks and other places received light local wash from pigments with water. First wet the places and then apply diluted pigment mix. CMK Dark rust followed by MIG Lights rust.

TREE Basecoat:
As a base coat form my later works I put about three glazes of Smoke with water mixed. Brushstrokes lead from light to shadow. Then I glazed tree locally with Olive Green in places were should moss grow.

Caradryan base WIP

As I mentioned before, I would like to build an snow-themed base for my elf guy, who looks so proud. This time I choose a simple wooden square and from birch made rock. Everything was fixes with CA glue and milliput (black one). Tree bark represents glued roots.
Groundwork is real earth-ground from flower pot (my wife was really surprised, when discovered empty pot in our kitchen). For better fixation base received this time light PVA-water coat (normally I am using hair spray).
Primed with black and white citadel spray following zenith-lighting.

Caradryan WIP

This is my first experience with Gameworkshop miniatures. Figure is from finecast resin and need a lot of work to fill all gaps and resculpting damaged parts.
Painting is bigger challenge than I expected. Metallics, different surfaces and freehand need a lot of patience and repeating tries. Still I am not happy with cloak, but I am afraid of more complexes freehand on it.
I am going to build winter-themed base, what will be in contrast (as I hope) with Caradryan color scheme. Overall concept was a wish from my wife, when she give me this figure as a Christmas gift.

Diorama little talking

Some great diorama artist says that base composition is the most importing step. Good picture should have introduction, main stage and background. Everything should be in triangle perspective from point of view. I translate it as that I need low area with some details, main area with dwarf and something in background to close scene and giving the imagination about actual size (from AFV modeling competitions I have learnt, that the simplest way is to put tree or slope to your base).

Inspiration
In my world exist simple rule: “No idea – no fun.” So I try to search some great for some top base inspiration. Scibor (www.sciborminiatures.com) and his golden hands introduced in to the world of miniatures large set of great bases. This was inspiration for me. So find what do you like and try it to do it yourself! I have found that I am not able to sculpt dwarf head as ruins base! :-D

Construction
As a base construction block I have made fake rock from piece of pine bark (there is real world outside you working place with real green trees). I took it in park, but you can easily found it also in large cities near business building as decoration around greens. TIP: Beware of dogs poos!
As a stamp tree I have used small branch and sculpt the wood structure with needle, roots are from milliput (or GS or Duro or DAS). Tree is combination of small tree branch and real small roots (inspect your mother/girlfriend home flowers) glued with PVA/CA. Groundwork is dried soil from flowerpot sprinkled all around the base on the PVA glue. Great method from Sven-Ake http://www.hobbybokhandeln.net/?cat=45 one of the best braille scale artist ;-)
Runes desk was sculpted from PVA desk (5mm thick foam/PVA desk ). I have used punch and die set for leather (low price/big holes), screwdriver bits, needle and some bits for dremel tool (originally Nails cleaning tool ). Everything from this tools is very cheap, when you are lucky and buy it in discount like LIDL or Everything for kiss shop or Asian markets.

Details
Plants are from all kind of materials. For moss I have used “Per Olav” method. Mix of color, PVA glue and Woodland scenic turf. The rest are natural plants, herbs and moss from my dogs´ walks. There are ways how to prepare it. You can just dry them, but they are very fragile. Another way is washing them for some time in PVA-water mix (color changes are little). Finally you can preserve herbs or plants in Glycerin with water (1:10 ratio), leave it for 48h in this mix and dry them (it took 48h or more depends on their absorbing ability). By this way they stay flexible and almost in same color as in nature. When you want to glue them to the base, use PVA. Before you paint them, give your base or plants coat of clear varnish to prevent them from falling (due the use of water base PVA glue).
Now its painting time!
You can find great tutorials about this techniques at www.fichtenfoo.com , www.armorama.com and www.massivevoodoo.blogspot.com tutorials sections (I hope that Roman or Raffa make an English painting class one day)

Tartan

After some experiments in piece of paper, I had choice final scheme.
1) Base color: VMC Olive Green with shading (VMC Extra Dark Green)
2) Wash: from VMC Camo Black Brown
3) Base vertical and Horizontal lines with VMC Andrea Blue (or VGC Magic Blue)
4) Thinner line with VMC Royal Purple in to the step 3 lines
5) Small dots with VMC Pink in to the line crossing
6) Finally VMC Lemon Green for final lines
For peace of my soul I have highlight easily the tartan with glaze of lemon green

 Steady hands and brush in excellent condition make it easier. For small dots and lines is not bad to use synthetic brush, if you want to destroy your best brushes. (I am sorry it really works for me).

 Excuse me, but I can't remember for exact colors. You must work work your imagination or following Jenova guide