Dragon Forge Bases Tutorial

Painting Dragon Forge 'Lost Empires' and 'Parched Earth' bases.


Continuing my irregular series about bases, basing and well general tips I will take you through the process I use to paint the two types of bases I use. I use these for my Grey Knights and Skitarii respectively, however at some point I am going to modify some to combine elements of the two so it doesn't look weird if I field the two armies together in an Apocalypse game. Also you may notice that I use, almost exclusively, the old GW paint colours. Feel free to swap them for their current near match brethren.
So leading Straight on from this post:
At this point you should have your bases cleaned and primed, as per my previous post. From here I am going to walk through the steps I take to paint the two types of bases.

First up the 'Parched Earth' bases:

This method is a fairly fast way to paint these well balanced and very detailed bases. I chose to do them slightly darker tones to balance out the bright steel, white and red colours that dominate the colour scheme of my Grey Knights. To make them more traditional sulphur desert coloured you could perhaps swap the Charadon Granite for Iyanden Darksun and the Devlan Mud for Gryphonne Sepia.

1) Thin down some Charadon Granite so that it is about the same consistency as paint you would airbrush with. Liberally wash this into the cracks in the base. Once this is dry sticky brush the base with 1:2 Reaper Dark Blood:Charadon Granite (Base Mix).

2) Sticky brush the base with 1:2 Deneb Stone:Base Mix.

3) Heavily Drybrush patches with 2:1 Deneb Stone:Charadon  Granite. The Idea here is to add natural looking changes to the colour of the ground just like real soil. Final Drybrush highlight in patches with Deneb Stone.

4) Paint any metal junk with Boltgun Metal and pick out any rocks with a Heavy Drybrush of Adeptus Battlegrey.

5) Stipple the metal bits of debris rather heavily with Blazing Orange to simulate rust. Highlight the rocks in streaks with 1:1 Adeptus Battlegrey:Astronomicon Grey and then edge highlight them with pure Astronomicon Grey.

6) Wash the base with 1:1 Devlan Mud:Water wash. The trick here is to put a blob of pure Devlan Mud on the base and then spread it out with water to create more random lighter and darker patches of ground.

7) When the wash is dry paint any crystals with Liche Purple and then highlight with 2:1 Liche Purple:Tentacle Pink (you can make Tentacle Pink by adding Space Wolf Grey to Liche Purple). Make sure to add some crystal light retraction streaks on each facet. Successively highlight this with 1:1 Liche Purple:Tentacle and then pure Tentacle Pink. Thinly glaze the crystals with 1:1 Leviathan Purple:Water to blend the highlights together.

8) Add fine spot highlights to the crystals with pure Skull White. Add a few random Boltgun Metal chips to the debris to simulate newer chipping.

9) Paint the rim of the base Chaos Black, and pin the model in place. Then when dry coat with clear Matt finish if you prefer to do so. Yes, the one at the bottom left is ready to have the miniature pinned on.

10) Lastly pick out the crystals with clear gloss varnish.



'Lost Empires' Bases

This is a fast and relatively good looking method I developed to paint these bases when I realised I had over four hundred Skitarii miniatures to put on bases. Because of the rapid nature of painting these there are a few steps missing photos, sorry for that.
For best results the bases are painted separately from the miniatures as mentioned in this post:

1) Wash the stone blocks and on patches on the gravel with 1:1:4 Asurmen Blue:Reaper Deep Ocean:Water.

2) Drybrush heavily with Deneb Stone.

3) Drybrush with P3 Morrow White.

4) Redefine some wash patches with Step 1 wash mix.

5) Wash gravel bits with 1:1 Devlan Mud:Water mix.

6) Pick out details with Reaper Deep Ocean.

7) Highlight details with Reaper Marine Teal.

8) Wash any black details twice with pure Badab Black.

9) Paint the rim of the base Chaos Black, and pin the model in place.

10) Coat the mini with clear finish and you are done.


So there you have it, an easy way to paint two of the available sets of bases from Dragon Forge.

Until next time
Cheers
Subby out



Related Posts:

Back In Action

Dragon Forge Bases Review

WIP Coteaz and Grey Knights Project

WIP Coteaz Part 2

WIP Coteaz Part 2

Continuing my running series after a bit of late night painting last night and tonight I managed to get the armour and cloak finished on Coteaz. It is a struggle getting the washes done because it is raining here at the moment and so the humidity is making them take forever to dry. Oh well that is life. On with the Show!

These next couple show him with his cloak finished, leaving me all the other bits to go. I chose purple for two things. First it goes well with the Turquoise armour and secondly it is a colour related to Royal or Imperial Power, thus making Coteaz's ties to the Throne of Terra more obvious.

I used the following technique to paint the Purple Cloak on Coteaz:

1) Over a Black undercoat layer Liche Purple.

2) Wash twice with 1:3 wash of Badab Black:Leviathan Purple.

3) Layer highlight with Liche Purple.

4) Wash with 1:1 Water:Leviathan Purple.

5) Layer highlight with 1:1 Liche Purple:Warlock Purple.

6) Layer highlight with 1:1:1 Liche Purple:Warlock Purple:Morrow White.

7) Layer highlight with 1:1:2 Liche Purple:Warlock Purple:Morrow White.

8) Final wash glaze with 1:1 Water:Leviathan Purple.

Cheers till next time

Subby out.

Related Posts:

Back In Action

Dragon Forge Bases Review

WIP Coteaz and Grey Knights Project

WIP Coteaz and Grey Knights Project

Continuing the Trend that I began with the Doomknight and Landraider I wanted to get myself re-enthused with the hobby. Having a couple of days free per week now, I have a bit of a chance to get some work on my Grey Knights.

So the other day I decided to unpack and check out exactly what I have in the cupboard for the army.

The Minitures I have to work with so far are as follows:

2 x Brother Captain Stern (White Metal) (Will be converting one into Drago for a bit of fun options)

24 x GKs Terminators (White Metal) (5x 3/4 painted)

38 x GKs Power-Armoured (inc 5x Plastic MPK minis)

42 x Adeptus Arbites (Counts as Warrior Acolytes)

6 x Arbites Cyber Mastifs (Counts as Arco-Flagellants)

1 x Inquisitor Coteaz (White Metal, Cleaned, Currently being painted)

1 x Inquisitor (White Metal)

2 x Gun Servitors (White Metal) (1x Painted)

2 x Death Cult Assassins (White Metal) (Cleaned ready to paint)

16 x Inquisitorial Warband Assorted (White Metal)

1 x Vindicare Assassin (White Metal) (cleaned, recently paint stripped)

1 x Eversor Assasin (White Metal)

1 x Grey Knights Venerable Dreadnought (Converted Plastic Ven-Dread, Painted and Finished)

2 x Nemesis Dreadknights

1 x Land Raider Redeemer (Forgeworld Parts, Converted)

1 x Stormraven Gunship (Converted Pilot, magnetised weapon options, partially painted)

So Yeah I have a little bit of work ahead of me.

And while looking for Grey Knights Epic Miniatures (yes for madness.... MADNESSSS.....!!!), I found the following Inquisitor Coteaz miniature for sale.

For a long time I have put off painting my Coteaz miniature because I didn't want to do the traditional colour scheme for him. So this caught my interest, as it was both different and well executed. However I like to use somewhat darker colours, especially on characters who have questionable morality. Yes I know very grim dark....
So yesterday after lunch with the girlfriend I stopped at the not so local friendly gaming store to do a bit of painting (here-after NSLFGS). Ostensibly I was to have a night off and had planned to make it to Pubhammer that evening (yes my gaming club runs its meeting in a pub!), but at around 3:30 I got the call to see if I wanted a shift so I only got this far with Coteaz. Not I could have said no to the shift and kept painting, but hell extra money is always good.

Anyways I used the following technique to paint the armour:

Turquoise Blended Armour:

1) Undercoat Black

2) Base colour all the armour Reaper 'Deep Ocean'

3) Wash armour with 1:1:1 Asurmen Blue:Thraka Green:Badab Black

4)Wet Blended highlights with Reaper 'Deep Ocean'

5)Wet Blended edge highlights with Reaper 'Marine Teal'

6) Spot Highlights with 1:1 Reaper 'Marine Teal':P3 'Morrow White'

If in Stage 4 you let the highlights get to wide you can re-blend into the darker shading using glazes of the wash from Stage 3.

Lastly I will be putting all of these on Dragon Forge 'Parched Earth' Bases. :D

So there you have it.

Cheers All

Happy Chinese New Year!

Subby

Related Posts:

Back In Action

Dragon Forge Bases Review

Dragon Forge Bases Review

I have been buying products from Dragon Forge for a while now and after receiving my latest order I thought I would do a little something for the occasion.

This is because of two reasons. Firstly I have not seen a lot of in depth reviews out there. Secondly the bases I picked up, namely some of the 'Parched Earth' range, are entirely suitable for use with Necrons (for which the new miniatures are also conveniently out now).

Firstly who or what is Dragon Forge Design?

Looking at the FAQs on his site we get the following;

"In short, it is me :) Jeff Wilhelm, sole owner, creator, worker bee, sculptor, mold maker, caster, packer, shipper and head honcho do it all. Someday I would like to expand my ranks with maybe some freelance sculptors and out source production but until that time is possible I do everything. Some days all I do from the time I get up to when I go to bed is make new bases for you my loyal customers!"

There are also the following galleries of his work;

Portfolio and Golden Demons

Then there is of course his site, which caters largely for the resin base and plinth crowd.

Copyright © 2001-2011 Dragon Forge Design, Inc. All rights Reserved.

There is however a selection of other things including scale icicles, game tokens, heads and the very awesome white metal ribbed cables.

So let's take a closer look at some of his products, namely some of his 'Lost Empires' and 'Parched Earth' bases.

Upon opening the shipping box you should immediately be able to see that each separate item on your order list is neatly packed in separate zip lock bags. Allowing you to quickly check that everything is there, without fail my orders have been complete.

Resin bases have in times past required large amounts of sanding to flatten or level the bottoms. Most commonly single sided moulds that are either over, or under, filled cause this. However I have yet to encounter this issue with bases from Dragon Forge, which usually have very little flash all of which is around the bottom edge.

As a rule resin is known to be plagued with casting issues, especially bubbles that result from mixing the two component parts. They can also be the result of air getting trapped in complex parts of the mould.

I have always been hard pressed to find air bubble or air trap defects in Bases from Dragon Forge. However in this batch I got a surprise. My first ever air trap.

In this case the defect is really simple to fix, I will simply paint it up as if the tip of the crystal had been chipped off.

Keep in mind this defect represents a total defect rate of less than one percent, and even then it is no-where near unusable.

So now that we have checked our bases over there are several things to do before we begin painting. Firstly what we want to do is take a sheet of fine sand-paper, about 800 grit should be good, place the base bottom down on the sheet before making about ten clockwise circles (ok just make circles of about 50mm diameter). Then turn the base on and angle and drag the edge around while turning the base for two full rotations.

This will bevel the bottom edge about 3-5 microns. You want to do this for a couple of reasons.

It will remove the minimal flash to be found on the bases, and secondly the slight bevel will help stop the bottom edge chipping while you game with your miniatures.

Once this is complete I dunk the bases in some Simple Green for about an hour before giving them a scrub with an old toothbrush and then rinse them with water. This will remove any resin dust and mould release agent.

I must point out that all the Dragonforge Bases I have received have had little to no release agent evident, but I wash them anyway.

The final step, before painting, is to prime the bases. Personally I use Tamiya 9Fine Surface Primer, in Light Grey.

While the tin states that it is for metal and plastic I have found it to also work well on resin, provided the resin is properly cleaned. It is also a neutral mid-tone allowing for easier coverage with a wider range of colours. You could also use Automotive Primer; it tends to come in larger tins that cost less, the caveats of which I have discussed here.

So now we are all ready to paint the bases.

Ok so now the final ratings I have for Dragon Forge:

- Ease of purchase: 4/5

The web store is accessible, and safe. Losing a point on the sheer fact there is no local stockist.

- Customer Service: 5/5

Jeff has excellent communications and service skills, keeping you well informed of any changes in his prices and the status of your orders. This is coupled with delivery of your purchases in a timely manner.

- Variety: 5/5

The range of base styles and other goods is really broad, with new products becoming available on a regular basis. There is very little that you cannot get.

- Quality: 4/5

Working with casting resins is an, often, painful experience. However the consistent quality of Dragon Forge Bases is something we can be thankful of. As I previously stated I have found very few problems/defects in the bases I have received.

Overall Rating:

4.5/5

Excellent product and all around good customer service makes this my store of choice when it comes to buying bases.

Coming up:
Tutorial - Painting 'Lost Empires' and 'Parched Earth' Bases

Cheers

Subby

Back in Action.

Image shamelessly borrowed due to my research into zombie pirates of late....
meanwhile...

I'm Baaaaaa-aaaaack (erm apparently so are the necrons)

Anyway I've been doing bits and pieces while unpacking stuff around work so I thought I would post a few snaps for you all to get things rolling. Note since something odd is happening to Blog edit today, to see the pics full sized you will have to open them in a new window... I don't know why, it is just how it is....

First up some WIP shots of my Nemesis Dreadknight

Assembled and ready to rumble...

Highlights and details to go

The Base all ready for the pinning on (Dragonforge Resin Bases, more about this later)

Just the details to go, both shin armour bits are done and fixed in place.

I will most likely do a little bit of weathering to him when I finish the details, not a whole lot, just a bit of dust around the feet, oil on the hydraulic rams, and scorching on the gun barrels/exhausts.

Then there is my GK Landraider Redeemer With Forgeworld Bits, a somewhat long running project that repeatedly got shelved due to my frustration over the failure of Extra Armour Kit that I was sent. I know, I could have got it replaced, but instead I decided to fix it myself. Long story short, I am finished the interior, the armour is fixed (and pinned on), and I am just modifying the top hull with a few more armoured bits to fit in with the sides. The top is going to be removable so you can see the interior details.

Yes that is a scratch built panel at the back, I was sent two of the same side back panels...
Notice the other gaps filled with plastic-card, yeah that is a 2.5mm gap.

Engine bay interior

More of the interior.

Close-up of the door interior.

Yup the doors open and close properly.

I am also working on some Warmachine stuff, hence the Zombie Pirate research, notably a Cryx Zombie Pirate Army led by Queen Skarre. Lots of zombies, in fact I think I went a bit mad, but I did manage to find a use for my Incursion Miniatures other than playing the game they were intended for... The Bomberzombies in particular add to the chaos, and well they just look like something a Cryx mind could conceive.

Then there is more Grey Knights, and well heaps of other random bits and bobs (in addition to making Home Brew Cider in my off shifts).

Anyways till later

Cheers

Subby

Incoming soon, Mega-Reviews of some new things.
Stay Tuned Gaming Fans.

Stuff For Sale and A Free Giveaway!

Since I am going away again, and I might be moving again a couple of months after I come back I wanted to put some stuff up here that I am selling so that any interested parties can have a gander.

I also have a give-away going on, details at the end.

Take note that I have grouped them into bundles/lots, I probably won't split them up cause I am selling them cheap.

Note Each bundle/lot has a Flat Rate shipping fee of $5. All payments to be made through PayPal. All Prices in Australian Dollars.

Enquiries can be made via email (found in my blog profile), make a note in the subject line that it is about the stuff for sale.

Lot 1:

First up a pretty much complete Space Marine infantry army consisting of the following:

Cypher

4 x Old School Terminators

3 x Old School Dark Angels Veterans

29 x Marines including; 1 x Metal Plasma Cannon, 1 x Metal Lascannon, 1 x Metal Heavy Bolter, 2 x Missile Launchers, 1 x Plasma Gun, 1 x Flamer, 1 x Meltagun.

All painted to a basic gaming standard and themed as Fallen Angels. If you want to get hold of something for the kids to learn with, or want to expand your army then this may be a good start.

Asking Price: $70

Lot 2:

3 x Metal Empire Greatswords, 2 x Painted, 1 x Unpainted.

Asking Price: $6

Lot 3:

2 x Metal Night Goblin Fanatics, 1 x Metal Squig. All painted to Basic Standards.

Asking Price: $6

Lot 4:

1 x Metal Furiouso Dreadnaught, Assembled and Ready to Paint.

Asking Price: $20

Lot 5:

1 x Metal Dreadnaught with CC and Assault Cannon, Unassembled.

Asking Price: $20

Lot 6:

1 x Old School Chaos Rhino, painted to Basic Standards

Asking Price: $10

Lot 7:

1 x Codex Chaos Marines, (last Edition), Used but in Good Condition

Asking Price: $10

Lot 8:

1 x 6th Ed Warhammer Fantasy Rulebook, Used but in Good Condition.

Asking Price: $20

Lot 9:

1 x Tau Sniper Drone Box Set, New In Box, only opened to check contents.

Asking Price: $20

Lot 10:

1 x OOP Cold One Knights Box Set, circa 2001, New, Box opened but everything is there.

Asking Price $20

Lot 11:

1 x OOP Dark Elf War Hydra, with 2 x Beastmasters, circa 2001. New, Box Opened but everything is there.

Asking Price $20

Lot 12:

1 x Revel 1:76 Scale German Tank Destroyer Kit
Asking Price: $10

Lot 13:

1 x Revel 1:72 Scale German Hummel Kit
Asking Price: $10

I also have one Free LE White Dwarf Miniature to give away, he is missing his axe so I can't justify selling him.

I will be taking the names of both those who email me about the stuff for sale, and those who comment on this post (plus my loyal followers of course), putting them in a hat (in fact the hat below) and finding a beautiful assisstant to draw out a lucky winner (with photos to boot).

I also have a whole heap of PC case mod gear, it is all 12V so it can easily be used to mod Cars too (this is how I got cheap neon strips for under my dash). Selling it cheap, it is all new.

If I get no responses in the next couple of days I will be putting them up for seven day auction on Ebay. I have to have them paid for and shipped by the 14th of July, which is when I have to go away again.