Thursday, June 11, 2009

Basing: My Private Shame!

From the Warp provides the simplest tutorial on the webs for basing. Really. It is super easy to base your models. Do it! DO! IT!

In the comments, I mentioned that basing models was so easy that often I wind up with primered models and spectacular (in my not-so-humble opinion!) bases. Ron over at FTW seemed disbelieving, so in this post, I will provide photographic evidence!

Embarrasingly, my first pic is actually a completed base with an unprimered model of a terminator chaplain destined for Deathwing:

Next up, is the Deathwing Librarian. This Librarian model is relatively old (at least compared to the young sprite of a Chaplain above). I hated the arms on this guy as they were short and stubby as old metal Termies were back then. I wanted him to be able to blend in with my new termies, so I gave him plastic arms and converted a TH into a Force Axe. I also built the base up so he'd appear to be the same height as new termies. No short librarians amongst the Unforgiven!

I tried to make the pose look like he was brandishing that axe threateningly, but it's difficult when the body is essentially a block of metal. I'm not the happiest with the SB arm placement, but I've come to terms with it. What was I saying...oh yes. Again. Here we have a completed base. Unprimed model. I have a problem. The first step is admitting it.
Oh. The humanity! Here's a primered (Grey Gesso) Deathwing Assault Termie with a completed base.

Here's the Deathwing Sgt. Missing his head. And his stormshield. Yet. He is primered and standing on a fully painted base complete with Word Bearer wreckage (my friend plays Chaos Space Marines and rocks a Word Bearer paint scheme!).
You're probably thinking, "Jeez cawshis. That's got to be it, right? I mean...how many completed bases but not painted models could you possibly have?" To which I answer...TOO MANY!


Of course, since taking these pictures, I've since basecoated the Chaplain and Deathwing models above. The Ravenwing? Not so much. I'm not confident enough in highlighting black yet...but I'm getting there! To reveal a secret: I pinned all my Deathwing/Ravenwing models to their bases so that I could easily remove them for painting purposes...so painting the bases was actually pretty easy since I do them in batches separate from the model. I wish I'd get around to doing the models though!

But yeah. There you go, Ron! Primed models sitting on completed bases! Do you believe now? I really need to get better at not doing that...is there a support group out there?

5 comments:

Space Hulk Enthusiast said...

That's amazing. I would have never believed it. The bases look great though. I do like the bullnose bike bases, I wish I had used those for my White Scars.

As for highlighting black, it's easy.

Admiral Drax said...

That's great! I laughed.

Craig said...

just a idea, with the librarian, his arms look wrong because they're just floating there and he looks spindley because you can see right past him... however, adding a cape would really bulk him up as a model! what do you think? Just an idea.
With the basing thing... just odd!! But they are really good and people will do what theyre most confident at first!

Cawshis Clay said...

A cape! Genius! I'm going to give it try despite the fact that I've already started painting him!

Siph_Horridus said...

Pornstarjedi at weemen has the opposite problem, as do most people i reckon - too many painted mini's sitting on plain plastic bases. At least when you paint the mini's you won't have that chore to do.