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Brokeneagle

How to do an effective larger base with a building PART 3, 4, 5 and final

STAGE 3 - BASE COLOR VARIATION

Now it's time to add some variation to the base color. This will be the platform from which the interest and realism is brought to the scene. Choose your colors carefully, making them darker and richer versions of the actual colors that you want to end up with.
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I added some varying shades of red brown as well as some buffs, desert yellow and even a very subtle shade of pink for the window frames. Make sure you use these colors in a realistic manner on the ground work so that they match what has and hasn't fallen from the building. Also start ghosting some of the dusty rubble colors around the general area.
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This is with a flash. I don't normally do this but the flash shows the pinkish color better
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It still looks kind of horrible but remember that this is working up to the finished effect in layers, like you would in a landscape painting. I love building up the base and seeing it come to life as this only enhances your armor model.

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It's at this point that I do a quick test fit, the first since the paper plan and the initial gluing of the rubble to the base.- do the vehicles still fit in amongst the rubble? nope
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I will have to redo the width of the street with the Tiger. I have built a wooden door for the church as well - damaged with bullet holes,nails and all
Also notice the contrast between painted and unpainted.....it shows how far it has come already without touching the base with a paintbrush! That is about to change in step 4.
The interior brick patterns are all marked out with a ruler and pencil to match the exterior pattern. You also need to check for airbubbles with these plaster buildings. When you find one you can either turn it into battle damage or fill it with putty.
It looks really horrible at this stage but what you should be looking for is the texture and layout balance...don't look at the unpainted colors - they have no bearing on the finished scene.

STAGE 4

BRUSH DETAIL - CHIPS AND OTHER STUFF

Well, now it's time to start adding the detail to the paint with some brush work. I used varoius acrylic greys, testors greys and artists oils to detail the rubble and brick work.
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I mixed up a series of colors from buff to brown, with the artists oils, for all the chips ,scratches and edges of brick work, as well as individual small rocks. I still use subtle 'drybrushing' as an integral part of my painting process [yes, burn me at the stake]as it is perfect for broken edges and uneven surfaces.
This effect is used as both light and wear and tear with figures uniforms.
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I have also lightly overspayed the pinkish window frames with a sandy buff color and added a wash. Some of the individual bricks have also had brush painted colors added to part of their surface. The fallen red bricks have had futher detailed airbrushing done to bring up their color before the dust effect. I have also added the broken glas to the windows. I used VP stained glass church windows cut into shards to simulate the broken windows

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Some of the detail that has been highlighted is the rubble on the shelves, bullet holes in the walls and the dust has been started with pigments and pastels.
 
STAGE 5
FINAL PAINT, TEST FIT OF THE TIGER AND THE FIGURES

Well the final paint to the ground has been added and the accessories too. I also did some more on the fallen rubble in the way of chips and added some more shades of dust with pigments and pastels. The pigments are only used sparingly as they are extremely strong in color. I find the pastels better for light dust and keep the pigments for a deep underlying dust accross the whole base.

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The biggest challenge is keeping the colors uneven and random, but still allowing the overall grey to rule. Sounds kind of like Bulls@#t but it's the only way I can think to describe it.

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I dusted the interior with browns +painted the smallest pieces of rubble.

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I then did a second test fit with the vehicles after adjusting the rubble for the Tiger and deciding on the placement of the Renault. You can see next to the Tiger where I had to dig away some of the finished rubble to accomodate the massive bulk of it. I will have to redo the rubble around the vehicles with some careful airbrushing on low pressure ,then some chalks, pastels and washes (notin that order.
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I was going to have the renualt around the opposite way originally but after a fair bit of 'backwards and forwards' adjusting, I was happy. It's ok to change your mind slightly on the set-up, even at this stage but this is the place that you need to make up your mind.
The tanks have only been base coated and cammo'd - still needs weathering and drybrushing . The different size in the tanks is quite remarkable when you see them this close.

THE FINAL TOUCHES
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MAKE SURE THAT YOU PROVIDE ALL THE TOUCHS AND HIGHLIGHTS AS SUBTLY AS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE NOT ONLY REALISM BUT A VISUAL INTEREST THAT WILL KEEP PEOPLE LOOKING AT YOUR WORK BECUASE IT IS ALSO JUST NICE ON THE THE EYE.

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A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE, JUST TO SHOW WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT BLAND PLASTER FINISH.

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blending

Make sure that you blend in your tanks and figures and all accessories added to the scene, so that they look natural. I glue down my figures and vehicles then spend a day going over the whole scene with pigments and pastels, very lightly blending them in. I then add some dark wash to gain stains and darker patches (a pin wash that is).
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The final touch being with a nice soft brush adding the odd highlight where needed using a variaty of oils mixed with sand or white. these lightened colors are lighter versions of all the colors used on the base. I tend to favour Raw Sienna with white added .

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ANOTHER TRICK IS TO PUT SOME WEAR AND TEAR DOWN OVER THE PIGMENTS AND CHALKS USING ACRYLICS. THIS APPLIES WELL OVER THESE DRY MEDIUMS, JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO MUCH ON THE BRUSH. A TOUCH MORE THAN YOU WOULD DRY BRUSH WITH WILL DO THE TRICK. SEE THE GREY ON THE RENAULT - THIS IS DONE IN THIS WAY.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOGG AND I HOPE THIS EXCITES YOU ENOUGH TO SAY 'I CAN DO THAT' AND YOU GIVE IT A GO WITH YOUR NEXT BUILD.
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Brokeneagle
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