You spend hours painting a figure, so why does it still look unfinished on a bare black base? More often than not, the answer is the base itself. Short answer: basing is decorating the base your model stands on with dirt, rock, grass, snow or water. Even a flawlessly painted mini looks half-finished on a bare base, while a good base sets the model in a world and completes the piece. A simple base takes minutes; a display diorama can take hours.
In truth, basing is its own mini-discipline. At one end sit fast tabletop bases that get your army onto the table; at the other, display dioramas you can happily sink hours into. This guide covers both: the logic first, then a step-by-step recipe for a classic dirt-and-grass base, the materials you need, the mistakes everyone makes, and the small moves that make the work look professional.
What is basing and why does it matter?
Put simply, basing turns a model's base into real ground — using sand, rock, rubble, static grass, tufts (ready-made grass clumps), snow or resin water. The point is purely visual: a bare base leaves the figure floating in the air, while a decorated base gives it a world and a story.
Its second job is to balance the visual weight. A thin-legged sniper or a running hero reads as far more solid and believable thanks to the textured ground beneath it. In short, the base is the final ten percent of a model; it is often the one layer that makes the whole thing look finished to the viewer's eye.
How does it work? Think in layers
A good base is built in stacked layers, not in one move. Once you grasp this logic, a tabletop base and a diorama base share the same skeleton; the only difference is how far up the layers you go. They stack like this:
- Structural layer: cork, foam or modelling putty to create height, rock and the overall ground form.
- Texture layer: sand, gravel, grit (coarse sand) or texture paste to give the ground tooth.
- Colour layer: basecoat (base colour) + wash (shading fluid) + drybrush (dry brush) to paint the ground.
- Organic/scenic layer: static grass, flock (fine scatter), tufts, moss, dead twigs, stones, bone or a broken weapon.
- Advanced layer: resin water, snow, an OSL (object source lighting) LED or weathering pigment.
Still, the real point is not how many layers you use but what you add. A good base follows the "less but meaningful" principle: a few well-placed elements always beat a scattered crowd.
"Less but meaningful" is the most repeated rule on the basing side of the hobby: a handful of well-placed stones and tufts always reads better than a surface stuffed to the edge — because the goal is to showcase the model, not the base.
How do you do it step by step? (classic dirt + grass base)
Now let's turn the theory into practice. The recipe below is a safe starting point that works for most armies and single figures. Try not to break the order, because each step needs the last one to dry first.
- Ground form: add height, rock or a slope with cork or putty if needed. On a flat tabletop base you can comfortably skip this.
- Texture: glue or spread sand/grit or texture paste onto the base with PVA. Leave a gap where the figure's foot will go, or glue the figure on first.
- Dry and paint: once the surface is fully dry, lay down a dark earth basecoat, apply a wash, then drybrush a lighter earth tone to catch the high points of the texture.
- Stones and detail: place a few stones (painted grit or real stone) and lightly highlight their edges.
- Static grass / tufts: on the glued spots, apply static grass (with an applicator if you can) or ready-made tufts. Scatter it sparsely and naturally, never in rows.
- Rim: finally, clean the base edge with a flat colour (black or dark brown). It looks minor, but this step is the biggest secret to a finished look.
What materials and tools do you need?
Here's the good news: you don't need an expensive kit. Most of this can be bought cheaply, piece by piece. The core inventory falls into four groups:
- Structure: cork, foam or modelling putty; PVA glue to hold everything down.
- Texture: fine/medium sand, grit, gravel or texture paste.
- Organic: static grass + an electrostatic applicator, tufts, flock, moss, dead twigs, small stones.
- Paint: one dark and one light earth tone, a stone colour, a wash, and a single flat colour for the rim.
If you genuinely want static grass standing upright, an electrostatic applicator is a realism leap on its own — it holds the grass up instead of letting it lie flat. On a tight budget, start with tufts; they give you the fastest "natural" result.
The most common mistakes
The funny thing is that what ruins a base is usually neglect, not technique. Know the usual suspects and you'll dodge them easily:
- Skipping the rim: even the best base stays half-done with an untreated edge. Always finish the rim with a flat colour.
- Overcrowding: too many stones and tufts bury the model. Remember "less but meaningful."
- Bad static grass: grass applied before the glue sets, or without an applicator, lies flat and looks fake.
- Basing in isolation: the base and the model must match in colour and theme; a snowy model wants a snow base.
- Not planning: burying the figure's foot in texture and then being unable to glue it down is a classic trap. Plan the placement first.
Pro tips
Then there are the small habits that truly lift the work to the next level. The following turn an amateur base into finished work:
- Match the theme: keep the base theme and the model theme the same — snow model + snow base, desert model + arid base.
- Use an applicator: an electrostatic applicator holds grass upright and makes an instant realism difference.
- Keep tufts sparse: place ready-made grass clumps asymmetrically and spaced out; in nature, clumps never grow in straight rows.
- Finish the rim dark: a flat dark rim colour is the cheapest secret to a professional look.
- One recipe for an army: set a single consistent base recipe for the whole unit — you'll speed up and the army reads as one force. For display, every base can be unique.
Related techniques
Basing doesn't really work alone; it borrows its ground texture and special surfaces from neighbouring techniques. These guides are its natural continuation:
- For ground texture and cracks, Texture Paste & Technical Paints and Crackle Paint.
- For special surfaces, Snow Effects and Water Effects.
- For colouring the ground, Drybrushing and Washing, Shading & Pin Wash.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I glue the figure first or paint the base first?
Either works, as long as you plan it. Painting separately makes the gaps easier to reach with a brush; gluing the figure first lets its foot sit naturally into the texture. If you can't decide, meet in the middle: leave a gap for the foot in the texture, finish the base, then glue the figure on last.
Do I need an applicator for static grass?
Not required, but it makes a visible difference. Without one, grass lies flat and looks fake; an electrostatic applicator stands it up for a realism leap. No budget? Start with tufts — ready-made grass clumps give a fast, natural result without any applicator.
Why is painting the base rim so important?
Because the eye scans the base last, right at the edge. An untreated, textured or unpainted rim makes even the prettiest base look unfinished. A single flat coat of black or dark brown, on the other hand, is the cheapest move that makes the work look professional in minutes.
Should every model in my army use the same base?
For tabletop, yes. A single consistent base recipe speeds up painting and makes the army read as one cohesive force. For display or competition figures it's the opposite: each base can be designed unique and specific to that model.
How do I make my base look more realistic?
Two rules: match the theme and scatter sparsely. An arid desert base won't suit a snowy model; the base should tell the model's world. Then place elements asymmetrically and spaced out — because in nature, no stone or grass clump grows in a straight line.
Should I use texture paste or sand?
Both work, really. Sand + PVA is the cheapest and most controllable method; pick fine or coarse grit to set the texture size yourself. Texture paste spreads in one move and gives more uniform, moulded texture. If you're starting out, begin with sand, then try texture paste as your hand gets used to it.
Key takeaway and next step
Remember one thing: the base is the final ten percent of a model, and it's the single layer that makes it look finished. Add texture, paint dark to light, scatter static grass sparingly, and always clean the rim — that alone lifts an ordinary figure to display level.
Ready to take your bases up a level? Don't forget that the right materials are half the work. Browse the paints, brushes & hobby supplies in our shop for static grass, tufts, texture paste and base colours, and finish your next army end to end with one consistent recipe.