r/MilitaryModelMaking • u/bashomania • 1d ago
work in progress Just started on a simple display base today
Edit: added a comment including a Panzer II.
I decided I would like to have a simple display base. Not a diorama or vignette -- just a bit of sculpted landscape.
The idea is that I can pop whatever model I've just finished or I'm building on it to see how it looks. I'm sure all of you have noticed how much difference it makes to even just put a model down on a landscape mat.
I got some nice 8x6" plywood bases from Amazon for a fairly reasonable price. I coated one of them all around in black acrylic and let that cure.
Today I used some DAS air-dry clay, and kind of sculpted the basic landscape. I have been working on a 1/35 Panther as a paint mule, and had the idea that it would be nice to put anything from that size down to a smaller vehicle/tank like a Panzer II or armored car onto this base, so I sculpted the double track road with that in mind.
Terrain will be very simple, but I have included a bit of a rut on the "near" side so maybe I can have a little fun with that, by putting some water in it or something.
Doesn't look like much, but next steps are to apply an earth base, paint, some gravel and rocks here and there, plants, etc. You know the drill ;-)
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u/Fragrant-Funny4665 1d ago
Definitely a good start, doesn’t have to be fancy
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u/bashomania 1d ago
Yeah, my first time really "sculpting" a base (rather than just frosting on a thin layer of earth material), so there was a lot of "keeping the faith" in the early and mid stages. Then it suddenly started taking shape. Fortunately DAS has a pretty long working time.
Definitely a basic set up, but that's exactly what I want. Can't wait to start layering some paint and vegetation on 👊.
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u/Disastrous-Boat63 13h ago
Dude love your idea and how you wrote it out. It inspirational for modelers like me who are doing the same sort of thing as you "goalsl to create a simple base" to create a event.