54mm Samurai base work

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and survived the new year parties.  I was off visiting family interstate for the last two weeks so all painting activities took an enforced break.  However just back and I cracked on with some of the base work for my 54mm Samurai figure.

Samurai base work

Cobblestones

I think I finally got the cobblestones the way I like.  I went for a very dark brown for the dirt colour and darker greys of the rocks with a few odd red/ochres for variety.  To tie the ground to the wall a filter of dark green/brown was done over all the rocks and dirt once the highlighting of the rocks was completed.  I wanted the ground to be quite dark so the much more colourful and brighter figure really pops.

Reeds and bushes

For the grass area on the side I first painted it with a dark olive green (Coat d’arms Russian Green) and then covered this with various scatter materials in the darker green/olive colours.  I also make up a few reed bushes to add some height variation.  Holes were drilled into the ground for these bushes to be mounted in.  Also I added a few brown grass tufts.  Again trying to get a wide variation of the ground cover.  When the glue is all dry I will paint the reeds and grass tufts to add some natural colours (e.g. the grass tufts having bits of green and yellow in them rather than being all brown).

Strangely the green doesn't really show

On the wall I finished the oil blends on the rocks and then did an overall filter of dark olive green with a second, heavier coat of the olive green down the bottom of the stone work.  I’m trying for a very wet and slimy look to the wall and ground.  Also I want both the wall and ground to be quite drab so all the attention is on the figure.

Of the figure, I need to finish up the naginata which I will do once it is glued in place.  The basic shading/highlighting is done but there will definitely be some scraps getting it into place.  I have to be very careful not to snap off the arms when forcing/assisting the naginata into place as they are just glued and not pinned.   Still thinking about doing a pattern on the back of the figure.

Finally I repainted the base in the gloss black to hide any bumps/scuffs that have occurred along the way.