Flocking Wargaming Figures Using C1229 Earth

This was my 2006 enthusiasm before adopting a different style of Flock using Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth. I liked it because it reflects the colours of the Med in the sun and Israel specifically.

The method is based on a suggestion for Battle Front: Basing Your Miniatures based on Woodland Scenic Earth Undercoat (C1229).

Unfortunately Chris Harrod calls it my “brown slime”. In truth I was a little erratic with the the washing process and didn’t achieve a consistent look; the dark bits didn’t necessarily correspond to the hollows, etc. And it involves a lot of steps, too many.

Examples

I’ve rebased many of my figures using this technique.

Arabs, Andalusians and Berbers

Strathclyde Welsh from Britannia 600 AD


Crossfire bunker

Spanish Civil War: Spanish Foreign Legion and Ghosts

The Method

Materials:

  • PVA wood glue
  • A pre-mixed plaster filler. I used Multi-purpose Polyfilla.
  • Water.
  • A trowel. I use a plastic Modelling trowel, but anything long and pointy will do.
  • Small pebbles or cat litter.
  • White paint.
  • Woodland Scenic Earth Undercoat (C1229)
  • Grass flock. I originally used a mix of two Woodland Scenics products: 2 parts Green Grass (T45) to 3 parts Earth Blend (T50). This mix gives a browned off look, but I found Burnt Grass (T44) gives a similar effect with less hassle.
  • For big features such as the bunker above, I also glued on Woodland Scenics sponge foliage.

Method:

  1. Glue the figures to the base (in my case they were already glued).
  2. Spread plaster over the base, being careful to avoid your figures, but plastering up to their base. If necessary use a small amount of water to spread out the plaster; I find dunking my trowel into a class of water provides enough lubrication.
  3. Glue cat litter to the base.
  4. Allow to dry.
  5. Paint the plaster and cat litter white. Cat litter needs this otherwise it will soak up the Earth Undercoat to come, but I find it gives a better effect on the plaster as well.
  6. Allow to dry.
  7. Paint the plaster and cat litter with Earth Undercoat. Undiluted Earth Undercoat is quite dark, so I use it slightly diluted version thus allowing more white to show through – this seems to look more “parched” to me.
  8. Allow to dry.
  9. Optionally glue grass flock to parts of the base. I did this for my armies originating in Spain, but not for those originating in North Africa.
  10. Allow to dry.

In the case of the Spanish Civil War figures above, I’d previous glued a identifying label on the stand before I started the flocking above. When I painted on the Earth Undercoat I also washed over the label, making the labels more discrete on the table top.

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