As I mentioned last week the nurse does come with a simple resin base
representing a damaged tile floor. It's a perfectly good base but
with the time I've spent on the miniature I wanted to do more, I
wanted to go bigger!
I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of abandoned asylums and
hospitals to get inspiration (some fascinating photos out there even
if you aren't doing research!) In the end I came across a screenshot
from a horror game called Outlast set mostly in an asylum. The
screenshot showed a concrete floor partially collapsed with the
reinforced bars jutting out into nothingness.
I started by rolling out a thick slab of Sculpey for my flooring,
baked it in the oven to set it and then weathered it with my hands,
pliers, hobby knife and other tools. I used some paperclips for the
bars, drilling into the Sculpey and gluing the paperclips in. I kept
two sides of the floor undamaged to represent this being a cutaway
of a room.
I wanted this floor to overhang, not just be the floor, so I glued
some cork tiles together and tore them up to give me a hole in the
earth that the floor can extend over.
And now we skip a few photos because sometimes I get carried away and
forget that I need to take photos! I used some more cork tile to make
a pillar structure to go in the corner. I even gouged a chunk out of
it and put some more rebar in to show how damaged this building is. I
decided I liked the broken tile theme from the included bases so set
about recreating something like that on my base. Plasticard tiles cut
up, scratched up and glued to the base.
I wanted the tiling to extend up the pillar a little way so more
plasticard tiles glued into place. I then used Vallejo White Pumice
to cover up most of the cork on all four sides of the column as well
as the undamaged sides of the base.. I've got a few of the Vallejo
Textures line and they're fantastic for various basing uses. They're
pricey but come in big pots and last for ages.
Here is the column pinned and glued to the base, we're getting
there. But something isn't quite right...
I've joked in the past that
sometimes base building can feel like DIY on a smaller scale. Well in
this case I think those tiles need some grouting! At the moment they
are just sort of placed on the floor and it doesn't look very
believable. Out comes the Milliput, I wet my finger and just spread
it over the surface into the cracks. I also build it up on the edges
to get some texture there. I use a spare piece of cork tile to press
into the Milliput for texture.
Finally I decide that the white pumice on the column doesn't really
look right, it's fine for the outside of the column but I want the
inside to look like damaged concrete. More Milliput! Again just using
my finger and a little water I smooth it over the pillar and use some
cork tile to introduce a better texture. It's all about experimenting
and finding out what works for you.
I'm happy with the way this has turned out, it should provide a good
platform for the mini. Next week we'll attempt to paint it!
