Basing Ideas

I have decided to go with the GW official Black Heart color scheme with some subtle modifications. But overall the armor colors (hawk turquoise and highlights) will remain the same. The only issue im having is deciding what kind of basing works best with this model. I don't really think a foresty or brown look would work so well.

im thinking gravel/sand in perhaps these colors:

black>dark grey drybrush>astronomican grey drybrush>selective white highlights.
This would look like an ash wasteland, barren dead world, like lv426 from Aliens. I use this style on my Leviathan Tyranids.

Steel legion drab>dheneb stone drybrush>agrax earthshade wash>drybrush dheneb stone.
This would look like a desert, im not sure about this one as the desert doesn't fit with the dark style of the Dark Eldar range.

If you have any suggestions feel free to share!

model colors:

I usually like to base in counterpoint to whatever the look of my model is in order to have th emodel *pop* off the base.


My DE are cool and blue, so get a warm and red Fall basing.


My Imperial Fists are bright and yellow, so get a dark and cool base color.


My Daemons are white and cool colors, so get a warm gore and red treatment.


My Eldar are bright and colorful, so get a muddy and worn base.

Ect. ect. ect.

So, with my concept of basing in mind, when I look at your planned scheme I see dark and cool colors, so I would want a light or bright base, probably with warm colors. The two thoughts that spring to my head with the idea that you don't like a foliage basing scheme is snow or desert. I have seen some amazingly well done snow DE basing, and though I don't think I've ever seen it I bet a desert basing would work out looking surprisingly sharp also. Another idea, to ease away from the desert but towards the warm red that I think would look sharp would be to go with a 'Mars' style basing of red ashy wastes. (I do mine via a sand/rock basing mix painted with Doombull Brown over Black with a Macharius Orange drybrush for highlighting)

I think of all my ideas I actually vote the Mars one as the best idea.
Of your two ideas I consider the Ash Waste too close to the dark look of the model where I think they'd blend in and not look good together, and I like the desert idea just because it's quite different and could lead to some interesting conversion ideas (though they could be done with the Mars basing too, just saying... )

I see your point, the scheme for this kabal is kind of greenish highlights so a warm mars like basing would be a good contrast. I typically have a thing for doing black base rims as well, I do this on all my models.

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?380355-Gorthaurs-Xenos-Blog/page3

If I did do the ash waste/grey it would look not too far from this, and my Ork bases:

http://porcodesignindustry.deviantart.com/art/dark-eldar-warriors-squad-201299263

except more varied/rocky looking.

Another thing to consider is I was planning on using purple as a spot color for cloth, along with occasional gold plates, and red topknots/hair. Whether these colors would look good with mars basing I don't know. I think I should do some test bases and post images to really showcase what I was picturing in my head. Sadly I don't have any Dark Eldar models yet either. I am still considering the desert an option though. Thanks for your thoughts!

Also, for the desert I had done steel legion drab>dheneb stone drybrush>agrax earthshade wash>dheneb stone drybrush again.

Here are some examples of my bases, and the scheme colors on the back of a night goblin.

Well you're very good at basing. Honestly I am a huge fanboy to the basing that is shown in the codex. With that burnt rubble look and patches of green grass adds great contrast to the base and it is homogeneous to the armor as well.

Its_Rumble wrote:

Well you're very good at basing. Honestly I am a huge fanboy to the basing that is shown in the codex. With that burnt rubble look and patches of green grass adds great contrast to the base and it is homogeneous to the armor as well.

Actually im thinking about doing my bases like your sig picture, (is that fan art or GW art? it looks great) it looks desertlike and barren/rocky which is what im going to go for. With patches of GW dead grass, a lot like the current GW bases you see the GW kabalites on. Im thinking maybe steel legion drab, agrax earthshade wash, sld drybrush, then bleached bone drybrushing. Then the grass. Ill have to do some test pieces. It will be nice to do bases that aren't grey and desaturated like ive been doing for so long.

Here is my test model for the scheme, I like how he is shaping up.

Looking good!

That's one fine test model right there. You're obviously not only good at basing but also a very talented painter. I like that you've chosen the desert base, just like Thor said, it is good to have the base contrast the model in a way and with the Black Heart colors the best things you could do where grey-ish rubble or something with warmer colors like browns. The desert one looks very good in the way that it doesn't distract at all from the actual focal point which is the model, but still brings a nice contrast with it.

Good job, I'd stick with that and add an occassional skull as you go along