Simple Miniature Foam Base

Visit my “Supply List” post to find the materials I’ve used on these bases.

This simple foam base is easy to create and doesn’t take a long time. You need the following materials.

• The Army Painter Gamemaster: XPS Foam Board
• #2 pencil
• Kraft Knife
• Medium grey, black, brown, beige and cream acrylic paint
• Various terrain
• Glue

Cut a piece of foam the size you need for your project. You can build the base up by adding extra layers if needed. Use a craft knife to carve the edges at an angle. Use a pencil to hand draw in stones. Press hard enough to indent the foam but not hard enough to go all the way through. Roll up a piece of aluminum foil and press/roll it across the top of the stones to add texture.

Use dark grey paint or medium grey/black mix paint to completely cover the stone surface. Be sure to get down in all of the cracks and crevices. Let dry completely.

Now dry brush the tops of the stones in various colors of paint. Work from dark to light colors. Try not to get color down in the crevices but don’t fret if it happens.

Lastly, make a wash from a small amount of black paint and lots of water. You want the consistency of ink. Working in small sections, brush a generous amount of the wash over the stone area and pat off the excess with a dry paper towel. The idea is to darken recessed areas and lightly weather the stones.

When everything has dried, spray seal the piece with a matte sealer.

Let the base dry completely. If you would like it darker, keep adding layers of the wash till you reach the look you want. You can also add more black paint to the water to make it thicker for a darker wash. Spray seal the base when finished.

I hope you enjoyed this quick tutorial and that you will give this base method a try. It’s very relaxing to paint all of the stones and a FUN project!

I’ll be sure and post a final picture here of the finished base!

Happy crafting . . .

Teri