This week I have yet another 28mm Hasslefree figure, this one goes by the name of Jim. If you haven’t twigged it by now then let me just say that I love Hasslefree figures and rate them as my favourite manufacturer (I like Reaper equally too). I love the sculpts, the quality is simply spot on and the figure composition of most models can be used in so many ways. This is the second time I have painted Jim and I know it wont be the last.
Now as well as doing, or trying to do, much more freehand work when and where I can, I am also keen to improve upon my base work. The challenge, not for every single figure but for a select few, is to see what I can achieve on either a 25mm or a 40mm base. This is not a new challenge I have set myself but it is one I have drifted away from and as a consequence I have not been quite so happy with my bases of late.
In this instance the base is just 25mm square but if gives an idea of just how much detail I can squeeze on when I put the effort in. Overall I’m pleased with this one but images I have seen on sites like Pinterest have shown me that so much more can be done with bases. Whether I can match any of those inspiring ideas and on much smaller bases remains to be seen but then again that’s the point of the personal challenge.
The wall was made from plaster board with a few exposed bricks inserted at the bottom and the window was a spare found in my bits box. Plastic was cut for glass shards and a few pieces of sea foam and grass was added for colour and effect. Jim himself was a straight forward paint job with camo trousers and T-Shirt.
TIM
I think your bas looks great here, and the plastic shards for glass work really well.
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Cheers Dave glad you like it. 🙂
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Very nice! Some top quality camo on the model and the wall / window looks great, those glass shards espically!
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Thanks Commander, glad you like it. 🙂
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I’m with the boys mate, I really like this one Dave!
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Thanks Pat, good to see Tech Advisor has got you up and running! Hope you are all settling in yo your new home. 🙂
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We are mate it’s just going to take a bit of time before I can get sorted and get back into the diorama 🤓
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Very nice, Dave! 🙂
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Thanks John 🙂
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Excellent work TIM, and a great looking base
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Thanks Dave.
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That’s really smart mate – I love it when you do these micro-dioramas. The mini is really cool, and the glass shards are so clever!! Brilliant 😊
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Thanks Alex. These little ones solve a space problem but in all honesty they are tougher to do at times so glad you like this one. 🙂
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That is a really nice vignette. The base work is spot on- compliments but doesn’t dominate the work you put into the figure.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete.
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This is a great mini and I can only echo what others have said on the base. I really like the goal you’ve set for yourself though too. I used to do the same thing when I painted LOTR minis regularly as basing is one of the best ways to set the ones you create apart. I kind of miss doing that kind of work to be honest.
In terms of potential ideas, have you tried using any flock to represent low growing grass and moss? I think that might give you some nice variation with the tufts you already use. One other thought is to check out “Honourguard”. His CMON does not have his latest work but you can see just how good one can make their bases with the right skill and product! Here is a link: http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/HonourGuard?browseid=11526107. He does tutorial’s on Patreon and I have been tempted to pay for that to see what I can learn from him.
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Thank you. The goal sounds easy but I actually think it is tougher to achieve than doing some dioramas. Limiting the base size but still getting a story across is really quite a challenge. I shan’t be attempting it for everything though. As for basing materials I have a shed load but the aim here is what to use, when and how to be most effective. The link you have provided will help I am sure with further inspiration although I notice some if not all of the figures are 54mm. If I can scale down then all well and good. 🙂
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That’s the truth! I always think when I base something, it will look amazing and the results don’t always reach that ambition… You’re right about the CMON link mostly having larger scale stuff. He actually does paint and make dioramas for really small scale things (more than that page shows) but I can’t seem to find any great links showing those off which is a bummer as I find his work pretty inspirational.
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His stuff is certainly excellent and inspirational. I find Pinterest to be another good source for ideas too along with numerous other model sites. 🙂
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Wait, that’s a 25mm square base?! Yea, that’s a lot of detail packed in there, man. Though I notice we don’t have anything else in the shot to compare scale to! How do we know that thing isn’t life sized?! J/K. Great work on this, and really enjoy all those little extra details. I can only imagine how much swearing I would do if I had to deal with those little pieces of glass. More than half of which would be lost in the carpet beneath my feet!
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Thank you. Joking aside you make a good point. Whilst many of us comprehend 25mm others may not so I think I may well post an image every now and then for scale. 👍 As for the little details let me assure you the air around my modelling desk is often blue! 😉
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Jim came out really well Dave. The camo pants and the beret stand out for me, but that you got all the OTHER details into a 25mm base is spectacular. The glass shards came out really well, as did the entire window. Kudos buddy!
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Thanks Mark, this is all part of my personal challenge for painting and basing. I wont be doing it for everything I do, just where I have an idea that I think will work. 🙂
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Nice painting. Jim looks like a dangerous sort of chap, handy to be around after the apocalypse. The broken windows are amazing, it’s hard to believe that this is all only a miniature.
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Thank you . Come the apocalypse I would definitely want someone like Jim on my side! As for the base, it’s surprising what you can get on a 25mm square. 🙂
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