What is basing? Well, it's just a matter of applying some material to the base of the miniature, to make it look like it is standing on some type of surface. This is going to have to be up to you as to what you want it to look like. You might like to have them standing on grass, sand, rocks or even grid mesh. But what ever you choose, it is a good idea to continue the same base throughout you whole army. That way they will look more unified.
As most gaming tables that I play on are 'grass' based, I prefer to use a grass look on my models also, as it helps to blend them in. Sometimes I think the model is just standing there on it's own two feet, without a base at all. But then again, that could be the coffee doing strange things to my eyesight.
There is only one thing that you are definitely going to need and that is PVA (Poly Vinyl Acetate) Glue, in other words, wood glue. Other than that, the material that you decide to stick to the base is up to you. There are many different ways that you can go about it. Such materials as sand, painted over when it is dry, or even flock (finely mulched wood shavings that are dyed with a particular color) are just a couple of them.
Anyway, I prefer one particular method that is quick and simple and my preference of basing material is green flock. Firstly, I apply a coat of Goblin Green to the whole of the base, being very careful not to get any on the miniatures feet and that it is solid in color. This way, when I have finished the base entirely, the black base will not show through the flock in any way at all, just to be safe. Even though the base does end up totally covered in flock, the green paint will eliminate any chance of this problem. Below is a picture of a base which has been painted.
When painting the base make sure that the glue you used to fix the model to the base is completely dry, otherwise there is a chance that you will get glue on your brush and ruin it. The next step I use is to apply the PVA. I put a small amount of glue on my mixing palette, away from where I mix my paints, and use a very old brush to apply it to the base. The trick is not to get it on the feet of the miniature, otherwise when I go to put on the flock it will stick. To avoid this I make sure that when I put the brush to the base that it is flat against the surface. Sometimes the models feet don't actually come to rest on the base, for some type of molding reason, but this helps me anyway. I can then slide the brush under the feet to apply the glue. I then wash out the brush very thoroughly, so that it wont go hard and I will be able to use it again next time. Just make sure that you use different water to that of your cleaning water. You don't want glue to end up on your paint brushes. Here is what my glue ends up looking like.
As you can see, I don't use much glue. Just enough to cover the base in a thin layer. Then while the glue is wet I transfer it over to my flock pot. I like to keep my flock in a sealable container which makes it easy to get my miniatures in and out of quite easily. By immersing the base into the flock, I make sure that it is covered completely, then take it out and give the side of the base a tap with my finger to remove any excess. Viola. One based miniature. Here is what it looks like finished.
So as you can see, it is quick and simple for me. Other people like to use sand as a basing material and then paint it with a basecoat, shade and highlight.
Sometimes it can be good to add little bits of detail to the base to make it stand out that little bit more. Such things might include rocks, tall grasses, or even victim parts, like heads. But I only use these on character models as they deserve the attention to detail. I'll be covering this more intricate area at a later date.
