Rocks can be found everywhere. Whilst out and about, I am usually scouring the ground for anything that I can use with regards to the hobby. However, it is not a simple matter of picking up ‘any old rock’ and using it on a scene. The main factor when choosing rocks & stones is the texture. The last thing we want is something flat and Boring. Remember, everything we use is going to have to be painted, therefore the more contours and shapes the piece has, the better it will look when painted.

One thing I have found (and apologies for terminology throughout this article. However, I am no geologist), is that Sedimentary formed rocks seem to be ideal for modelling. By Sedimentary, we mean rocks that are formed by different layers being compressed together. Slate is a good example.

The last trip I made to the beach, I came across quite a number of rocks pictured below.

You can see from the picture above that the rock already has many contours and is made up from many layers. This is the type of rock we will be using for ‘Rock Bases’. Obviously, many of you will not be able to just walk outside and find these kinds of materials; however there are many other kinds that can be used. Ideally, you are looking for something that is not too heavy and not too brittle’.

The first step was to break up the rock pictured above. This was done by systematically applying pressure causing rudimentary breakdown of the sedimentary layers. Or, in English ‘I smacked it with a hammer’.

Once I had broken the rock down to smaller pieces, these were rounded off by clipping the edges with a pair of pliers.

The smaller pieces were lined up with a standard ‘Slotter Base’ for size comparison.

Further clipping was used until the main piece was approximately the same size as the slotter base.

The slotter base was coated with a thick layer of PVA, which progressively got thinner towards the edges. It is important not to have a large amount of PVA near the edges, as once the rock is attached and pressed into place, the PVA will naturally be forced out towards the edges. If you get any overspill, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth.

The first piece was then attached to the slotter base.

As soon as the rock has been attached to the base, sprinkle sand over the base, tilting it as required, to ensure all areas of PVA are covered.

The reason for using 2 pieces of rock on this base, was due to the fact that not much in the way of contours were evident on the main piece. Therefore, a smaller piece was attached to create a better formation.

Once the entire piece had thoroughly dried, it was then basecoated with Chaos Black.

Once the basecoat had dried, the rock and base were then dry-brushed with Scorched Brown. A 2nd Dry-Brush was applied using Bestial Brown and finally a 3rd using Bubonic Brown. To finish off, add some grasses, flock or whatever you fancy. Remove the sprue from the feet of your miniatures and attach the miniature with Super Glue!

Something that is a lot easier to come by is Cork.

Corks from a bottle of wine make an excellent material for making rocks. It is also relatively easy to work with and many variations can be made.

Using a cork from a bottle of wine or equivalent, decide on the size of rock you require and cut it as necessary with a Junior Hacksaw blade or sharp modelling knife (remember to cut away from you).

Once you have a piece of cork ready, its time to start shaping it. This is very easy to do, you can either just pull at it with your fingers or cuts pieces away with a modelling knife. I use a combination of both.

Keep pulling/cutting until you have the desired shape.

Once this is done and you are happy with the result, it can be attached to a ‘Slotter Base’.

What you can create is only limited by your imagination, as said earlier there are many variations that can be made using cork.

To paint, use exactly the same process used for the ‘Actual Rocks’ above. If however you prefer a ‘Black Grey’ colour scheme, simply basecoat the rocks with Chaos Black, dry-brush with Codex Grey and finally with Skull White.

Lastly, a base made in the style of ‘Snow Capped Peak’

Well, as I said earlier, you are only limited by your own imagination!

Hope you find the article useful!

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