Tuesday, 27 March 2012

To Flock Or Not To Flock

I am at one of those little points of no return.

I have finished my Teutonic Order Army. I have used static grass on their bases. I am quite happy with they way they look.



I have started my Norman Army. I have finished a couple of units and the command stands. I have gone for a three colour dry brush scheme with an inked finish. I am happy with the way they look.



When looking at both together I wonder to myself should I use static grass on the Normans?

Can I have your constructive opinions please?
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12 comments:

  1. Itinerant27 March 2012 at 20:18

    Static does look better. I've never worked with it, but I'm mainly 6mm. And Flock seems easier.

    All that to say - I vote static grass

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    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer27 March 2012 at 22:22

      Hi there

      I've used flock a few times and I've occasionally been disappointed with it. It seems OK on terrain pieces most of the time.

      I'm swinging towards static grass.

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  2. Vladdd30927 March 2012 at 21:47

    I think the Normans look fine as is, but the convention is to have some flock on bases. The problem I find is normal static grass looks, at this scale, really odd next to the figures.

    I use a couple of Gale Force Nine's "blend" range for small scale bases. It's much finer than regular static grass, so looks more proportionate with the figures.

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    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer27 March 2012 at 22:23

      I'll maybe look out Gale Force Nine's offerings then.

      In the mean time I'll keep the three colour drybrush finish going.

      Many thanks!

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  3. kingsleypark27 March 2012 at 22:55

    If it works for the Teutons then it'll work for the Normans!

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  4. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com28 March 2012 at 01:03

    I've found that what looks good when you are looking at 1 stand up close, isn't always what looks best on the table.

    The key there is to have the base on the figures match the table as far as possible. If the table is flocked, a flocked base looks good. If the table is painted, a flocked base can look out of place as can a base that is painted in a different fashion to the table. If the table is cloth covered, either can work as long as it matches the tone and texture of the table as much as possible.

    -Ross

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    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer28 March 2012 at 09:33

      Hi Ross

      I am blessed (cursed) with a variety of tabletops to use these figures on.

      At home I have my green speckled painted tabletop which can be seen in many of my photographs.

      I have several different green cloths with which to cover it.

      I have a large (enormous) collection of Heroscape tiles some of which are variously flocked and grassed.

      I hope to buy (soon) a collection of flocked Hexon II tiles from Kallistra.

      At my club there is a considerable number of differently painted boards as well as a number of differently coloured cloths.

      Somewhere within all that there will good and bad matches.

      Thank you for your comments.

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    2. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.com28 March 2012 at 12:06

      Probably inevitable. I try for a neutral look that will blend anywhere now after having some glaring mis matches.

      Happy choosing.
      -Ross

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    3. Jim Duncan Wargamer28 March 2012 at 12:32

      Some you win, some you lose!

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  5. Chris Kemp1 April 2012 at 20:29

    Der Jim,

    I think both of your bases look just fine.

    Over the years I keep reworking bases as they chip, etc, and have found by happy coincidence that the more textures there are on bases the better they look as a group.

    It may just be me, but my eye seems to treat scruffy irregular base textures as 'natural' and I skim over them. It also means that if you add to a regiment later that you don't have to be punctillious about matching bases. The only snag is that it takes a few reworkings for this to take effect.

    Kind regards, Chris

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    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer1 April 2012 at 22:23

      Hi Chris

      I note your comments with interest. I would hope that my bases never get that battle worn look but I'm a realist too so of course they will get a bit bashed in due course.

      I do have a battered and bruised Warmaster Undead Army somewhere in my collection and I have promised myself that I would refurbish it at some point. I may try your reworking technique on them.

      Jim

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