Terrain – ToadChapel Minis

Creating a Little Patch of Land for Your Minis

I got some nice feedback (thanks!) on the base of my recently completed Maulg figure and a request to explain how I put it together. I happened to take some pictures along the way (for some reason I was giving a friend an unsolicited play-by-play), so I’m able to offer a pretty detailed tutorial on various aspects of the construction & finishing. I’m also happy to share some of my principles, planning, and intention when doing bases and vignettes.

Ok, here we go!

Mushrumps for Granny

At last her search is over. Granny has found an incredible patch of all sorts of mushrooms! Perfect for her soup!

There are a few poisonous fungi in these woods, but Granny knows what’s good and what’s not.

She’ll never tell you where she found them!

My plan is to add a few animals to complete the scene, but I’m basically done with this fun project at last. Don’t forget to check out the tutorial on sculpting the mushrooms I have scattered throughout this diorama.

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Miniature Mushroom Tutorial

Spend any time around ToadChapel and you know I’m plum crazy about the fungus. I like the way mushrooms look and I like learning about them, so I photograph them, I draw them, and I use them extensively in my miniature projects. I’ve developed techniques for creating a variety of mushroom shapes suitable for 28mm, 54mm, or larger scale mini scenes, and I’m happy to share my approach with you. Depending upon how you paint these, you could produce many actual mushroom species and an unlimited number of fictional fungi.

These mushrooms are sturdy and small enough to use on gaming bases, especially if you place them intelligently, but they’re delicate enough to add a lot of dazzling detail to display pieces. Read on to learn how to work some minuscule mushrooms into your next modeling project.

Forest Diorama First Look

I pointed out in a few recent posts that I often draw the same natural objects. I should have mentioned that I model them, too! Here is a sneak peek at a project I’ve been engaged in for a little while. I intend for it to serve several purposes.

Last One to Arrive

Ok, I’ve added a ninth and final figure to my Roman tavern/street diorama. There is pretty much no more space to add another mini, at least not in a way that would supplement the scene rather than detract from it.

This fellow is peering around the main character’s shoulder, lending emphasis to that figure’s gaze & shout. I’m not sure if he’s a patron of the bar, the landlord, or what, but I knew he belonged back in there. He’s a well fed guy, so I gave him a nice palla to wear to further emphasize his affluence.

It Was a Two Man Job!

I’m almost finished with my little Roman tavern diorama. It’s been fun, if challenging at times. I’ve had a hard time streamlining the process to the bare minimum I’ll accept from myself, but I’m trying to produce a high (enough) quality piece with techniques and time investment I could reasonably expect from my teenage Latin students.

This is the diorama mostly completed. There are two 28mm figures, hopefully telling a simple and amusing story.

Another Base without a Face

I’ve found time here and there to complete another little vignette. This one features a dead tree, which I haven’t done in a while. As usual, this one is a kind of lesson to be applied in basing minis, as well as a little imaginative refuge in its own right.

A detaile base featuring a forest scene without a miniature.

The base is 1.5″ square. I like the challenge of telling a story or creating a scene dense in interesting details on a very small scale. Continue reading “Another Base without a Face”

Feeling Foresty

Whenever possible I’ve been stealing moments to further this project, another little woodland scene.

This one has a dead tree on it, and I’ll be adding mushrooms, grass, and whatever else I can think of. These are a few bolete-style mushrooms ready for painting. Continue reading “Feeling Foresty”

Lichen It: Another Forest Vignette

I finished off in just a few days another little test scene. I enjoy creating these little vignettes for their own sake, and I can practice techniques or experiment with ideas I might draw upon when I’m basing a mini in the future.

A forest scene that could serve as the base for a miniature.

For this little forest scene I focused upon an idea I had for creating lichen and continued messing around with leaf litter. Continue reading “Lichen It: Another Forest Vignette”

Mushroom Preserve

I think I’m going to call this little scene finished.

I experimented with my mushroom building process (that was useful), I tried adding some leaf litter (useful trial, but I’m going to keep working on it), and I failed, in my judgement, with the larger plants. I’ll keep working on that one. Continue reading “Mushroom Preserve”