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Hobby Basics: Snow Effects, Make it Look Good!

By Rob Baer | July 20th, 2011 | Categories: Grey Knights, Hobby Hacks, How To Tutorial, Snow Effect, Warhammer 40k

I have to admit, the one thing hobby related that I have always shied away from was doing snow on bases. No clue why…. I can pin, sculpt, build stuff from scratch etc, but I always run screaming when it comes to doing snow.

Why? I have no clue. I suppose it has to do with messing up and ruining a perfectly good model, or just being overwhelmed by the plethora of snow basing products out there.  I mean how do you pick one over the other, right?
Well recently the time came to man up. I had Kenny over at Next Level Painting, paint up some Grey Knights for me while I get the time to get mine all finished up (working a lot sucks).  
                                  
Problem is that I didn’t like his Colorado-esqe snow basing. So I wanted to try out a different looking snow style, more “drifty” looking rather that “pile-ish” if that makes sense. Check out the “before” base with chunky snow piles, and my “after” snow drifts on the right.
Of course I still had no idea where to start, until I saw a sweet painted Tau army up at the store that had snow on the bases as well.  After talking with the painter about how he got the effect, and how easy it was to do, I decided to give it a try on my Grey Knights!
Apparently all you need to make authentic looking snow effect on bases turns out to be some white (yes white don’t use wood glue it’s yellow- we all know what yellow snow is) PVA glue, and a one dollar box of arm and hammer baking soda from the grocery store!  Yup that’s it. Amazing!!!!!
Here’s how to make it work. First apply some PVA glue to the base using a small dry brush or a large base-coat brush, whatever works for the size base you are working with.  Then sprinkle on some Baking Soda, or to go a little faster and dip the whole model into a container of the stuff. Then do your next model and so forth. 
When you get to the last man in the squad go back and re-flock or sprinkle from the beginning, as the glue will probably have absorbed all the power and looks a bit paste like by now. Repeat that until you get the look you are going for. I think I flocked them twice maybe three times on some of my bigger models.
 Before                                                After

Give em like twenty minutes to dry out, then tap the excess off. You may have to use water and a stiffer brush to get the power off the lip of the base but after that all you have to do is matte coat them and viola snow bases fast and cheap!
Squad 1 after flocking, but before matte coating. Note residual particles on lip of the base- be sure to clean them off with water and a stiffer brush before you matte coat!

What do you think? Is simpler better if it gets the result you are looking for? -MBG

About the Author: Rob Baer

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Rob Baer

Job Title: Managing Editor

Founded Spikey Bits in 2009

Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X

About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.

Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls. 

Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.

Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.

With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.

While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.

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