New Year, New Gaming Board!

Part of my 2017 New Year's "Gaming Resolution" was to "up my game" with terrain solutions and what better way than to start with the gaming table?  After reading through some posts on "Steven's Balagan" about ground cover, basing, and flocking, I decided to go with roughly the same formula he has on his "parched" gameboard.  If you follow the link you can follow the formula I used, which was an earth color, followed by a dark sand, and highlighted with a pale sand.

I glued the crap out of the flocked board, effectively hardening and sealing the flock.

 Next, I painted it in an earth tone I had mixed at "Home Depot" here in the USA.  This matches, almost exactly, the Tamiya Flat Earth XF-52.

Board let to dry

 I started experimenting while the board dried to see if I wanted to use a lighter shade or darker shade for the drybrushing work.

 Remember too that this will also be used for all of my infantry bases, terrain bases for trees and hedges, and basically any other piece of terrain I make.

Experiment with both shades of dark sand.

COMMENCE DRY BRUSHING OPERATIONS!

 The drybrushing went well but I have to admit, it scared the crap out of me.  The whole board looked like a desert wasteland or another planet.  Not much like the Mediterranean or central Russia in summer.

15mm Sci Fi trooper 

starting to add flock.  I still need to "soften" the edges up on the grassy parts.

 As the table started to take shape, I put some ground troops on the table.  Dave stopped by to say hi, and I broke out some Naps for picture-taking opportunities!  Admittedly, since I worked most of the weekend, I hadn't planned on gaming but the table was crying out to have some pictures with troops on it!

British Rifles!

 Once the grass flock was added, it assuaged my fears completely about the desert look.  The parched look I was hoping for was achieved!

Dutch standing in for Portuguese

French columns - I love how the bright table brings out the color of the miniatures.  I feel as if my board was too dark.

The board color also brings out the terrain details nicely and I feel as if the terrain and buildings stand out so much more now. 

So I still need to "lighten" the edges of the grassy areas up but lightly adding more flock, as well as sealing the flock in with more pva.