Sandbag emplacement terrain

Step 1 of 6

Roll the bags

Knead and roll Milliput, or a similar two-part epoxy putty, into thin sausages, following Thanos's Miniatures & Terrain sandbag tutorial. Cut it into short lengths with a modelling knife; the pieces bond to each other without glue while the putty is still workable.

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Step 2 of 6

Shape and stack

Press the cut lengths together edge to edge into a rough wall or stack, flattening the tops slightly where bags would rest on each other, and score a seam line into each with the knife tip while the putty is still soft (Thanos). Tabletop-Lenny's version uses oven-cure clay rolled to about 5mm and shaped by hand, with a double-cut metal file pressed into each bag to stamp in a woven-sackcloth texture.

Bench tip. Build and stack a few bags at a time rather than the whole wall at once; the putty stays workable for only a short window.

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Step 3 of 6

Let it cure

Leave the putty to harden fully, overnight is typical for two-part epoxy putty, before handling it for painting.

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Step 4 of 6

Prime and base-coat

Precision Model Designs' sandbag painting guide starts with a flat black primer, then a khaki spray base coat over the top.

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Step 5 of 6

Wash and highlight

Flow a dark brown ink wash into the recesses between bags, then dry brush upward through two or three progressively lighter khaki mixes, finishing with a light highlight of near-white on the most raised folds (Precision Model Designs). Thanos's tutorial uses a similar sequence with washes and a beige and white drybrush, finished with a light final wash to tie the bags together.

Mark done

Step 6 of 6

Seal

Seal with a clear varnish once the paint is fully dry.

Mark done