1:72 Africa house base

An African house 1:72 as a scenic base

A dwelling with mud walls carries a miniature into a dry landscape that differs from European displays in its colors as well as its surfaces. This ground carries the subject given, in a small scale, and can be used under hardware and under figures alike. Work with it is rewarding, because a parched setting is simple in color and yet pronounced.

The color palette

The base is formed by sand and ocher tones that are played out by an addition of white and light gray. It is better to keep the shadows in a warm brown than in black, otherwise the display will lose its sunlit character. Sharp light is suggested by a more pronounced brightening of the upper faces. Anyone who wants to go further can draw a very thin white cast over the ocher layer, which imitates lime leached out onto the surface of a wall.

Details that will help the display

• fine sand poured at the foot of the walls
• bleached areas of plaster against the unplastered reaches
• small cracks brought out with a darker glaze
• dry vegetation in a very small quantity only
• the dusty lower edges of the structure
• the traces of rain running down a wall, as a hint only

For which models

For hardware and figures in 1:72 scale set into a desert or tropical setting. It will come into its own too as a contrasting piece in a collection where European displays otherwise prevail and the shelf needs some coloring to bring it to life. The warm palette of a dry landscape will moreover stand out even under a model that is itself tuned to cold grays and greens.