Wargaming | Modelling
Making Wargaming Terrain: Sandbags

Posted 11 Jan 2009

Sandbags are useful for entrenchments and other fortifications. So I thought I'd make and paint some.

Homemade Sandbags

Making Sandbags

My sandbags are made from milliput. Nothing fancy there. Just roll out some and cut short lengths then push together into a wall or some such.

Steven's Original Method of Painting Sand Bags

I've opted for a scheme similar to that I use for Flocking but with a different base coat.

  • Paint Vallejo 141 English Uniform

  • Heavy dry brush Dark Sand coloured paint, for example any of:
    • Ceramcoat Maple Sugar Tan (this is Mark Case's preferred shade)
    • Vallejo 70847 Dark Sand (this is what I use because I couldn't find Ceramcoat in the UK)
    • Cote D'arms 522 Pale Sand (despite the "Pale" in the title it is quite similar to the Vallejo)
    • Americana DA191 Camel
  • Dry brush Pale Sand coloured paint, for example any of:
    • Howard Hues Geo-Hex Desert (I use this because Mark Case suggested it and I only found the alternatives later)
    • Vallejo 70837 Pale Sand

In hind sight this results in sandbags that are to light. Next time I'd use one of the aternative methods.

Alternative Methods of Painting Sandbags

When I was looking at repainting my Sandbags using Vallejo I searched on the internet for advice. I found several alternatives ...

From Flames of War: Epic Loot Part Two - A Guide to Painting the Sherman and Tank Destroyer Stowage with James Brown

  • Vallejo Khaki (988) or Green Brown (879)

Or FoWiki: Painting Midwar Ostfront Summer Germans

  • Paint Vallejo Green Ochre 119

Or Rules_of_Engagement Forum Index » Soviet » Soviet 155mm Gun Position

  • Paint Vallejo 141 English Uniform

  • Drybrush Vallejo 141 English Uniform+ White.

Or Great Escape Miniatures: Constructing Gun Emplacements suggests five layers

  1. Black Undercoat

  2. Heavy all-over drybrush of Vallejo Burnt Umber

  3. Drybrush Vallejo Flat Earth

  4. Heavy Drybrush Vallejo Brown Sand

  5. Drybrush Vallejo Iraqi Sand

Or Brush Strokes: 10 mm WWII Vehicles

  • Paint mid brown like Games Workshop Snakebite leather (Vallejo 70.913 Yellow Ochre, 70.912 Tan Yellow, or 70.804 Beige Red)

  • Heavy drybrush Games Workshop Bleached Bone (Vallejo 70.928 Light Flesh, 70.918 Ivory, or 70.820 Offwhite)