Chest of Colors forum

Okay, so I just wanted to touch 'bases' with ya'll and see what I'm going to need to do as far as tuts for my own site. I'll be starting with several questions but then later on, I will go into greater detailed questions that specifically target certain aspects of basing and tutorials. So here goes...

Basing

#1. How many types of bases should be included by way of tutorials? I have in mind, 5 basic ones:
Dirt
Rock
Snow
Water
Grass

Should I add in such things as; swamp, autumn, science fiction, slate, cobblestone, etc.? in other words, is "less more" here or is it "the more the merrier"?

#2. I normally use my own products to base my bases. Should I use more popularized materials for these tutorials?

#3. Should one type of bases be used for demonstrations or should I use several different types (like round, square, rectangle, oval, etc.)?

Tutorials

#1. Should the tutorials be text only, pictures only, or text and pictures combined? I'm thinking that text and pics best communicate the techniques.

#2. Should I include specific materials I use and list them fully, or would just generic terms be fine?

#3. Should I include different levels of basing techniques? such as; beginner, moderate, advanced, display, etc.

#4. Should these tutorials be fact driven, opinion driven, or personal experience driven? or even all three?

Skullcrafts wrote:#1. How many types of bases should be included by way of tutorials? I have in mind, 5 basic ones:
Dirt
Rock
Snow
Water
Grass

Should be good to start with, but I think more will be useful for many people....

Skullcrafts wrote:Should I add in such things as; swamp, autumn, science fiction, slate, cobblestone, etc.? in other words, is "less more" here or is it "the more the merrier"?

the more the merrier

Skullcrafts wrote:#2. I normally use my own products to base my bases. Should I use more popularized materials for these tutorials?

I'd suggest going for the "use flock, for example MY FLOCK (TM)" with links to your products. This way you suggest a general solution and offer ready products to go with it.

Skullcrafts wrote:#3. Should one type of bases be used for demonstrations or should I use several different types (like round, square, rectangle, oval, etc.)?

I think one is enough unless you prefer to work with more, or shape makes some serious differences...

Skullcrafts wrote:Should the tutorials be text only, pictures only, or text and pictures combined? I'm thinking that text and pics best communicate the techniques.

I like test + pics the most...

Skullcrafts wrote:#2. Should I include specific materials I use and list them fully, or would just generic terms be fine?

I would list generics and link to your own products as examples

Skullcrafts wrote:#3. Should I include different levels of basing techniques? such as; beginner, moderate, advanced, display, etc.

If you can divide them into such levels - why not?

Skullcrafts wrote:#4. Should these tutorials be fact driven, opinion driven, or personal experience driven? or even all three?

I like subjective take on tutorials, but that's just me...

I hope this helped a bit....

mahon wrote: I hope this helped a bit....

In fact, it did. I do have more questions, but I'm unsure how to ask them and have them make sense at the same time. Like, for example, if I were to do a step-by-step show n' tell-like presentation of how I do snow bases, how do I do it? do I list a series of pictures and then describe what's going on just above or below them? or do I use one picture at a time and describe what I'm doing as the pictures progress? Personally, I think it would make for a very boring tutorial...but then again, maybe that's what someone is after in these types of tuts??? I mean if I were just starting out, I would want to do as much research as possible...if it were combined in one tutorial, I'd read it! ...hrmmmm

doing it step by step with a a list of stuff use at the top would help me most.. but i need things enplaned to me in a simple form

A list of all materials at the top is always nice. Then a brief overview of what the tutorial will cover. This way someone can get an idea without reading the whole thing if it covers what they want to learn/see.

After that when you get into a step-by-step sort of thing, it might be nice to use a table so you could have the picture on the left then a box of text describing it on the right. Make sense? I've always liked being able to see them side-by-side so I can look back and forth to the picture while reading through the description. Easier to me than scrolling up and down a bunch. But that's just me.