Thanks all for the feedback!
As far as Bulldoglopez's inquiry about the bases: I'd be happy to share my technique. To create the texture of the base, I always use textured acrylic medium, bought from an art supply store. I usually mix three different kinds of these mediums: extra-coarse pumice gel, coarse pumice gel and fine pumice gel (the brand I use is "Golden"). By mixing these three varieties, I can get the right variation in size of "stones" on the base. Sometimes I glue small pebbles onto the base when the gel is still wet (these small pebbles, of course, turn into the larger rocks on the base). I like using gels instead of gluing sand to the base because it gives me more control.
For some bases, I add other large features while the gel is still wet: sometime little twigs (to become dead shrubs) and sometime toadstools (made by rolling a minuscule amount of greenstuff around a piece of copper wire.
For these bases, I didn't use a dry blushing technique. Instead, I hand painted the highlights, starting with a dark mix of dark brown, beige and black, and working up to off-white. I still go back and forth about whether I like this technique. These days, I think I prefer a straight dry-brushing technique for the base, which I think can be more dramatic and certainly takes a lot less time. Large rocks are painted with a very dark grey, highlighting them up to a very light grey on the edges.
Then, of course, I load the base with a variety of goodies, mainly static grass and leaf/foliage cover. My favourite leaf cover is "1/35 scale brown leaves (autumn) JOEFIX 105". I tend to hand place the leafs because I am super-duper anal about achieving the right balance. These days, I am using less and less loose static grass, and more and more "Silfor tufts" (I always buy them from the Great Escape Games website). The pre-made tufts are so easy to use and create such a nice effect. That being said, there will always be a place for carefully applied spots of static grass.
Anyway, I hope this isn't too much detail for you!
