I wanted to replicate a classic 80's-90's style base with paints that are currently available. This is what I came up with.

Before painting, I made the decision to base my miniature with the most uniform sand I had. I wanted to keep it free of extra visual interest and as flat as possible.

1. I basecoated the sand with Vallejo Goblin Green , the Citadel equivalent being Warboss Green . I kept this very thin, to ensure it ran into the recesses of the sand. I did a couple of coats to get decent coverage.
2. Then, I washed the sand with Athonian Camoshade and Lahmian Medium 1:1. This was to reduce staining on the raised part of the sand.
3. Now, I dry brushed with Straken Green .
4. I mixed a little White Scar into some Yriel Yellow , until it was close to the tone of Dorn Yellow and then did another, lighter drybrush.
5. Add a little extra White Scar to the mix and added a few random dots on raised grains of sand. I looked for areas that had caught a lot if pigment when drybrushing and used to dots to make it look more natural.
6. Finally, finish of the base with a few coats of Vallejo Goblin Green or Warboss Green and you are done.