A couple of specials

Cleared the painting table ready for new projects. A rare (for me) Perry Napoleonic commander Colbert commander of the Dutch Lancers 1815. I had to tweak the figure, it had a lot of flash and cast lines,also  doing some proper cords and rackets for the Czapka, as the moulded ones are stuck down his neck - as if given his pose. Also replaced the sword with something somewhat less chunky - a curved  flattened steel pin, The casualty figure is a Front Rank one , with separate musket  again FR. I also had a play with the Silfur tufts adding a little PVA to the end of some and dusting in fine sand, and colouring for flower or weeds.

 Also completed the casualty eagle bearer for the Mamalukes.

 So that is the painting table completely empty for now, work on preparing a big batch of  the Mahdist forces commences next week, as well as a pile of horses for up upcoming cavalry units.

Mamaluke progress - part 2

I have now done the main horse colours and the faces, headdress and some of the main blocks of colour. They are going to be very colourful when done.Horses were done in what was for me a fairly old oil and enamel mix technique - this gives plenty of time to shade and highlight to get he result I wanted. I undercoated the horses in range of differing colour shades and gave them a light oil wash and left them overnight. Next day I again did another light oil wash of Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna or Indian Red and then used Enamel white and leather brown and some white spirit blended the colours with oil to get a whole range of shades and finishes.

I have then just worked on one to finish it , to work out the various colours and processes that need to done for the rest.

He has come up rather well I think.

In between all this colourfulness I have also knocked off a French Legere - they seem to have been popular recently! 

 

Aim is to complete the Mamalukes this week - there is the sound of Sudan drums - there is an order on the way! 

Work in progress - Mamalukes

Well they have to be one of the most colourful units in the Napoleonic period. I have had these rider casting from Bicorne for some time - they are a really nice figure, and having recently taken delivery of some some new horse casting from Firing Line I have started work on "customising".  They are going to be a fully unique unit with each figure and horse different. Almost all the original arms have been removed and repositioned and soldered back on, heads moved, reins added (to be soldered on after horse painting). Additional work is required on the horses due to extra horse furniture decorations these guys had too (done with the soldering iron and files). A number of horses are re-positioned and turned etc.

The left hand side one is a straight original casting.

This one was fun - removed sword and made it

hanging from wrist on cord,and added in a pistol to the hand

 The command trio - added banner & cord to the trumpet, made the Toug? from milliput for the standard bearer. I may even add in a proper eagle bearer to.

 Right - now all we need is some paint on the blighters....

I am looking forward to doing these


oh and JD has finished the horse, basing and flag on 1st Regt of Vistula infantry I did last year so here they are.They look really good and great posed shot too.

"Heads up, gentlemen, these are bullets, not turds". Colonel Major Louis Lepic

I created this rendition of the commander of the Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale as depicted by Édouard Detaille something like 15 years ago. This was one of my very first attempts at creating something unique and have always enjoyed looking at it!

He was originally modelled with winter groundwork as per the battle of Eylau , but has been changed over to years to see "active" service on the table - as if the "Gods" actually needs any extra help usually! 

The base casting was a Bicorne miniatures Carabinier if i remember correctly which had a fair bit of work on it to bend and twist (- heated it up in an oven  to get that little more pliability - seemed to work) and to get the uniform right . The horse also has all its furniture removed and replaced with wire, head turned and tail moved.

As I have decided to create the Grenadiers à Cheval sometime this year ( a full 40 figure Grand Manner unit) and I will find it inspiring looking at him, and look forward to doing them all the more.

Thanks Stephen for the "loan" - you might not get him back - I might hold him to ransom!

Antoine Charles Louis, Comte de Lasalle

Back to real Napoleonic painting with a figure I have had for while. Initially inspired by seeing a Doug Mason produced command stand many years ago. It pays homage to the painting by Edouard Detaille which depicts Lasalle at the Battle of Wagram, leading cuirassiers in his final charge - complete with pipe!

Extra work done to the  horses tail to give more movement, horses head moved and the original cast reins removed & replaced with flattened wire ones soldered into place on the bridle and into his hand.



Time for a little Xmas break - back next week after a few days offer. Merry Xmas One & All

Repairs to an old friend "Mamaluke"

While down at the WHC last weekend I picked up a figure I originally converted and painted about 12 years ago. He was in need of a little bit of a refresh and repair as there was some damage to the rear legs and sword. This has all now been sorted out. The figure is a "Bicorne" miniatures one on a Bicorne heavy horse which has had wire reins added & been cut free at the front so it appears to be leaping.

In addition i have completed the trumpeters for the Vistula lancers. All have had extra wire reins added. Trumpets were made for 3 of them from scratch and then added to the converted  figures as required .

The one on the left is pretty much the standard figure with just the head turned more to its right. The falling one is the same figure and horse. I must thank Doug Mason for the knowledge & teach in of how to do this with the soldering iron (watching him create a splayed out hand just using a soldering iron is incredible)  and the inspiration of looking at his own creations.

This one had his arm released from the casting , the existing trumpet was cut away and replaced by a scratch one. The head repositioned by twisting, then the trumpet was then soldered to the hand and positioned as if being blown. The the arm is then cut & bent to match it and soldered back on . The cord of the trumpet is created from 3 strands of twisted copper wire from a normal piece of household electrical flex. This is passed around the figure and soldered to the trumpet.

This one has his sword out as if to slash down on some poor infantryman and trumpet flung behind him.












Almost finished the officers too.

Strike up the band & some new technology.

Well they say music stirs the soul. This week I have been working on the newly arrived French Guard Band set. It is not always about the fighting troops and these guys will add some colour and fun to proceedings and maybe improve the moral of the fighting troops. This is a "Bicorne" miniatures set of 22 figures. The castings were of excellent quality with little work required to clean them up. In terms of make up the figure mix does lack a few instruments having more trumpeters than required but no trombones and again more bassoons than required but no clarinets. There is a nice two piece casuality set with the pair singing along - these are labelled as flute in the catalogue , but are both actually carrying trumpets. They are all also sculpted in campaign dress. I have access to a lot of information on Napleonic uniforms , but there was not much in the collection on the various bands campaign dress. I did however find one decent reference for 1806-7 where the band wore striped trousers on campaign, so I went for that option.

Usual undercoats, Humbrol 67 (dark grey) for the dark areas and 64 (light grey)for the trousers. Blue is Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue highlighted with a mix of Flat blue. Of course the time consuming bit was the trousers. After uncoating they were done in Humbrol 33 white and allowed to dry. The stripes were done using Vallejo Flat blue thinned with 50/50 paint/water to form a thin ink consistency, Using a decent long sable watercolour brush with long bristles and small point it (it was a No1)  was just a case of loading the brush with  the paint.ink and completing a stripe or two and repeating around the trousers. Once this was done there was a little more shade and highlight added to the folds with a light grey /white vallejo mix. They were Matt varnished. And I refreshed the mettalics using a mix of Vallejo Brass with some added in Rich Gold powder (ROSE paints) to make the instruments shine more.

I enjoyed these as they were something different. I am still on the look out for some nice full dress bandsmen to do another time. I would also like to get hold of the Mounted Cuirassier band produced by Mirliton as well.(Mirliton - Cuirassier Band). Turns out these are available through Vexilla


TECHNO TIME
I have also been playing with technology this week and got hold of "blinky lights" from an internet light effects jewelry website. Product name Alectralights available in a host or colours - I went for Orange - so with a bit of basing and spraying some cotton wool a murky smoke colour I now have some burning firing etc markers

Not great video quality but you get the idea. The actual "blinky" is a two part cylinder about 10mm x 10mm has a battery life of about 10 hours - they can be changed as well - also came with spare batteries. They are also magnetic and come with a small magnet . You just screw the top down until it turns on , and unscrew to turn off or to change the battery. Cost £2 per "blinky" - but sure with a bulk order discounts can be found.

Just to give an idea of size - they are really small.

Available from Warlord games- with a small selection of colours.
Or if you want some more unusual colours  from Blinkylights

Back to more work on the castings for the Vistula Lancers - there is going to be a lot of conversion work here , this unit will be a real one off. I have a French light infantry ready for blocking and finishing as well this week. I am also eagerly awaiting the arrival of more lead from the "Colonial" period - Time to get back to true roots more later.