One Step Closer to Rolica

This week I was able to finish work on another line Infantry Regiment for the British forces under Wellington, the 1/50th Foot, West Kent.  I took this opportunity to photograph the 9th British Light Dragoons that I completed last month as well.  Both of these units were originally painted by Dick Tennant, so my work was really just a touch-up.  I also finished adding 12 additional figures to the French 17th de ligne (my own work), to bring them up to battle strength given Dick Tennant's different organizational structure.

 

 British 9th Light Dragoons

 Every time I look at these I find more detail elements painted by Mr. Tennant.

The horses benefited from a dilute black ink wash for a bit of shading and to help with definition in the detail work.

  The painting on the saddle cloth is particularly nice.

 The 1/50th West Kent British Regiment of Foot is a 36 figure battalion, with three figures representing the light and grenadier companies on either flank of the unit.

 Apart from a little exposed brass, the flags of the 50th survived the journey across the Atlantic quite well.  The reason some did not fare well I believe is that some of the metal flags were made with a very thin foil, which did not travel well, whereas these were made from brass sheeting.

 Mr. Tennant has an incredible eye for detail, all the way to the color of the flag holders that distinguish a first battalion from the second battalion of the regiment.

 While initially I thought these had escaped relatively unscathed, as I began painting individual figures it became clear that there was a good deal of chipped paint on exposed areas.  Easy to repair, but it does require a meticulous treatment of each figure; plumes elbows and ankles are the usual subjects for chipped paint, but with these I also decided to highlight some of the white paint, as it had yellowed over time.

 The Colonel of the 50th (I think).  Originally designated a brigadier, so I need to do a bit of research and ascertain whether this figure can be demoted.  If not there is nothing that says the 50th can't be led into battle by their brigade commander.

 The newly expanded 17th French line infantry.  If you look closely you can see where twelve figures have their heads angled as if looking to the right.  I thought these were all the same pose and didn't notice the turn of the head until I was gluing them on their stands.

 I do love the bigger battalions!

 Below is an element I just finished for De Bellis Napoleonicus (DBN).  This is a very different approach to wargaming than the old school figures and rules for the collection above.  In DBN each stand represents roughly 1200 men.  The two figure stand below is meant to represent an under strength Cavalry brigade. 

 The figures are plastic 28mm French Hussars sculpted by the Perrys.

 The matt finish is easier to photograph, so I feel like the color is a little truer on these.  The high gloss of the old school look is so reflective it is trickier to photograph well, and I must admit to struggling with it.  I think I will see if I can try a diffuser next time to cut down on reflections.

 I am embarrassed to say how long these have been sitting on my desk unfinished.  I am going to try and keep plugging away and do a stand at a time with the eventual goal of being able to game Waterloo.  Currently I have over eighty stands done, but not all are usable for Waterloo, so I still have my work cut out for me.

 I was particularly pleased with the way the undulating terrain turned out.  The contour of the terrain was accomplished by gluing a block of blue insulation foam to the stand, and then cutting with a hot wire tool to shape it.

Hope you have enjoyed seeing these pictures.  If you enjoy my blog please leave a comment and follow my posts.  All the best,

David