I've been working away at a mixed batch of WSS painting - British artillery and horse, all new figures. I picked this because it made a nice-sized piece of work, and made a welcome change from my last job, which was a big Napoleonic refurb batch. On that job, at one stage, I had two days of white paint, followed by a day of black, so I promised myself a mixed batch next. Seemed a good idea.
And so it was - except that the sequence of paint colours is different for the artillery and the horse, which makes the work a bit fiddly, and - more seriously! - I ran out of space on my wet palette because of the number of colours. Accordingly, yesterday, when I was very nearly finished the whole lot, I put the cavalry in a box of their own, and set about finishing off the artillery bases.
They still need their magnetic sheet for the bases, but here they are.
Three battalion guns - the gunners are by Les Higgins (circa 1970), the galloper guns by Irregular Miniatures. Under my rules, battalion guns are attached to those infantry units which have them, so these little bases are really markers rather than units in their own right
A field gun and crew - this time, all castings are by Irregular. There will be another two of these to accompany Marlborough's lads in action. Coming along soon. [The Irregular gunners are very slightly shorter and chunkier than the Higgins, but they are fine - I may choose to keep them in separate units as a house standard. In the mounted arm I mix Irregular command with Higgins troopers rather more freely, but my use of Higgins horses throughout helps a lot with the scale compatibility.]
All being well, I should get the unit of horse finished by tomorrow, so they will be appearing shortly. One thing I have to sort out (now I think about it) is my printer - the cyan print-head appears to be playing up, so I'll get that fixed (i.e. I'll ask the printer to heal itself) so that I can print off a flag for them. The unit, when it appears, will be the Queen Dowager's Regiment (also known as Hugh Wyndham's Horse).
One of the armies I had seriously considered back in the early 70s was a Les Higgins Marlboran army - painted up a couple of dragoons and a few musketeers, put them on a base and they sat on her mantlepiece for until they sort of got destructed! Then went down the Ancients route, but still a go 'what if'.
ReplyDeleteI saw these figures when they first came out, saw them in my local shop (which specialised in toy soldiers and dolls' houses - discuss). I never actually held one in my hand again until the end of 2019 - still love them!
DeleteSadly, Phoenix Model Developments took over Les Higgins figures when he died but seem to prefer making making dolls house stuff... still do...
DeletePMD extended all the wargame ranges after Les died, with Tim Richards the chief sculptor, but eventually discontinued them as a result of a the shift in popular scales - they couldn't compete.
DeleteLooking good - I always forget about Irregular miniatures and that they have lots of useful bits and pieces
ReplyDeleteNice people to deal with - their range is enormous. The sizes are bit unusual in some cases, but their 20mm are a decent match for the Higgins Malburians, so at the moment I'm using quite a lot of them.
DeleteNice looking British gun Tony, the Irregulars do look very compatible!
ReplyDeleteI hate yellow piping on uniforms - worse than just about anything. Nowadays my standard approach is paint the piping in white, recoat in yellow, then tidy up the edges with the coat colour. Alternative is to build up the yellow in layers until it's opaque, which is usually visibly thick! Irregular proving very useful for command figures, gunners, artillery pieces.
DeleteI’ve found that the Wargames Foundry yellow ochre triad works quite well..
DeleteI wouldn’t go as far as to say perfect as I believe to do this you probably have to add something poisonous to the mix.
Thanks Aly. In fact I have one of the MF yellow ochre shades - I bought it a few years ago to paint Marshal Soult's ADC (still not painted...), and used it recently for some WSS yellow facings, because the other yellows I had seemed too bright for the job in hand. Must dig it out again. I am giving serious consideration to writing down everything I do, since i seem to be making a poor job of remembering things otherwise - I have the same really good idea about once a fortnight, and then find evidence I have had this idea before. Trouble is, I won't remember that I've been writing things down, and - if I do - I won't remember where I've filed the list. I'll have to hire a PA - then I'll have to remember I have one:
Delete"What are you doing in my kitchen?"
"I'm your 2nd PA."
"I have 2 PAs? Why do I need 2?"
"Last time we discussed this, you told me my main job was to remind you that you already have a PA."
They are splendid, Tony, I quite like gunners - they look study chaps who would stand by their guns come hell and high water.
ReplyDeleteVery impressed that you use a wet palette.
Thanks Michael - I use a wet palette mostly because I was wasting loads of paint, and I have developed stinginess to an art form. The gunners will stand by their guns, since they are too drunk to walk away unaided. I am really getting very fond of the shiny, toy soldier look for this period!
DeleteExcellent looking batteries Tony. Those last fellows take the prize; best dressed the occasion!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
Thank you James - they feel a bit self-conscious. They are not impressed by the Higgins chap with his jacket off.
DeleteSplendid chaps. I think you're right, the shiny toy soldier look does really work for this period.
ReplyDeleteMust be a bit warm working a gun with all that clobber on, not surprised that lad has taken his coat and waistcoat off.
Hi Chris. Hard work in the artillery, no doubt. Especially when they supply you with Old School tree-trunk tools. No obesity problems in them days...
DeleteLovely looking ordinance Tony...
ReplyDeleteI agree with James on the field gun... I’ve never really approved of the ‘dress casual Friday’ look of some gun crews 😁.
All the best. Aly
Thanks Aly - logical next step would be Bring Your Children to Work Day for artillerymen.
DeleteThose Irregular gunners look stately. I like em. Is the Les Higgins chap with his shirt off plying his trade as soldier during the campaign season until Panto starts again?
ReplyDelete“Now where’s the mop bucket?”
It's behind you.
Delete