Thursday 14 January 2016

An okay regiment.

I've noticed over the years that some units I buy and then paint take longer to complete than other units. Somehow I lose my mojo when painting the said unit, but then find I can paint the self same figure in a different uniform and have absolutely no problems.
I'm certain other wargamers have the same issue. I've found in the past that what I thought was unique to me, turned out to be very ordinary and common to other wargamers.
 I think its just my wish to be different that comes to the surface, followed by disappointment when I find my thinking is, just ordinary.
  Anyway, I had just such a problem with a unit of Black Hussar French Infantry, that I wanted to paint as the Garde Lorraine. What could go wrong, a yellow uniform with black facings, it looked dramatic in my reference books and I thought it would be an inspiring choice to make.
 Boy was I wrong, could I hell get the yellow colour I wanted, and then not only that, once I found a colour I could work with, I forgot how I got it.
 Anyway, I persevered and finished them. I would rate them as an okay unit, not my best, but not my worst, a sort of, just ordinary unit.
 Whilst battling with the Garde Lorraine, I started painting another unit of Black Hussar Prussian infantry as Saxon infantry. Although starting them much later than the French, I finished the unit today, at the same time as I finished the Garde Lorraine.
 The offending unit, resplendent in a totally inaccurate yellow, but one I found pleasing.

 One of my only gripes with Black Hussars, is that they do no cavalry or mounted officers, so I used an Elite figure on a Jackdaw horse. A little clumsy looking, but again it looks okay.

 The Saxon regiment, that was completed in much quicker time. Again Black Hussar, but this time I didnt use a spare mounted figure.
 The eagle eyed amongst you, will notice that one officer is in a lighter coloured green facing. He was my test figure, and once again I couldnt remember how I got that colour. He was too nice to re paint, sorry. The Saxons are for Colin and my game at the AMG in June, where hopefully by then I will have a few Saxon units to play around with.


10 comments:

  1. Very nice Robbie, regardless of it been a inaccurate yellow I personally think it looks very effective and complements the black very nicely, Saxons look good to!

    Neil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Neil,
      The problem for me was getting a uniform colour for the whole unit. The trouble was I kept leaving the figures and doing something else.

      Delete
  2. Agreed. It is a lovely looking unit from my vantage point.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stokes,
      I hope you are now settled into your new home.

      Delete
  3. Robbie, your ok units are sometimes better than my best ones.... :-(. The yellow looks great but it's a bummer of a colour; I've been trying to get it right for a unit of Spanish dragoons for ages!

    The Saxons (Prinz Maximilian?) look great. Between us we shall have quite a respectable Saxon WAS/SYW force very soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Colin,
      Hopefully Von Rochow's fusiliers will be more pleasant to paint.

      Delete
  4. A fine body of men to grace any table. Yellow, I think, depends a lot on the basecoat. If using a black undercoat I use a light brown base (GW Bubonic brown is ideal) and then a mustard yellow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Youre right Paul,
      I should have undercoated the damn things a tan colour. Dave Jarvis uses something like that for all his work, and it does work well.

      Delete
  5. The french unit looks fine - did a good job with the yellow which is an awkward colour. Like the Saxons in their WAS uniform

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Allan,
      I have always had a soft spot for the Saxon army, from the Great Northern War onwards, trouble is they always seem to pick the losing side.

      Delete

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating