A Painting Update for July 27th. . .

Here's where things stand by the evening of July 27th.

A couple of pleasant painting sessions in the ol' chair yesterday. One in the afternoon, and another during the mid-evening after The Young Master's bedtime and a walk around the neighborhood. Still lots to do, of course, but the first 32 of the musketeer figures are coming together.

A couple of painting points. One, various sources differ on the color scheme of the hat pompoms and tassels of the Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg Infantry. Some say these were plain white, others suggesting red and white. I've opted for the former (actually white atop a light gray undercoat).

Likewise, when it comes to the jacket lapels, sources indicate either red, blue, or none at all. After double-checking, I went back and repainted them dark blue, highlighted sparingly with a mid-blue to match the rest of the coats. Neck stocks too seem open to question when it comes to color. I went for red this time around as a change from my usual default black.

The second painting point was. . . Well, darn it. I've now forgotten the second observation, which clearly must have been very important! Either a senior moment, or not yet enough coffee to clear the early morning fog. It is just before 8am here in The Grand Duchy.

In any case, I think it's time to finish the leather shoulder straps for the remaining dozen figures in the forefront of the picture, and then add hair-queues, mustaches, hat lace, and visible buttons for all 32, making sure everything is at the same point and finished, before moving onto the next 16 bare metal castings in the back of the room.

Ideally, I'd like to finish painting and glossing this unit and get them affixed to their Litko plywood bases by September 1st when the fall semester kicks off. Let's see if that actually happens. In the meantime, "Charge!"

-- Stokes

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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