Presenting: The First Batch of Wagons and Carts. . .

Here they are, the first batch of wagons and carts all done except for a bit more Woodland Scenics foliage material to masquerade as clumps of weeds along the edges and down the middle of  each base.

Ok, I'm calling them just about done, barring a bit more tinkering with foliage material from Woodland Scenics this evening after the Young Master's bedtime.  What I was aiming for with the ground cover on each base was the impression of very minor, unpaved, and narrow roads, paths really, with grass and weeds along the sides.  

I recall reading somewhere in the last 20+ years of so -- perhaps in Jac Weller's Wellington at Waterloo? -- that prior to the mid-19th century many so called "roads" on the continent of Europe were rather vague and neglected.  As a rule, many were not paved, they could be 10-40 feet in width, depending on importance and proximity to population among other things, poorly defined and maintained, and treacherous in rain or winter weather.  

My own road bases still look a little too manicured to my eyes, but hopefully the addition of a few weed clumps here and there will help things to look a bit more off the beaten track and hinterland-like.  Otherwise, it's on to the next batch of five wagons, carts, teams, and driver/drovers.

By the way, the Eureka vivandiere above had her unmistakably French Napoleonic forage cap lopped off back in April or May.  It was replaced with a general's tricorn following the lobotomy of an unidentified 25mm early 18th century figure of unknown manufacture.  After some careful trimming and filing of course.  

The poor officer who lost his head to this fetching young marketenderin (an old-fashioned German word that meaning something akin to sutleress or vivandiere) was part of a large batch of primarily RSM95 figures.  If memory serves me correctly, I purchased these secondhand some years ago, and the good general's hat seemed about the right size for the young lady in question.  One of the many reasons to have a well stocked box-o-bits handy.

Anyway, now that she has been painted, glossed, and based, I'm somewhat happier with my conversion handiwork, which looked decidedly odd in bare metal.  Head and hat swaps are still difficult if not downright problematic for me.  However, it just goes to show that a reasonable paint job can hide a multitude of modelling sins.

-- Stokes


P.S.

By the way, these five wagons, carts, and teams were painted at a fairly leisurely pace, in twenty sittings that lasted between 30 minutes and two hours at a time, from May-July 2014.  If I'd been more diligent with the brush, things would have come together at a much faster rate. 

Finally, here's the next batch of five wagons with horse teams, riders, and drivers/drovers.  Just ignore the pile of freight and the two mounted offers at left for now.  On deck are four Fife&Drum pontoon wagons with a slew of pontoons, the delightful field forge model by Berliner Zinnfiguren, and a flatbed wagon, which will have its stack of freight painted and added later, is by Old Glory.  Or perhaps Blue Moon?  I never remember.  The riders are RSM95, the drivers/drover on foot is from Minden, and most of the draft/draught horses are a mix of Fife&Drum and Minden.  Base-coating tonight if the evening goes well.