Finally finished off the second battalion of the chasseurs of the Imperial Guard, much like the first battalion except these are all Foundry casting room figures, much more in line with 28mm than the other Napoleonic figures I have from Foundry. I'm quite happy with the monopose for these chaps obviously I'd prefer them in full dress but at least it's not greatcoats!
Usual fast and dirty paint job, primed black, then I've used colours as a form of highlight, no fancy washes or triads but good enough. Painted in exile so the lighting isn't great, once they're flagged I'll squeeze them into another post.There is one more unit left to prep and prime from the French army, another all metal unit, I treated myself to the second battalion of grenadiers of the Imperial Guard from the Perry's again not full dress but not greatcoats, once they're prepped and primed, plus some Guard horse artillery and a 3d printed supply wagon and various other mdf support wagons other than that I think that's it for Napoleonic French, all at least primed which is good, still got lots to paint but at least the end is in sight and virtually all the French plastic is built and primed. Coming back to this unit, the flag like the first battalion will be from GMB but currently in a draw at home , pleasant to finally paint another twenty four figures to add to the Napoleonic total of 259, I think 400 might be out of reach by the end of the year but I will push on!
All the best
Iain
"Painting in Exile" would be a good title for a wargaming book. I like the look of your latest guardsmen. Good to know that Casting room figures are larger than Foundry Napoleonics.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan, I agree, it would certainly be a good title for a book!
DeleteBest Iain
Great looking Chasseurs, Iain. They do look similarly proportioned to current 28mm figures. I had a few old Foundry Napoleonics, and although well detailed, we're a bit stumpy looking next to 28mm.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dean, yes they do match current figures more than the standard Foundry line which fo napoleonics are a bit diminutive!
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Fantastic work on the unit Iain, and creeping closer to the target figure with them, and that looks a lot of prep work going on as well, should keep you very busy while in exile.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave, yes any progress is progress, I've actually done an awful lot more prep than this , just haven't had a chance to prime it, but then I have plenty already primed!
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Hey! They look great! thanks for the work-in-progress shots. I am amazed you paint multi-figure based miniatures ON THE BASE TOGETHER!? whenever I've had multi-figure bases, I always painted the miniatures on separate temporary bases, and once they were done collected them together onto a base! My mind is blown!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tim, I always used to do that but to streamline the process and because the back of the front rank and the front of the back rank can't be seen as much they don't get as much attention, anything else I miss stays black. I can do it with four on a 45mm x 45mm square but can't do cavalry and I can't do six pike on a 45mm 45mm base!
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Nice job, they have turned out really well, nice figures too, your French collection is taking shape very nicely indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes I'm happy to be making progress with the French!
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Lovely work Iain and steady progress throughout the year. I was wondering the other day how I'll feel once I return to my Foundry French mono-poses after all the variety offered by a Perry unit, but I suspect I'll quite like the consistency of pose as a change of pace.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lawrence, slow and steady, the way to go! I found it slightly more relaxing with the monopose as you didn't have to think after the first one, having said that I'm enjoying painting Perry plastic multiple Napoleonic French infantry now so maybe changing between the two is best!
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Excellent work Iain!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Cyrus!
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Nice work Iain. Painting in exile? I’m picturing a Refusnik in a dark apartment in Paris careful about answering the door 😉
ReplyDeleteChris/Nundanket
Thanks Chris, that's the romantic in you, probably followed by evidence of fingernails clinging to the window ledge after my "suicide "? No it's a grimy flat in Bristol!
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The chasseurs look great! I good serviceable paint job for active duty on the table top.
ReplyDeleteThanks Fitz, not full dress but I agree about serviceable!
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Beautiful work sir!
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind Michal!
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Well done on painting 'away from home', something I don't think I would ever do, but then my job was always workbench based, so rarely travelled more than one night away. Some nice work lined up for you when you return to base too:).
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, I used to work away a fair bit but more recently I've been lucky enough to be based closer to home but recently and for the foreseeable I seem to be on the road so if I want to paint I'd better get used to being an itinerant painter once more!
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Good one mate. Kudos for cracking on while in exile. If you are in Paris as Chris suggests, nip down for a cuppa. I’m only five hours away. Lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark I'll remember that!
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Hi Iain, I am increasingly coming around to your take on speedy painting to get stuff to the table. My age profile versus the plastic mountain only adds to that perspective. The hardest part seems to be the letting go, a discipline that I struggle with for no good sensible reason that I can put my finger on.
ReplyDeleteI want to do some warlord Games Epic Pike & Shotte as a new project, so will have a blank canvas by not needing the latest batch of figures to look like the last etc, I will have more flexibility to be looser with the brush ….. who knows, I might even properly embrace Contrast paint :-)
Hi Norm, nice to hear from you, in many ways my style such as it is , is a reflection on just such a set of circumstances, after painting my first three French line infantry battalions and dragoon unit I realised with a finite amount of time and a large amount of figures to paint I had to come up with something that would deliver decent quality figures rapidly, aiming for adequate not perfection! Basing before priming also helps because I can't paint the front of the back row so well or the back of the front row but the reason I can't paint them is also the reason they're not so visible! I've also taking to dipping the primed Basing material in some dilute wood stain varnish that rapidly coats the Basing, not as good as my previous technique but a lot faster and certainly decent enough, it all seems to add up on the productivity front, which is funny because it's the painting I enjoy most! Good luck with your epic project, try and keep it simple!
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Great job Iain. Once gamers get round the table I never see them admiring the figures. I think your approach works brilliantly... less time painting = more time gaming.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard, I think they're good enough, aiming for adequate!
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Nice work on the Guard Iain. They look pretty cool, not sure I could paint the figures already based up, 4 to a base, that must be difficult?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray, it's something Curt said suggested it to me, about not painting the figures at the back of napoleonic units as well as the front, this way I can't!
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I'm amazed at your work, I'm unable to paint out of my bench at home, I find it fascinating the balance you managed to get between results and speed. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWell even at home I paint in a tray and have to tidy up and put everything away at the end of each session so maybe it's just easier for me?
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Nice work Iain! I tend to prefer monopose battalions and really dislike those plastic multipose figures with all their various fiddly parts.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike! I quite like the plastic multipose figures, certainly the Perry ones, some less so!
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Nice work Iain…
ReplyDeleteThe Guard always look good…
All the best. Aly
Thanks a lot Aly, you're right of course!
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