French General and Aide

Here is the first of my three command bases. To make It a bit more enjoyable for myself I painted them one at a time rather than en Mass. This allows me to see the results a lot quicker and Is more satisfying.

Messing with mud

I tried a few things out and settled for the quickest and easiest way, with so many bases to flock It had to be something effective but fast to do.
This involved flocking the base as normal but as the PVA was still wet, I pushed a brush loaded with brown paint into it to make footprints. Puddles were created by exposing the flat base underneath, when this is painted dark brown and gloss varnished, It will give the effect of a muddy puddle. Very quick and very easy.

French Aide de camp

'Tom T' asked me to post a little about how I paint my faces. Very simply is the right answer, I have given this one eyes as he is on a command base.

I start with painting a base coat of Flesh b from Foundry. When the coat is dry I give It a wash of brown Ink, them highlight with Flesh b again. The most Important thing I think Is painting in the crows feet next to the eyes and maybe a line across the forehead and as much facial detail as you can make out. Oh well I told you It was simple. For this guy I mixed 50/50 Flesh a and b to get the shade colour as I didn't want It too dark. I hope this helps Tom.

The 42nd Highlanders hold off French Lancers at Quatre Bras 1815

Two days before the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon sent Marshal Ney to engage Wellington and stop him meeting up with Blucher and his Prussians and to drive a wedge between the two forces if possible. Ney engaged Wellington at the cross roads of Quatre Bras, but delayed in using his Superior numbers to good effect, allowing Wellington to re-enforce his meager holding force and a full scale battle developed.

Due to the undulating ground and high crops of the area, many Battalions were leapt on by squadrons of cavalry before they could form their defensive squares. Most were simply ridden into the ground but the brave, hard fighting men of 'Blackwatch' managed to fight back to back and hold off the attacks. By the end of the murderous day, some 300 officers and men of the 42nd lay dead. Never was a regiment more deserving of being singled out for praise than the 42nd in Wellington's report that day.

The Might of Rome

This is another old picture I found in my cupboard. Scanned in and coloured here he is at last, ready to bring Rome to the unsettled corners of the world.

Roman War!

I found this picture I had drawn a year ago and forgotten about. So I thought I'd scan it in and give It some colour.

Good luck with the Zama game BRB, I can't wait to see It in Person at Salute, I hope this picture gives you Inspiration while you finish things off.

Waterloo 1815

Napoleon decides to wait a few hours more to give the ground time to dry out for his Artillery, these extra few hours will give the Prussians time to arrive and cost him the battle and the war.

The time wasted on that morning in 1815 changed the history of Europe forever, so let's just enjoy the moment when Boney made the decision...

Waterloo Reference

The other day I took the chance to go back in time to 1815 and actually take a few pictures of the battlefield. You can clearly see the state of the wet ground after the Union Brigade had swept down the hill. I will use these as colour and modelling reference for basing my Waterloo armies and thought they might be useful for anyone else thinking of doing the same.



Hundreds of heavy horses have left the ground a churned up quagmire.

French Top Brass

The time has finally come to start the 'cherry on the cake', the favourite figures you always leave til last and never get around to starting. Well, I'm going to learn from my lessons and just start them. These Generals and ADC's are from Front Rank and the detail is very good. I plan to spend a little longer than usual on these guys as they are command figures, hence the blackened eyes ready for whites and pupils.

I have taken the time to arrange and pair them up on imaginary bases before I start. My usual rule is two figures for Division command and three for Corps, but because I have the figures I'm going to make one base a little larger. After these three Divisional command bases I will start on the Marshals.

Heeeeeere's Jonny!

Hello Greg, this giant French Sapper of the 13th Legere, hacking his way through the gates of La Haie Sainte, is for you.

Study of an Enthusiast

The painting table lies quiet after months of activity. Half finished models lie under debris and dust, waiting for a burst of inspiration to finish them off.

No 2: The Flag Bit Box

No 823: The Alexander the Great Bit Box

No 23: The Napoleonic British Bit Box

No 57: The Roman Bit Box

No 24: The Napoleonic French Bit Box

No 17: The WWII Bit Box

No 6: Weapon Bit Box

Hello and welcome to another addition of Hobby Window, the series that brought you 'paint pots of the world' and 'Death by sand'. This week in the spot light...'Bit Boxes from around the world'. So lets kick off with that most handy of Bit Boxes...No 6: the weapon Bit box.

French Skirmishers finished

The last bases of Voltigeurs are finally finished. As I have a bit more space on these skirmish bases, I have gone to town with grass tufts and bushes.

Under the macro lense these guys look a little rough around the edges, but they look good enough with the naked eye.

5th Lancers...again

The sabre armed second rankers get ready to take advantage of any break through.

5th Lancers

Again, I had give this chap a grey horse just to make things right.

5th Chevau-Leger Lancers

After doing a little research, I armed most of my second rank men with the sabre. The lance was very effective as a shock weapon and could gain the advantage in a charge, however, In the swirling melee that followed, the long lance could become a hindrance. For this reason the men of the second rank carried the sabre to help even the odds in close combat.
I had seen that the Perrys had produced a range of sabre carrying lancers and cursed the fact they had not been around when I collected the bulk of my army. However, looking through Front Rank's web site I saw they produced separate weapons including sabres and to my delight, they fitted very nicely into the open hands of the figures, job done. Now I feel like my unit is a little bit more historically accurate than It was before.
Like my Regiment of Dragoons earlier, this unit of Chevau-Leger Lancers is at full strength with four squadrons.

DAY 5, West Face, Lead Mountain

DAY 5: Food running low and paint almost all gone. Had to stop and make camp under Foundry blister pack and rest eyes. Not sure how much longer brushes can hold out, lost four more this morning. Summit is still out of site...must push on, can't be much further now. Almost there...

Some things never change

Thank You!

Well I don't know what to say really...a huge thank you to everybody who voted for me, It's a great honour to receive this. Over the years as home life and work life took up more and more time, I almost quit the Blogging world many times, but receiving this award from fellow gamers and hobbyists has really made me glad I carried It on, Thank you very much indeed, Secundus.