The Redcoats are Coming

A battalion of Light Infantry clear the way.

I didn't paint the picture wire as it was already a good gold colour.

These Light Infantry are depicted skirmishing in open order. I plan to add fallen trees and undergrowth to this base to give it a woodland feel.

 

Painting in the Buff.

British Infantry advancing in open order.

 I have discovered a nice set of AWI rules called Yankee Peas and Crackers, while surfing eBay. They are a great little set of fast play rules that are thoroughly soaked in the feel of the period.

 Great emphasis has been put on how the troops fought and in what formation (order). I'm looking forward to learning these in more detail. They have given me all I need to accurately base up and form units of the war.

Still waiting for the flags to arrive... Story of every Wargamer's life.

Not being able to wait until a full 48hours, these shiny boys get based up early. Painting the matt varnish on them like this is no problem, it might even be a bit easier in fact.

This part of the Battalion has been matt varnished and is ready for basing.

These buff faced regulars have been campaigning for a few years and have had their buff breeches replaced with white ones made from sail cloth. Only one man in the regiment retains his original pair of buff breeches.

27th Inniskilling regiment of foote.

This week I have been trying out speed painting techniques of AWI British infantry. These are Fife and Drum miniatures and are a joy to paint.

Once I have blocked in the colours, I highlight the red then give it a wash with Army Painter Dark tone. I don't stur up the really thick, black stuff at the bottom, just two shakes of the tin. This means the dip is lighter in tone and doesn't drown out all the white areas, giving a nice grey shade.

My silver Sharpie has been working over time on the Brown Bess and canteens. The gold Sharpie is good for buttons too.

I will go back over the drummer with the buff paint to make him nice and strong. Also, I need to paint the Gorgots gold on the standardbearers. All Buff faced regiments had gold buttons, therefore their epaulets and Gorgots were gold also. 

The flesh I kept as one layer, but added a grey stubble layer on the chin. This all ties together with the black wash.

I thought I would do a quick size comparison between Perry Miniatures and Fife and Drum. I think fine on the same table but maybe not in the same unit.
 

Confederate Skirmishers/Artillery

To speed up the collecting process I bought a few painted figures off eBay. These were quite limited in poses, so I added a few more to increase the variety of positions.

I have given regiments four skirmishers each and have put two to a 40mm base to make storage better. The larger bases should protect the figures better in the boxes, I'm always worried that single based figures get thrown around a bit.

These will be used in Bonnie Blue Flag.

I have a soft spot for Dixon figures, I love their detail and character.

These were block painted with the Foundry Confederate paints, then washed with Army Painter strong tone. Nice and quick with good results. I used my trusty 00.5 pen to draw some patterns on the blankets. These shapes were then shaded in using GW contrast paints.

It's great to finally be able to use the Foundry rebel paints, a nice selection that really makes the process easier. Saying that, I couldn't resist adding a few of my own Grey's into the mix. Also combining some of the Butternut colours with the Greys is always a winner. After painting the Union army, these ragged rebels are very fun and refreshing to do.

 

Painting Three Band Enfields

Having a very black barrel and metal work, I didn't want to go too bright with the highlighting of the Enfield. To keep the very dark barrel I just used the edge of a pencil to give it a quick brushing over.

Its a nice touch to give the Confederate bases more character in the form of their firearms. The British made Enfield is a great way to do that. The wooden stock was a much paler, sandy coloured wood than that of the Union Springfield and the metal work was basically black.

I've also been using Sharpies to help colour some metal details. These are quick to use and give you a lot of control. After the success of this latest project, I have ordered a gold one too for buckles etc.

 

'New wood' from Vallejo is the perfect colour for these rifled muskets. The British also used brass for the trigger guard and gave the gun a white strap. Little touches but ones that can be seen at a distance and on a gaming table.

Dipped and drying, this skirmisher is itching to take his new Enfield for a spin.

A short barrelled Enfield beside the Springfield.
 

UPDATE:

It took a bit longer than expected, but my new metallic Sharpies arrived. I wasted no time in trying the gold on some brass buttons. It worked a treat and was easier than trying to do it with paint. For speed painting these ACW figures, I'm a convert!