Yesterday saw the first unit completed for the British in Egypt project.
While I don’t plan to follow a specific order of battle for this project, I do nonetheless plan to create an approximate historical force insomuch as I intend to create a Guards Brigade, Moore’s Brigade as it stood at Abukir Bay, most of the Emigre units will form a command, plus another brigade of three battalions. The Guards and Moore’s brigade will have a historical context, but the rest will just be a collection of battalions that take my fancy and grouped as I like.
The first unit out of the uniform store is the 58th Rutlandshire Regiment. This unit was part of Moore’s Brigade and I chose to do it first for two reasons: first because the facings are black that it made for a useful exercise in figuring out how to paint the cuff lace; second because there is a New Zealand connection.
For this regiment I chose the figures with the round hat, because I like the figures. I am pleased with the unit. The figures a full of character, I am just a little uncertain of how the sergeant with the half pike will survive and the shaft of the half pike is very thin – I have put him in the middle of the stand with the hope that the flanking figures will protect him.
This army will be a mix of round hat and stovepipe shakos and the next unit be in the latter.
Lovely work Mark, and that is quite a distinctive regimental colour. If you're doing Moore's brigade, that should include the 28th as well which is quite apt as this is the campaign where they earned their second shako badge. They have always been amongst my favourite British regiments because of that.
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention that...the 28th is the unit on the painting table right now and will be completed tomorrow night.
DeleteThis hat is splendid, as well as your job!
ReplyDeleteI agree that is a splendid hat and with all those feathers on the officers hats there can't have been too many chickens around.
DeleteBlimey!...
ReplyDeleteYou don’t much around do you....
I love the round hats...they make for a very characterful looking unit.
All the best. Aly
I am doing half this first batch of six battalions in hats and half in stovepipe shako. Then I will move on to the wierder stuff. I am really keen to get these onto the table and really want to do much as you did with your group and refight the battles up to Alexandria, although I want to go on to Cairo, with the option of slipping into an alternative history if a non-historical result occurs.
DeleteThat said I can't see enough being ready for a game before June.
Very nice painting! I know nothing of this time period but I’d be tempted to call this The Lincoln Regiment because of the hats. 😀
ReplyDelete(Just being funny, not trying to be deragotory)
There is another batch of interesting hats coming up with the first artillery unit.
DeleteI like the top hat! Fine painting at rapid rate.
ReplyDeleteHow do you paint so quickly?
The artillerymen that progressed to the painting table have even more impressive hats!
DeleteWell my technique is nothing out of the ordinary, but my approach probably is.
I know that I can complete three mounted or six foot figures in a session and that is the basis of my approach.
Ideally I start one day out by assembling or cleaning a set of figures and gluing them to old paint pots and undercoat them then leave them overnight.
Next day when I get home (and perhaps an advantage I have is that I start work early and finish early, so I am usually home by 4:30 and have about 30-45 minutes of quiet solo time) I quickly apply the base jacket, trousers, waistcoat (if applicable) and pack colours. When these are dry I wash them with a black wash. While that dries I roughly paint the flesh and wash it with a sepia wash. This all takes about half an hour. Things now wait until after dinner, that for us is about 7:00.
Then the highlights and detail work is done, one colour at a time across all figures. This usually takes about two hours. I always finish by varnishing the figures just painted. Then I assemble and glue the next group of figures to their pots for the next day.
It is all a just a matter of routine and at six figures a night the numbers stack up pretty quickly.
Very interesting! So, you tackle six figures at a time and never more? Six figures a night adds up quickly!
DeleteIf they are in greatcoats with limited equipment I can get through between 9 and 12, but it then starts to become a chore. Six is comfortable.
DeleteNice looking brits , I like the hats and their kit, so much more characterful than Mr trotters knapsack and lovely plumage on the officers hat! Always interesting to hear how others approach the hobby, I get about an hour a night and am regretting doing a pike block of 108 28mm figures in one go!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
There is a nice mix of uniforms for Egypt. I have just finished a unit in stovepipe shako and with the different kit they have a nice variance from the early Peninsular army. Wow 108 figures at once would kill me. I find that the beauty of the six figure approach is that the completion of each group brings a sense of satisfaction. It also means that in most of my projects where units consist of three or four stands, I can complete two units a week if I really stick at it.
Delete