As Macmillan famously said! This should have been a game report had not real life unexpectedly bitten us in the bum! Phil has been struck down by a lurgi, so no planned SYW game here in GHQ sadly. Not being one given to wasting time or missing an opportunity I have used the time to complete the painting of the first four figures for my next British Crimean War regiment: the 79th, the Cameronian Highlanders. You may recall that I had a dry run painting a piper last December for my captured colours vignette. Have a look at them anyway, even if it's only to see how not to do it ~
These figures in marching pose are Great War Miniatures of course. I've taken some liberties with the kilt pattern and hose, both being a 'representation' rather than an accurate depiction. At gaming distance on the table I doubt any of us will notice. No doubt they will fight just as well too being Jocks! If you can bear to look more closely here are two slightly closer photographs to show how I've managed these first figures ~
For painting purposes nowadays I fix figures temporarily with PVA to the 3mmx40mm MDF hexes from Warbases. The straight edges of the hexes means that I can hold the base firmly despite my hand issues and easily rotate the figure for brush access. Each base usually manages to survive figures being fixed and removed to do about 50-100 figures, so the cost is not onerous. I generally have bought a couple of packs two or three times a year.
Despite extensive searches on the web I've not found a definite answer to two issues: the sporans and the plumes. Different period illustrations and early black and white photographs show the sporans in different colours and with differing numbers of decorative tassels. In the end I settled on a dark grey with creamy-white tassels for the rank and file with off-white with black tassels for the officers. These are centre company figures so I've opted for off-white plumes. All the photos seem to show that is the correct choice, but what of the Light and Grenadier companies? Failing to find anything helpful so far I may go red over white for the grenadier company and green for the Light company. Any help would be appreciated!
And very nice they look too David!
ReplyDeleteVery kind Ray, thank you.
DeleteExcellent recruits, looking forward to seeing the command
ReplyDeleteThere are 12 figures at least to do before I reach the command stand!
DeleteSplendidly turned out kilty fellows.
ReplyDeleteWill they do though?
DeleteThey look lovely, very nice indeed and I really like the hex base as a painting platform, great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donnie. I recommend the hexes wholeheartedly. It helps me a lot.
DeleteNice work, sorry but no idea of the plumage.
ReplyDeleteThank you George, much appreciated. On plume issue I toured the Highlanders Museum site and together with other web sources I decided to go with all white plumes as post Waterloo that is the overwhelming evidence.
DeleteThese look great.
ReplyDeleteI've looked to see if I have anything which might help. In the royal collection there are the uniform paintings of Drahonet for the 1830s which include this regiment.
In the text it says,
In 1829 all Highland Regiments gave up company distinctions for plumes and went to all white except 42nd having all red plumes.
On the sporran it has white over black fur, with a row of five bells, red above the white tassels.
In the painting the top third of the sporran is white, the bottom two thirds black.
All the 5 tassels are red for the top fifth and white below that. The red would just be a dot and the white a line perhaps twice as broad as the dot reaching to the bottom of the sporran.
In this scale you could paint the whole sporran white, do a black horizontal stripe halfway down the sporran, and put some red dots on the black.
All the men have white wings like the old flank companies and you've done that.
In a painting of an officer of the 42nd, his tassels [in two rows of three] are all gold.
Having said all that, this is twenty years plus before your men and so might well have changed again.
I think your figures look splendid, and if you like the look, stick with it but you asked and I've found what I can and will keep looking and report back if anyhing interesting turns up.
all the best as ever,
Stephen
What more could a man ask for than the information you have ferreted out? Marvellous, many thanks Stephen! Pass 'Go' and collect £200!!!!
DeleteThe book "The Scottish Regiments" by Diana Henderson has a small picture of the regiment at Holyrood House 1852 Guard of honour to Queen Victoria]. It's a bit small but does confirm the white plumes.
ReplyDeleteThe men's sporrans can't be seem except the pipers - they have white with five black tassels - two above three. To add to this the hose appear red with black cross work as you've done.
There's also a painting by Douglas N. Anderson which includes the pipe major for 1852 which confirms the sporran as above. In this you can see all the tassels have a tiny gold top and the top of his sporran is 'gold' too.
That's probaly as much as I've got and is probably of little use but I've given it a go.
Stephen
More than a go really Stephen, so thank you. I've mostly gone with what you found after visiting the Highlanders Museum on the net. The first base of figures are all painted, so no going back!
DeleteNicely done David and the Kilts are particularly fine, I just pretend they are all covered in mud. Can’t help on the colours question but they will look fine either way 👍
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt, much appreciated. Of course in scale the kilt pattern would barely be discerned on a 28mm figure.
DeleteThey look lovely, they certainly have that look of you going the extra mile on them. Hope Phil recovers soon - there seems quite a bit of lurgi about at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThank you Norm, I do what I can. Phil is over the worst I believe, saved by the vaccination we oldies get!
DeleteVery fine looking jocks there to be sure! Excellent work all round. I'm sure the information kindly provided by your followers above will provide ample accuracy for these models. There are always areas of doubt with so many differing sources of infomation we have nowadays.
ReplyDeleteThey will do just fine! 👍
They will have to, as two bases plus two Ensigns are done now!
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