Wednesday 22 August 2018

British Light Dragoons.

I have long had a thing about the early British Light Dragoons in those lovely Tarleton helmets. I'm planning a full unit of 16 of these figures, but for the time being will paint just 8, to include an officer and trumpeter. It only just occurred to me that I had given no thought to which regiment I want these to represent, I simply followed the single painted example that came with the collection, but I will do a bit of research before I paint the command figures.

These 4 were painted over 4 sessions and three days, I found them quite an enjoyable challenge. In 40mm scale the detail is quite well defined so one needs to be careful not to over-paint the lace for example, and a fairly dry brush is required to achieve this to avoid blocking in the lace and straps etc. The cuff lace was the final challenge for me, having messed it up by trying to paint tiny white loops I opted for painting in small circles of white and when dry spotting in the blue in the centre, this gave far more convincing results. I kept the faces simple and in my own style, avoiding the clown like faces of some of my Highlanders (which were subsequently toned down!). They took a lot of work in terms of hours spent on them, but I'm confident they will sit proudly beside the rest of my 40mm figures once fully completed, varnished and based.






I have some ideas now on how I want to build my table, one decision is that given the fragility (and indeed cost) of these large figures a textured surface is out, the less handling they take the better and I want to be able to slide them around via the bases. That said I don't want a flat shade of green either, so some kind of painted surface with variation in shade is the way I'm going. What I have in mind initially is a very subtle grid, 6" squares - inspired by Ross of course - for the simple rules I want to use. My brief to myself at this stage is to try to produce a gridded table that looks like a conventional table, and I have numerous ideas of which more later.


14 comments:

  1. Grids and hexes are the work of the devil, but those dragoons are just simply superb....

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    1. Ah Steve, I was expecting something like that from you :) My plan is to simply mark (dot?) the corners of 6" squares on a heavily painted but not textured board to see how far I can disguise the grid! One that is done I will use conventional scenic items for example rounded hills, to take this further. It's a plan that's been in my head for ages now, we shall see.

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  2. Wonderful work Lee - good to see you back in action!

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    1. Thank you Ian, it's great to be painting again in the comfort of my own home.

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  3. Lee, nice ones, I do think the faces look better in this more restrained style. If you want a gridded system, and assuming you're not going to Command & Colours which I thought was the plan, you should look at 'To the Strongest' (the Big Red Bat shop and website). There are only Ancient and ECW variants at present but I'm sure a Napoleonic version is easily developed from them - at present a proposed WSS variant is the closest in time period.

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    1. Rob, many thanks. Mad as it may sound I do plan to use a square variant of C&C N rules! My goal initially is to be able to push these figures around a tabletop and have some fun without over taxing my old brain, I know the C&C rules so well after so many years but really did not fancy doing hexes again.

      Photos of the lamp will follow!

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  4. The Light Dragoons look great. Just the right balance.

    The table idea sounds good to me.....

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    1. Thank you Ross, I explained a little further to Steve above my plans for the gridded table. I have played with grids for so many years now that I can't get back to conventional - free movement - type rules, a grid makes everything so clear and obvious.

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  5. Well done, beautiful Light Dragoons!

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  6. Yes, a feast for the eyes!

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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  7. Lovely looking dragoons! Yes I live with a subtle grid, just the corners marked in,works for me!
    Best Iain

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  8. Nice work Lee - but Steve is right grids and Hexes are the work of Satans brood!!!

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