French Husssars of 1845 - 45mm Flats

Here's another set of antique Heinrichsen flats, # 6023 which was first issued in 1845.  They're from the 60mm range but as all the horse I've gotten in this size are undersized relative to the foot (which are true 60mm, I think that's good thing because they match other figures I already have.

The castings were clean but the detail was a bit understated, so care had to be taken not to put down the paint too thick.

Researching the uniform colors was fun.  I relied heavily on Lienhart & Humbert but as mostly the saddles are depicted as the sheepskins, it took some digging to find the shabraque. I eventually found an image for the 7th, so that's how I painted them.

With plenty of detail to paint, they took me several weeks to complete.

Wooden Flats - Part 2

In the previous post I shared with you my discovery of wooden flats from Russia.  Now we can look at cavalry and artillery as well as further evolution of the designs to include outlining.

These lancers are quite nicely animated.  However, the targeted scale of 45mm to the eyes was overshot as the calculation for the cavalry didn't take into account that a charging rider wouldn't be standing straight in the saddle.  The figures are closer to 1/35 and wouldn't look out of place in a 54mm army.  So I just test painted a figure as the 17th Lancers.

As with the French infantry, the figures are blanks and thus also where and how to paint the details is up to the painter.  In this case I chose to rotate the rider's torso somewhat.

For the next order, I asked Yevgeny if he could add plumes to the lancers for a bit more of a Napoleonic look. He obliged by not only doing that but adding outlines to the figures as well as posing them differently.  And we downsized everything to 42mm in order to match up better with the Nowikoff home casts.

  

The rider has been reduced in size but to my eyes the horse came out a bit elongated. Or perhaps it's the shabraque, or both ?   Regardless, it's still a vigorously posed and pleasing figure.  The outlines definitely simplified the painting (or would have had I not chosen the gaudy Red Lancers) although how much or little detail to give the horse is still up to the painter.

And lastly, Russian styled artillery for the Kingdom of Novgorod.

I quite like the design of this cannon as the three part assembly of gun barrel and wheels adds a surprisingly good illusion of depth relative to a completely flat gun.

Hope you enjoyed viewing these.  The painting has been challenging but quite rewarding.

Wooden Flats - Part 1

Here's a unit I recently finished.  These wooden flats are from Russia, 45mm to the eyes.  They're for my imagi-nations war of ca. 1820: Celtican infantry, le 7eme de Ligne.

The figures start like this.  Wooden blanks without detail.  Thickness is 4mm at this scale.  Definitely a painting challenge as where to place the details is a matter of estimation.

And painted.

I did a bit of shading but not at the edges.  As the thickness means they're almost semi-round when viewed at an angle, edge shading does not work as it does on a conventional flat.  And I gave them toy soldier faces from the front.

Next up, cavalry and artillery.

Heinrichsen Infantry - 45mm Flats

Finished painting this unit last week. Antique Heinrichsen flats, 45mm to the eyes. This is kind of a one-off set, purchased when Heinrichsen was cleaning out old inventory mid-2017. First issued 1840, they represent French troops ca. 1830.

For my 1820's imagi-nation of Celtica, I took a few liberties such as the ficticious grenadier flag. But they are plausibly French enough to sell as such when the day comes. 24 soldiers came in the box, I did not paint the extra sapper and trumpeter.

As you can see from the command figure grouping, I almost completely dispensed with the shading. Started out that way, but they are so slender that shading only accentuated it in a bad way, so I painted them more in straight toy soldier fashion.

And in closing, a rather comical stylistic mismatch with some wooden flats which I am currently working on. More about this latter to follow soon.

Heinrichsen Flat Cavalry - 45mm

Here's a squadron of cavalry I just completed, 45mm flats. Heinrichsen set # 6017, Pruess. Reitende Artillerie 1830. The designs date to 1845. Nominally they are supposed to be 60mm. But with these old figures, the cavalry are smaller than the foot. Suits me fine because they fit my ca.1830 project perfectly.  Stylistically, as you would expect from their antique nature, they are somewhat toylike. But to my eyes all the better for it.

It's interesting that they're sold as horse artillery, but as there's a corresponding set with caisson & gun, perhaps they are meant to be outriders ? Practically speaking they work fine as any light cavalry, and the painting guide also shows them as Englische Dragoner. I painted them as Prussians, but they'll serve quite well for the bellicose army of der Grolshken Reich.

The command.

Sample troopers.

And a parting shot.

There's also another trumpeter which I did not paint.  I'm saving him for conversion to a standard bearer, although soldering will be required.  Something I have no experience with, but then how hard can it be ?  😉

Artillerie Royale - Toy Town Soldiers 6

I've had this artillery set completed for some time now but never got around to posting it.  This is the Toy Town Soldiers horse artillery group.  There's also a limber set with crew but I don't have it.

I do like these, except for the smallish gun.  Let's see how it stacks up against the Prince August 6-pounder.

And with the crew.  Better, I think.

I've been inspired to take up my Toy Town Soldiers again. After fiddling with the Lego figures for quite some time, the prep work of a few minutes filing made for a nice change of pace.   I just ordered some more cavalry and the gunners in shakos without the piece.  I'm committed to the PA guns from here out, for the foot artillery at least.

Infantry Battalion Completed - Toy Town Soldiers 5

All of September slipped by without a post here, time for something new. I started a new job which entails working more hours with a longer commute. Thus the painting time has been squeezed a bit.  And there were other distractions as well. Suffice it to say, I'm glad to be back to more painting and able to put something up today. Here is the first completed battalion of the Eureka Toy Town infantry.

The command group.  The CO sits my home sculpted horse which replaces Eureka's nursery room styled mount. 

And the battalion, ready for battle. The French influence is certainly in play, haven't quite decided the country yet.  Perhaps Bravance, lifted from the old GDW board game Soldier King.

They did turn out well, I think. The toy soldier look is appealing and they are easy to paint. Soon to be completed, a Garde horse artillery gun and crew.

Gebrüder Rieche - 33mm Flats

Here is my modest collection of Rieche flats.  The Franco-Prussian War isn't my main period of interest, probably because it was such a one-sided walkover for Prussia.  But in the world of toy soldiers, who can say that the French can't turn the tables ?  As most surviving Rieche figure sets seem to belong to that period, 1870 it will be then.

The photo on top shows the French Chasseurs-à-Pied de la Garde. I really like the figure in gaiters and baggy trousers but I only have one of him. The rest look a bit older in uniform style, perhaps representing the Crimean War.  The paint jobs are battered, so I've repainted a few in my own style:

My literal painting style doesn't compare with the old figures for pure toy soldier charm, but I think it does highlight the appearance of the castings better compared to the old factory paint jobs.  This particular figure may be easier to try making a mold of as the rifle isn't so spindly as the others.  Piracy yes, but as the Rieche factory at Hannover was bombed out of existence in 1943, the odds of finding more of a particular pose are not good.

Next we have some factory painted French line infantry for 1870 in the classic style in kepis and overcoats. I do like the gliding pose, rather toylike and appealing.

I've been able to locate another set uniformed in this manner, so will be able to assemble a full battalion.  The next group I bought as unpainted castings.  The uniforms are somewhat different, perhaps they are intended to portray Franc Tireurs or some slightly later uniform.  And as you can see from the command group below, it's definitely a hybrid set.  The officer and bugler look decidedly French in a bit earlier style, the rider matches the bulk of the infantry and the standard bearer looks like he's probably Swiss judging by the flag.

And the ones I've painted so far.

Now for another set of castings. I got a good full group of the French cuirassiers. The command castings below.

And as I've painted the first two examples. Very nice figures these, typical of the slightly impressionistic Rieche style and well animated.

And now for the enemy. Here my collection is very scanty, just the one set of factory painted Hannoverians. 

Once again, dynamic action poses, although unfortunately about half the men are in the "clubbing with musket" pose. 

And that's it for now !