Regiment Languedoc, 1672 - WIP #3

I decided on a 20mmx20mm base, the same size my English Civil War infantry will be based upon. I generally use Litko for all of my gaming bases - they're nice, laser cut (so they all match) and I like the finish that the laser cutting process puts on the edges. I also use their "Flex Steel" bases so that the bases can be magnetically stuck in my storage cases. Because the flex steel are not as precisely cut as the plywood, I went with a slightly smaller 15mmx15mm

Here the figure is glued to the base:

My basing style has changed noticably. It used to be just paint the base, stick it in flock, seal it. With 25mm figures (or, really, any figure with a substantially large base) that's not a viable option.

First up, I use spackle to level off the base. I use DAP's Drydex Dry Time Indicator Spackling - it goes on pink, and when it's fully white, it's ready to be worked with. As shown here:

Next, I paint the base Ceramcoat's Mississippi Mud. I do this mainly in case the later gravel doesn't stick.

Then I brush on watered down Elmer's Glue-All and dip the base in model railroading ballast. It's so long I've forgotten the correct name of the Woodland Scenics product.

I normally then wash the gravel with Games Workshop's Flesh Wash. Unfortunately, my bottle is almost empty, and GW has stopped making it (or, at least, I can't find it). So, since the 1672 figure is partially a test of certain combinations (like painting grays I will need for Sir Henry Bard's Regiment of Foote), I decided I could test a new ink for the base. I picked up a bottle of Speedwell's Burnt Umber ink instead. I was a bit dubious, but it looks like it dried just fine:

Then two more stages of dry-brushing. First with Delta Ceramcoat's Teddy Bear Brown:

Then Delta Ceramcoat Bamboo:

Finally, just add static grass. I use a combination of Games Workshop and Gale Force 9 static grass. Sometimes I'll glue rocks or other bits on as well. I feel as if I should have this time.

Here's the finished figure:

Everything's done except for sealing - which awaits better weather. You can see this musketeer from Languedoc alongside my current project: command for Sir William Waller's Regiment of Dragoons.

Regiment Languedoc, 1672 - WIP #2

Well, the musketeer from Regiment de Languedoc for the Dutch Wars is ready to be based!

Sadly, the hacking of the League of Augsburg has held up some of my research to finish the mini. I just assumed that the ribbons on his stockings, his shoes and his hat were red and not red and yellow. I also assumed the breeches were gray. That seems to be confirmed by this print from Drabant Miniatures:

This represents Languedoc at the Battle of Blenheim, but because there is so little documented about the Dutch Wars, I had to make a few assumptions. I also got the gold buttons and gold hilt to the infantry sword from this print.

That left me with the apostles. There are several prints from Louis Susane's Histoire de l'ancienne infanterie française in The Vinkhuijzen collection of military uniforms. For the apostles, I chose to use this example from the Regiment Picardie: 

I'd already painted some of the pouches leather, so I kept those. I might go with the example of Picardie for the breeches of additional members of Languedoc, should I raise a company for Once Upon a Time in the West Country, which would give me two battalions of the regiment for Beneath the Lily Banners. I have not reached the chapter in Lynn detailing the clothing situation of the Bourbon Army.

Anyway, here are four photos of the almost finished miniature:

All photographs were taken with my cell phone. Admittedly, the Droid Pro has a great camera for a cell phone, and it makes it really easy for WIP shots. Still, the images can be a bit fuzzy, and some of the shading is so subtle it may not show up!

All that is left is to highlight his hat and shoes, and base the miniature. Since my 25mm figure bases are spackled, painted, sanded, washed, drybrushed and static grassed, it didn't seem prudent to put more than a basic effort into the shoes until I was done with the paint bits.

Regiment Languedoc, 1672 - WIP #1

Through the Fightingtalk forums at the League of Augsburg, I recieved one of Northstar's 1672 line: specifically, a French Musketeer firing.

Through the help of Arthur, a member there, I've decided to paint my sample figure as a member of the Regiment Languedoc, raised in 1672 for the Dutch War. Gray coats, blue cuffs, red and yellow shoulder ribbons Nine Years War/War of the League of Augsburg, red stockings in the Nine Years War/War of the League of Augsburg.

Flags are the traditional and easy to paint white cross over quarterings of filamot and violet, though Not by Appointment has lovely paper flags for Languedoc here. Officers theoretically wore the same uniform as them men in the French Army, but made of better material and more sumptuous. Languedoc's musicians were in the Royal livery.

The North Star 1672 (formerly Copplestone's Glory of the Sun range) line are quite exquisite figures. Upon receipt, there was only a little bit of flash:

 You can see the flash between his arm and his musket, but that's nothing the Dremel tool couldn't take care of.

Here he is, mounted on a bottle cap for painting:

First up was the gray coat. I began with black over the gray primer, to keep the grays from streaking. I also painted his hat and shoes. The coat is Delta Ceramcoat Charcoal for the shadow and Hippo Gray for the main shade; my highlight color is not yet determined, but I am thinking a 1:1 mix of Hippo Gray and Ceramcoat Quaker or Country Gray:

Next up were the cuffs. I'm quite a fan of the shade of blue that Project SYW uses for the French blue, and I think I figured out how to mix it. The shadow was Vallejo 70965 Prussian Blue (yes, heresy!), and the main shade is a 2:1 mix of Prussian Blue and Vallejo 70943 Grey Blue. The highlight will be a 1:1 mix, or a 1:2 mix of the same colors. I think the cuffs look pretty nice:

The musket and sword scabbard I am particularly proud of. Instead of building up from a shadow to a highlight the way I do for most of my 25mm colors, I painted them with Vallejo Game Color 72042 Parasite Brown, and then washed with Games Workshop Flesh Wash. I think it gives a nice varnished wood effect:

Next up are flesh tones. For Europeans, I start with Games Workshop Tanned Flesh for the shadow, and then use Games Workshop Bronzed Flesh as the main shade. I then will highlight with Vallejo 70815 Basic Skintone. Because I haven't used it for a while (not since Custer), I decided on blond hair. For blonds, I use Reaper's Master Series Blond Triad: 09256 Blond Shadow, 09257 Blond Hair, and 09258 Blond Highlight.

I painted the leatherwork in another Reaper Master Series Triad: 09109 Ruddy Leather for the shadow, 09110 Oiled Leather is the main shade, and I will highlight with 09111 Burnt Orange.

So, that's where things stand. Before I go any further, I'm waiting on additional uniform information from the ever helpful Arthur about breeches, buttons and some ribbons.

I'm not sure if I want to expand into the Dutch Wars. I'm tempted, but I have a lot in the metal mountain to paint. I may purchase some more from Northstar, since I need to purchase pikes and a few other figures for my English Civil War collections. Then again, I'm also tempted by Barry Hilton's Warfare range, and do have two WSS regiments in 28mm that need some TLC.

Miniatures looking for a good home

For those who are interested, the German tanks are up on ebay.

Hopefully, they will find somebody who enjoys them.