FRENCH REGULAR INFANTRY - FRENCH INDIAN WARS

My completed 28mm French Regular Infantry for the French Indian wars, they are marketed by Warlord games (Conquest miniatures). 

I base my figures on thin metal sheets and add Milliput to create a textured surface.

Ready to be primed.

My work bench, you may notice a couple of P2 masks, the down side of not gaming because of the current crisis around the world has enabled me to paint a lot more figures.

The first 2 figures are my test figures I was in two minds whether to paint them as Regulars or Marines as you might notice by the slight difference in the two figures.

3 Commanders of the French force.

Flag bearers and a drummer.

I stuffed up the flag on the right, have to touch it up a bit. 

The figures are nicely sculpted but the down side was the lack of diversity of postures of the troopers. I decided to do a couple of conversions with some of the figures.

I selected this type of mini for the job as the right hand is hanging down which makes it idea for holding the lower portion of a musket.

1. carefully remove the musket on the figures left side with a very sharp hobby knife but be carful to leave the left arm intact, the hand will have to go.

2. remove the thumb on the figures right hand and hollow out the inside of the hand to accommodate the musket.

3. superglue the musket in place, once dry, model the missing parts of the shoulder and hand grasping the musket on the figures right hand side with green stuff. 

I also added a gun strap made with the green stuff.

Image showing a couple of the figures I converted.

A unit of 8 Regulars ready for battle.

Here is a painting guide I used for painting the figures, I usually paint 2 minis at a time.

1. Prime black

2.Paint the base, Vallejo Model colour Flat earth as a base coat

3. wash with Agrax earthshade

4. dry brush with mix of VMC Flat Earth 1:1 VMC Iraqui sand

5. Further light dry brush with mix of VMC Flat Earth VMC Iraqui sand and VMC Ivory 1:1:1  

6. paint all flesh parts (info on painting flesh under late war British infantry on this blog)

7. Coat all areas of the uniform that will be white with VMC Dark Sea Grey.

Next step is to start highlighting with Sky grey 

Further highlights with White Grey 

More highlights with off white

An  important thing that I do when moving onto another shade of white ,is to mix a intermediate mix between the old colour and the new colour to create a gradual transition before adding the new base colour.  

Ivory is used very sparsely used for fine highlights 

Start by looking down on the model and use the Ivory to finely highlight areas of the uniform that can be seen from this angle only. 

I use VMC Intense Blue for the darker portions of the uniform

I add VMC Irquai and to the blue base coat to further highlight and the final highlight is done by mixing in a bit of VMC Ivory.

Cheers John