Completed Airfix 54mm French Line Infantry

[NigelR]

Good progress, looking forward to seeing the whole scene.

And now here's Fusilier 6, ready to join the fray.
It has been pointed out to me that his hands don't match his face; this is the consequence of using the face from the original Fusilier 2 which I painted over a year ago, and it didn't occur to me to try and match it.

I wouldn't worry too much unless he is prominent in the final grouping. It's noticeable but didn't stand out to me until you highlighted it.

What's worrying me more is that he appears to have an enamelware mug and this is very unlikely as enamelware wasn't introduced until the late 19C. But that really only worries nerds like me and I'm sure won't be obvious in the final scene....

 

[Merryweather]

Good progress, looking forward to seeing the whole scene.


I wouldn't worry too much unless he is prominent in the final grouping. It's noticeable but didn't stand out to me until you highlighted it.

What's worrying me more is that he appears to have an enamelware mug and this is very unlikely as enamelware wasn't introduced until the late 19C. But that really only worries nerds like me and I'm sure won't be obvious in the final scene....

Cheers Nigel.
Actually I did have my doubts about that cup myself. I saw it on a photo of a re-enactor so I assumed he would have done his research. I guess I'll re paint that as well-pewter ,I suppose

 

[NigelR]

Cheers Nigel.
Actually I did have my doubts about that cup myself. I saw it on a photo of a re-enactor so I assumed he would have done his research. I guess I'll re paint that as well-pewter ,I suppose

Can't trust those reenactors, I'm very surprised he got away with that! Pewter would be perfect.

 

[Merryweather]

Here are a few shots of the whole gang together. The base is only a temporary means of grouping them and not an indication of any plan, as I don't really know how it's going to play out yet. I still have four figures to finish, and possibly even
a few more .....

Thanks again for all the interest and encouragement
Neil

 

[Warren SMITH]

Excellent, and more to come.. this will look stunning when finally finished..

 

[Waterlooman]

Here are a few shots of the whole gang together. The base is only a temporary means of grouping them and not an indication of any plan, as I don't really know how it's going to play out yet. I still have four figures to finish, and possibly even
a few more .....

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Thanks again for all the interest and encouragement
Neil

WOW just Wow.

W.

 

[Nap]

Hi Neil

This is when it's all been worthwhile, see them all together really helps

I think the positioning works well , interaction between each

I think they would work in a tight grouping as here on a smallish base

Look forward to seeing more

Happy benchtime

Nap

 

[NigelR]

Wow, this will look fantastic when finished. Keep up the good work!

 

[Merryweather]

Right, let’s get cracking with the eagle guard, or Deuxieme Porte Aigle as we Frenchmen say…..
Here’s where we left him, rescuing the standard and firing his pistol over the heads of the busy fusiliers in front.

These guys carried a short pike or spontoon with a pennant attached and I was imagining that it would be lying on the ground where he dropped it. But it kept niggling at me that it would get lost in the melee and I wanted to make more of it. So I dumped the firing the pistol idea and came up with this

Which I was much happier with, until I realised I had made the arm too long

B*gger!

Also niggling away is the fact that position of the flag is not really convincing for the hang of the beautifully painted one I have been given by @Daddy-O. So I bit the bullet, removed both arms and eventually arrived at this, which hopefully addresses both issues.

So hopefully now I can progress and get him finished...
Thanks for watching
Neil

 

[NigelR]

Excellent work, great to see your thinking and working process in action!

 

[dutch]

This is a nice piece of work. Great inspiration for me. I’m also an Airfix figureslover Great stuff to work with

 

[Andrew Belsey]

Wonderful! So good to watch this diorama progress so well!
Andy

 

[Warren SMITH]

Amazing work.. Just one question tho.. Why would he be holding onto the 2nd pole.. I would have thought, he would be in the process...after recovering the flag from the ground to be waving it fanatically to show the soldiers beside and around him and give them that bit more courage..

 

[Merryweather]

Amazing work.. Just one question tho.. Why would he be holding onto the 2nd pole.. I would have thought, he would be in the process...after recovering the flag from the ground to be waving it fanatically to show the soldiers beside and around him and give them that bit more courage..

Thanks Warren,
I take your point but I want the pike to be part of the story, not lost on the floor. I reasoned he would need both hands to hold the standard , so this is the moment he picks it up and still has the pike in his right hand. I really like the dynamic lines of the two crossed poles ,and I also wanted to avoid a cliche pose-we've got enough as it is.
thanks again for your support and interest

 

[Waterlooman]

I'm liking this a lot - really excellent work all round.

W.

 

[Merryweather]

I'm liking this a lot - really excellent work all round.

W.

Many thanks Waterlooman, much appreciated.

 

[Merryweather]

Wow almost two months a since my last post on this build- I have been productive over that time, I just didn't feel like posting.
I know I already have another 4 figures on the go for this epic, (and there IS progress being made with them ,which I shall report soon), but I really feel the need for a casualty or two in the front row.
I found this picture on the internet and it brought home how many there would have been by this stage of the battle.

In the centre there’s one guy who seems to be calling on his mobile for air support….

Also of note is the raggedy angles of the muskets, which I shall bear in mind.

I’m not going down the full-on gory mutilation path as described in the Sharpe books-we’ll have to assume it’s grape-shot and sharpshooters that’s responsible.

When I got the first e-bay batch I used a spare pair of gaitered legs with arms from the spares box to make this guy.

The torso is Milliput, but then I got a whole load more fusilier bits in the next evilBay batch so I’m planning some more casualties now. I have a few pairs of suitable legs in the spares box, so in the spirit of using up the stash I am going to see how many I can come up with.

I’m never going to get this finished, am I?

And then, looking through the spares box I found this guy, who dates from 1974 or 75, I presume.

I think he might have been intended as 17th Lancer casualty when I was doing Charge of the Light Brigade conversions – inspired by Sid Horton in Airfix Magazine. So, as I am using up the stash I thought I really should include him in my ‘butcher’s bill’.

Underneath the pink Plasticene (the remains of which I removed with white spirit) it turns out he’s mostly Multipose Eighth Army. Annoyingly there’s a lot of filling and sculpting going to be required, but I’m committed now.

I pinned him together this time, and changed his hands and head, and his boots for gaitered ones

Duxieme Porte-Aigle is almost ready for paint and I will post pics of him soon. I have been working on the others and will post them when there is enough progress to show.
Thanks for watching

Neil

 

[Warren SMITH]

Fantastic work, this is really coming along.. looking forward to more postings..

 

[Merryweather]

Thanks Warren.
Right, Deuxieme Porte-Aigle is finally ready for paint!

As you will see, I have dumped the pike; much as I love it, it just wasn’t convincing that he would hang onto it AND pick up the standard. So at the moment the plan is that it has fallen on top of the downed officer-we’ll have to see how that shakes down.
But I don’t think I’m ready to start painting just yet, I’m still on bit of a roll with all of the other boys.
Thanks for watching
Neil

 

[NigelR]

Great progress, l really enjoy seeing how you develop these figures.