28mm French Artillery for 1812 Retreat from Moscow Game

Finished sixteen artillerymen this week - the total of my French 1812 retreat crews. Two Perry crews "priming" and two from what was the "old" Westfalia Miniatures - now Black Hussar Miniatures from Berlin. (The guns are from Old Glory [painted some months ago], fences from 4Ground, and the buildings from Pegasus Hobbies.)

I'm really getting backed up on my painting table - and I have a hundred other cavalry and this and that primed on the prepping table that has no place to go, until I finish up some things in the painting side. Here's a shot of the paint station from just last week.

I painted these Perry's thinking they were from Wargames Foundry the entire time. Same sculptors of course ... First Perry Miniatures I've ever painted I think. Lovely models.

I also decided NOT to add any tufts to the artillerymen. It's on the guns so didn't want to over do it. I believe those are 8lbers. I did decline to get limbers for them, which I may rectify at a later date. I envision this as sort of a 1:1 man to figure ratio project so something to move the guns with would be a necessity. 

The howitzers. Um, even in overcoats, there's no "whipping out some French real quick." that thought occurred to me as I was highlighting the cork stoppers in their water gourds.

The Black Hussar "French Gun Crew in Winter Dress" #1 ...

... and crew #2 - these guys on the ends have some dodgy faces on them. I also was screwing around with my tried and true skin recipe and left a failed experiment in place for these guys. Still, they came out fine.

What every Russian wants to see: French backs.

So how do they compare side by side, Perry and Black Hussar? Pretty good with the latter being only slightly taller - perfectly within the range of human variability. Gear is comparable in size as well.

The non-regulation coats came out nicely on the middle pair. Fun to paint.

Why round bases for the Perrys and square for the Black Hussar? Partly they were bought and prepped separately and I forgot to check. Also the Perrys all fit neatly on a U.S. penny and the Black Hussar miniature (at right below) didn't so I, not paying close attention, went with what was going to work right in front of me. On the plus side, I can assign different moral classes or some other characteristic with ease now and have a visual distinction to help remember it.

The overhead shot ...

and the closing one.

Thanks for looking - questions, comments and followers are welcome and encouraged. More Napoleonic goodness on its way.