Thirteen Models on the Drum (spring clean ’25)

Since the sun has now risen on the longest day I thought it best to take a picture of everything together,

The photos don’t do them justice, as I’m really happy with how they turned out, (and I’m my harshest critic). I’ve learnt quite a bit through doing this, not only the uniform colours, but also my painting techniques have come on too.  My painting skills are crap so there was no point in doing a tutorial (there are far better people on YouTube) but I’ve used lots of sponges and washes and glazes.

So where next. Finish the cannon and crew. The play the game. I don’t want to buy anymore troops before I know what I need.

I’ve forgotten about the cannon, and crew.. There’s not a chance in hell I’m going to get them done now, before the solstice. O well I can get them based and at least get them painted so they can fit with the rest of the set, it will just have to be Sunday.

So a picture of all the French/elf force together. It’s only now there all in one place I’ve realised how much more there is compared to the orcs.

So as the sunrises on the midsummer eve I’ve got the last two French elves finished. I’m not proud of them, and they deserve better but they are finished.

I love this model. The character, the face the teeth. It’s a bloody shame that I couldn’t spend more time on it.

I’ve played warhammer for too long. When I imagine the big bad, the character is also very Arc in my mind.. Not so Pierre Ducco. The French spy master is a very underwhelming person (as he should be)

The Flintloque version is no less ordinary, and is lovely for it.

So three elf infantry and one more orc left to go. So here is elf number 2

And the Lloyd shot

I recon if I had started with this sculpt rather than the one I did, I wouldn’t have been so dismissive of the elf line infantry. This model had perfect definition and I’m more than happy with him.

So one week to go, and three models left.. I’m going to have to abandon the idea of doing the cannon and the crew. If I can get the models from the set and the three I striped painted I will class it as a success.

The Sharpe for this set doesn’t look like Sean Bean. The Harper model looks nothing like Daragh O’Malley but that matters. Growing up in 90s in the depths of the Yorkshire Pennines, you only had three local role models, Alan Bennett, Compo and Sean Bean. Although coming from the exact same town as Patrick Stewart for some reason he never made the list, but I digress. Sean Bean was Sharpe. The swashbuckling hero in a regancy uniform. For me Sharpe will always be Sean. (I know he’s nothing like the book version, but that doesn’t matter this is a rant.

In the Flintloque background, Sharpe is an and half orc/elf and in the story he is playing dead to route out the French spy master. But…. it’s not Sean. I am an adult though, so I will paint the model.

Without sounding bitter, the model is slightly odd. The body has some nice details, but the half orc/elf face makes the model neither, and loses some of the look. I believe this bit of the background has been retconed now, and alternative armies sell some wonderful orc models.

The elf captain with the Irish Orcs was a wonderful model to paint. Crisp detail and character in spades.

I don’t have any information on either the sculpters or the manufacture dates, but the ones that came with this set compared are far more superior compared to the ones for the box set.

The striped and cleaned Irish orc has come out rather well.

The model was lovely to paint. The face was so full of expression and the little details like the worn and ripped uniform just added so much character

So here are all the British troops together. To be honest I’m rather proud of them, and just wish I had a better photo of them.

You may be wondering where Sharpe is, and so was I.  For some reason I’m not sure on the Sharpe in this set looks rather like an elf, so I took him to be one of the French infantry. I need to get him done, regardless of how he looks before midsummer.

So I took the orc Duke to meet the iron duke today.

Ignoring the fact that one was real and the other is an orc, there are obviously dressed different. As I wrote before the model is based off an earlier portrait, whilst on display is the dukes long coat and hat from Waterloo. Also if you are interested here are his boots.

Last year I had to go to the opticians as part of a DSE requirement for work, and it turned out I needed a pair of glasses. Only a weak prescription, but still.

So I had a go at painting whilst wearing them and it I discovered I could see the model.. And then I discovered something after. It turns out the glasses have a slight blue ting to them, so the highlights are slightly off.

I know sod all about the Irish that fought for Napoleon. I kind of imagine that they would just fit into the normal regiments. It turns out no, there was a Irish regiment, there officers dressed like the rest of the French army, but the Irish wore green. (the two caps at the back of the picture bellow are Spanish)

Been orcs rather than Irish it will make them stand out more in the French force, but hayho, and least I’m used to painting dark green uniforms now.

The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I’m very happy with how he came out.

I did my best to replicate some of the aspects of the uniform there weren’t on the sculpt.

I think that now all the British are done.. It maybe time for a group shot.

So it’s time to paint the Iron Duke himself. I’m approaching this with some trepidation, as part of my job is working with the Duke of Wellington Regiment, I’ve even meet his great, great grandson. So this one is personal.

So what did Arthur wear? Although some generals wore dress uniform in battle, Wellington was renowned for wearing civilian clothing pale breeches, a dark coloured frock coat, a cloak and a cocked hat. Much of our image of Wellington as a hero has been shaped by portraits depicting him in dress uniform most notably by Thomas Lawrence, the Duke, in fact, cared little for it.

Our orc though is wearing a dress uniform, so it’s Lawrence’s portrate that I’m going to take inspiration from.

So I’ve got the first of the dragoon models completed.  I found this elf far more easier to paint than the infantry elf.  I’m not sure if its the face having more structure or the dark uniform. Either way this was enjoyable to paint

The horse looks so grumpy in the picture

So it’s June tomorrow, and time is cracking on. The figures sitting in have to be ready to go now either way. So out they come.

They are far from perfect, but I think will be fine once they are undercoated