My rate of painting has tailed off dramatically in the last week or so and this French Line Drummer is the only new figure I have to show for my efforts. The rest of the time has been spent plodding through the remaining few Fusiliers of the 45th Regiment. I do find that painting a full 24 figure unit is hard going, particularly the last half dozen or so figures.This is a vintage Hinton Hunt casting of FN6 Drummer. As Hintons go this is not the best of sculptures. The arms are a bit chunky and the drumsticks look like small cudgels. The figure also suffers from “disappearing detail syndrome” where a moulded line inexplicably vanishes into a metal blob as you follow it with the paintbrush. However, as always the finished article does possess that charm unique to the Hinton Hunt range.
I found it a bit frustrating trying to work out how to paint this one as he is a bit of a hybrid, not quite Fusilier and not quite Grenadier either. In my Hinton Hunt catalogue he is listed simply as “Drummer Charging” so I guess he was meant to be painted as either. In the end I settled on the paint scheme shown which was drawn from several different uniform reference books. I have two drummers to complete the command group for the 45th Regiment of the Line.
2 comments:
I don't know how I missed your blog before, but I have just spent an enjoyable hour reading all the way through and admiring the figures. The drummer is beautiful, by the way.
I first saw a Hinton Hunt advertisement in History Today in the school library. I got the two yellow covered catalogues and poured over them all one summer trying to decide how to spend £5. If I remember correctly they were 2/- each but only a bob if you bought the full fiver. Alas indecision held me back and I eventually blew the money on mini fig S range highlanders and redcoats.
I had a crisis about two years ago when almost scrapped my Napoleonic armies to start again with the vintage 20mm castings but sanity prevailled as I have about 6,000 painted figures. Instead I am collecting Crimean from mini figs and eventually douglas and of course Les Higgins Marlburians.
I admire your determination to stick with original castings, but I do note your comment about lack of fusileer figures. If the figures do come back on the market again wll you be able to resist the lure of just going out and buying a division of line infantry?
Any way a great pleasure to share such an enjoyable project, thank you
regards
John
John
Well, that's a good question about the figures returning to production. I think I could resist the French but I'm not so sure about those darn Prussians!
Many thanks for your comment,
Ian
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