These guys are colorful and actually a treat to paint. As much as napoleonics are generally considered bright and finicky, sometimes you hit paydirt and get a unit like this. What a color explosion!
I know essentially nothing about these troops. They were part of the imperial guard, so obviously are fairly elite. The nationality is not totally unusual as there are a number of formations in the Grande Armee that Napoleon simple ported over from their parent army and occasionally redressed. Why ruin a crack unit when you can 'borrow' it? The benefits of empire I suppose.
This jpeg I managed to find online and was totally invaluable in painting the unit. I wish it was easier to find stuff like this, as napoleonic uniforms can be confusing at the best of times.
Nice looking unit Dave; you are right- very bright and colourful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rob. It's fun to paint something that is meant to be this eye catching. It's tough to do the same with moderns, camo, and weathering....
DeleteNice work, Dave! The colors do make for an attractive unit.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Mouse! I imagine having a snappy outfit was a recruiting advantage in the days when firearms had very little in the way of accuracy.
DeleteHI Dave, Vive L'Emperur!
ReplyDeleteHave you seen this website about uniforms?
http://centjours.mont-saint-jean.com/index.php
Cheers
Thanks Murdock. I have gone to that one before. I find it requires a bunch of links to finally hit the pictures and most of the time there doesn't seem to be much/any difference between most of them (unsurprising I suppose). While useful I do wish it was laid out in a way that made the similarities and differences between units a lot easier to compare.
DeleteThat is a fantastic unit. I am trying to paint my first set of Nap Cav and failing miserably. The opposite of my usual dirty, earth toned infantry from quasi WWII, I cannot seem to get the hang of them.
ReplyDeleteSo doubly jealous when I see an awesome unit like that.
Welcome to the slippery slope of napoleonics! I'm really happy with how these guys turned out. I find I struggle A LOT with orange and yellows....so having this trim 'pop' is quite a feat for me.
DeleteThe camera hides it a lot, but choosing to highlight with colours that are 'further apart' than you think is reasonable (I guess I'm suggesting much more contrast?) works really well on the table.