1st Battalion Artois

This is a brief interlude from painting Wurttembergers of the SYW. Here I have painted the new French SYW 28mm infantry from Black Hussar, a German company – see the link on the right. I have painted a 20 figure battalion of the regiment Artois.

I hope the pictures do justice to these magnificent figures. They are so facially expressive and the uniform detail is spot on – the coat is baggy, the leather strapping properly shown and, the cartridge box large as it was. The figures look very WAS or early SYW although, interestingly, the designer/sculptor has shown the coat with turn-backs. But, in my view, these are not ‘real’ turn-backs but coats that have turned back the coat corners to make marching easier. This allows you to paint the coat with turn-backs in the coat colour (as I have done here) or to paint them as foreign regiments in French service, such as Swiss, Germans or Irish, which did have genuine coloured turn-backs. If I have one single gripe it is that he, the designer, has indented the buttons whereas anybody who paints figures by the thousands (as I do) will know that raised buttons are far easier to paint. Also note the two different tones of gold lace for the tricornes because the French used a false gold lace for the rank and file (I have used brass) and ‘real’ gold for the Officer’s and NCO. I have also gone for the WAS white cockade in preference to the SYW black.

Please note the lovely scarves at the flag finials too. These are accurate and beautiful and I have turned them gently with a pair of pliers to show even greater movement.

I must also mention the drummer who wears a huge feathered tricorne and consequently looks very foppish. There is an NCO, standard bearer, one officer and three variant fusiliers in the new range.  All in all, these are the best 25/28mm SYW French out there anywhere. I encourage you to buy some (I have no connection to this company!) if only because painting them is such fun! Finally, I have used ArmyPainter  for extra character and I think these chaps look like they have had a long day’s march to reach the battlefield.