Limbers/Wagons/Mule Train/Painting Horses.

I was going to put these in as several different posts but they all sort of link up together so I have decided to put them all in one post.

Here is how I paint my horses. Probably not as quick as the wipe method using oils but still gets fast results with a reasonable standard. I start off with a white primer and then on this occasion I have painted in bridles and saddles using Foundry Charcoal Black 34B. You don't have to be to fussy painting this on as any mistakes get covered up when painting the horse flesh.

I have then painted in any other little bits prior to painting in the horse flesh.

 Then comes the horse flesh. On this batch of horses and mules I have used Games Workshop Scorched Brown, Foundry Bay Brown 42B, Conker Brown 54A, Chestnut 53A, Quagmire 63C. I have just painted on one thin coat.

I then give the whole figure a wash with a mix of Winsor & Newton Acrylic Flow Improver and Artist's Acrylic Oil, Raw Umber.

The figures have then been glued to some 'Warbases' long bases with enough room left for the limbers and guns. As you can see in the previous pictures, I had already glued the figures to smaller bases at the very start, as they would have been quite difficult to paint up if I had glued them all in situ on the larger base first.

The bases have then been covered with tile grout, PVA and sand, painted, flocked and then the flock dry brushed.

The first up is a Perry Miniatures mule team and wagon from their ACW range with a converted driver to use for the Zulu war.

These are Wargames Foundry(nearest) and Perry's British Napoleonic Horse Artillery Limbers with Empress Miniatures Zulu War British guns. In an earlier post that I had done on Zulu War British artillery, Michael Awdry mentioned about limbers for the guns and had put a seed in my mind, thanks Michael. Empress Miniatures don't make the limbers but I had a couple of horse limbers from my Napoleonic lead pile which I thought I could use at a push if I didn't glue the riders to the limbers and horses.

    

I also needed a mule train for my Zulu War Rocket Battery and again at a push I thought I could use the mule team from Perry's Carlist War range. The mules are carrying a mountain gun but I did not want to remove this as I also wanted to use them for my NWF and possibly Sudan collections. It was really just the figures that needed converting along with the ACW wagon driver. I did a few head swaps and used some green stuff to lengthen their coats and give them some epaulets.    

I have recently painted the Napoleonic crews for the limbers and guns, so I will be showing these in a future post.