Steve Cady's 'Regiment of France'

Karoliner Series of moulds - 40mm scale.

I started casting and painting Prince August figures last year, with the purchase of several molds of the "Regiments of France" series. Prior to that, I have been painting wargames figures, German zinnfiguren and occasionally some 54mm collector's figures. I only wish that I had started sooner with Prince August !

Painted as French infantry regiment Royal-Roussilon. Slightly modified, I have filed off their shoes and converted to gaiters, to more closely resmemble the French troops of the War of the Austrian Succession / Seven Years War period.

Picture 1: Painted as French infantry regiment Royal-Roussilon. Slightly modified, I have filed off their shoes and converted to gaiters, to more closely resemble the French troops of the War of the Austrian Succession / Seven Years War period.

French Cavalrie Legere. No particular regiment, but typical in gray coats and displaying the royal "Sun King" emblem on the standard.

Picture 2: French Cavalrie Legere. No particular regiment, but typical in grey coats and displaying the royal "Sun King" emblem on the standard.

L'Artillerie Royale.

Picture 3: L'Artillerie Royale.

After casting, I paint in assembly-line fashion, doing three or four figures at a time, painting each figure in turn with that particular color or section of the figure. I undercoat with Poly railroad colors grey primer on most of the figure. Lately, I have taken to adding white undercoat to areas of the the soldier's coat and other areas of his uniform which are to be colored, as this seems to add more vibrancy to the final layer of paint. I use water-based acrylics. I've never timed myself, but I suppose it takes at least 2-3 hours per figure. As the figures are semi-round, but in bold relief, they don't need nearly the virtuoso paint job required of German flats, but it's helpful to shade or highlight certain portions. I then coat the figure with a matte finish, using semi-gloss on the horses gloss for metal and other shiny parts.

The preferred method of painting these 40mm troops seems to be "toy soldier" style, and I suppose that in probably more in keeping with their rather toylike nature, and facilitates more quickly banging out the big units which have a tremendous visual appeal in this scale. But, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" as they say, so I just work in the style that I'm comfortable with.

Next on the drawing board, I have some of the Rossbach Prussian 7YW grenadiers nearly finished. I also have some Great Northern War Swedish Grenadiers nearly completed as well, and I will forward you the attachments when these are done, probably next week. My long-term project will now be the Swedes of Charles XII, as I feel these are closest to what the sculptor had in mind, namely, the Karoliners.

Prince August
Macroom, Cork, Ireland

E-Mail info@princeaugust.ie
Phone + 353 (0)26 40222
Fax + 353 (0)26 40004