I have been dreading painting these Highlanders ever since I brought the Victrix plastic sets off Trademe over a year ago. Probably more like two years ago. I think that the kilts were what was giving me conniptions. As it turns out it was not the kilts but the damned dicing on the bonnets. I just couldn’t get it right and after stuffing it up and repainting about four times I just left it as is. As long as they are identifiable from wargaming distance as Highlanders I am sure that people wont mind don’t care now.
As far as the tartan goes I knew I could never paint as detailed as some that I have seen, so went with what I could to approximate the 42nd’s tartan. In the end I am pretty happy with how they turned out.
The miniatures are Victrix with a smattering of Perry Miniatures parts (loading arms, a sergeant’s pike arm and a few other bits and bobs) and a single Westfalia Miniatures ‘Rude Highlander’. Will save the other one in the Westfalia set for the 79th. I have a matching casualty base from the Perry Miniatures British casualty set I painted a year or so back. The flag is the post-Peninsular one that comes in the Victrix Highlanders box.
The Woolshed Wargamer 
The dicing looks just fine to me, even blown up to 50mm or so, and you have nailed the tartan. I have those Westfalia Highlanders around somewhere – I couldn’t resist neither them nor the rude British.
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Like I said – I was happy with the tartan. I was going to get the rude Brits as well – but would have to do a head transplant on them to give them stovepipe shakos.
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Bloody nice work Brian. I always found the socks and the band on the bonnet the worst part about doing highland units, but you have nailed these.
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I reach maximum frustration pretty quickly so knew when to give up trying to get the dicing right and move on.
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Great job on these Brian – tartans when done well are just sensational on figures like these.
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I was about 7/10 on these I thought. The tartans have to be stylized to an extent and I was just glad I got it looking ok (even if my stripes were a bit wobbly in places).
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Magnificent figures and great painting. Congratulations and greetings from the antipodes, Carlos
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Thanks Carlos. Always nice to hear from you.
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I did those a couple of years back and I have to agree… they are a chore to paint, but then again, the final result is very rewarding.
BTW, I like the fact that you have gone for dark colors on the tartan. Most people simply go too bright to have it pop, but it looks unrealistic that way.
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Thanks very much – yes – I wanted the tartan to look dark, with the squares not being too pronounced.
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Very nice Bri…
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I have another regiment ready for painting – I liked doing the Highlanders.
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Nice work Brian, I usually just leave the kilts shaded green and dicing red or white stripes and retain my shreds of sanity.
Andrew
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Thanks – I have not touched a brush in a year – had a complete lack of painting mojo. Hopefully this year….
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