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 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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