Next unit up, 23rd Light Dragoons.

The next unit I am working on is the British 23rd Light Dragoons for the Peninsular War. This is the last British/KGL cavalry unit needed to complete the for our Talavera games. The figures are once again from the excellent Perry plastic box set.

Talavera was to be the 23rd's only action in the Peninsular after it suffered heavy casualties when it charged the french but failed to see a steep ditch, into which many horses and men plunged. It shortly thereafter returned to England and didn't see action again until Waterloo. The KGL hussars brigaded with them were a little more cautious or lucky and avoided the worst of it.

So if I want to be accurate I will only be able to use this unit for one Battle, as the Tarleton helmeted uniform of Talavera could not be used for Waterloo. But no they will still be used as needed for pickup games etc.

Uniform of 23rd Light Dragoons.
From British Napoleonic Uniforms by C.E.Franklin
(I will be using the centre version)

One thing I have started to make more use of now is the airbrush and spray booth I purchased just before lock down in 2020. In the past I have used it for some black priming but have now found how much better Vallejo grey primer covers when airbrushed on rather than just brushed. A vast improvement. I also decided to apply the base coat for the horses with the airbrush and found that the Foundry horse tone colours covered much better using this method, especially the lighter tones.

Recently I purchased some crocodile clip grippers on sticks after seeing them used on YouTube and they make holding models when airbrushing much easier.

Spray booth set up with new crocodile clip gripper rack

Closer view.

In progress work on the troopers.

I found having the figures on the clips made them easier to manipulate when painting.

Painting finished and fixed to horses.

Next up varnishing and basing.

With the painting finished, with the exception of the horses eyes which I paint in with gloss after applying the matt varnish, it's now time for varnishing then basing.

Varnished, on bases ready for texture.

Oh course I got carried away and stuck them down on their bases before painting the horses' eyes!

Having painted in the eyes it was then on with a layer of sand, paint over with a paint/pva mix to seal, two different dry brush layers then on with flock and done.

And finished. well base edges still need tiding up.

So that's another unit finished and with my friend's KGL Hussars the full complement of British cavalry for Talavera.

For paint colours I use see "My British Light Dragoon paint recipe" in the My Resources / Downloads sidebar.

Now what's next?

Tony.