Prussians outside Liege - Work in Progress

An officer type and a marching line infantryman

There's something rather delicious about playing hookey from your hobby.  I'm generally pretty good about sticking to a plan, focusing on what I should paint next so that I can play games sooner rather  than later.  I enjoy playing with friends more than I enjoy painting, but I do enjoy painting and every so often it is a pleasure to let ones hair down and just paint something silly. 

From the rear 

I picked these up a few weeks ago.  They were actually a joy to paint, as I know very little about the uniforms of the period and they came with instructions. I didn't agonise about colour choices or anything, just the simple pleasure of slapping paint on lead (or in this case zinc) and doing it with reasonable facility. 

This chap is some kind of Jaeger officer I think 

From the rear, it's a very odd pose. 

A Prussian Line infantryman and an officer who looks like he is short a DJs headset and decks

If I ever use these for anything it will surely be Little Wars and I think I rather prefer the late 19th century to the early 20th from that point of view. With that in mind, I made the supreme sacrifice of heaving my bulk up the stairs and pulling Michael Solka's German Armies 1870-1871 (1) Prussia off the shelf.  Having found an illustration of a line infantryman that I liked, in fetching blue rather than the grubbier feldgrau, I powered ahead. There are not too shabby either, if I say so myself. 

I should also mention Darko Pavlovic, the artist who illustrated the Prussian book.  Not quite in the same league as Angus McBride (but who is), but a lovely clean line. 

I'm quite happy with the blacklining on the canteen. 

I don't hold much with blacklining, but the Devil took hold of me and I dabbled with it a little bit.  It doesn't look too bad actually. 

That pose makes a little bit more sense now, doesn't it? 

The figures are part of a mini diorama with the officers gathered around a map table.  I'll post a few more pictures once I've got them varnished and fit to be seen in good society.