Miniatures Learning from Toy Soldiers

[DixieRifles]

Walthall's Brigade versus the Iron brigade.

I painted one of the Rebs as bare-footed but I can't pick him out in the crowd.
Figures in back are some that are not mounted.

 

[novushomus]

Current work in progress. Arquebusiers from the Piccolomini Cuirassier Regiment, Holy Roman Empire Expeditionary Force to Poland and Lithuania, 1657-60, during the First Northern War. The regiment that allegedly was responsible for killing Gustavus Adolphus at Lutzen. The Piccolomini was one of a handful regiments that survived the downsizing of the Imperial Army at the end of the Thirty Years War and even though Octavio Piccolomini died in 1656, Emperor Leopold I ordered that the regiment continue to use Piccolomini's name in honor of his service, even though the regiment had passed to the Count of Caprara.

Current cuirassier I'm working on. The gunstock is painted flat red as I'm working up to a reddish/brown color.

I never had the foggiest idea about the Northern Wars or this fascinating period of Polish history until I discovered the tabletop game By Fire and Sword, and now quite admittely I'm hooked.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

Well,the great advantage of 1/72 scale soldiers and model kits is that you have the choice in many eras, which for many does not exist in bigger size...it's also less difficult to raise armies, because of the price, but they are much more longer to paint.

 

[jpro]

Arrived today! Early Christmas gift to myself. I ordered this set a while back!
Fusilier makes to order so it took a minute but I'm very pleased to add it to my collection.
Enjoy!!

 

[IrishReb1863]

Those are impressive. I haven't done many miniatures in a number of years until recently I decided to change a few existing ones and one thing lead to the other and I've got three dioramas planned. Here are a couple of soldiers I upgraded a little. These guys were from the early 1990s.

 

[James N.]

Those are impressive. I haven't done many miniatures in a number of years until recently I decided to change a few existing ones and one thing lead to the other and I've got three dioramas planned. Here are a couple of soldiers I upgraded a little. These guys were from the early 1990s.

I remember those - they were sculpted by noted military artist William Imirie and were part of a series featuring American soldiers throughout history. I have his New Jersey militia ca. 1761 and Continental Line infantry 1775-83 in regulation uniform and hunting shirt from the set, though mine were finished to look like pewter statuettes. Imirie also sculpted a set of Revolutionary War figures for the Franklin Mint at the time of the Bicentennial; I have the first 2 of those as well, a Thompson's Pennsylvania Rifleman and a New Jersey Line infantryman at Valley Forge.

 

[IrishReb1863]

Sir,

Would you know which one this is? I lost the paper work with him.

 

[donna]

These are wonderful. Such patience to do the detail and small size. Thanks for sharing.

 

[James N.]

View attachment 169852 Sir,

Would you know which one this is? I lost the paper work with him.

I have that one, finished in pewter. Imirie's specialty was the American Revolution, so for the series of American soldiers of all wars, he made not one but two figures representing Continental Line infantry, one dressed in regulation garb and this one in a hunting shirt. (They were armed and equipped the same, so the only difference was the coat.) The Continental Line was in such bad shape as far as uniforms went that George Washington actually recommended that hunting shirts be adopted as regulation for all American soldiers since most of the army was already wearing them and they were faster, easier, and cheaper to produce that the regular tail-coats were. That never happened but indicates just how common they were at the time.

 

[rebel brit]

Whenever I come across a soldier diorama I always take too many pics, so I apologize in advance.
These are on display at the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio TX.

I believe these are 1:30 scale figures by King and Country founded in Hong Kong 1984.

 

[James N.]

That's quite a diorama! I've always liked things like this, including this smaller-scale one at Gettysburg I featured in another thread: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/gettysburg-diorama-and-history-center.104476/

 

[rebel brit]

Battle of Palmito Ranch Diorama. Pictures taken at the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth.

The skirmish at Palmito Ranch on May 13, 1865 was the last battle of the Civil War. Most fighting had ended after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, but many Confederate commanders west of the Mississippi had not yet accepted the Union's victory. By this time, Confederate troops still controlled Fort Brown, Brownsville, and the surrounding mainland, while a small Union garrison occupied Brazos Island. On May 11, Colonel Theodore H. Barrett, commander at Brazos Island, ordered Lieutenant Colonel David Branson to lead 250 men of the 62nd U.S. Colored Infantry and fifty men of the 2nd Texas Cavalry toward the remaining Confederate strongholds. Branson's force advanced to Palmito Ranch and on May 13, bolstered by Barrett himself and 200 men of the 34th Indiana Infantry, pressed steadily onward toward Brownsville. The arrival of John S. "Rip" Ford with 300 Confederate cavalrymen and several artillery pieces halted Barrett's advance near the western edge of Palmito Ranch. The Union Infantry fell back to the coast and as darkness fell, an artillery bombardment by Union naval ships held the Confederates at bay and allowed the federals to escape. Casualties in the battle were relatively light: the Confederates counting ten men wounded and the Union six wounded and two killed. One of the dead was Private John Jefferson Williams of the 34th Indiana Infantry who earned the sad distinction of becoming the final battlefield fatality in America's bloodiest war.

 

[DaveBrt]

I was visiting family when this thread came out -- sorry I missed it and glad it came up again.

I painted and gamed ACW in the late '50's - early 60's, using Jack Scruby's 30mm lead figures. Had about 400 of them and fought many a battle using excellent rules modified from Napoleonic Wars rules. Sold the set in the '80's when a buyer popped up while I was short of funds.

Still have my 45 1/1200 WW2 ships from ALNAVCO, though they have not been used in decades.

 

[rebel brit]

Another Diorama on show at the Texas Civil War Museum.
Battle of the Wilderness May 6th 1864.
Depicts the moment the Texas Brigade arrived and General Lee (far left) was directed to the rear.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

Great diorama, but it seems more bloodiest than it was in reality.
I can't identify any of the featured figures.

 

[Dead Parrott]

I probably averaged about $75 or so a month in the early 90s. You aren't kidding about the wargame crowd being OCD. It got to the point where I refused to do Napoleanic Wars minis.

WW1 & 2 minis & vehicles were a snap in comparison. It's a fun hobby that got much easier once I learned how to use ink washes.

Ah yes, the Napoleonic OCD crowd. "Those should be brass buttons on the Voltigeur turnbacks in august of 1806, not bronze!"

Lived through it, hated it myself. My painted forces are mostly Renaissance, so hundreds of multicolored eye-straining landsknechts, etc.

Not sure I could or would paint them myself now.

 

[MAJOR DUNDEE]

Painting toy soldiers or vehicules models is interesting, but I finally got bored with it (time, eyes fatigue, etc...).

 

[Ethan S.]

I think someone just likes being a kid again, lol!

This reminds me of a quote from a cartoon I saw once. They built a model, and the guy asked the officer, "why aren't you out catching this guy!?" The officer replied back, why waste all the taxpayer money building the model, if we can't even use it?" lol!


I do see how it could be useful. I just wouldn't want to re-position each one demonstrating left obliques...

 

[Kurt G]

I've been painting figures and making models for decades . I don't do Napoleonics , but Civil War and WW2 subjects give you some creativity . Meade and Longstreet were done decades ago . The figures were by Imrie Risley . Crude by today's standards . The WW2 refugee vignette was done this year from various parts . I enjoy doing this and do it for my own enjoyment .

 

[Uilleam]

I used to play Johnny Reb. Fun game. I only stopped playing because I had moved.

I used to beat guys who had been playing the game 10 years longer than I had. They weren't used to someone doing counter battery and knocking out their artillery. They thought they could man handle me even though I had mentioned to them I was a Civil War Re-enactor and had studied Napoleonic tactics. The South won a lot of battles very decisively =)