The French Guard Grenadier carrying the drummer boy are on the long retreat from Moscow with what is left of Napoleon’s army.
Luckily for them the wind which was blowing earlier has stopped, but even so it is many degrees below freezing.
The drummer boy looks disoriented with the severity of the cold and had not the Grenadier picked him up and put him on his shoulders, the boy may well have succumbed to the weather.
The face and head of the drummer boy have been completed, as have the face and hat of the Old Guard GrenadierI have given the drummer boy the jacket from an artilleryman instead of one from a musician. Possibly his was damaged in battle, or maybe this jacket is warmer. His hands are wrapped in strips of cloth to keep out the bitter cold.
The greatcoat of the Old Guard has not yet been completed. As you can see I have painted in the shadows on and along the folds of cloth, but I still have to tidy up around the white cross belt and finish off that grey area before fitting his arms as well as the legs of the boy.
I have to admit that I am very happy at how this is turning out.
The drum which will be on the back of the drummer boy has now been completed. The bright brass and dark blue colours have been given a wash of dirty grey to ‘age’ and ‘dirty’ the drum. After all, it would not have been in pristine condition having been into battle.
In order to hold the drum while painting it I have glued a cocktail stick to the underneath - this also gives you an idea of the small size!
The next Napoleonic model is a 54mm casting from Andrea. The French Guard Grenadier has a tired, young drummer boy, complete with his drum, on his back. It is 1814 and, like the previous Dragoon, the war is not going well for them. The Grenadier carries the boy through the snow despite his own exhaustion.
Here are all the parts that make up this wonderful model diorama. The fit is very good, but even so there are a couple of casting flaws and joints that will require some work - but that is what makes each military model unique - the hand finishing.
