newbie question on painting French units

[mellis1644]

I'm thinking about starting to painting some 1808-12 French units in 15mm what is the 'typical way' of representing the different uniform's (plumes, pompon and shako trim colours etc.) of companies in a regiment on the table? I am planning on using 8 figs per base so that the figs can be used with Lasalle as well as Fog-N.

So, Is it typical to paint 1 base per line company and always assume the grenadiers have been pulled off into separate units/brigades, and the Voltigeur's are used only skirmish bases?

Or do people try to model all the 6 companies of a typical battalion in 4 bases, or even try to do that in 2 bases etc. or do you just do 1 base per company, or even 1 colour per units and ignore this aspect of the french uniforms?

Note, I know it was possible for the French to brigade the grenadiers of various regiments into separate units, but I'm not sure if this was always the case. This means that in some cases the grenadiers would be part of a regiment and in other they would not...

So, any advice would be welcome from experts in the period of what looks good/works for this aspect of painting a french army.

[Blathergut]

...think 28mm...28mm...ouhmmmmmm....28mm...

[Blathergut]

Did you play test the rules? Deadtorius and I are just trying to get into the rules with his 20mm stuff until some eon when new 28mm is painted.

[mellis1644]

Hi guys,

I have not tried the rules before. So far I like what I see. The guys in the city have been playing Lasalle for a few years with 15mm and that's a cool set for that scale of game. A few of us are looking at FOG-N for a different scale of game and period of game. So it's 15mm for me at present.

I have a large Prussian 1812-15 army already finished - see here for some pictures on my painting blog for the Napoleonic figs: http://mellis1644.wordpress.com/category/napoleonic/

But you always need French in this period really, as an opponent if nothing else. However, the French foot units and all their different company uniforms and colours leave me a little lost on how to model them on the table to good effect. Thus the question as to what others do around this.

[thefrenchjester]

Hi Mellis,

I' m new in Napoleonics, just fell in the period I began to read FOGNAP;

to paint my French army
I use:
the books of Liliane and Fred Funcken "L' uniforme et les armes des soldats du 1er Empire" tome1 et tome 2 unvaluable source of painting and inspiration
the bimestrial french magazine " figurines " I think an English version is existing, inside there's the infography of many Napoleonic troops illustrated with the images of André Jouineau;

the links below greatly help me too( it 's in English this time "
http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/

I'll post my first progress soon

Best Regards

thefrenchjester " reformed poor conscript of the FOGNAP "

[Johndeterreneuve]

After painting a lot of 28 mm French, essentially I have finally figured out that it is impossible to model all the company distinctions in each battalion. I would carry on as you are doing but on each base paint all the figures the same, i.e. all blue pompoms, next base all green pompoms etc. Paint one base as grenadiers., but do not try to get all the distinctions in each battalion. Then for your French army average them out. If you have 10 battalions of 4 bases each, in the 40 bases you would have 8 blue bases, 8 orange bases, 8 green bases, 8 purple bases and 8 grenadier bases. I agree with you about modeling the voltiguers separately on skirmish bases. Who know you may some time in the future want to change the figure ratio, and 6 bases may make up a battalion.

John

[Trailape]

I paint my 4 base 'Units' as follows:
A base of 4 Grenadiers and 4 Fusiliers (with the Grenadiers in two rank of two on the far right of the base)
A base of 8 fusiliers
A base of 1 Eagle or Fanion Bearer, 1 Officer, 1 Drummer, 1 Sapper, 2 Eagle / Fanion Guards, 2 Fusiliers. (sometimes I substitue the Officer and a Fusilier for a Mounted Officer)
A base of 4 Fusiliers and 4 Voltigers (with the Voltigers in 2 ranks of 2 on the far left of the base)
When your unit is in line you should end up with all the Greandiers on the right and the Voltigiers on the left, as seen from behind.
The Colour (Flag / Eagle) should be as close to the center as possible. It's not a war winner though,..

In a 6 Base unit I add an additional 2 bases of 8 Fusiliers. I might replace a Fusilier here and there with an Officer or Enthusiastic soldier.
You might want to forget the Voltigers, as you could argue they are off skirmishing,..
In 'Light' units substitute Granadiers with Carabiniers and Fusiliers with Chassuers.
You can find heaps of photos of how I've based my units at my blog (see link below)
Cheers

[Trailape]

Note, I know it was possible for the French to brigade the grenadiers of various regiments into separate units, but I'm not sure if this was always the case. This means that in some cases the grenadiers would be part of a regiment and in other they would not....

It didn't happen that often.
I model my Grenadiers in all my battalions.

[MikeHorah]

Hi Mellis,

I' m new in Napoleonics, just fell in the period I began to read FOGNAP;

to paint my French army
I use:
the books of Liliane and Fred Funcken "L' uniforme et les armes des soldats du 1er Empire" tome1 et tome 2 unvaluable source of painting and inspiration
the bimestrial french magazine " figurines " I think an English version is existing, inside there's the infography of many Napoleonic troops illustrated with the images of André Jouineau;

the links below greatly help me too( it 's in English this time "
http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/

I'll post my first progress soon



Best Regards

thefrenchjester " reformed poor conscript of the FOGNAP "

Yes nothing beats French publcications for the French I feel! Lilian and Fred have been with me since 1971 - in French - although I now have a version in English - a Xmas present from my partner. Also their "Les Soldats de la Revolution Francaise" ( pub 1988) which is lovely. At Les invalides I bought some good books by Jouineau and Mongin on the Imperial Guard - part of a whole series. And there is a beautiful book By Francois -Guy Hourtelle, Jack Girbal and Patrice Courcellle " Soldiers and Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars" pub 2004 " Histoire & Collections Paris. Excellent and full of stories about characters such as Lasalle, Edouard de Colbert, Nansouty and Fournier - Sarlovese. Good for French allies.


People can be a bit silly about uniforms however. The colours of uniforms faded at this time in history - there were no ways to " fix" dyes" for the types of cloth used so new uniforms would usually be much darker than in the regulations when manufactured to account for that. If you visit Les Invalides you will see this . So the precise colour of blue or green is not really needed - maybe darker shades for new units and lighter for veterans if you want some variety! And changes to uniforms were not made at once. They took place over time and not at the same speed. So some units would have old ones and others new - for example the short term change back to white which was reversed soon after and the change from the Bicorne to the Shako . Other oddities. The 13th Cuirassiers in Spain had brown coloured uniforms at one point using local cloth etc etc .

Bon chance

[Jilu]

Hi Mellis,

I' m new in Napoleonics, just fell in the period I began to read FOGNAP;

to paint my French army
I use:
the books of Liliane and Fred Funcken "L' uniforme et les armes des soldats du 1er Empire" tome1 et tome 2 unvaluable source of painting and inspiration
the bimestrial french magazine " figurines " I think an English version is existing, inside there's the infography of many Napoleonic troops illustrated with the images of André Jouineau;

the links below greatly help me too( it 's in English this time "
http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/

I'll post my first progress soon



Best Regards

thefrenchjester " reformed poor conscript of the FOGNAP "

Yes nothing beats French publcications for the French I feel! Lilian and Fred have been with me since 1971 - in French - although I now have a version in English - a Xmas present from my partner. Also their "Les Soldats de la Revolution Francaise" ( pub 1988) which is lovely. At Les invalides I bought some good books by Jouineau and Mongin on the Imperial Guard - part of a whole series. And there is a beautiful book By Francois -Guy Hourtelle, Jack Girbal and Patrice Courcellle " Soldiers and Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars" pub 2004 " Histoire & Collections Paris. Excellent and full of stories about characters such as Lasalle, Edouard de Colbert, Nansouty and Fournier - Sarlovese. Good for French allies.


People can be a bit silly about uniforms however. The colours of uniforms faded at this time in history - there were no ways to " fix" dyes" for the types of cloth used so new uniforms would usually be much darker than in the regulations when manufactured to account for that. If you visit Les Invalides you will see this . So the precise colour of blue or green is not really needed - maybe darker shades for new units and lighter for veterans if you want some variety! And changes to uniforms were not made at once. They took place over time and not at the same speed. So some units would have old ones and others new - for example the short term change back to white which was reversed soon after and the change from the Bicorne to the Shako . Other oddities. The 13th Cuirassiers in Spain had brown coloured uniforms at one point using local cloth etc etc .

Bon chance

even worse Old guard at waterloo

some had new regulation uniforms all blue with ar bicorn,others the old blue and white with bonnet, and some with a mix of these.....