Maria Luisa Hussars

[Bill Slavin]

For a while I have wanted to add to my Spanish horse regiments and was inspired this fall to tackle that project. To date I had painted up some dragoons and line cavalry along with a small contingent of hussars, the Grenaderos de Fernando VII. This time I thought I would paint up some hussars, basing them on the Italeri French Hussar set with a few Chasseurs a cheval pillaged from the Italeri French Command set thrown in, all with some minor conversions (removed plumes, a few head swaps, added shabraques to the horses…)
A bit of history and more photos can be seen here.
https://tinywarsplayedindoors.blogspot.com/2019/10/maria-luisa-hussars.html

[Bluefalchion]

Fantastic work! I especially love the horses this time. Very lively crew.

[C M Dodson]

Lovely as always Bill.

I would personally have more of them as stated before.

The glorious sight of massed formations is what’s the period is all about in my opinion.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Bill Slavin]

Thanks Aaron and Chris.
Aaron, yes a very lively crew. Perhaps too lively for a unit that had the nickname "Run-Away Marys".

Chris, I agree more look lovely but as a wargamer these are the sizes of the units in the rules I use (which are on the generous size for units at this scale of gaming - 1 figure equals 25 horse or men). When I get four or five horse regiments on the field I think I start to get the feel that you speak about and they do look lovely!

[Fire at Will]

Great work, especially because I'm about to paint the same unit for my Spanish army

[Bill Slavin]

Great work, especially because I'm about to paint the same unit for my Spanish army

Really! What figures will you use? Do you plan to do them with the more recognizable Mirliton caps? The Spanish seem to have kept these longer than most, but I opted for the shako because it was one less level of conversion.
Good luck with those - I look forward to seeing the results.

[Marvin]

Once again, a fabulous looking unit, Bill. Best of all - the horses looking top notch! I love your dapple grey - any tips for making one of those?

[Bill Slavin]

Once again, a fabulous looking unit, Bill. Best of all - the horses looking top notch! I love your dapple grey - any tips for making one of those?

Tips for you, Marvin?!
Okay, here goes (to the best of my memory)...
Base painted the horse a beige brown.
Dry brushed the entire thing with a slightly off white.
Maybe gave it a wash of a VERY light thinned out brown yellow ink.
Back in with the white to pick up muscle and facial highlights.
Worked in grey from bottom up with dry brush, blending to white
Back in with light to white coloured dapples on grey, grey dapples on white.
Black legs, white socks.
Something like that. Sometimes pink on nose, but grey this time because of black mane and tail. Hope this helps!

[Marvin]

Tips for you, Marvin?!
Okay, here goes (to the best of my memory)...
Base painted the horse a beige brown.
Dry brushed the entire thing with a slightly off white.
Maybe gave it a wash of a VERY light thinned out brown yellow ink.
Back in with the white to pick up muscle and facial highlights.
Worked in grey from bottom up with dry brush, blending to white
Back in with light to white coloured dapples on grey, grey dapples on white.
Black legs, white socks.
Something like that. Sometimes pink on nose, but grey this time because of black mane and tail. Hope this helps!

Wow! Your approach is arcane as mine can be, I'm pleased to see. Thanks very much for that, Bill, I reckon I'll have a play around with a spare horse with your approach and see what happens!

[Bill Slavin]

The brown horses are a bit more straight forward - layers of washes and dry brushing. But I’m always changing my approach to whites and greys - blacks I’ve just given up on!

[Fire at Will]

Really! What figures will you use? Do you plan to do them with the more recognizable Mirliton caps? The Spanish seem to have kept these longer than most, but I opted for the shako because it was one less level of conversion.
Good luck with those - I look forward to seeing the results.

Bill, I was originally going down the same route as you, but then on rummaging through my stash I found the riders from the Zvezda Prussian Hussars (I know the pelisse is a bit long for the Napoleonic period) and mounted them up on some spare Esci Polish Lancer horses. The figures I had planned to use are now becoming Cazadores a Caballo.

[Bill Slavin]

Bill, I was originally going down the same route as you, but then on rummaging through my stash I found the riders from the Zvezda Prussian Hussars (I know the pelisse is a bit long for the Napoleonic period) and mounted them up on some spare Esci Polish Lancer horses. The figures I had planned to use are now becoming Cazadores a Caballo.

Ah, I just did some cazadores as well - Olivenza. We seem to be on parallel tracks.

[Peter]

I like these! Maybe it is because I love paint conversions!

[Santi Pérez]

Great paintjob on these fantastic Italeri figures, Bill.

My very best congratulations.

Santi.

[Kekso]

I agree with others

[Marvin]

The brown horses are a bit more straight forward - layers of washes and dry brushing. But I’m always changing my approach to whites and greys - blacks I’ve just given up on!

Here's what I do with black horses, for what it's worth -

I mix dark prussian blue with black (about 50-50 but experiment) and base coat.
The horse may look weirdly dark blueish when dry but stick with it and shade with a medium to heavy black wash.
Once dry, dry brush lightly with a dark grey (I use Vallejo's German Camoflage Grey),

That's literally it, aside from adding in some white socks and face markings. I just find my approach just provides a black horse coat colour but without looking too artifically black. Anyways - I need a lie down now...

[Bill Slavin]

Here's what I do with black horses, for what it's worth -

I mix dark prussian blue with black (about 50-50 but experiment) and base coat.
The horse may look weirdly dark blueish when dry but stick with it and shade with a medium to heavy black wash.
Once dry, dry brush lightly with a dark grey (I use Vallejo's German Camoflage Grey),

That's literally it, aside from adding in some white socks and face markings. I just find my approach just provides a black horse coat colour but without looking too artifically black. Anyways - I need a lie down now...

That is really helpful, Marvin. I think i went the dark blue route one time and will try that again. With blacks it seems less is better!