More Redcoat Toy Soldier inspiration

Must try this! Repainted Herald Guardsman in Danish blue  (photo reproduced from the Wargames Hermit blog).

To inspire my home cast and pound store figure painting, I look at toy soldiers in my own collection and others online. What would the simple, standard, mass production figures of the past be like, to inspire my paint upcycling of my pound store warriors?

Here are today’s toy soldier inspiration photos.

1. This repainted Britain’s Herald guardsman (above) is a lovely idea from a long running US Wargames blog with a passion similar to mine for hex games, solo games and Peter Laing figures: http://wargamehermit.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/distracted-once-again.html

Instantly you can have two nations, two sides (red and blue) needed for gaming from the same batch, pound store bag or figure mould. Must try this with my guardsman casting mould and vintage  Airfix guards colour party OO/HO figures.

Fry made? (1915-22) or home cast machine gunner in unlikely guardsman red (from the Sanderson family into my Man of TIN collection)

2. The red coated machine gunners in the Sanderson collection came from a lady selling her father’s 1920s small childhood collection of very simple, often gilt finish figures and cannons. They all have a much loved and well used patina and Miss Sanderson was very pleased that they are being kept together and treasured.

Basic paint version on a Britain’s infantry officer alongside a modern William Britain’s Fort Henry Guard mascot handler. (Photo / Collection: Man of TIN)

3. Basic quick past paint finish versus modern deluxe painting on these Britain’s figures.

Colour ideas sketched from an unidentified figure from a James Opie Toy Soldiers book. (Sketch: Man of TIN)

4. I keep sketchbooks of possible colour schemes for pound store or home cast figures from figures seen online, in museums of toy soldier books. Could a pound store cowboy or confederate become  a redcoat?

Attractive red coat figure (which could be made or painted from a WW2 tin hat pound store infantryman) from ‘somewhere’ on the extensive  Milihistriot website by the Sheil family in the USA.

5. Pinterest and Google image search throws up interesting images like this ‘Little Wars’ style spirited redcoat charging, found on the extensive web archives on the Milihistriot website. Could a pound store WW2 soldier become a redcoat?

Happy gaming!

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Posted by Mr. MIN, Man of TIN (June 2016).