I really enjoyed painting these 54mm Armies in Plastic Woodland Indians, plentiful straps and tassels and all.
They were part of a kind gift of a box of surplus mixed plastic figures from Alan Tradgardland Gruber for my Close Little Wars forest skirmishes.
I introduced them to the garden forests and mountains today, after a gloss spray varnish and final shiny paint bits.
These Woodland Indians of the little known Gull Tribe (see their prized head dress feathers) have little adornment and decoration, unlike other Indian Tribes in North Gondal and North Generica.
They are not as richly decorated as many of the Woodland Indians of the French Indian War and “The Revolutionary War”.
Looking through the uniform plates in various AWI books, Pinterest, box art and figures from different figure ranges (everything from John Jenkins and modern Wm. Britain’s to the shiny gloss Tradition of London range), I settled on a generic plainer shiny gloss look for my under-adorned Woodland Indian ImgaiNations tribe.
Interesting to look at the flintlock and powder horn equipment, tomahawk in its sling, knife held on the upper chest. Much of this equipment is found on the 54mm plastic AIP Gruber’s / Rogers Rangers figures AWI Light Infantry and Rangers that I painted last week.
I struggled a little to find the toy soldier look I wanted but used an old hollowcast painting trick of using bronze or copper skin tones.
Bronze or copper skin worked well enough repairing damaged old hollowcast Britain’s and other makers’ more 50s Hollywood Indians (and Cowboys). It didn’t work recently for some 54mm to 60mm Steve Weston plastic Mexican peasants.
So with these gloss toy soldier style Indians in mind I used Revell Aquacolor Acrylic Gloss Leather Brown for the Woodland Indian skin tone. All the other colours used were Matt like the musket in Matt Leather Brown and desert Afrikabraun for the Buckskin leggings and equipment. They were all going to get gloss spray varnished anyway.
The toy soldier style face was achieved with black pin dot eyes and eyebrows, red mouth dot (both using a shaved cocktail stick) and after gloss varnish, the final copper cheek dot.
There was one interesting pose with a fearsome looking wooden root club. Interestingly the character is carrying a powder horn so has laid down a flintlock somewhere.
Having rewatched the 1992 Daniel Day Lewis Last of the Mohicans film for the Indian costumes, the slow reload of a flintlock musket is obviously a problem for troops engaging charging Natives in ‘Close Wars, type forest skirmishes and melees.
My Ladybird book version of Last of the Mohicans illustrated by Frank Humphris also came in handy for painting ideas. https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/classic-close-wars-and-comic-book-soldiers-back-to-the-forest/
Plain Indians rather than Plains Indians?
I could have spent a long time painting different Indian beadwork and breechclout patterns, legging ties etc and facial paints but I didn’t really want to. I tried one club figure with Citadel Agrax Earthshade Wash (brown) but I didn’t really think it would work with gloss varnish toy soldier style.
These were not the only Indians in the Back Yarden Forests.
And finally –
How would they work in my Bold Frontiers pine forests?
The Gull Tribe go clubbing or the Woodland Indian version of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” ..
Friend! Another log for the fire, please, friar!
(Camp fire by Safari Toob – Powhatan Indian camp set)
The Crescent / Kellogg’s Cornflakes 1960s plastic Friar Tuck is from the Robin Hood plastic range. We had him at home bizarrely painted bright gloss red ever since I was a child. Now over fifty years on, he finally gets a new gloss toy soldier paint job.
http://cerealoffers.com/Kelloggs/Cornflakes/1960s/Robin_Hood_Figures/robin_hood_figures.html
https://collectablefigures.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/crescent-part-1-plastic-and-cereal/
Next time we are in Sherwood Forest, this old Friar Tuck can take part!
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/05/30/quarter-staff-fighting-in-sherwood-forest/
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, 14 / 15 August 2020
Man of Tin blog 
Looking equally at home in Bold Frontiers or Back Yarden these figures have come up really well. The Toy Soldier minimalist style really works well on these figures. I do like the Crescent one too, he has come up well. Perhaps a lolly stick cabin or suchlike might me a plan for them. It is good to see the friar given a paint job. I do like his club which looks very fit for purpose. He fits in at home well with the new figures a rather jollier chap than the Black Robes perhaps? I have some very broken merrie men coming so I will be venturing into the greenwood soon no doubt.
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Thanks Alan, they were a pleasure to paint. I have some Herald style pirate / clone tepees, which are obviously not very historically accurate.
The Friar being a forest creature, he looks at home here and hopefully a more benign influence than the black robes. I look forward to seeing your Sherwood exploits.
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They look great Mark, particularly when they’re outside in the Wilderness.
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Thanks MJT. I think sometimes the backyard and garden (or the floor) is the more natural home for toy soldiers than the Tabletop. My back and knees do not agree …
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My back and knees empathize
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Thanks John – A new historical chapter for “54mm or Fight?” maybe.
They would lend themselves well to your Britains Deetail style of painting.
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They look fantastic in those photographs.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thank you Pete. Garden light works wonders.
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Nice figures! I’m a fan of Armies in Plastic – they look good, there’s a wide range, and cheap as chips! Sadly no WW2 stuff, though.
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Thanks. They were a pleasure to paint.
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Lots of fun in the forests! Your backyard forest really looks the business with the logs, stones and moss etc. Not sure I could get the same arboreal effect in my garden, unless I let the weeds really go crazy.
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What we lack in lawn we make up for in logs, stones and moss.
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