AWI The Rebels start to take shape

I have now painted up most of a basic force of AWI British for playing Sharp Practice, so recently I've been busy getting the Americans painted (or should I say rebels, or perhaps colonists?). Most of these are from the Perry plastics set. I likes these more than the British set, mainly because the poses seem a little more natural. The one thing I have struggled with is finding a suitable blue colour for the coats.

My first attempt using Vallejo Dark Blue as a base and then Blue as the main highlight produced a far too bright blue, almost an electric blue, so I switched to Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue as the base and Prussian Blue as the main highlight and I'm much happier with the result. Blue, like white, is a tricky colour to get right and it doesn't help these guys are mainly wearing either blue or white. Regardless the blue colour comes out very bright in photographs and far brighter than it is to the naked eye.

I took this photograph below just using natural light and it gives a much better feel for how the blue looks.

So these figures need to be varnished (gloss then matt) and then have their bases flocked, but otherwise the main painting is complete.

These will form the first of three groups of Continental regulars for the late war force list. The other two groups are in the paint queue slowly getting painted.

I'm also painting up some of the Perry metal skirmishers. These are lovely figures, well animated and  crisply cast.  They are a joy to paint.  The muted, natural colours make for a very marked contrast to the more decorative, formal uniforms of the regulars.

Having said the British are completed, I'm just putting together one of the Perry 6 pounders with its crew. The observant of you will also notice a few of the Foundry AWI British range behind them, these will be the two extra groups of regulars I will need should I play a core British force from earlier in the war, when I will need five groups of regulars. Not an urgent requirement right now as in the meantime I can always use my two groups of light infantry as substitutes, but eventually.....

Last but not least, I'm painting up the Warbases' ammunition cart and water cart for additional support options.

Not long before I hope to have enough of a core force for both sides to get these all on the table and into action.  It's one of the key targets for completion this year, so progressing well I think. The key is not to get distracted.  Easier said than done.