French Command Figures

I tend to paint the command figures last, all together. This is partly because they lack the equipment of the troops and partly because the uniforms themselves are different. The officers above both have white-covered kepis, although you could just as easily paint them blue and red. The officer on the left wears a shorter tunic while the one on the right wears a different model--one often worn by senior NCOs. In fact, I've painted him as an NCO with a gold stripe near the cuff. NCOs in the Legion carried a whistle which he is blowing. And while the figure on the left wears white trousers over his boots, the one on the right has red riding breeches and boots. They could as easily be red and khaki or white, respectively. With khaki breeches and brown boots, he makes a nice post-WWI Legion figure. Lots of options.


The Legion bugler (and corporal carrying the company fanion) really do have the same uniform as the troops and I painted them all together. But I did save the bugle, flag and drum for painting all together. The bugle cords are first painted all white then dabbed with blue and red to produce a red-white-blue twisted cord effect.

The Tirailleur command figures are also finished at this time. Like the bugler, I painted the drummer along with the troops but saved the brass-colored drum to do along with the bugle.


Finally, I finish the General. His uniform is the standard blue-black tunic with red breeches, red waist sash worn under the coat and a blue/red kepi. I chose not to paint the tunic as dark as I could have so that the black frogging would stand out more. As with the foot officers, the breeches or kepi could just as easily have been white. I hadn't painted one this way yet; hence my choice. The figure comes with a pompom on the kepi. That's useful if he's going to be painted as a cavalry officer; for a general, just clip it off.

I had glued the rider to the horse--something I don't usually do--and painted the horse first. So although the men are all complete, the animals are not. They're up next.