Wood-Paper Experiment: British Line Infantry

I have been working, bit-by-bit, on refining my experiment with printing on paper and then gluing the results to the wooden pawns. I have to admit that I like the look of painted figures better, but I experiment for the fun of it and in the hopes that I will surprise myself.

I think these results surprised me a bit.

My first experiment did not go as well as I hoped. More painting than expected and more fiddly than I wanted (or for the result I achieved). My second experiment was more in line with what I was thinking. In fact, that is the model I have been building from. Compare the images in the second experiment with that below and you can see how much work I've added.

As you can see, I've added the cross-belts and pack straps. I've also emphasized some details, like the creases in the trousers, and made some changes to deal with curves, such as curving the collar upward. The figures below show simply gluing the cut-out to to the pawn, with no color beneath (it would be red on the shoulders). Here is the figure from the front.

The chest lace shows up nicely, as do the buttons. The collar is even discernable; more so than if I painted it. Here is the side shot.

Here you can see the cross-belts start to come together. I thought of printing the shoulder strap on, but it really should overlap the arm, so it will have to be a separate printed and glued piece. Here is the rear shot.

The seam is not perfect, but as I will put backpacks, bed rolls, cartridge boxes, and possibly canteens on here, the seam will be covered. (Note I used rubber cement to tack the paper down and a got a little on the paper, making it look dirty. I did not notice before I took the picture.)

When I put on the Belgic shako, I'll simply add a round dowel to the top of the head and glue the following on as the frontispiece.

It won't have the word "Test" on it though! :)

All in all I have to say it looked nicer than I expected. And given the level of detail, even the fiddly cutting part is far faster than painting it all by hand.

So, would I do all of the figures this way? No, I don't think so, as I like the colors from painting. The printing still looks washed out. But, this is a way to get an army up and done quickly, so that you have the leisure to paint up the troops, but it won't stop you from gaming. (Which, for me, gaming with the troops is the single greatest way to ensure that I don't lose steam on a painting project.) So, I will probably use this for a battalion or three of troops to get me started.