Cressida Rose - Steamer Crew

The Redoubt Paddle Steamer kit comes with 6 crew figures, the Captain (who will command the Naval Brigade when disembarked), a rating with a coil of rope, one crewman shouting directions, and three coal-handling stokers.

I undercoated the figures in either white or black matt car primer depending on whether their uniforms were predominantly going to be royal blue or not.  After that it was the usual application of flat colour and then highlighting in three stages.

The Steamer crew based on 2p pieces and undercoated

Painted with flat colours only.  After painting and inking in the flesh I block out the eyes in matt black so that when I highlight in lighter flesh tones I don't need to repaint the eyes

I based the captain and coil-of-rope-man on sandy bases to allow for their deployment off the Steamer.  The others were painted up to look like the deck.  All were gloss-varnished to finish.

The finished crew, the Captain resplendent with monocle and missing right hand (or is he just suffering from indigestion?)

Stoking the boiler

Full steam ahead...

Naval Brigade - the first six ratings

Having completed the Paddle Steamer Cressida Rose, next up on the painting table has been the first half dozen ratings from the Naval Brigade.  The Redoubt Paddle Steamer kit comes with 12 ratings.  Whereas my existing Naval Brigade models, a mix of Foundry and Copplestone castings are painted up in uniforms appropriate to the Zulu Wars, I've painted this lot as per the useful Perry Miniatures Sudan uniform guide.  They are also wearing Sennet hats so once off the Steamer they can serve as a differentiated second company of sailors, with the Captain of the Cressida Rose in command.

The figures undercoated in matt black car spray primer, glued onto 2p pieces with epoxy, and drybrushed with dark grey

Base colours added with the flesh tones also inked in chestnut brown ink

The finished squad, with 2 layers of highlights painted on, and the bases built up with ready mix filler, builders sand and small stones, then painted, drybrushed, varnished in dark stain varnish and with some static grass.  I opted for a sandy base as opposed to a ship's deck.

An alternative view

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part Six - The finished Paddle Steamer

So finally the Cressida Rose is complete.  The pieces fit together well and stack without needing glue or blu-tack.  The model was pretty quick to complete and paint. I suspect painting the 6 crew, 12 Naval Brigade, 12 infantry, Nordenfelt gun and 7 lb gun will take a bit longer...

Work over the Christmas break took Cressida Rose from this...

... To this

Close up of the bows...

View from above...

Cressida Rose at sunset