Homesteading, Part 3 - Enter the Settlers

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After putting together two cabins and some fences for wargames set in colonial North America, it seemed only right to paint up some settlers, in this case colonists who have armed themselves to defend their livelihood from marauding French and natives.

These models are Brigade Games' frontier family, and like the other Brigade models I have, they're quite nice. Definitely on the slimmer side, but detailed. My biggest gripe with Brigade figures is that the weapons are thin and bendy and the faces are all oddly similar.

The set includes two figures who fit the bill for a father and mother. I personally think the man is clearly modelled off of Mel Gibson's character in the Patriot.

Then two sons, both springing to action to defend the farm. If the dad is Gibson, I suppose that makes green trousers there Heath Ledger.

Finally, there is a younger son and daughter carrying muskets and powder. I think the set has some nice variety, fitting a specific niche between unarmed settlers and proper militia. That being said, now I need some unarmed settlers...

I painted these looking loosely at historical references here and there. I searched out more references for the women's clothing, while the men just got various shades that looked about period-correct.

The young girl in particular got a color scheme based on the dress Anya Taylor-Joy's character wears in The VVitch, just because I like that movie and the soft pastel pink the costuming department used. The others are less specific.


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