French voltigeurs of both the line and light infantry regiments were characterised by
their yellow distinctions – see Post 82 for line infantry voltigeurs. My yellow of choice
was Foundry’s Lemon Shade 1A. Voltigeur collars, however, were typically a buff
colour and for this I used Foundry’s Base Sand Shade 10A – which, like the original,
looks quite yellow, especially on such small collars.
I used the reference for the French 3rd Light Infantry that I mentioned before (see Posts
81 and 83) to paint the voltigeurs of the regiment, of which I would be fielding only
four figures in a regiment of 24.
The light infantry voltigeurs I had already painted were from Pendraken’s French
light infantry packs (NPF6 & 7) modelled with the characteristic low-cut gaiters of
French Light Infantry Voltigeurs
the light infantry (see Post 18 and 19). However, I
couldn’t use these figures for all my French light
infantry regiments of 1809 as they had pointed
cuffs more typical of the later uniform reforms.
A major difference between the uniforms of the
French line and light infantry was the different cut of
the lower part of the jacket lapels. The line infantry lapels
were square cut while the light infantry were pointed.
Luckily, these differences were hardly noticeable on the Pendraken
figures, and the Pendraken line infantry in trousers covering their characteristic
gaiters made the line infantry elite companies figures with their fringed epaulettes
usable both as line and light infantry.
ABOVE Pendraken French light infantry from pack NPF7 painted
as light infantry voltigeurs.
LEFT Pendraken French line infantry painted as light infantry
voltigeurs of the 3rd regiment – with a different style of cockade.
POST 84
84
