There's nothing wrong with my eyes; my arms are just too short!

I've been short sighted since the age of 12 but with my glasses I've had 20/20 vision, close or at distance. Until recently, that is! After an unproductive (figure painting-wise) year, I've noticed that after a fairly long break where I didn't put brush to figure, I find it difficult to focus on the details. Hence, after a recent visit to the optometrist at work, I now have not one, but two pairs of glasses! One for everyday distance and computer screen use and the other pair for close in work, like painting figues and reading. The improvement is astounding! I hope this translates to a marked increase in productivity, not only in figure painting, but blogging as well.

Below is the latest output from my workbench (which due to said age-induced eye failure has taken months) namely a continuation of my Neapolitan project. In this instance it's more Guard infantry and the Swinging Dick himself, King Joachim Murat. The command figures and the 1st Regiment of Velite Grenadiers are by the ever brilliant Franznap, although the messenger's horse is a ring in from Zvezda, as the original horse's delicate legs snapped off at the ankles after a mishap.

1st Velite Grenadiers of the Guard 

Command figures

"Andiamo, ragazzi!!"

NCO telling it like it is.

The other ranks aren't that impressed, though.

Hurry up and wait!

"Message for you, Your Majesty!"

Joachim on his Tiger-skin saddle

ADCs from the rear.

The Voltiguers of the Guard are a mishmash of various elite figures from HaT sets like 8095, 8166 and 8167 with head replacements using Italeri heads with the shako plate and cockade shaved off. The unique look of the shakos was achieved by painting alone. Only the officer hasn't had any modifications, besides having his shako details trimmed. He's the only Italeri interloper amongst all the HaT figures.

My version of amaranth is a little too red-brown, when it should really be a pinky-purple as per the images below. I can't work out from the images and what little description I've found if the stripes on the shako were hussar-style flammes / bands or just painted decoration, but as my conversion is just a paint-job, that's the view I'm taking. Also, the images don't make it easy to decide whether the colours should be buff or yellow, so I've made an executive decision for buff shako and collar and yellow lace.

Voltiguers of the Guard

Firing line

Command and infantry 

NCO and marching infantry.