NCO of the 17th Lancers

I felt like drawing some soldiers in the striking uniforms of the 19th century. This is a sketch for a coloured illustration - the final version will be similar in style to my earlier picture of a mounted officer of the same regiment.

This drawing depicts a non-commisioned officer of the British 17th Lancers - one of the regiments of the Light Brigade who made such an unfortunate charge in the Crimean War of 1853-56. He's not so fancily dressed, as it turned out - this is the uniform worn into combat.

It was drawn with pencil and micron markers on a strip of brown butcher's paper.