PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE

ARTIST STATEMENT

In the words of Wilbur Smith "War is the game played by old men with the lives of the young". The pawn in this game is the combat soldier, represented by the miniature toy soldier; an insignificant being on the battlefield. Combat is the most intense moment of war, where life and death balances on a knife's edge. The results are terrifying and reveal the worst part of our human nature. Conversely, there are moments when it exudes the best of our human spirit. Most of the miniatures you see here are diligently researched from historical sources and handcrafted between scales of 1/35 to 1/16 (approx 50mm to 120mm). The intricate rendition of human expression and fine details not only demonstrates the level of craftsmanship but also serves as a reminder of the fragile nature of human life. I represent no political bias though my miniature creations. My aim is to portray humanity through the chronicles of military history and thus it is my pleasure that I present to you my weblog Perspectives in Miniature.

Calvin Tan

WWII GERMAN UNIFORMS - PERSONAL MIXES BY CALVIN TAN

In conjunction with AK Interactive, this exclusive Gen 3 acrylic paint set is specially composed with the essential colours that I use to render WWII German Uniforms. It contains 18 colours and a small pamphlet with my personal colour mixes. If you are keen to acquire all the colours on my palette to paint a field grey tunic, a splinter pattern zeltbahn, an oak-leaf pattern smock or the Kharkov anorak, look no further, this is the set for you to get started.

CALVIN TAN'S BASIC GUIDE TO FIGURE PAINTING

This instructional DVD published by Model Art magazine was primarily developed for the beginner armour and diorama modeller in mind. The video presentation will feature a variety of easy to master techniques used to render a 1/35 scale plastic injected moulded figure.Topics include proper paint application techniques, choice of brushes as well as some little tricks for painting fine detail. It is fundamentally a showcase of some of my methods and techniques for painting military figures and I am certain it will prove beneficial for any modeller who wishes to improve on figure painting. It is currently available in both Japanese and English.

CALVIN TAN'S GUIDE TO CONVERTING AND PAINTING FIGURES

In this third instalment, I will share my techniques and materials to customize and detail an inexpensive stock plastic figure. Watch as I take you through the steps on how I modify a pose, model details such as hands, belts and webbing and insignias. Learn about working effectively with epoxy putty as well as plastic styrene and paper. As a continuation from my first two DVDs, I will demonstrate how to model and paint a simple groundwork as well as an alternate approach using a monochromatic underpainting to render both a field grey tunic and the World War 2 German Splinter Camouflage pattern on a helmet cover. If you have enjoyed and benefitted from those previous titles, this edition will be a welcome addition to your journey in scale figure modelling – regardless of your current skill level. It is my sincere hope that this could inspire you to embark on your own creative adventure in this fantastic hobby. .

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Solomon Islands, 1943

Labels: Ultracast Posted by Calvin Tan at 17:39

Cheers,

Calvin

Tuesday, 31 December 2024

A Roundup of 2024

Posted by Calvin Tan at 16:04

Here is the roundup from the year 2024. This year I am glad to be able to clear some figures from my stash and channel more effort into the groundwork and presentation. Here's wishing everyone a happy new year.

Calvin

Monday, 30 December 2024

Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Solomon Islands, 1943

Labels: Pappy Boyington, Ultracast Posted by Calvin Tan at 00:18

It looks like I might get to complete this figure before 2024 closes.

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 28 December 2024

Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Solomon Islands, 1943

Labels: Pappy Boyington, Ultracast Posted by Calvin Tan at 13:11

I am currently working on this 1/32 scale portrait of USMC fighter ace Pappy Boyington from Ultracast. Unbeknownst to many, this figure is sculpted by veteran sculptor Tom Meier of Ral Pathra and Tunderbolt Miniatures fame. It is absolutely wonderful to see Tom Meier showcasing his artistic talent on a historical subject. The likeness, anatomy, drappery, and details are very well sculpted, and I had a delightful time putting paint on this lovely figure. Let's hope I can get him completed before the close of 2024.

Cheers,

Calvin

Wednesday, 11 December 2024

SS-Schütze, 11.SS Freiwilliegen-Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland", 1944-45

Labels: AK Interactive, Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 14:28

I am satisfied with how this quick project turned out. It started last Friday evening, and the finishing touches were added last night. The fast turnaround on this figure is attributed to a change in my painting technique—in which I no longer use a black undercoat and instead opted to matt varnish my figures at the start. This unorthodox approach, combined with the attributes of AK Interactive's Gen 3 acrylic paints and mediums, has halved my working speed and tripled my annual output. Perhaps it is time to record another instructional video to document this method.