PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: May 2007

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. .

Monday, 28 May 2007

Army News Issue 140

Hi All,

some publicity news with a write-up in Army News Issue 140 about a presentation I conducted at St Andrews Secondary back in February.

Here's presenting the finished version of the manga figure after a few bouts of changes and refinements especially to the eyes and face.

..and some thumbnail pictures of a magazine article on the sculpting and painting of the LSSAH, Taganrog figure. Please don't ask me when will it be completed because writing articles to me is liken to that of an AAR (After-Action Review) and I HATE AARs!

Calvin

Monday, 21 May 2007

Desktop Wallpaper

Labels: Desktop Wallpapers Posted by CALVIN TAN at 17:04

Hi all,

took a short break from the workbench to create some desktop wallpapers.

Enjoy!

Calvin

Tuesday, 15 May 2007

Siam Miniatures - New Kid on the Blog

Labels: Makan Posted by CALVIN TAN at 16:42

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I've just added Pongsatorn's blog to my list of links.

http://siam-miniatures.blogspot.com/

and today's lunch: Wah Kee Big Prawn Noodles recommended on Dr Leslie Tay's blog

Possibly the best prawn noodles I've ever had! The prawn stock was incredible! I'm definitely heading back there again.

Calvin

Monday, 7 May 2007

Updates for May.

Labels: Makan, SAF Figure Commissions Posted by CALVIN TAN at 18:03

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The past beginning two weeks of May were occupied with part-time lecturing, ironing out some additional changes to the Manga figure and three 1/16 scale clay sketches for an upcoming commission with the Singapore Army Museum. Featured below are 2 out of the 3 initial proposals rendered in Super Sculpey Firm over a tight deadline of one week. As these are sketches, their sole function was for visualization. Minimal attention were paid to the details so that changes to the figure's pose could be 'painlessly' executed without any heart breaks.

And here are some excerpts from last Monday's dinner at the Seafood "Paradise" Restaurant located at Defu Lane 10. ( Taesung, I hope that you're reading this ;P)

Broccoli with scallops topped with bits of salted egg yolk.

.......and the Crab Vermicelli with Superior Stock is one to die for!!!

Calvin