PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: October 2008

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. .

Tuesday, 28 October 2008

Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper, Ardennes 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper Ardennes 1944 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 22:58

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More progress and refinements made to the figure this evening.

Gonna hit the sack now zzzzz.....

Calvin

Monday, 27 October 2008

Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper, Ardennes 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper Ardennes 1944 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 18:27

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Just a quick update on the painting of the first figure before I head off to the in-laws for dinner.

cheers,

Calvin

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

NOVEM 2008 - Gyeong Ju, Korea

Labels: Model Shows - NOVEM 2008 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 01:15

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As mentioned earlier in my previous post some two weeks back, I was in Korea on invitation of Young Miniatures proprietor Young Bok Song. And now finally after a past week of hectic schedules, I've finally found some time today to upload some pictures from that exciting event.

Bulguksa temple in Gyeung-Ju

Gujeolpan

Bibimbap

Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup)

Korean-Chinese noodle soup cooked in a rich yet light shellfish broth; incredible...

Show venue of NOVEM 2008 at a convention hall of a resort.

Serang Kim admiring some of the works displayed.

Group photo of all the attendees of NOVEM 2008

Post-NOVEM 2008 BBQ garden party hosted at Young Bok's home.

Red leaf lettuce and sesame leafs are served as wraps for marinated BBQ pork.

Alfresco lunch together with Young and his baby boy at an old traditional eatery in Gyeong-Ju.

Taesung with the Soju and me with a huge plater of sashimi.

Young sends a Gujeolpan wrap to Taesung's mouth while Mr Park looks on.

Together with Dr. Kim Jin who graciously hosted us for lunch and dinner.

Prolific diorama builder Eun Gab Kim shares his diorama creations with us.

After dinner tea session with members of popular Korean modelling forum MM Zone and in particular its founder, the gentleman seated to my right, Mr Sung Jong Kim.

Sampling Korean street food in at Nam Dae Moon open market.

I must say that this being my first trip ever to Korea, it has been an unforgetable experience. Apart from the gastronomical aspect, it was a great opportunity to not only meet more Asian modellers but also to renew ties with old friends and acquaintances. And surprising as it may seem, this trip too served as my first meeting with Taesung Harmms, the proprietor and creative force behind Alpine Miniatures. Having worked for almost four years via countless emails, there was nothing short off inspiring and motivational like spending a couple of nights together discussing and brainstorming ideas over nightcap.
Reiterating once again, this has been a very enjoyable and fruitful trip; made possible by the many Korean modellers particularly those of the Model Museum Club who had generously extended their hospitality. There are many whom Taesung and I would like to thank and I sincerely apologize if your names are not recalled.

And finally a preview of Alpine's latest pair that was on show at NOVEM 2008.

Due for X'mas as I'm told....

Calvin

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

OFF TO KOREA.....

Labels: The M Workshop Posted by CALVIN TAN at 01:14

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Before I head off to the airport this evening to attend NOVEM 2008, a scale figure show organized by Young Miniatures in Korea, here are some pictures of a recent collaboration I did with K G Lim (aka Chef Lim to those who know him at the M Workshop).
The Panzer III was the credit of Chef Lim 's deft handiwork. I'm unable to describe further about the build as my involvement was solely a spur of the moment impetus to paint the tank commander from Doug Originals.
So moving on to the figure instead, I must comment that the fittings are very well engineered, needing very minimal clean-up with nubs assisting the alignment of critical parts such as the waist and the upper torso. The figure came together just within minutes after it was opened. Anatomy is spot on and details are crisp; but what I enjoyed from this short painting exercise was painting the drapery. It's very well defined, not too excessive or subtle yet not overly stylized; making it very friendly for beginners to approach. I'm definitely looking forward for my next spur to paint another from Doug's Originals.