PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: January 2013

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, 7 January 2013

A Happy 2013 To Everyone!!!

Labels: Alpine Miniatures - Leutnant Großdeutschland Ostfront 1944-45 Posted by Calvin Tan at 00:16

I would like to kick start the new year with an update of a recent project; or rather a trip down memory lane as I embark on my second rendition of Alpine Miniature's premier 1/16 scale figure Leutnant of the Großdeutschland Division sculpted by Mike Good.

In case you were wondering, there is a perfect good reason as to why I am painting this figure for the second time. Last December before the Christmas holiday week, I was very fortunate to be invited to Paris by Tony Lai from the Tony Shop to conduct a 3-day painting demonstration at his shop's premise. Considering all aspects, this figure proved to be most ideal to demonstrate my approach to painting the face, tunic and camouflage pattern in acrylics.

The set-up of my painting demonstration.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Tony Lai, Nicolas Gohin and Katherine for being such hospitable hosts to me and my wife. Kent Brazeau for eagerly helping out at the demonstration. It was also great to meet up with past acquaintances like Christophe Camilotte whom I had the pleasure to know back in 2007 at the Torrent Show and Laurent Borget back in the 2008 World Expo in Girona.