PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: June 2023

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, 28 June 2023

Alpine Miniatures - 2nd US Armored Division, NW Europe, 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 23:20

A little more work done over this evening.

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 24 June 2023

The Thousand Yard Stare

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 23:25

1/16 scale head study from Alpine Miniatures (16044). Painted with AK Interactive Gen 3 paints.

Cheers,

Calvin

Thursday, 15 June 2023

Young Miniatures - US 1st Marine Division, Battle of Chosin Reservoir, Korea 1950

Labels: Young Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 13:54

I haven't painted a Young Miniatures bust in a very long time. The 2023 MALCOM and Hobby Show in Penang, Malaysia, however, gave me the chance to use this 1/10 scale bust as my subject for a painting demonstration. This brief demonstration, which solely focused on painting the face and probably some of the uniform, lasted only one hour. After the presentation, I resolved to finish the painting when I got home so as not to let it sit unfinished. Here are the outcomes of about a week's worth of sporadic painting using AK Interactive Gen 3 paints.

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 10 June 2023

AK Interactive - Waffen-SS Camouflage Uniforms

Labels: AK Interactive Posted by Calvin Tan at 18:44

Fresh off the press! If you are an aficionado of WW2 German Camouflage like myself, this book is a must to include in your reference library. I'm able to share a few excerpts from this fantastic resource on the Waffen SS camouflage uniforms thanks to the kind people at AK Interactive. This hardcover book's 387 pages are jam-packed with high-quality images of all the key pieces of camouflage attire, including smocks, winter padded uniforms, and tank crew coveralls. Along with historical photographs, each article of clothing has a bold line illustration showing the seams and cutting (in the manner of Andrew Mollo's books). In order to create this extensive publication, renowned expert Werner Palinckx gathered some of the finest artifacts and rare articles. Even for myself I am uncovering new facts about this subject from this book. To place your order, click HERE or check in with your local AK Interactive representative.