PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: Tamiya 1/35 scale M24 Chaffee Tank Crews

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

I developed this instructional DVD with Model Art magazine to help beginner armor and diorama modelers master the art of the 1/35 scale figure. In this video, I demonstrate easy-to-follow techniques for painting injection-molded plastics—from choosing the right brushes to the 'little tricks' I use for fine details. This is a complete showcase of my personal methods, and I’m confident it will help any modeler take their work to the next level. For your convenience, the DVD is available in both English and Japanese."

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.

Sunday, 1 November 2026

Tamiya 1/35 scale M24 Chaffee Tank Crews

I guess I could not resist taking a stab at painting the tank crews from Tamiya's new M24 Chaffee, released earlier this year. I base-coated the figures with Tamiya paints thinned with AK Perfect Cleaner. No primer or flat coat was necessary, as Tamiya acrylics seem to adhere quite well to the bare plastic.

Once the base colours had cured, I used AK Interactive’s 3rd Gen and Quick Gen paints to render the highlights and shadows. It feels as though everything has come full circle. After years of priming in black followed by a grey/white zenithal overspray, I've returned to starting directly with the base colour and working my way toward the darkest and brightest values

The game changer for me was employing AK's Ultra Matt Varnish and 3Gen Thinner as painting mediums in lieu of water. These two items are quintessential to my workflow, as they help to resolve the one big problem surrounding painting with acrylics, water marks. If you are reading this blog post, I strongly recommend that you try them.

That said, I am currently preparing another painting article that showcases an update to my painting technique, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here are some photos of the tank crews completed in under 6 hours.