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.
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.
Do check out my Podcast interview with Barry Biediger and Jim DeRogatis at Box Dioramas.com
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.
This video presentation documents the process of rendering a highly detailed 1/35 scale after-market resin figure. Watch as I take the viewer through the process of rendering of leather, uniform insignia as well as camouflage patterns using the techniques and materials presented in the beginner's guide to achieve convincing results. It is available in both Japanese and English.
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. .
Finally completed this shelf queen. One less model from the stash.
Cheers,
Calvin
A little more progress made on the helmet cover as well as the extension on the two shoulders.
Painting the helmet cover this evening. Experimenting with the AK Quick Gen colours to create the blurring effect for the blurred edge camo.
Cheers,
Calvin
Here is another bust from Young Miniatures which I started over the past weekend. I decide to customise this piece by replacing the original face with another taken from the Ardennes Fallschirmjäger bust. The separation was made along the chin strap to transplant the new face; minor repairs were made with epoxy putty.
I recalled making this quick conversion of an early Alpine figure (35040) paired with another Alpine head from set (35282) back in 2023.
It has been languishing on my shelf for quite some time, and this weekend I thought I would give it a final push through the door and give it a quick and simple groundwork using parts from the scrap box. The legs were repositioned to fit into the grooves of the tracks to attain a more natural stance. I also added a white flag fashioned from epoxy putty in the background to echo the breeze carrying the flaps of the tanker's helmet.
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Calling this piece done. One more for the display, one less from the stash.
About 80% there. Some housekeeping is needed at the back. Time to hit the sack.....
Cheers,
Calvin
A little more progress.....
Cheers,
Calvin
Last weekend I did a short painting demo at the Hong Kong International Model Festival with this 1/10 scale head from Young Miniatures using AK Gen 3 and Quick Gen acrylics. This afternoon, I decided to spend a little more time rendering the facial features. To be continued.....
Cheers,
Calvin
Earlier this week, I visited the head office of King and Country Toy Soldiers in Hong Kong and was given a sample of their toy soldiers. As a result, I decided to attempt something new: elevate their paintwork using the AK Gen 3 and Quick Gen acrylics. It took me approximately 4 hours to render the additional tones straight over the factory matt finish. The figure's proportion borders on the caricatured, and it reminds me of the old Series 77 figures from the 1980s by Pat Bird as well as the smaller 28 mm tabletop wargaming figures. Nonetheless, it does have its appeal, and despite some imperfections, I must say it was unexpectedly fun to paint.
WIP – Alpine Miniatures 35193 with a Hornet head. Painted with AK Interactive Gen 3 acrylics and Quick Gen.
Cheers,
Calvin
