PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: AK Interactive 3Gen Quick Gen Skin Tone Set

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.

Saturday, 3 January 2026

Leutnant, Brandenburg Division, Operation Rösselsprung, Yugoslavia, 1944

My first figure for 2026 – and don't worry, I did not paint this overnight. In fact, it started with the head back in August 2025 when I was designing the 3Gen and Quick Gen combination set for painting skin tones for AK Interactive. Feeling rather satisfied with the result, there was this irresistible desire to pair it with a body. It was about the same time in which AK released the range of Quick Gen paints, and I used it to great effect to recreate the ubiquitous lines on the Splittermuster pattern. In all, this was a rather straightforward painting exercise: the all-time classic "soldier carrying his firearm standing on a patch of grass" setup.
Last but not least, if you are asking about the shrubs framing the figure, these are 3D-printed plants from H-Diorama Gallery.

Cheers,

Calvin

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

SS Freiwilligen Legion Niederlande, Narva, 1944

Labels: AK Interactive, AK Interactive 3Gen Quick Gen Skin Tone Set, AK Interactive Calvin Tan Signature Set, Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 22:44

Getting ready for my painting workshop at 模樂堂 Happy Hobby in Hong Kong this weekend. I will be showcasing my updated painting workflow using AK Interactive's Quick Gen and 3Gen acrylics for painting 1/35 scale figures using Alpine Miniatures 35236 WSS Grenadier at Kharkov. Here's looking forward to meeting everyone who has signed up. The workshop will be conducted in Mandarin and Chinglish.