PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE: Young Miniatures

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.

Showing posts with label Young Miniatures - US Marine Iwo Jima 1945. Show all posts

Friday, 3 April 2009

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

Labels: Young Miniatures - US Marine Iwo Jima 1945 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 15:17

_
Well, here it is after a week of refinements to Young Miniature's study of an US Marine Leatherneck from the epic battle of Iwo Jima; immortalised by the iconic flag raising at Mount Suribachi. Truly it was an enjoyable experience painting this fine sculpt. Rendered almost fully in acrylics, enamel-based metallic and oils were employed on features depicting metal and leather surfaces respectively. It is a deftly crafted and engineered kit that's bursting with character. Obvious challenges to the painting would be that of the "Duck Hunter" camouflage pattern and the vertical stroked lines of the herringbone uniform. All of which would not only require the proper technique but also a high level of concentration, focus and the all important discipline to complete.
That is why there are no real secrets to painting; only passionate hard/heart work.As with each veil of paint, every feature and detail comes alive, revealing a soul beyond its material core to resonate with our humanity....
Ok..before I digress into a load BS, do enjoy the pictures of completed work. Avaliable are more pictures HERE.

Cheers,

Calvin

Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

Labels: Young Miniatures - US Marine Iwo Jima 1945 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 12:25

.
While the upcoming Alpine Miniatures figure by Mike Good is on hiatus due to some revisions, I've started to resume more work on Young Miniatures US Marine bust earlier this morning.

Calvin

Tuesday, 3 March 2009

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

Labels: Young Miniatures - US Marine Iwo Jima 1945 Posted by CALVIN TAN at 21:37

_
Just when I thought that I could take things a little slower after the school semester is approaching its end, I found myself taking on another project to prepare a module syllabus for one of the schools I'm currently teaching.
Although the deadline for that job is rather tight, I still managed to squeeze some time off early last week to start painting Young Miniature's latest bust offering of a rugged study of a Leatherneck Marine at Iwo Jima.

Clean-up was extremely easy(courtesy of the heat gun nonetheless). I did however decided to omit the kit's plinth in lieu of a 7mm brass rod instead as it looked more compatible with the wooden base.

I will not delve more into the painting of the bust up to this point as I'm preparing that material for a new section on modelling tutorials for this blog. Nontheless I do hope you'll enjoy the pictures of the work done so far.