PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE

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. .

Saturday, 22 April 2017

US 6th Armored Division, Germany 1945

Labels: US 6th Armored Division Germany 1945 Posted by Calvin Tan at 14:38

Finally calling this done on the short single figure narrative.

Cheers,

Calvin

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

US 6th Armored Division, Germany 1945

Labels: US 6th Armored Division Germany 1945 Posted by Calvin Tan at 20:24

Recently embarked on this rather quick project to create a single figure narrative of a US tankcrew walking the grounds of a liberated Nazi concentration camp using stock figures. I wanted to capture the moment of a battle worn soldier coming to grips with the surrounding scene. This particular figure from Alpine Miniatures was chosen because I felt that the body language projects the composure by one overwhelmed by a wave of mix emotions. I swapped out the kit's head with a Hornet head - with the eyes re-sculpted to convey a giddy and dumbfounded look. The striped pyjamas was sculpted from epoxy putty - setting the scene for the figure.

Cheers,

Calvin

Thursday, 16 March 2017

Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew, Operation Citadel, Kursk 1943

Labels: Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew Operation Citadel Kursk 1943 Posted by Calvin Tan at 16:48

I am finally done with the painting of this classic figure. The ground work was built up from epoxy putty with fallen leafs made from Fimo Deco Gel. The fuel cans from AFV Club and Tamiya. Jo Sonja paints were exclusively used for the painting of the Oak Leaf pattern overalls. This was purely a recreational painting exercise and I decided to just keep it simple and minimal - considering that I have not painted a 1/35 scale figure in recent years. Hope you guys like how it turned out.

Cheers,

Calvin

Sunday, 12 March 2017

Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew, Operation Citadel, Kursk 1943

Labels: Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew Operation Citadel Kursk 1943 Posted by Calvin Tan at 17:03

Finally more progress done on this figure whilst the children are away with the Mrs on an overseas holiday trip. I hope I can get this finished before they return next weekend!

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 4 March 2017

Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew, Operation Citadel, Kursk 1943

Labels: Hornet Models - SS Tankcrew Operation Citadel Kursk 1943 Posted by Calvin Tan at 22:24

I am reliving the 1990's era with this recent painting of this timeless classic figure from Hornet Models sculpted by Roger Saunders. I cannot remember the last time I painted a metal figure but it does feel great to wet my brushes again on this piece. Notwithstanding the lack of sharp definition of details found in most of today's 1/35 scale resin figures, the simplicity of the drapes and the attitude of this figure can cater for an enjoyable and fulfilling painting experience.

To expedite the painting a little quicker, I inverted the figure and base coated the figure in Gunze Sanyo Black primer. Before it dried off completely, I flipped it over and sprayed a mist of Gunze Sanyo Grey Resin Primer to achieve a rudimentary impression of an overcast. It may appear grainy from the photos but that is just due to the fact that the aerosol can was sprayed from a distance to produce a "fuzzy' effect. (Be warned that this WILL NOT work with the Tamiya spray as the result will be coarse due to the pigment grain.)

Some of the intermittent work done over a two-week period.

Cheers,

Calvin

Friday, 17 February 2017

FeR Miniatures - Hauptmann, Operation Barbarossa, 1941

Labels: FeR Miniatures - Hauptmann Operation Barbarossa 1941 Posted by Calvin Tan at 11:30

Just thought I would make a quick update to the blog with a showcase of this finished piece from last year. The bases were custom made by Franco Serra of IL Basetta, Italy.