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

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.

Monday, 17 July 2023

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen, Normandy 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 22:32

Takin' it slow this evening.

Cheers,

Calvin

17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen, Normandy 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 00:05

This a work in progress of a painting commission in am doing in tandem with the1/16 scale US tank crew. Alpine Miniatures (35167). I transplanted the face from a Hornet head by removing the original face along the boundary of the chin strap. I find that this process is much easier than boring out a hole in the helmet and resculpting the neck to fit into the torso. It is undercoated with Mr Color Flat Clear and painted with AK Interactive Gen 3 Acrylics.

Cheers,

Calvin

Wednesday, 12 July 2023

SS-Scharführer, SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502, Das Reich, 1945

I spent this afternoon photographing an old work created in 2008 for the WE 2008. Alpine Miniatures (35058) with a Hornet head (HGH 13). This piece remains one of my personal favorites in my collection.

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 8 July 2023

Alpine Miniatures - 2nd US Armored Division, NW Europe, 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 16:46

I made some more progress on the HBT coveralls last night. I added the stripes on the back and then used a wash mixture of Dark Green and Black Brown to soften the appearance of the vertical stripes on the front. The highlights are created using a combination of Waffen Green, Medium Green, and Grimy Grey. As soon as that section of the trouser was finished, I attached the right arm to the torso.

Cheers,

Calvin

Monday, 3 July 2023

Alpine Miniatures - 2nd US Armored Division, NW Europe, 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 21:46

This evening's session was devoted to the laborious painting of the HBT work suit's distinctive lines. Taking the thousand yard stare as my cue, I decided to weave a touching story about this soldier at the Graves Registration Company. He is holding a deceased personal effects bag in his right hand and his fallen comrade's dog tag in his left. Both pieces are made of epoxy putty. More arduous work awaits the painting in the back.

Cheers,

Calvin

Saturday, 1 July 2023

Royal Model - SS Rottenführer, Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, 1944

Labels: Royal Model Posted by Calvin Tan at 09:41

It gives me great pleasure to present to you a recent 1/35 scale box art assignment I painted for Royal Model. It is a digital sculpt by Roberto Reale and fully painted in AK Interactive Gen 3 acrylics.

Last but not least, a very special mention to Werner Palinckx's excellent book Waffen SS Camouflage Uniforms published by AK Interactive, which arrived just as I was about to embark on this assignment.