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.

Friday, 28 September 2018

Alpine Miniatures - SS Schutze KG Hansen Poteau 1944

Labels: Alpine Miniatures, Alpine Miniatures - SS Schutze KG Hansen Poteau 1944 Posted by Calvin Tan at 00:59

Just started painting another 1/35 scale figure from Alpine Miniatures over the past week.

A walk around of the photography rig used to photograph the work in progress of the painting. As far as tripods go, they occupy considerable floor space and always get in the way of my chair. Hence this rig was built using components of discarded easels and features a drawer slider track as a dolly locked in place with a F-clamp. I now have more leg room and minimal issues with camera focus unlike before.

Short video presentation created using the camera rig.

Cheers,

Calvin

Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Alpine Miniatures - Fallschirmjäger, Crete 1941

Labels: Alpine Miniatures - Fallschirmjäger Crete 1941, Young Miniatures Posted by Calvin Tan at 19:50

Calling it done on this very nice and simple figure from Alpine Miniatures. This was a rather straightforward painting assignment with minimal preparation. The right arm is secured with neodymium magnets to facilitate the painting of the Kar98 rifle and the rifle strap.

The figure was mostly painted with Vallejo Color, Jo Sonya and Andrea Color. The main difference I find with these three brands is that Vallejo Color flows better than Jo Sonya and Andrea Color and it is therefore more suited for fine detail work and glazing. The only drawback is that it may dry to a satin finish when the paints are not properly mixed. Jo Sonya, Andrea Color and to some extent AK Interactive colors have a much heavier and creamier consistency. I use them frequently for wet on wet applications due to the heavy body of the paint. It is also common for me to mix Jo Sonjas, Andrea Colors with the Vallejo Colors to have the best of both worlds.

Colors used to attain the color shade for the Grünmeliert jump smock. Andrea Color Field Grey was used in lieu of Tamiya Flat Base to ensure that the colors dry to a flat finish.

I also took the opportunity to sample the acrylic inks from Vallejo Color and Andrea Color.

The Vallejo Model Wash are quite convenient to use and they dry to a flat finish. They were particularly great for outlining the clothing seams on the figure. The inks from Andrea Color are a mixed bag. The brown ink dries completely flat and has a rich saturated orange brown finish. I used it in tandem with the Vallejo Model Wash to render the brown leather. The black ink dries to a satin finish and is particularly suited for enhancing the luster of the dark brown leather of the rifle sling.

In closing this has been a very enjoyable project to indulge in with some new products to review and play with in the process. I am going to take a short break from painting and see you again September with something new.

Cheers,

Calvin