PERSPECTIVES IN MINIATURE

Alpine Miniatures - III/SS-PzGren-Rgt 2, Ardennes, 1944

2010-01-07T13:28:00.005+08:00

Just managed to cram in a little more work on the SS-Erbsenmuster pattern yesterday evening. Only remains to the painting of this figure would be the trousers and the spare head before moving back to Diefenthal.

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - III/SS-PzGren-Rgt 2, Ardennes, 1944

2009-12-31T20:55:00.002+08:00

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2009 is finally coming to an end and I cannot say that it has been a dull year with my ascension to fatherhood status. I was also very fortunate to be granted some time off by The Wife to attend the Lier Convention late last November to meet old friends and acquaint new ones. Modeling wise in retrospect, I did quite a lot of painting and did not recall sculpting much; which reminds me to resume work on an overdue commission I promised a long while back right after this assignment from Alpine Miniatures.

No prizes for guessing which genius sculpted this pair (not myself for sure) which serves as a companion set to Alpine Miniature's KG Peiper released almost a year ago. The sculpting does accurately portray SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Diefenthal during the Ardennes Offensive and I do hope that the painting at this point helps reveal some semblance.

I also took some in-progress shots to document how I actually work (when not giving demos or making step by step articles); broad and looses strokes to establish overall harmony of colors, shades and tones, and refining the transitions and details as I go along. Though the process is very much arbitrary, the basic principals of light and shade, color harmony and craft very much apply.

That is the last time I check in for this year folks. See you on the other side of 2010.

Here's wishing everyone and all a Happy New Year!!!

Calvin

Sturmmann, SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 9, Hungary 1945

2009-12-16T15:35:00.006+08:00

I'm so glad to find some time this week to do some painting again. Only recently, I prepared a 1/16 figure (through the kind courtesy of Taesung Harmms of Alpine Miniatures) for my demonstration on painting camouflage patterns at the recently concluded Lier Convention (you can see the faint trace of the result from the demonstration at the bottom right of the Zeltbahn). So as not to repeat the languishing process of painting the Splinter pattern, I decided to represent my subject as a late-war Waffen-SS grenadier and take on the autumn version of the Oak-leaf camouflage pattern.

The outlook was achieved by changing the belt buckle(also generously provided from the private stores of Taesung Harmms)and outfitting it with the ubiquitous camouflage cover sculpted from epoxy putty.

Over the black undercoat, I randomly airbrushed a light hazy coat of Prussian Blue and Dark Red prior to the application of local colors to rein in the stark value of the black. As the local colors come on, the saturation of these foreign colors are subdued and in place subtle nuances of blues, reds and greens within the tonal spectrum of the local color are revealed. It is through such means that variations in color values and color tones are introduced, greatly enhancing the depth within the color space.

Apart from the Impressionists, I also cannot deny the influence of the Expressionist artists on this endeavour. The Expressionism movement spanned through from both World Wars and had been most successful in articulating the human condition thorough bold and daring applications of exaggerated colors, forms and compositions. This also means a deviation from our current trend which entails the realistic representation of colors to one of symbolic interpretation.

All great artists hold reverence to lighting for which leverages the appearance of form, space and more importantly the properties of color (value, hue and saturation/intensity). It is impossible to discuss color without the implication of light and its relation to color perception and how our brain subsequently responds to it. Colors exist because of light which also in tandem creates moods by triggering the emotion centers of our brain. It is by such means that we distinguish a happy image from a sad one by means of colors alone. Though, important as it may be, colors account to a fraction of this experience. Artists have both consciously and unconsciously manipulated natural elements such as lighting to yield more tonal and value color contrast; not only reveal certain details than what natural lighting could possible but to also exact a greater emotional response from the viewer. A good example would be to check out how film-makers like Ridley Scott exploit such principals in his film The Gladiator.

Deciding to depict the human condition of a fatigued and frightened soldier struggling amidst a cold and unforgiving environment, I took some ques from the German Expressionists and employed several tones of cool greens and violets in the shadows to create an eerie and ghastly portrayal. Apart from some refinements in tonal transitions, I'm quite satisfied with the current result. That however leaves me with another challenge of the Oak Leaf camouflage on the Zeltbahn.

On a final note, please do not write in for color mixes as this endeavour follows an arbitrary and experimental process for which I foresee the color palette evolving from time to time. Thus my sincere advice to all would be to first understand the basic concepts of color theory and find the time to practice it like a language to improve the proficiency.

cheers,

Calvin

Lier Convention 2009 - Belgium

2009-12-07T15:19:00.059+08:00

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After a three month hiatus, I've finally found the time juggling between fatherhood and a new full-time job to furnish some updates.
First up is show report of a recently concluded invitation as a special guest to the Lier Convention in Belgium organized by the Modelbouwclub Lier over the weekend of 28-29 November.

Traveling to Belgium is convenient as there are direct flights from Singapore to Amsterdam. From Schiphol airport itself there are direct train services to Antwerp for which Lier is only a 20 minute drive away. I was fortunate though to have Mario Eens and Wim Van Hool from the club to greet my arrival at Antwerp Central station and ferry me to the convention venue.

Vol au vent,my first meal in Belgium.

I must admit that my initially impression was that of a small local model show, but in all respects of what I've witnesses and experienced over that weekend had proved otherwise.

This year was the first time Modelbouwclub Lier have conducted the event over a two day period so that the show could be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace. Still the large convention hall was rapidly set-up in under two hours by the club members on the day before to accommodate vendors, exhibitors and contestants the next day.

Exceeding my expectations, the convention was extremely well attended not only by the local modelers but modelers from various parts of Europe(the Germans especially came in large numbers through the Ardennes ;P). It showcased a number of well stocked trade vendors and several stellar award-winning displays from modeling clubs like AMSS (Antwerp Model Soldier Society), KMK (Kempense Modelbouw Klub) and Scale Model Factory(TWENOT). As for the contest, there was an enthusiastic turn-out of high quality contest entries not only from Europe but also from far flung Malaysia as well!

Here are some of my excerpts from the displays at the show:

All the way from Italy is Giuliano Chigorno's T-55. Molto Bello!!!

Staf Sneyers

Sven Frisch

Kristof Pulinckx

Mario Eens

Bernhard Lustig

Pascal Tognon

Roy Schurgers

Christian Gerard

Each of this year's special guests including old friends Marijn van Gils, Adam Wilder and myself were tasked to present two demonstrations each. Marijn covered a two-part demonstration on figure sculpting whereas Adam delved into the art of soldering photo-etched parts and weathering techniques for armored vehicles. I covered topics on painting faces and camouflage patterns with acrylic paints.

Marijn's demonstration on figure sculpting.

Adam's exclusive demonstration on soldering techniques at the Modelbouwclub Lier club house.

For more pictorial coverage of the contest entries and event, do check out the link on Modelbouwclub Lier

Following the show on Monday, the tourist in me made a visit to Brussels with Marijn as my hospitable host and guide.

Brussels Central decked out for Christmas.

These macaroons are probably the best I've had.

The next day, I made a day trip to the Ardennes with Modelbouwclub Lier members Wim, Mario and Frank Eyckmans. A local himself with a keen enthusiasm on the history of the Ardennes Offensive, one could not ask for a better guide than Frank to visit the historical sites of Bastogne, Houffalize, Poteau and La Glazie. Though the weather proved unfavorable for sight-seeing with heavy overcasts, it did however reflected the conditions experienced by the soldiers who fought there 65 years ago.

Mardasson Memorial at Bastogne

At Bastogne with Mario in front of a Sherman tank.

At Houffalize with the legendary Panther tank. Getta load of this Dinesh!!!!

The site of the Poteau ambush by Kampfgruppe Hansen.

The bad gloomy weather and thoughts of being away from my daughter and wife are eclipsed by the hospitality of my Belgian hosts Marijn and Pinar, members of Modelbouwclub Lier and KMK Blue Shirts. Thank you guys from making me feel welcome and Wim for generously providing me the dependable support for my demonstrations. Here's looking forward to meeting up with all of you again in the near future.

Calvin

IT IS A GIRL !!!!!!!

2009-08-26T15:51:00.002+08:00

For quite sometime my wife Gwen and I were praying for a child and by the grace of God this prayer was finally answered late last year. Now, after many months of anticipation Gwen and I are most pleased to announce the arrival of our newest family member, Abigail, on Monday evening, 24 August, 2009.

After two days of being a father, I can only say that she gets very loud and cranky to signal her meal time from mummy. But when seeing her after so snugly laid to sleep in my arms makes that all so insignificant; a feeling that has often been described to me by others but not personally experienced til this moment.

As you can probably imagine, spare time for modelling will be curtailed by baby bathing time, diaper changing detail as with all the other last minute surprises that every parent will experience. Nonetheless, I will try my best to share some material that I promised to post and will do so when my routine life stabilizes. On behalf of us two excited first-time parents, Gwen and I would love thank you all for your well wishes and blessings to our new found joy Abigail.

Calvin

More German Tankers from Alpine Miniatures.

2009-08-02T22:44:00.015+08:00

I'm so glad that the hectic month of July was over. With no respite from painting the bust of the Fallujah US Marine from Young Miniatures, I've made the final push over the weekend to complete another urgent box art assignment for two Alpine Miniatures 1/35 scale tank crew figures sculpted by Taesung Harmms.
Posed cradling a young pup, this half of a two figure set is proposed to sit snugly on the barrel of the Panther tank. I've taken the liberty instead to place it on a Stug III built by resident M Workshop artist, KG "Chef" Lim and photographed it against a scenic setting. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Here's a piece of good news for Allied Modellers, Hiroyuki Ishii-Sensei has sent me some pictures of his latest sculpts of not two but four 1/35 scale British SAS LRDG figures. The color of the material does suggest that Ishii-Sensei carves with polyester putty, an approach which is prevalent amongst most Japanese sculptors.
Now, the good news I'm told is that this four figure team will be commercially available under the Japanese brand name Swash Design, known widely for their highly detailed motorcycle kits. It is not known from this time of writing if the figures will be available loosely or as a set. But nonetheless it will be one on the shopping list when it comes out!

That is all the update for now while I prepare to "air" the MARPAT for the next blog post.

Calvin

US Marine, Fallujah, Iraq 2004

2009-07-19T21:41:00.011+08:00

Once again I'm very privileged to provide a sneak preview of Young Miniature's upcoming 1/9 scale bust. Not an easy assignment I must admit but nonetheless very rewarding due to the quality of the sculpt by Young Bok.
I did felt that the colors for the desert MARPAT pixel camouflage were quite elusive due to the varied lighting conditions from my photographic references. They seem to be either appear grayish or yellowish brown in tones. After some color trials, I decided to cut a tone somewhere in between the Grey and yellow/brown zones. For those keen folks out there, within the next coming weeks or so I'll try to provide an illustrated painting chart to assist those with similar projects.

Finally, thank you for your enthusiastic support and inquiring emails. Please understand that this is a particularly busy time for me and I do have another two more future Alpine Miniatures releases that need my immediate attention ( more of that to follow). Hence, your patience with me is greatly appreciated.

cheers,

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - Grenadier, 558. Volksgrenadier-Division, East Prussia 1945

2009-06-30T20:57:00.017+08:00

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Well finally after some anticipation, here are some previews of Alpine Miniature's latest 1/16 scale offering before it officially goes "live".

Now with regards to painting, I've always employed a method employed by legendary American illustrator Andrew Loomis called “toning” the palette. One of favorite artist James Gurney summarizes this clearly HERE; which may I add too contains a ton of other stuff which could prove extremely relevant for future projects.

As mentioned previously in my earlier post, I opted to employ a palette of cool colors to reinforce the portrayal of cold and darkness of twilight. Hence, the colors of the figure were not mixed to match the actual artifacts but instead to sync with the atmosphere. That is why it might not be a good idea to use my color notes to paint a paratrooper at Monte Cassino which might be sunny, hot and dry.

Again, with reference to the Impressionists, colors are no longer the intrinsic property of the object but rather by of the illumination of light making the appearance of its color a highly extrinsic one.
It might sound complicated from this point but I believe that this can have both intrinsic and extrinsic implications to the subject. Intrinsic meaning that the subject is illuminated with its own light rather than on an external source (the light which we rely for painting). Fantasy miniature artists have long understood this and have since exploited it to great extent in their works to depict atmosphere. David Rodriguez's excellent example greatly exemplifies this with his rendering of Gandalf.
For historical subjects, one work that comes to mind was the rendition of the bust from Benito of U-Boot commander Eric Topp, in which Spanish miniature artist Jose Caballero Delso brilliantly captured the illumination of the red light within the confines of the submarine vessel without it awkwardly looking like red paint being smeared. There is of course a principal to this method of which Cezanne has pioneered more than a century back which I think I'll save the explanation for another painting project in the future.
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cheers,

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - Grenadier, 558. Volksgrenadier-Division, East Prussia 1945

2009-06-19T23:48:00.005+08:00

Whilst taking a short break from the work bench to ease my concentration and relax my painting hand, here is an early kick start to the weekend with some pictures of the painting done so far.

Right from the onset, I decided on a palette of cool colors to depict the cold atmosphere of the scene. I also made a point to avoid using straight black for the rendering of the shadows; choosing in lieu a dark blue mixed from flat black and Prussian Blue for a softer and more natural result. For the more perceptive, you will notice some subtle hints and nuances of violets, blue and pink painted within certain areas of shadows and highlights. Unsual as it might sound, a couple of colors from the Vallejo range of fantasy paints such as Squid Pink & Warlord Purple served this purpose. These colors were not used straight from the bottle but rather incorporated to cool the temperature and cut the saturation of the local colors which are predormantly warm. Consequently, this application of complementary colors lends greater dimension to the visual texture of the figure when compared to monocromatic and analogus schemes.

Currently there are still many painting concepts that I'm trying to attain with this piece but due to the lack of time due to an impending deadline, I must conclude my report for now. Hopefully if time permits, I do hope to furnish more updates and share more color notes to this painting project later this weekend.

And before I forget, here's wishing all fathers a Happy Fathers' Day!

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - Grenadier, 558. Volksgrenadier-Division, East Prussia 1945

2009-06-18T15:13:00.007+08:00

Once again I'm very privileged to host a sneak peak of Alpine Miniature's upcoming release of another 1/16 scale German figure. Before one recoils into exasperated sighs of another "boring and imaginative" subject, it has to be said though many were made, few what so ever surpasses the quality put forth by such.

Sculpted by proprietor and principal sculptor Taesung Harmms, this figure bears the quintessential quality trademarks of Alpine Miniatures. From the demeanor and characterization, the styling of the Zeltbahn (shelter quarter) over the winter greatcoat and canvas webbing, to outfitting of the ubiquitous Gewehr-43 rifle, this figure resonates everything about the archetypal German soldier from the late-war period of 1944-45. As usual,two head options with different styles of helmet head gear will be provided.

Though provided is the single option of a Wehrmacht soldier, depiction to a Waffen-SS soldier can easily be done by changing the belt buckle. Some 1/16 scale Tamiya figure kits provide two options of belt buckles, allowing a spare for such an undertaking.

In this coming weekend, I'll try to provide an update to the progress on the painting of the kit from the past week.

cheers,

Calvin

Young Miniatures - SS-Fallschirmjäger Battalion 500, Drvar 1944

2009-05-24T00:44:00.009+08:00

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And finally here's an update from the workbench. As previously mentioned, my hectic teaching schedules have prevented me from sustaining any intensive projects in the past month. So struck by the mood for a quick and relaxing painting project, I decided to have a shot at painting this lovely sculpt by fellow French colleague Laurent Borget through the generous courtesy of Young Bok of Young Miniatures.

The kit consists of six parts(including the plinth). With minimal flash present, painting began almost immediately after the resin carriers were removed. No assemblies were needed on the onset. These were separately painted in their respective local colors over my customary black undercoat.

Feeling tired with my current palette of colors which essentially revolves in the recreation of the subjects' actual colors, I decided to draw some inspiration from the Impressionist artists such as Corot, Cezanne, Monet and Renoir in their approach to painting.
More often so we attain tonal contrast by introducing either a darker shade or lighter tone of the local color as highlights or shadows. Sometimes black or white is incorporated to achieve that particular tint or shade. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that approach and as a matter of fact, that was the common practice in many schools of painting before the Impressionist movement began. The Impressionists rather, abstained from the use of black in their palettes and leveraged on complimentary colors for shade and contrast. Quoting from Renoir "No shadow is black. It always has a color. Nature knows only colors … white and black are not colors."

Drawing references from the Impressionists, I embarked to explore their theoretical use of complimentary colors in creating shadow tones in lieu of black. The problem however for the uninitiated would be the means to define the complimentary colors of the local colors on the figure; taking for example what would be the complimentary color of flesh tone?
As all colors originate from the primary of Red, Blue and Yellow, we begin the analysis by determining the color bias of the flesh tone. Bias meaning, does it slant towards orange, yellow or red/pink, etc...? Determining the color's bias can subsequently allow one to associate it with its complimentary color. Meaning to say that should the flesh tone be of orange bias, its complimentary will be blue, yellow bias will be violet and red/pink bias will be green.
There are two key approaches in the employment of complimentary colors. The first would be by mixing colors with their complimentary. Doing so in small amounts will dull their intensity, creating a muted tone suited for that of a salty uniform. Too much however will result in a brownish mixture also known as "Mud".

The second deals fundamentally with contrast. Consequently, as colors affiliate, contrast is lost. That is where Monet picks up with the answer, "Color owes its brightness to force of contrast rather than to its inherent qualities […] primary colors look brightest when they are brought into contrast with their complementaries.”

Thus to achieve contrast in their works, the Impressionist favored multiple combinations of complimentary colors in their works. Examples include combinations of Red-Green, Violet-Yellow and Orange-Blue, resulting in a varied symphony of colors rather than a linear analogous range of colors.

As color is an immensely huge topic to cover, I highly recommend checking out the article Shading with Complimentary Colors by Einion Rees where he describes in greater detail about the theory and practice of color used by artists and their relevant application to modeling.

Moving along with the bust, after the face was rendered, the local colors were applied with an airbrush (with the exception of the Green and Brown patterns of the Splinter Camouflage). No masking was needed as I wanted all the colors to echo off each other with the over-spray, establishing a sense of affinity.

The painting gets more refined with the key features get accentuated. Mindful of the stark effect black produces, I prepared an alternative dark color for the outlining that consisted a mixture of Deep Prussian Blue, Flat Black and Purple.

For a more personalized touch, I proceeded to sculpt a scarf from epoxy putty around the collar of the Field Grey Tunic. Some leftover putty was used to model the strands of stray hair peeking out from his helmet; reinforcing his disheveled appearance. The scarf was painted red as a complimentary tone to the grey-green of the tunic.

This was relatively a quick experimental exercise with color and though it's difficult to see from the pictures, several areas of the shadows contain shades of violet, blues and greens. Colors which the Impressionists use for their shadows. Despite the hassle of painting the Splinter pattern, I did have a lot of fun in the process and certainly was great way to unwind after a hectic day of work.

cheers,

Calvin

Zündapp KS750 with Sidecar by Yukio Honma

2009-05-14T12:25:00.000+08:00

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Work has been exceptionally busy in the past month, leaving very time for modelling let alone updating this blog with new content. Fortunately, Yukio Honma was very kind enough to share some pictures of his recent project; a nicely executed 1/35 scale vignette of two figures which he sculpted to go along with the Zündapp KS750 with Sidecar from Lion Roar. Now, for those who find Yukio's name familiar, it is because he has done a couple of commercial work for Pegaso, Miniature Park and more recently Alpine Miniatures.
Do enjoy the pictures of his latest creation and I'll be back soon with more updates from my workbench.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to those who have taken the time to write to me asking for colour recipes, tips, advice and critiques. I've read your emails and I'm trying my best to reply them as soon as possible. Thank you all again for your patience and kind support.

cheers,

Calvin

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

2009-04-03T15:17:00.012+08:00

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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

Alpine Miniatures - SS-Unterscharführer, SSPzAbt 101, 1944

2009-03-26T14:37:00.012+08:00

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After a week of anticipation, here's the final box art with the revised heads after a visit to the shrink. :P
Ok, bad jokes aside, overall this was generally a very nice and straightforward figure to paint. I highly recommend it to the beginner whose main struggle would be the head and there will be two in the kit to practice on. The leather suit lends itself an aura of stylish class in contrast to most conventional combat uniforms. Its rendering too was not a complex issue as I soon got hold of how. The secret lies essentially in manipulating with both the satin and matt finishes.
A satin finish when compared to a matt one will have a deeper appearance. This attribute greatly enhances the illusion of depth when strategically applied within the deepest shadows. The satin finish was also extended to the mid-tones, creating the sheen of leather. This could be achieved by glazes of both oil paints and acrylic inks.
With the mid tones and shadows addressed, the highlights were rendered with glazes of matt acrylic black. Though most of my acrylic paints are tainted with Tamiya Flat Base I choose to incorporate with a little more than my usual dose into the black, producing a black chalky mixture. As a result, I do not lose any of the colour's properties and still get a tone light enough to contrast against the shadows.
Adding more dimension to the leather suit, effects of chafe and wear were applied along the edges of the suit. This lends itself more contrast to the suit, enhancing the crisp details of the sculpt.

I would have much preferred to have more insignia such as the runes and rank tabs of the inner tunic. Despite this, its simplicity does inspire the obvious potential to convert him to an U-boat crewman or even a solid basis for ambitious conversions.

Calvin

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

2009-03-10T12:25:00.002+08:00

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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

Alpine Miniatures - SS-Unterscharführer, SSPzAbt 101, 1944

2009-03-07T13:22:00.016+08:00

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Taking a short intermittent break from the painting of Young Bok's US Marine bust, the past few days have been involved in the painting of the box art for an upcoming Alpine Miniatures release.
Sculpted by Mike Good, whose good name is no stranger to the figure/military modelling fraternity (no pun intended) this 1/16 scale figure is a simple study of an SS tank crew clad in the ubiquitous leather suit commonly issued to U-boat crews.

The figure was easily pieced and together with the embellished groundwork was primed with Flat Black. With the face painted,it made the work appear 90% done.

It soon proved however not to be the case as I attempted for a more realistic rendering of leather on a larger scale using both acrylic and oil paints.

Tune in next week for more updates.

Calvin

Young Miniatures - US Marine, Iwo Jima 1945

2009-03-03T21:37:00.011+08:00

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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.

cheers,

Calvin

SS-Scharfï¿½hrer, Das Reich, 1945 [Webshots]

2009-02-27T05:45:14-08:00

SS-Scharfï¿½hrer, Das Reich, 1945

by zyclyon4
see more photos from this album (6) ...

5th Royal Tank Regiment, North Africa, 1942

2009-02-07T10:18:00.009+08:00

After completing the paint work of the two figures in time for their timely release this month, I decided to embellish the seemingly plain groundwork with an Allied road sign and some litter left behind by the retreating Germans. The figures are now avaliable through Alpine Miniatures together with their 5th Anniversary figure, WSS Gebirgsjäger "Prinz Eugen", sculpted by Thai sculptor Pongsatorn Kanthaboon and painted by Spanish master painter Jaume Ortiz.
Also in celebration with Alpine Miniature's 5th anniversary, a Figure Painting & Photographing Contest has been announced on the company's site and several modeling forums. Click HERE for more contest information and here's also hoping to see some jaw dropping work from you guys out there!

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - 5th Royal Tank Regiment, North Africa 1942

2009-02-01T15:40:00.017+08:00

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Following a piqued interest in WW2 Allied subjects after the rendition of Young Miniature's bust of the US 101st Airborne at Bastogne, the offer to paint Alpine Miniature's latest offering of Allied/Commonwealth figures was gleefully accepted early last January. Though the painting only commenced just a week ago due to a short stint of Army Reservist duties, much of the lost time was made up during the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Looking at the unpainted figures, I don't think there's more need to elaborate about Taesung's top-notch sculpting. I sincerely hope that this will come greatly appreciated by WW2 Allied modellers whose yearnings from Alpine to put forth such a release seemed long neglected. And though the head gear and insignia makes them to be tank crews, I do see the possibility of them being converted to personal of a LRDG Chevrolet 30 cwt Patrol Truck or a SAS jeep. (remember, we are only limited by our own imaginations).

Point to mention is apart from the usual extra pair of heads provided, the seated figure and double-figure set is scheduled to include a very cute Retriever pup (possibly a company mascot) which appears to be craving for a Scooby-snack.

A small section of a North-African well was modelled out from epoxy putty to accommodate the seated figure. The stone texture was created by deliberately first allowing the soft putty to blister under extreme heat in the toaster oven such that when cured and carved with a scalpel, it reveals a pitted surface resembling stone.

I opted to prime the whole set-up with a very dark red mixture of Gunze Sanyo Flat Black and Character Red so as to give a dark yet warm base to work from.

The main areas on the figure receive their respective base colours applied with an airbrush to hasten the process.

Colours used for the battle dress consisted a mix of US Field Drab, English Uniform and SS Camouflage Black Brown. Darker shades were achieved with a darker mix comprising of more SS Camo Black Brown. Lighter tones were comprised of varying mixes of English Uniform and Wood. The Khaki Shorts were rendered with mixes of US Deck Tan, Dark Sand, Pale Sand and Stone Grey. Darker tones were done with a darker mix consisting of more Stone Grey and by the same token lighter tones were done by increasing the amount of Pale Sand.

The seated figure was clothed in a standard issue cardigan which was painted with a mix of Russian Uniform,US Field Drab and US Olive Drab.

The standing figure is almost completed whilst the seated figure still has some prominent areas to render. More of that later next week...

cheers,

Calvin

Young Miniatures - 506PIR, 101st Airborne, Bastogne 1944

2009-01-10T12:24:00.032+08:00

Finally after two weeks into the year 2009, here's my built-up review of Young Miniatures bust of an US Soldier sculpted by Hiroyuki Ishii. This marks Ishii-San's most recent collaboration with Young Miniatures and in my opinion one of his finest work to date.

The kit consists of ten components packed in a sponge cushioned sturdy black box. Upon closer examination, one can fully appreciate the high level of Ishii's workmanship testified by the intricate motifs on the buttons, the fine lining of the fabric seams and the smooth and flawless finish. It's also interesting to note that the sculpting has a stylized and precise quality to it as shown by the rendering of the creases and the treatment of the webbing's texture.

Removing the molding plugs was made much easier by first softening them slightly with a heat gun/hot air blower and slicing them off with a sharp blade.Thus as far as common knowledge goes, I would advice against using this approach for thinner items.

As mentioned in an earlier post, the face was painted at a "live" demo workshop during M Con. In favor of atmosphere and feel, I opted to paint the face in cooler tones by incorporating a little Prussian Blue to the shade colours.

The texture of the wool coat was depicted by carefully stippling various colour mixes of US Field Drab, Wood, Beige Brown, US Olive Drab and SS Camo Black Brown(owing to the degree of illumination on the surface's relief) until a dense appearance is achieved.

Other effects such as the wooden stock of the M1 Garand and the leather straps was painted with artists' oils. A light blow from the hairdryer helped to manipulate the resin strap to appear taut when slung over the shoulder.

Calvin

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2008-12-24T14:23:00.003+08:00

Well it seems most uncannily appropriate to celebrate the festivities of a rough year with this greeting of a portrait of an US 101st Airborne Para at the Siege of Bastogne. Though it looked good enough for this e-greeting, there are still some parts around that I'm not too pleased.
I will also try to answer some queries with regards to the rendering of the wool overcoat. But until then, here's wishing everyone good health, happy modelling and a God Blessed Christmas Season.

Calvin

SS-Brigadeführer, LSSAH, ca.1943

2008-12-20T22:41:00.003+08:00

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Well, after some disciplined sessions of painting, I managed to add the crowning touches to this figure just before the holiday season. And now moving on to Ishii-Sensei's bust.....yeah!

Calvin

SS-Brigadeführer, 1/24 scale - WIP

2008-12-16T18:30:00.002+08:00

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Holidays are finally here again which also means it's time to returned to this long overdue commission for a collector friend of mine. I'm glad that the tedious process of sculpting and detailing are finally over. It's almost a week old into the painting and there are still a couple of areas like the hands, breeches and several parts of the tunic that need some more attention.

Though taking it easy, I do hope to get him finished by this week and get back to painting the 101st Airborne bust from Young Miniatures.
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Calvin

M CON - A Resounding Success!!!!!

2008-11-27T13:04:00.001+08:00

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After many months of anticipation and planning, the premier scale modelling event in Singapore has finally came to a successful conclusion over the last weekend. Expectations of crowd turn-out and entries far superseded everyone's expectation(mine included) as from what I understood a major Gundam modelling contest held in the vicinity as well.
Nonetheless, great displays provided by both the contestants and jury; coupled with the central location downtown still made it irresistible for some to sneak a long lunch break during the week days to soak up the wonderful atmosphere here.

Apart from being entrusted with the key role of judging the contest entries in a panel of top notch local modellers; I was also scheduled to conduct a painting demo workshop and sculpting presentation last Friday night and co-chaired a talk/presentation on armor modelling with Dinesh on the following day.

Though I've taken privy to post some pictures taken from my camera, do also check out the additional reports and pictures for both event and contest entries as well as the modelling scene in Singapore over at SprueCutters and Plamo Forum.

The view of the exhibition hall from the front entrance.

Dinesh, John and Leslie judging the aircraft category.

Siew Keong and I judging the ships category.

The turn-out on Sunday afternoon for the awards ceremony.

The folks from the M Workshop who formed part of the organizing and staff committee of M Con 2008.

As an afterthought, I must express that it was a great privilege to have been a part of this premier scale modelling event. Though it was the first ever event managed by the organizing and staff committee, everyone clearly knew their roles and when necessary, eagerly chipped in to get matters resolved.Well done folks!

Despite the humble number of entries, the judges still took pains to go through each submitted entry as to ensure the rewards were fairly meted out .

The visitor turn-out was also surprising good. I noticed a lot of interaction and sharing of concepts techniques and ideas amongst the modellers themselves. I wished I could have more time to mingle more but alas like most shows, time was limited. Nonetheless, there's always the opportunity to meet up at the M Workshop to pick up where the conversation last stopped.

Finally, here's a snapshot of the 1/9 scale bust sculpted by Hiroyuki Ishii-Sensei sponsored by Young Miniatures which was the subject of my "live" demo workshop last Friday night. He looks happier here than on the box art; perhaps getting pulled back from the foxhole to get some hot chow. More on that soon and especially on rendering of the wool texture.

cheers,

Calvin

SS-BrigadeFuhrer [Webshots]

2008-12-21T17:49:37-08:00

SS-BrigadeFuhrer

by zyclyon4
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Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper, Ardennes 1944, [Webshots]

2008-11-20T17:56:06-08:00

Alpine Miniatures - KG Peiper, Ardennes 1944,

by zyclyon4
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Kampfgruppe Peiper, LSSAH, Ardennes 1944

2008-11-11T23:11:00.009+08:00

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Just thought I'll share some promotional materials I created from the photos of the completed the vignette. I wish I could have earlier thought of posing them either beside or on top of a SS-Pz, Abt 501 King Tiger in ambush scheme. Imagine what an awesome scene that would be.(don't ring my hand-phone please Dinesh)

Irregardless, I'm really pleased of how the painting on the second Peiper head with the side-cap came out; which in my opinion bears a better resemblance. I might probably consider just to paint another to accommodate it....

In the meantime, do enjoy the pictures and I have a good feeling that most modellers will be using this pair to go with their Battle of the Bulge SdKfz 251/250's and King Tigers/Panthers projects.

cheers,

Calvin

Alpine Miniatures - Russian Tankcrew [Webshots]

2008-08-27T23:30:13-07:00

Alpine Miniatures - Russian Tankcrew

by zyclyon4
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SS-Wiking, Hungary, 1945 [Webshots]

2008-08-27T16:54:08-07:00

SS-Wiking, Hungary, 1945

by zyclyon4
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