Product Description

Written by one of the world's leading figure modellers, this title features the main patterns of Waffen-SS camouflage and dress and describes in clear step-by-step instructions how to achieve these finishes. Advanced figure sculpting techniques, including conversions, are also covered, providing plenty of detail and diverse challenges to modellers of different abilities, from the less experienced to the highly skilled. Calvin Tan's superb base artwork and his multi-layered painting technique are brought to the fore in this visually detailed, packed and engaging treatment of one of the most enduring, popular figure-modelling subject areas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #162645 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

About the Author
Calvin Tan is one of the foremost figure modellers of the current generation and is a specialist in figure sculpting and painting. A native of Singapore, he has been modelling since his teenage years and has won medals at numerous modelling competitions, including the gold at Euro Militaire 2000. Calvin has created master models for Miniature Alliance and is a regular contributor to modelling magazines, such as 'Military Modelling'. This is his first book.

Customer Reviews

SS uniforms explained
In the past painting SS uniforms has been a real hit and miss affair as it has been difficult to match the colours and the patterns that were used.
This book takes away the mystery at last with clear instructions as to colour mixes using the superb Vallejo Acrylic paints, clear pictures in simple to follow steps which in no time at all allow you to produce realistic finishes across a wide variety of uniforms.

I have been pleased since opening the packaging and my models are improving simply by using this well thoughtout book by one of the premier figure painters.

Not as clear cut as it should be
A few things about me before I start reviewing the book:

I run my own modelling website and sell my models on-line very succesfully. One of my large scale tanks was even bought by a film company to use as a prop. I can paint figures to a very high standard, but I've never been happy with my SS cammo schemes, mainly because unless you get the colours and patterns perfect it just doesn't look right.

I use vallejo model air and model colour paints as my preferred medium, so this book seemed perfect. Unfortunately it has some massive shortcomings:

Firstly it should be called 'painting some SS figures' as the only uniforms it shows you to paint are ES44 peadot, spring plane tree, spring oakleaf, winter oakleaf and italian pattern. No summer patterns, no very early schemes (like palm pattern). The SS used at least 15 schemes so this book is not comprehensive enough.

Secondly either the ratios for colour mixing are wrong, vallejo have changed their formulations since the book was written or Osprey are unable to replicate the colour photos correctly. If you follow one recipe and make a 3:1 mix of German camo light brown and flat brown you get a reddish brown, not the rusty orange shown in the picture.

The book has several typos relating to formula: in the pictorial step by step part it'll tell you to make a 6:1:1 mix of paint whereas the summary at the end says 7:1:1 etc. In addition many of these complex mixes produce a colour virtually identical to ready mixed shades anyway (vallejo do about 200 colours- I own over 70 myself) so seem rather pointless.

It makes frequent use of terms like 'wash with light drab' while not telling you how much to dilute the light drab by or 'glaze with flat brown' while not explaining HOW to glaze.

At least half of the book is concerned with customising stock figures... Chris Tan does a very impressive job of this but I wonder how many other people, would or could replicate the conversions. The man is an amazing artist and I've learnt an awful lot from this book. I painted a tank commander for a customer using the peadot 44 scheme in this book and it was probably the best figure I've ever done.

The 3 stars I've given this book isn't a bad rating but before spending nearly £10 on a very thin volume please consider the points I've made. Your figures will look better if you buy this book, but they won't look like the authors ones.

Excellent
Full of great tips and step by step work. A lot of the tips can be applied to figures of any type / era so it really is a good buy