3D PRINTING
PROCESS

To create a finished 3D-printed Venus sculpture, there is a several step process. Initial sketches of the design are used as reference.

The original Venus painting is scanned into Photoshop, manipulated and color-corrected,to become a texture for the 3D printed model.

DIGITAL MODELING STAGE

In the 3D program Cinema 4D, the shape is drawn and turned into a symmetrical lathe object. The Photoshop texture is then brought into Cinema 4D and then wrapped as a texture around the 3D model.

3D PRINTING STAGE

The file is sent to the service bureau where the 3D model is further digitally engineered to have walls of various thickness, creating the necessary structural integrity. The finished digital file is sent to a ProJet 660 3D printer.

A gypsum powder is spread in thin layers over a build platform, and a binder is jetted from the printer’s inkjet print heads which solidifies only the specific parts of the powder, based on the 3D model specifications. The colored texture is not just applied to the surface, but is printed throughout the entire piece.

This process is repeated, layer after layer until the 3D model is complete. It is then assembled and covered with several layers of clear coat.

It arrives from the printer wrapped like a baby. Installation proceeds from there.

Finshed 3D-Printed sculpture.

3D PRINTING →