Beautiful variations in 3D printing breakthrough

Now that I’ve stumbled into this amazing new look with 3D printing I’m playing with the nuances.

Some I can control – the color and type of filament (type only if I’m printing on my Cerberus 3D 400 – it can handle a lot of different types because of its ability to print at a higher temperature than the other 2) – and, of course, the shape of the design itself.

What I’m discovering so far, though, is that there is a wonderful randomness about how the technology affects the appearance of the sculptures.

That’s easy to see when you look at 3 different prints (right), all the same form but different heights. The difference between them is striking and also extremely exciting.

I love that the process, which is such an integral part of my work – not just how I make my sculptures, but part of their intrinsic look – is speaking so loud and clear ….

Keep in mind that all 3 of these sculptures are from the same file, albeit one that has been resized and resliced. Yet how different they look!

Just take a look at the top of each of these 3D-printed sculptures (right and left). 

I’m especially struck by the extremely rough form of the middle-sized sculpture (bottom left). It’s for a commission that has 3 parts (not these 3, BTW), and I may decide to reprint it if it doesn’t work with the other 2 forms.

If so, I’ll be curious how it might look the second time.

Similar? Identical? Very different? Slightly different?

Even if I decide to use this piece in the commissioned artwork, I may reprint the sculpture in the same size and filament just to see what happens.

For now, however, I’m just enjoying playing with this newfound technique, and most of all, the remarkable results I’m getting.

As much as I like the simple, dramatic look of many of my earlier 3D-printed sculptures, this new technique provides complexity, texture and detail that makes it hard to look away. There is just so much to see!

I’ve printed small and mid-sized sculptures in translucent yellow and translucent red filaments, primarily because I love how the translucents play with light. I may try some other filaments, too, but right now I’m having too much fun with these light-loving 3D-printing filaments.

Still, that fabulous rainbow filament comes to mind, although I am only printing with it on the Cerberus 3D 400 thus far. Getting filament in 5-pound spools is sometimes a challenge, and I don’t want to be “married” to the Cerberus 3D Gigante because I’m using 1 pound spools and have to change them frequently.

Stay tuned as I continue to play in this brave new world ….