The Ins and Outs of the Perfect Doodle

3Doodler’s line of 3D printing pens make it easier than ever to start designing with just a few simple steps, but the real key is learning tips and tricks to use the pen to its full advantage.

It can be challenging to go from a simple idea on paper to creating a 3D shape. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite tried and true methods for creating in 3D. Design tips for anything you may dream up!

3D pen drawing on paper: Tip pulling and pushing to create a line.

The Perfect Pen Stroke

Whether writing with a traditional pen or a 3D pen there really isn’t a perfect stroke. It’s all about the style that you’re looking to achieve. Strong and bold. Light and airy. With a few simple tweaks you can get just the right finish. In fact, with a 3Doodler 3D printing pen you will want to test out your style. Check the pen speed. The height from the surface you are writing on. And, even the direction you write while using the pen. Take a look and see what a difference it can make to push or pull the pen with this tip as you create in 3D!

3Doodler pen drawing a star with stencil on paper

Plan Ahead

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your 3D structure likely won’t be either! It’s important to plan ahead to the extent that you can. The 3Doodler team follows this critical step too with designs like the Brooklyn Bridge, Eiffel Tower, and even a pretzel. Start by drawing what it is you would like to create. Then, see if you can break it down into smaller elements. Having a clear plan or blueprint could be the ticket to success. Check it out!

Artist painting car with 3D pen

Finishing Touch

There’s a certain amount of detail in every design that makes it truly unique and eye-catching. Perhaps you ran out of a favorite color filament or need a small amount of color in a few areas. Consider using acrylic paint to make these quick adjustments and create custom details. You’ll be surprised to see how a little paint can go a long way to finishing off your design to great effect. See how you can use paint as a finishing touch.

Patience and Persistence

Professional 3Doodler artists also have their share of quick tips to share with those new to doodling. Their advice often comes down to two things — patience and persistence. Trying different techniques and enjoying the journey is all part of the experience. “Don’t forget you can cut off or meltdown your mistakes,” points out Rachel Goldsmith, a New York and Seattle based artist.

 

Share your own tips with us! @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

Fall into STEM with Lessons for K-8

Boost classroom confidence through a series of STEM lessons that enable students to work in teams and engage in critical thinking skills. Science and math concepts can sometimes be hard to understand. With a unique hands-on approach, students will grasp new ideas in no time!

The 3Doodler lessons span grades K-8 with creative exploration that will have students embracing new ideas. Combine these activities with other resources we’ve rounded up for a completely new approach to tried and true topics.

Grade K-2: Basic Needs of Plants & Animals

To survive, plants and animals have different needs, which we can break down in this hands-on lesson. Students will break into groups and explore the needs of plants and animals using the free worksheet. Working together, they will first trace or draw the symbols for the items listed on the sheet. Then, they will doodle their designs using a 3Doodler Start+ 3D printing pen. Once the symbols are ready, students can use a Venn diagram to compare the needs of the animals with the needs of plants. Students could deepen their understanding by studying the needs of animals from different habitats.

Consider closing this lesson with a video and resources from Plum Landing by PBS to see how plants and animals thrive in a city. This colorful and creative lesson will invite playful exploration of what animals and plants need to survive!

Grade 3-5: Cloud Doodles

With the change of seasons, there’s no better time to observe the science around us. A quick look up at the sky reveals many scientific observations, and for this lesson, we will be looking at different cloud types with a fun twist. By working in small groups, students will be asked to learn about four different types of clouds, study their shape, and research the weather conditions associated with each cloud. Once the research is complete, the students will create cloud doodles and then repurpose them as everyday objects, animals, or people — a poodle, a boat, or car fumes.

Extend learning with a lesson on how clouds affect climate from NASA. Students will appreciate the vital role clouds play in the water cycle and reflect on their understanding. What do you see when you look at the clouds?

Grade 6-8: Bridging the Gap

Bridges have played an essential role throughout history in providing access to routes to transport people and goods. Over time, the design of bridges has evolved from a simple slab to modern structural marvels. In this lesson, students will work in small groups to explore different bridge shapes and their structural elements.

Challenge students to create a bridge that spans 20 centimeters and test its weight-bearing ability with a small car or other materials. Gradually increase the weight to see which group built the strongest bridge. It’s a fantastic way to combine multiple subject areas, from history, architecture, and design to science, math, and engineering. Encourage the teams to reflect on what worked well, what didn’t, and how they could have improved their design.

Consider kicking this lesson off with a bit of history. The oldest surviving bridge in the United States is the Frankford Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia, built in 1867. It played an important role in linking Philadelphia to cities in the north, namely Trenton, New York, and Boston. Speaking of New York, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 and was the longest suspension bridge of its time. Much more to learn about the role bridges have played throughout history!

Inspire the Imagination Through Mexican Folk Art

Alebrijes are fantastical creatures that inspire the imagination.

These colorful animals are a Mexican folk art tradition that combine the features of multiple creatures with bright colors. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month by learning more about this unique art form and doodle an alebrije with your 3D pen!

The Origin of Alebrijes

Pedro Linares Lopez, a Mexican artist born in Mexico City, began his career making sculptures out of carton or paper-mache and created figurines for Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and other artists from Academia de San Carlos.

  • Dragon sculpture in 3D pen art: man sitting on a bench by Linares.
  • Linares standing with 3D pen mask art


At the age of 30, Linares fell ill and dreamed of a strange forest where he saw very bright landscapes and whimsical animals. The creatures he imagined had the features of multiple animals. He saw a mule with butterfly wings, a rooster with antlers, and a lion with the head of an eagle. As he woke from this dreamlike state, he could still hear the animals shouting one word — alebrijes, alebrijes, alebrijes!

It was after this experience that Linares went on to create alebrijes as an art form that is now recognized around the world. In 1990, Linares was honored with the first Mexican National Prize in Arts and Sciences in the category of Popular Art and Traditions.

The Art Form

Linares was a cartonero, or an artist who works with paper, so naturally his knowledge led him to design alebrijes using this method. Cartoneria or papier-mache sculptures were introduced in Mexico during the colonial period to make items for church. The craft developed in the 20th century with artists in Mexico City, namely Linares and Carmen Caballo Sevilla who reinvented the traditional forms and created new ones.

To create a 3D papier-mache sculpture, artists use leftover paper scraps, newspaper, and cardboard from discarded boxes and adhere them using a type of paste. Linares used engrudo, a glue made of wheat flour and water. As the sculpture takes its shape and sets, artists add paste and eventually paint the sculpture with very bright and vibrant colors.

Colorful dragon figurine created with a 3D pen - Pedro Linares Lopez's 30th birthday celebration

Last year, Pedro Linares Lopez was recognized on what would have been his 115 birthday as a Google Doodle. Emily Barrara, who created the Doodle, shared her process of creating the sculpture. The alebrije art form is also featured prominently in Coco, a Disney Pixar movie about a young boy’s journey to the magical land of his ancestors.

Doodling Alebrijes

Close-up of green glow sticks and 3D pen art
As expressive objects, alebrijes are delightful creations to design using a 3D pen. Explore this art form in more detail and create an alebrije that is part fox and part rabbit. Decorating these fun creatures is all up to you. Choose from a range of colors and celebrate the vibrancy of this Mexican folk art tradition.

Doodle a custom alejibre with an easy to follow stencil and tutorial. And the creativity doesn’t have to end here. Once you have the process for creating the shape, expand your thinking and develop a new fantastical alejibre using different animal shapes!

 

Celebrate traditional Mexican Folk Art in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month with @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

  

 

Tiny Food Craze

As adorable as they are delicious, tiny food cooking has taken more than a bite-sized chunk of our viewing time.

In recent years, miniature cooking shows feature actual chefs making superb meals with minuscule ingredients, complete with tiny kitchens. The trend even caught the attention of National Geographic, the Atlantic, and Vogue, to name a few. So let’s take a closer look at this food trend and explore a few of the top-rated sites to view these edible masterpieces.

If you’re not ready to work with real ingredients, grab your 3D pen and doodle a few culinary creations. 3Doodler’s library of stencils and tutorials includes more than a few tips to help get you started!

Delightful tiny cupcakes by Jenny's Mini Cooking taste as good as they look. Delightful tiny cupcakes by Jenny's Mini Cooking taste as good as they look.

Tiny Food Meets Kawaii Culture

Cooking shows featuring tiny dishes and chefs creating miniature works of art are trending across various channels, including YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok. The tiny cooking craze likely started in Japan, where miniature food is celebrated for its cuteness or kawaii. However, in the United States, the small dishes are reminiscent of something you might find in a doll house and bring back a sense of playfulness.

Consider Miniature Space with over 3.5 million subscribers and videos that rack up millions of views. Meanwhile, Tastemade’s Tiny Kitchen is raking in views with small takes on big brands like a tiny McDonald’s Happy Meal or a mini Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. These shows are a delight to watch and inspire many more tiny chefs worldwide to create small, tantalizing dishes for viewers everywhere.

KFC joined the trend by serving tiny food from a miniature pop-up shop. KFC joined the trend by serving tiny food from a miniature pop-up shop.

Mini Masterpieces

But, hold on, what if you could create a version of these masterpieces on your own? They might not pack the same flavor punch as the chef-inspired creations we’ve seen, but they are fun to imagine and create with a 3D pen.

The 3Doodler team started with a classic dinner dish to replicate in miniature — spaghetti complete with basil and marinara sauce. If you’re looking for a slightly larger challenge, check out a 3Doodler stencil and tutorial to create a hamburger.

There’s much more in store for this tiny food challenge!

 

Calling all chef doodlers to share your creations with @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.