Ricardo Martinez Herrera is a Mexican artist known for combining traditional sculptural techniques with new and experimental materials, practices, and methods. He works in many mediums including sculpture, painting, and photography.

We are currently obsessed with one of his latest projects, involving an out-of-this-world moon sculpture that he Doodled and will be bronze casting. Check out this great interview we had with Riikc recently to check in on him, his current projects, and what he’s been creating with his 3Doodler Create+ 3D pen as of late.

Can you please introduce yourself?

— My name is Ricardo Martinez Herrera, and I’m a Mexican artist based in Belgium. Sculpture has been my passion since I was young, and like a lot of people, I took the lockdowns in 2020 as an opportunity to make a living out of my passion.

Can you talk about your artistic process, as well as your inspirations? 

— My inspiration comes from many places— as someone coming from Latin America and now residing in Europe, I have encountered a lot of contrasting experiences, ways of life, and even people that inspire my creations. As for the creative process, it’s all about translating these experiences into geometrical shapes, as well as spicing things up with some anatomical references.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Metztli moon project you’ve been working on? Where did that idea come from?

— To be honest, I tried to find the most complicated way to draw a sphere with a 3Doodler. After a few days of work, the swirl pattern on the sphere began to look really special. Before I knew it, the sculpture started to remind me of a moon painted by an impressionist, and that’s how the project came to be. I feel like sometimes the best plan is having no plan, and these sculptures start revealing themselves organically.

As for the final result, I’m trying to cast this massive moon twelve times in bronze using the lost wax technique. I can already see the 12 metal moons being shown in a gallery, each with its own different shade of bronze, surrounding the spectators. It’s an exciting project, and just some weeks away from becoming a reality.

When did you add 3Doodler 3D printing pens into your artist’s toolbox?  

— I discovered 3D pens in my last year of studies while researching new ways to create sculptures. After testing a couple of different 3d pens on the market, I got my hands on a 3Doodler, and I haven’t let go of my Create+ pen since.

Do you have any suggestions for people new to Doodling?

— Absolutely! I recently gave a workshop on creating art with the 3Doodler, and I found that the best exercise for them was to create many 2D shapes first, such as triangles or squares. After having a good amount of little doodled squares, it becomes easier to put them together and create volumes such as pyramids or cubes! After that, it’s all about patience!

Make sure to follow Rick on Instagram and YouTube. He’s always sharing fun art projects and plenty of Doodles.