It’s Midsummer’s Day and the reading’s easy, especially if you’re reading fairy tales!

And if you have a fun, creative activity to pair with the fantastic book you’re reading, your imagination and creativity will run wild.

We know just the expert Doodler to ask about bringing fairy tales to life in 3D. Cornelia Kuglemeier, also known as Connie Doodles, has created many fairy tale characters with 3D printing pens, some from popular tales, and some from her very own imagination. She met with us to share her love of fairy tales, the benefits of students Doodling characters, and tips on how you can create your own fairy tale Doodles.

 

How do fairy tales inspire you to create with 3Doodler pens? Do you feel more connected to the story and characters once you bring them to life in 3D?

Fairy tales have accompanied me since childhood. I was introduced to them when I was a very young girl through storybooks and recordings. Later on I loved to read them myself! Being German, I was greatly influenced by European and Western fairy tales, especially the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. My favorite classic fairy tale as a child was Sleeping Beauty. It had everything a good story needed, including a beautiful princess, a curse, fairies, a villain, and a brave prince. Also Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author who invented Pippi Longstockings, wrote beautiful fairy tales. I love any stories that feature dragons!

Initially, I would paint and draw fairy tale characters. Once I had a 3Doodler pen in my hands, creating the characters in 3D came naturally to me. It was unbelievably fun to work with a medium where I could literally create anything I could imagine. I do think that if you immerse yourself in a story and artistically create one of the characters from the tale, you feel more engaged with their persona and the story as well.

How do you think bringing fairy tales to life with 3D printing pens is helpful for K-12 students?

First of all, creating something is one of the most satisfying things you can do. Making art, letting the mind wander, and setting yourself to the task of breathing life into your creation is a very exciting thing! You‘ll always be surprised by the outcome. It‘s great to learn about characters in a book, sit down, draft them on paper, and bring the picture you formed to life in 3D. I think this is a valuable practice for students of all ages. It allows students to really empathize more with the characters and contemplate the lessons woven throughout the story.

Doodling original fairy tale characters can also be beneficial for creative writing. Students can create their own unique fairy tale character in 3D, then develop a short story to accompany the character they’ve created. Students are natural storytellers, and the depth of their imagination is limitless.

Do you have any tips you can share with people who want to create fairy tale characters with 3Doodler pens?

The best place to begin is simply starting the project. Don‘t be afraid of the 3D pen – it won‘t bite! If you want to start with a bit more structure for your Doodle, draw your character with a pencil, trace it with the 3Doodler pen in 2D, pull it off the page, then make it stand! You can also use the 2D Doodle as a bookmark, put it on your wall, or make a badge by filling in the lines with filament. Once you‘ve got the hang of how your 3D pen works, try building your 2D Doodle up into a 3D shape. A picture reference will help you keep track of the proportions of your character. For advanced projects, I’d recommend building the body parts separately, then assembling them. There are multiple ways to Doodle in 3D. The easiest way is to start flat and then build up like a 3D printer. You can even paint your Doodles with acrylic paint. If you aim for something bigger, hollow figures will use less plastic. I would suggest watching some tutorials on building hollow frames for your Doodles.

Are you inspired to bring fairy tale characters to life in 3D? Explore Connie’s Doodles and share your own Doodled fairy tale and storybook characters with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #SummerReading #WhatWillYouCreate?