Anela Ming-Yue Oh is a multidisciplinary artist who loves curry and the ocean! Anela partnered with 3Doodler on our latest guest artist feature to share her approach to 3D artwork.
Anela relies on her imagination and also draws from the resources around us to inspire her creativity.
“For me, I draw strength to move through the world from my identity as mixed race-Malaysian-Chinese, lessons from the natural world, and people close to me who have passed on,” said Anela.
In this piece, Anela uses the 3Doodler 3D pen to speak to Malaysian batik, a lost wax process where wax is painted or stamped on fabric and then dyed. She also incorporated a plant from both sides of her mixed-race heritage: okra. It’s a plant that Anela believes both her white Southern family members and her Malaysian-Chinese members would have intimately known through food.
“A huge part of using vibrant colors for me is being unapologetic in taking up space,” said Anela. “As an Asian American you are often viewed and shaped by culture to be as small and unobtrusive as possible.”
The bright color in this piece represents reclaiming spaces as an active agent in the world. The colors draw from the traditional Malaysian dress she grew up with and family members who wore such patterns and colors as batik sarongs.
Surprising Ways with Mixed Media
“As an artist who is mixed race dealing with world building I believe it is important that my work reflects a meeting of materials, soft fiber and hard plastic or ceramic meeting in ways that create beautiful complexity,” said Anela. “This interdisciplinary approach reflects the strength and commonalities between the different worlds I inhabit every day.”
She started this project using the 3Doodler Pro+ to draw the central okra stalk element and the other floral patterns. She continues to create until she has enough in varying colors and styles to lay out the design. Next, she begins the papermaking processes to transform the PLA drawings.
“I work with a fiber called overbeaten abaca which is a plant fiber that I beat for 8 hours in a machine called a hollander beater,” said Anela. “I use it because it is extremely strong and connects seamlessly to the 3Doodler drawings.”
She used a papermaking tool called a deckle box to “pull” the sheet using the unpigmented abaca to create the base sheet of paper. Then, she dips each 3D drawing into a pigmented abaca container before placing it on the base sheet. Finally, she removes the abaca base sheet once the 3Doodler designs are placed.
Experimenting & Creating in 3D
During her undergraduate program, Anela used the 3Doodler Pro+ in a metals class and fell in love with the process. The objective was to use the 3D pens to think through modeling before casting. Anela found herself making rings and other jewelry directly with the pen and ABS material.
“I found it very accessible to start working very creatively,” said Anela. “I was building three dimensional forms, flat forms and building them up, and ended up making forms combining those ways of working with the pen that were used in my thesis show.”
She explains that it’s essential to use materials that spark excitement. Trying out new materials encourages the imagination. A new technique may transform an artistic approach.
“I think a huge part of any artistic practice is joy and experimentation,” said Anela. “When you integrate different materials it provides endless problem solving and opportunity to play with how the materials work together.”
Anela advises budding 3D artists to experiment and play. She finds that the more you experiment and add new tools and skills to your toolbelt, the more you will find the things that resonate.
“It took me quite some time to figure out how the 3Doodler Pro+ would function in my larger practice in a meaningful way,” she said. “Now, I’m working with clay in similar ways due to my experience with the 3Doodler pen. I can’t wait to see how all of this learning keeps expanding the relationships between my materials.”
Guest artist Cornelia Kuglmeier helped explore the topic of mermaids this month. Dive into the history of mermaids and learn a few fun facts about their origin.
Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid will be out in theaters later this month. Hear how it inspired Connie and discover the techniques that enabled her to bring her vision to life!
Diving Into an Underwater World
Mermaids and mermen appeared in folklore with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. These mythical beings appeared in many different cultures and were considered magical creatures who loved music and often sang.
Early stories about merpeople suggested they brought harm to humans in the form of floods, shipwrecks, or other disasters. However, mermaid and mermen sightings exploded during the early 1500s as explorers took to the seas and made their way across the ocean.
In fact, as early explorers traveled through the Caribbean they claimed they saw mermaids. It was likely manatees that they were spotting in the ocean, but the legends continued.
In 1873, Hans Christian Anderson wrote The Little Mermaid as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The story shares the journey of a young mermaid willing to exchange her life in the ocean to gain a human soul. Over the years, the tale was adapted to theater, film, ballet, and even opera. The most well-known adaptation is that of the animated Disney film that was released in 1989.
“I loved the character of Ariel. She’s such a curious, lively girl, who loves to explore, to learn new things, and expand her horizon,” said Connie. “What intrigued me the most, though, was that beautiful underwater world. It was a completely new world to me, as was ours to Ariel.”
3D Design Process Explained
In sketching this latest project, Connie explains that her drawings continue to evolve throughout the project, and the final design may differ slightly from the original sketch. The next time you sketch, consider using a 3D pen to create a scene or add detail to a particular project.
“Once I start, the ideas start to flow,” said Connie. “As you draw one thing, another crosses your mind, but it doesn’t quite fit with what you’re sketching at the moment. Then, there’s a second idea, and so on.”
She explains that creating is an ever-evolving and living process. Sketching is an essential part of the process. Connie describes it as taking notes and putting them into a picture. That picture quickly becomes a 3D design as the process unfolds.
Connie draws from various angles to help in her three-dimensional planning. This process enables her to firm up the design’s dimensions, proportions, and details.
“The result is often a mixture of different ideas, but seldom just one specific sketch I made previously,” said Connie. “Even though the sketch is important to the design process it doesn’t determine the final result. It mostly serves as a visual note.”
Surprising Details & Techniques
Connie admits that creating something truly unique can take time and patience. Some elements, like the scales, were planned, prepared, and applied. But others, like the pearls and bubbles, were added as a finishing touch.
“The result is so rewarding,” she says. “I love the light reflecting on the multi-colored scales. I like the varying hair color. The details breathe life into things.”
A surprising material created the look of the skin on this mermaid. Connie used wood filament to make the skin and body. She doodled the pieces and then used the flattening tip to smooth them and create an even surface.
“Wood is such a good filament for sculpting,” said Connie. “If you use the angled tip, you can carve into the plastic, as I did for lips and eyes. If you want to speed up the process, change the setting from PLA or Wood to ABS. It makes a big difference, but you need to be careful not to press too hard or the plastic will melt away.”
Regarding the new live-action Little Mermaid, Connie is excited to see how Ariel’s sidekicks and the underwater kingdom come to life on screen.
“I’m really interested in all aspects of the story,” says Connie. “I’m mesmerized by modern film technology and enjoy seeing what artists are capable of creating. Entire new worlds to literally dive into!”
Street art is created in public locations and is usually unsanctioned. Still, it covers a wide range of media and is generally more connected with graphic design than graffiti art, according to Tate.
3Doodler took inspiration from this art form in our latest collaboration with artist Ricardo Martinez. Creating this street art design, Ricardo took inspiration from 3D glasses, engraving, and a late Mexican artist.
3D Glasses & Pop-Culture
Ricardo admits that inspiration for his latest piece initially took a lot of work to find. Although the ideas were there, they took time to coalesce into a design.
“I knew I wanted to create an anaglyph. I kept thinking about 3D glasses that had one red and one blue lens,” said Ricardo. “The images were layers and when you viewed them through the glasses, your perception would change making the image pop off the page or the screen.”
Joseph D’Almeida experimented with anaglyphs, a Greek term meaning again and sculpture, in the 1850s and is often credited with inventing a new way to view 3D. Anaglyph uses a motion or still picture in which two composite images, usually one red and one blue, are superposed one over the other to produce a three-dimensional effect when viewed through correspondingly colored glasses.
The Power of Love, released in 1922, was the first movie to use anaglyph technology and require the audience to wear 3D glasses. It grew in popularity, and more films were released in the 1950s. One of the more well-known films of the time was Creature From The Black Lagoon in 1954.
A more current example of the technique that Ricardo referenced is this Daily Motion video that shows street mural art with two designs in one, depending on how you view it.
Late Mexican Artist Inspires Modern Design
Despite having chosen his technique, Ricardo struggled to find inspiration for the piece itself. As he attempted different designs, nothing looked quite right. Ricardo wanted to create a transparent image with plexiglass panels. He started with a heart, but the idea refused to take shape.
Ricardo looked for a piece of art or another idea to inspire his design. He decided to focus on a Mexican artist he greatly admired, Saturino Herrán. Born in Aguascalientes, Mexico, on July 9, 1887, Herrán attended the Academy of San Carlos in 1904. His artistic career flourished from 1912-1914, inspiring the Mexican modernist movement.
“I’ve always admired Herran’s figurative art,” said Ricardo. “He is not really well known and I wanted to pay tribute to him using new technology. It felt especially powerful given I’m working with a drawing that is easily 100 years old and reviving it in a modern way.”
The work that inspired Ricardo is an unnamed illustration that Herran drew for Pegaso magazine in 1917. Herrán’s more famous works include Our Ancient Gods, which celebrates the strength, dignity, and beauty of the indigenous people who are part of Mexico’s history. Through this painting and several others, Herrán established himself as a champion of indigenismo, a movement to elevate and show respect for Indigenous people and their culture.
Creating Street Art
Now that Ricardo had his idea for the drawing and the technique he would use, he was ready to create. First, Ricardo would trace the sketch and then use his artistic design elements to fill in the back of the portrait.
“What many people don’t realize is that with a 3Doodler 3D pen, you don’t have to be a great artist or designer to create something beautiful,” said Ricardo. “You can find inspiration in drawing or sketches you see and use a DoodlePad to trace them and create art.”
The bright pink and blue palettes he used were classic street art shades. The final design is something that Ricardo is pleased to share.
“When you have an idea, you should see it through to the end. As I was working on this piece, I wasn’t happy with it at all. I even stopped at one point as it just wasn’t making sense,” said Ricardo. “Seeing it through to the end paid off as I was able to realize my initial vision.”
Ricardo’s advice to other artists is to stick with it.
“Even if the skills aren’t there, you can trace. Do whatever you can to produce something and your own style will start to emerge as you put pen to paper,” said Ricardo.
Youth Art Month celebrates the visual arts each March with student exhibitions, public artworks, art festivals, and school events.
Established in 1961 by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), the creators sought to emphasize the value children derive from art education. Today Youth Art Month is coordinated nationally by the Council for Art Education (CFAE).
3Doodler is delighted to support the visual arts and inspire young creators to use their imagination and bring their ideas to life. Explore Youth Art Month activities and learn how to engage with 3Doodler’s community to celebrate the visual arts!
New York Youth Art Month Poster
Your Art, Your Voice
This year participants will recognize the month through the theme “Your Art, Your Voice.” In addition, participating states host various activities, from a state flag design contest, local and state Youth Art Month proclamations, and art shows at state capitals and legislative buildings.
The celebration is intended to bring attention to visual art’s value in developing critical thinking skills, raising multicultural awareness, and encouraging technical, communication, and expression skills.
The Texas Art Education Association kicks off Youth Art Month with a Big Art Day, where grades K-12 participate in art events across the state. Big Art Day will take place on March 2, 2023, featuring 1,000 art activities.
In Illinois, students participate in a statewide art show hosted by the Illinois Art Education Association. The submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges who select 45 participants to feature in a statewide slide show that travels across the state.
Visit the Council for Art Education to learn more about Youth Art Month events and activities in your state.
Inspiring Young Artists
3Doodler looks to inspire young artists in the classroom and at home through lessons, projects, stencils, tutorials, and more. All these resources are readily available in the 3Doodler resource library and the 3Doodler App.
The 3Doodler App is a great way to encourage budding artists to expand their ability to draw and create in 3D. Through the app, young artists will find stencils, tutorials, and other art prompts to jumpstart their creativity. Plus, they can share their latest doodle creations with the community via an online gallery. The photos featured are from Doodlers like you. In addition, fellow artists can comment on shared designs and offer support. It’s a fantastic way to build community and celebrate art.
Explore Your Creativity
Get started by creating one of the following projects to celebrate Youth Art Month!
Collage Display
Create a wall display for some of your favorite artwork. Hang it in your room or a common area in your home to celebrate artistic expression all year!
Design and personalize your action figure to represent your art and your voice. Use our stencil to start with the basic shape and add details all your own!
Personalize a box for one-of-a-kind keepsakes, jewelry, or other items you want to keep safe. Follow our pattern using your favorite colors, or create a unique design!
Cornelia Kuglmeier is an amazing 3D pen artist and educator whose talent and techniques are some of the most creative and unusual.
She’s a highly knowledgeable 3D pen art community member who shares her doodling tips freely. Connie’s design approach turns fantasy into reality. You’ve no doubt seen some of her incredible Doodles on our Instagram. In addition to the content she posts on her Instagram, she’s also shared some incredibly detailed and helpful tutorials on her YouTube channel that explore creative tips and tricks to test out with a 3D pen.
This week we’ve partnered with Connie to reimagine the Pisces symbol from an artist’s perspective. Learn how she designed the piece and explore her 3D pen art tips and tricks!
Finding Creative Freedom
As Connie explains it, designing in 3D offers her artistic freedom. She can create anything she can dream up. And, if she’s working on a project and doesn’t care for something or is struggling to get the exact look she wants, she finds the plastic is easy to heat and remove to remold.
“Creating in 3D gives me infinite freedom. There’s just no limit,” said Connie. “You can draw lines into thin air if you like drawing, you can design pieces flat and assemble them if you’re into modeling and architecture, you can mix techniques, you can bend the plastic pieces with hot air, you can smudge the plastic with your pen’s nozzle, or you can bake and melt it into sheets. The creative possibilities are endless.”
Connie also likes to see where the process takes her. While designing, she never knows what might happen. So she takes every opportunity to try a new idea or test a new technique.
“I look forward to seeing where the experience will take me, and what I’ll discover next,” said Connie. “I love to delve into small things, try not to overlook things, and create pieces that give my audience many things to discover.”
Pisces Design Inspiration
Connie doesn’t follow zodiac signs closely, but she enjoys reading her horoscope from time to time. She’s an Aries and enjoys reading about the traits related to her sign to see if any match her personality, and some do.
“When I began working on the pisces piece, I looked up the astronomical sign and when I saw it was a fish I immediately had something colorful in mind,” said Connie. “I envisioned a fish with long fins, to show the floating, waving, weightlessness of those animals. I imagined them swimming in the air just like they do under water.”
Connie thought about using a coy or betta fish. When she was younger, she had a betta fish and was already familiar with it. Bettas also have long fins and come in a wide variety of colors. Connie knew she had a winner!
Aspiring Doodlers Take Note
Connie is a phenomenal 3D artist whose techniques and creativity inspire a community of Doodlers. Her suggestions for anyone looking to gain skills with a 3D pen are pretty simple.
“Work with the 3D pen. Seriously, if you browse my Instagram, I posted one of my first creations there, said Connie. “It was a clumsy little birdie, made with the first 3Doodler 3D pen. I was so extremely proud of it that day.”
Connie explains that working with hot plastic and getting a feel for a 3D pen can be daunting. But, the more you work with it, the less afraid you will be about what could go wrong and the more intrigued you become to see what more you can do. She recommends starting small by picking something simple or something you can try to recreate.
“It’s really important to use the 3D pen,” said Connie. “The more you use it, the more comfortable you are with its shape in your hand, the way it functions, the plastic and different filaments. You’ll gradually find the technique that suits you best.”
Once you become comfortable with the pen, Connie recommends trying the nozzle set. She used it for this project to create the fins and scales. Next, she attached the scales by melting them onto the body with the hot pen tip.
“For these fish, I used the angled nozzle to draw those ultra-thin, almost see-through fins, and the shiny scales,” said Connie. “The nozzle set is a great way to spice up your projects, if you find yourself looking for something new!”
As far as what to expect next from Connie, she’s happiest when experimenting and learning something new. In addition, she enjoys creating hyper-realistic pieces, like giant butterflies, and makes a nice piece of fan art now and then.
“Currently, I am working on detailed, monochrome pieces,” said Connie. “I’m mixing plants with animal traits and supersizing small things. My artistic style is always evolving as I learn new things.”
3Doodler is delighted to work with a range of artists this year to invite curiosity and spark the imagination as we design and create in 3D.
Each month, the 3Doodler team shares ideas and tutorials to help kick-start the design process. We were curious to see what our artist community would create with the same inspiration.
Last week, we explored the artistry of ice castles. 3Doodler shared a version that is easy to replicate with our free stencil and tutorial. This week, guest artist Ricardo Martinez (riikc) shared his version of an ice castle. See where he found his inspiration and how the sculpture came together.
Creating with riikc
Ricardo is a sculpture artist, painter, and photographer who explores a variety of materials and techniques in his work. Ricardo has extensive experience creating art with 3D pens and often shares his approach with the 3Doodler community.
Ricardo’s latest installation, Memento Vivere, gained worldwide attention as an interactive multi-disciplinary project using light, technology, and science to express an idea. This larger-than-life exhibit consists of a series of electroluminescent cables arranged in a skull structure that Ricardo designed with a 3D pen. The sectors of the installation light up as people interact with the display.
Ricardo lives in Brussels and travels extensively. He takes inspiration from nature, landscapes, geography, architecture, and much more. We were delighted to connect with him about his experience creating an ice castle in 3D.
3D Design Approach
Ricardo had an idea for this design and took inspiration from fantasy video games he’s played over the years, like Final Fantasy. From his home in Brussels, he looks at a large church with a castle-like appearance and eight pillars. Mixing these concepts, he began to sketch the design on paper.
“It seems like a different part of your brain kicks in and starts working as you start building,” said Ricardo. “The design evolves as you go. The castle resembles the sketch but evolved as I sculpted it in 3D.”
Ricardo used existing shapes to begin the sculpture and found it easy to keep adding material to get the form he wanted for the design. For example, he used a glass cylinder to create the pillars’ base. He could continue this process to get the length he wanted for the towers.
To design the castle, Ricardo used the 3Doodler PRO+ 3D pen and PLA, nylon, wood, and bronze filament.
“I love the smell of the wood while I’m creating. It makes me feel like I’m in a woodshop,” said Ricardo. “For this design, the wood and bronze add texture and stand in contrast to the rest of the design, which is the effect I was hoping to achieve.”
Advice for the Community
Ricardo is an experienced artist who shares his success tips freely to encourage others to pick up a pen, paintbrush, or other tool and begin creating.
“It’s important to share that you don’t need to create shapes out of thin air,” said Ricardo. “I recommend starting by using existing shapes. Then, you can find inspiration and doodle anything with objects around you.”
For new 3D pen artists, Ricardo recommends starting with a speed setting of three and gradually working up to faster settings. In this design, Ricardo found he could work effectively with a speed setting of seven or nine.
“I was impressed with the speed settings on the pen. It’s incredible how adjusting those settings can change things and make the experience much more enjoyable, given how quickly you can cover a large surface,” said Ricardo. “The PRO+ pen is much more comfortable and easier to use over long periods.”
Ricardo notes that the PRO+ makes it easier to swap materials and see what’s happening, which saves a great deal of time. He was especially pleased with how the wood detail came out on the ice castle and enjoyed adding contrast with different materials.
When working in bronze, Ricardo recommends keeping a bit of distance from the tip to the surface as the material smudges easily.
“Working in 3D evolves whatever idea you think you have, and it goes into many different directions that you can’t experience with just 2D drawing. It opens your mind to new possibilities and thinking in ways you’ve never thought before,” said Ricardo.
3Doodler is kicking off 2023 by celebrating our community of creators, makers, and artists. Over the years, a highlight of our work is to share 3D printing ideas and art that comes directly from you.
As we head into a new year, 3Doodler will look to collaborate with artists, educators, and entrepreneurs to explore ways we elevate creativity. But, of course, it’s also important to inspire new creators. With that in mind, we’ll share accessible stencils, tutorials, and more to support budding artists.
Let’s take a quick look back to revisit the projects and artists who inspired you the most. Plus, we’ll share a quick project to jump-start creativity in 2023.
"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for."-Georgia O'Keeffe Share
Dina is an animation artist and director who produced “Ties,” an animated short film that debuted in 2019. The film, released to the public in 2022, explores the connection between parents and their children. A young woman leaves home to see the world. Her parents are left behind, and their world changes without her.
Dina also shared a behind-the-scenes look at creating the film using a 3D pen. First, all the characters were created using a 2d digital drawn animation technique and then outlined with a 3D pen. The result was sets of flat plastic figures. Next, the director filmed the figures frame by frame in a stop-motion set, along with wire objects.
Rick works in sculpture, painting, and photography and frequently shares his insights on working in 3D. Rick’s latest installation, titled “Memento Vivere,” gained worldwide attention as an interactive multi-disciplinary project that uses light, technology, and science to express an idea. This larger-than-life exhibit consists of a series of electroluminescent cables arranged in a skull structure that Rick designed with a 3D pen. The sectors of the installation light up as people interact with the display.
Rick continues to push the boundaries of art and technology with his creative use of materials. Keep an eye out for a 3Doodler collaboration with Rick later this month!
Connie is a 3D pen artist who shares her passion for 3D art and tips of the trade freely with the community. She is constantly exploring new creative techniques with outstanding results. Her work has been featured often with the 3Doodler community to provide insight and guidance on using a 3D pen to its full potential. For example, we recently shared Connie’s tips for achieving the perfect petal. To see her mastery of 3D application, look no further than a multidimensional snowflake. The use of color, layering, and overall technique are incredible.
See more of Connie’s helpful tips and tutorials on her YouTube channel, where she shares loads of doodling advice.
Edwin is a multimedia artist who shares incredible wearable 3D creations. Each is a delicate piece of art, from jewelry to theatrical masks and other accessories. Edwin exhibited at a range of galleries in Kentucky, including recent shows at Kore Gallery (“The Education of Desire” and “Unknowns: Artists you Should Know”), as well as part of the ongoing traveling exhibition “Our Kentucky Home: Hispanic/Latin American art in the Commonwealth” curated by The Kentucky Arts Council. Musicians, models, and entomologists have all worn his designs. It is a delight to see his creations take form in 3D. Be sure to explore more of his work in the year ahead!
Spark Creativity in 2023
Now that you’ve seen a small sample of our vibrant community, we invite you to make this your year of 3D creativity. Get started by creating a custom work of art for home using our go-to phrase. What will you create?
Ready to celebrate the start of a new year? We’ve rounded up a bunch of creative ideas to make party planning fun and easy with party props everyone will enjoy.
Gather a group of family or friends to reflect on the year and gear up to make new memories in 2023. It’s always an excellent way to close out one year and start another. Depending on the size of the group, you can make a few fun props to share or customize one for each guest. Ring in the new year in style with 3D creations. Let’s go!
Party Hat
Party hats create a celebratory mood and a festive way to set the scene! Find ways to upcycle party hats with a few creative tips from 3Doodler. Adding a dash of 3D design is a surefire way to make designs pop. Attach it to a headband or use it as a classic party hat. The choice is yours!
Get together and make memories with silly photos and photo booth props. Consider custom colors to match the theme of your party. These classic designs include word bubbles, glasses, a hat, and a tie. Make one or all!
The 3Doodler library is full of crafty glasses from retro to classic styles. We chose this pair of party glasses that are sure to spark a conversation. Custom colors will make these shades pop. Inspire friends with your creativity!
Dessert is on the menu with fun cake or cupcake toppers featuring New Year’s Eve designs. Balloons, fireworks, champagne flutes, and a champagne bottle are the perfect decoration for tasty cupcakes. These are super simple to make and add a dash of sparkle as you ring in the new year!
Prolific 3Doodler Printing Pen Artist, Grace Du Prez, has been Doodling since 2014 and has worked on record breaking projects, such as a life sized car for Nissan. She is also the host of our Bluprint 3D Pen Art series.
Grace has been running 3D Pen Creation workshops for two years, so she knows all the best tips and tricks for beginners. She has gathered the top 10 most common questions she’s received since the beginning of her Doodling career, and answered them here.
1. How do I use a 3D Pen? What can I make with a 3Doodler?
There are three main ways to use a 3D pen like 3Doodler.
Use a 3D pen design Template or Stencil
This technique is great for beginners to draw flat designs. You can also use this technique to construct simple 3D shapes like a cube. Make 6 flat squares then join together to create the 3D shape. There are lots of 3Doodler stencils available for free online.
Using a Stencil
Freestyle Doodling
This involves drawing up into the air or building an object up by layering. This is one of the most common ways we’ve seen 3Doodler art being made. This technique can require a bit of practice as you’re using your eye to judge if it looks right.
Using Molds
This involves drawing over a pre-existing object, such as a salad bowl. The plastic will set in that shape and can be removed when you’re done, or remain on the object. If it’s something like a bowl it can be done in one piece. If the shape is something like a ball, you can make the two halves and then join together afterwards. Something like a balloon can be drawn over and then deflated. This technique is used in my Lantern Lights video. There are some great canvas mold 3Doodler projects available, or you can use any household object as long as it’s covered in masking tape – even a smartphone!
2. Why is there a red light on my 3Doodler pen? What do the different light colors mean?
Don’t worry, the red light is totally normal and just means that the pen is heating up to the right temperature. When it’s ready to extrude plastic, the red light will change to either blue or green. It’s important to have it on the right heat setting as each plastic melts at a specific temperature. Blue for ABS and Flexy, and Green for PLA.
Many people are concerned about 3D pen safety. The 3Doodler pen has a great safety feature – if you’ve taken a short break, the pen will start to cool itself down. This means that the red light will come on again. Simply turn the pen off, and then on again, and it will automatically start warming up to the temperature you set it to.
3. Why is the plastic not coming out of my 3Doodler 3D pen?
If your 3Doodler is not feeding, try giving the plastic a gentle push into the pen (but make sure you have clicked either FAST or SLOW first). When your filament has run out, just insert the next strand to keep the plastic flowing.
It’s better to push the plastic from a point on the strand that is close to the pen, otherwise you risk bending and damaging your plastic filament.
If the 3Doodler plastic is jammed, there are a few questions you can ask yourself: Are you on the right heat setting? Each plastic melts at a specific temperature so if it’s not on the right one it won’t melt. Is there a flashing blue or green light? You may have gone into reverse by mistake, a function that is engaged by double clicking on either FAST or SLOW button. To be on the safe side if you’ve done this, fully reverse the plastic out, snip the frayed end of the filament off with a pair of scissors or pliers, and try reinserting it.
4. Should I use FAST or SLOW mode when using the 3Doodler 3D pen?
There is no right or wrong option here, it’s about finding what feels right for you and adapting to the situation.
Benefits of FAST mode
It gets the project done in less time, and is ideal for those large-scale projects.
It’s good for welding two pieces of plastic together. As the plastic is extruding more quickly it stays hotter for longer, which helps to re-melt the plastic you’re welding and give you a more stable connection.
Benefits of SLOW mode
It’s better for beginners as you have more time to think ahead and control your 3D pen.
It’s great for drawing up into the air. When in SLOW mode, the plastic is making more contact with the cool air around it and setting in that position. This will really help you perfect those spirals and staircases!
When using 3Doodler Flexy plastic, it’s better to be on SLOW mode.
5. How do I start my 3Doodler 3D pen?
Simply click either FAST or SLOW once to start. To stop, click either button once again. A common mistake is to press and hold the button, which you don’t need to do, as the plastic will continually extrude with one click.
Something else to watch out for is that there is a slight delay between pressing a button and the plastic extruding. Avoid clicking multiple times as you’ll just be starting and stopping your pen repeatedly.
6. How should I hold the 3Doodler 3D pen?
Hold it like you would a marker pen. You can hover your index finger over the buttons so that you can easily start and stop. Some find it easier to turn it upside down so that the clear plastic window is facing up and your thumb is hovering over the buttons. What’s important is that you find a way that suits you.
Hold at a 90-degree angle
You might naturally want to hold the pen at a 45-degree angle and move it at the speed you would with a regular pen or pencil. This can result in an inconsistent texture in the plastic. Instead, try holding your 3Doodler at a 90-degree angle so that it’s vertical to the page. This will make sure that the plastic extrudes evenly – imagine that you are mimicking a 3D printing machine!
Try experimenting with the speed that you move your hand. The slower you move, the thicker the Doodled line, and therefore the stronger your creation will be.
Test to see the difference between pressing down onto the page, versus hovering slightly above the page. Making contact with the page will give you a more precise line that will stick to the template, whereas having the pen tip hovering will result in a random squiggly effect. Have a look at my Getting Started video for the 7 top techniques on using a 3Doodler 3D pen.
7. How do I change the plastic color in my 3Doodler 3D Pen?
There are two ways to change the plastic color in your pen. If the filament is sticking out of the feed port, you can reverse the strand and gently pull it out, then load your desired color. If the strand is too short to pull out of the feed port, you can carefully remove the hot nozzle with the mini spanner (be sure to do this with the pen turned on and heated up), engage the reverse function, and insert the unblocking tool through the nozzle end of the pen. This will push the short strand out of the rear of the pen. Then you can replace the nozzle with the mini spanner, being careful not to overtighten it, and load the new strand of filament.
Double-click to reverse strand, then remove
The plastic doesn’t need to go to waste! There are a lot of fun things you can make with half a strand of filament. You could even try out these projects to transform leftover plastic into beautiful jewelry and decor items!
Don’t try to apply too much force to pull the filament out, as you could end up doing some damage to the pen. Simply double click either the FAST or SLOW button, and the pen will do the hard work for you. Once it’s finished reversing, gently pull out the plastic. Watch this video to see how it works.
Reversed filaments may have a wispy ends, which can get tangled up in the mechanism of the pen. It’s important for you to snip it off before re-inserting it into the pen.
8. How do I get rid of mistakes in my 3Doodler art?
Mistakes are bound to happen, even for the most professional Doodlers. The nozzle tip can help you melt away pieces you don’t want on your design. You could also use scissors to create a super accurate edge. They need to be sharp, but don’t use your best sewing scissors as it may blunt them.
9. Why are there wispy strands on my 3Doodler creation, and how do I get rid of them?
You might notice that there are some ‘hairy’ bits on your creation. They can easily be melted away using the nozzle tip, but it’s better if you don’t make them in the first place (unless it’s intended)!
These might be caused by lifting the pen away from your work too quickly. A bit like mozzarella on a pizza! Once you’ve pressed stop, count to three and then pull away. You’ll get a much cleaner finish.
10. Is 3Doodler plastic environmentally friendly?
PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) is a eco-friendly type of plastic that is made from the starch of plants such as corn, sugar cane or sugar beet. This means that it is environmentally friendly and sustainable. With the right conditions it can take approximately 6-12 months to break down compared to other plastics, which can take hundreds of years.
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) can be recycled, but it is not widely accepted by local authorities. Don’t let that stop you, as you can do it yourself at home with a few easy steps!
Art allows us to see the world from the point of view of the artist as they show their own experience and perspective in their work.
For two Korean artists, the 3Doodler provided a new way to express themselves through their art.
“If I could have anything in the world, I’d want to stand and walk on my own two feet and dance,” says Kim Hyung-hee. The 47-year-old painter was paralyzed in a traffic accident, and knows just how important art and creative expression can be in aiding in recovery and mental health.
Kim now works as a clinical art therapist, and discovered the 3Doodler as a new way to bring dimension and life into her artwork.
“I drew a three-dimensional flower on canvas,” she says, recalling her first Doodle. “In contrast with common drawing and painting, I can draw everything in new ways, and it’s new to be able to draw in three-dimensional ways.”
Hyung-hee has had private exhibitions of her work, as well as showcased how the 3Doodler can be used as a creative therapeutic aide in festivals and and shows around Korea.
“There are so various and beautiful colors in 3Doodler plastics,” Hyung-hee says, “and I can draw everything in three dimensions and unique ways.”
Weon Jea-hyun is a 27-year-old artist who specializes in kinetic sculpture, focused on combining movement with art.
Jea-hyun was instantly drawn to the 3Doodler and the new possibilities a 3D printing pen could offer.
“The first thing I tried Doodling was my name. It was very strange but awesome that my handwriting was realized into 3D immediately,” Jea-hyun recalls.
As an extension of work from an 2013 solo exhibition titled Observation, Jea-hyun used the 3Doodler to create a layered piece meant to showcase a shift in perspectives.
“People observe each other’s daily life. Someone can observe me, and I also can observe someone,” Jea-hyun explains. “Someone’s routine can be interesting for the other, and this metaphorical change of viewpoints can be a mechanism which assigns variability and interest to routine life.”
Jea-hyun’s own cat was the source of inspiration and the piece shows a layered crowd of attentive felines staring out at the viewer.
“In this work, cats can be interpreted as the projection of people,” Jea-hyun explains. “They observe others—the viewers—but also the viewers observe them—the cats.”
We began with a Kickstarter. Four years later, we’ve grown into an international community.
When we first launched 3Doodler, there was no way we could have anticipated the creative passion our backers would have. Before we knew it, Doodlers from all over were sharing their creations, experimenting with the pens in ways we had never thought of, and pushing the innovation to new heights with projects that left us inspired and awestruck.
Launching the way we did, directly to our users, community became an inevitable part of our DNA from Day 1. We’ve kept our ear as close to the ground as we could since then. Four years later, that community stretches across the globe, and continues to find new ways of reminding us how limitless creativity can be with the right tool. Some members of the community have even become full-time members of the 3Doodler team!
As Doodlers took on bigger and more ambitions projects—like complete basilicas, full-size cars, and high-end fashion—we wanted there to be a way for artists to share their expertise and help each other improve and innovate, while also helping the wider community.
And so we established the Power Doodlers. This group of creative thinkers are as passionate about Doodling as we are, and have shown they have the innovation and skill to bring their ideas and creations to life.
Our Power Doodlers are dedicated to art and creativity, and see Doodling as the perfect outlet—whether as a hobby, an educational tool, or even at a professional level. And they want to share their skills with the world through tutorials, workshops, and exhibitions to help bolster and expand the 3Doodler community.
Here’s a closer introduction to four of our amazing Power Doodlers, each with their own unique vision for creativity:
“The first thing I ever Doodled was a hat. A company called Maplin commissioned me to make something for Ladies Day at Royal Ascot in 2014. Designing it was a challenge as I wasn’t sure how strong or flexible the plastic would be, but it was also exciting to be trying something new.
"Doodling allows you to work in a very experimental and organic way. You can have an idea and then immediately try it out." Share
I think I have improved since then by exploring different techniques and trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
I like that Doodling combines modern technology with something hand made. My background is in textile design and I have always enjoyed the making process as well as designing. Doodling allows you to work in a very experimental and organic way. You can have an idea and then immediately try it out.
I’ve been described as a ‘Marathon Doodler’ which I think sums me up quite well. My projects often take a long time to make and can involve lots of preparation.”
See more of Grace’s incredible work by following her on Instagram.
Judith Tarrés
Hailing from Barcelona, Judith won the 2016 3Doodler Micro Award with a trio of adorable Doodled squirrels.
“As an artist, Doodling in 3D has changed my perspective of creating. Everything is possible with a 3Doodler in your hands—whatever you can think of, it can be made.
"As an artist, Doodling in 3D has changed my perspective of creating." Share
My first Doodle was so easy to do because I started with some basic projects that 3Doodler offers on their site, and with a few steps I learned a lot. Later on, when I knew how to use the 3Doodler better, I let my creativity fly and now I’m finally able to Doodle everything my mind is capable to create.
This tool has given me lots of opportunities to create, and I love how quickly you can shift your art from 2D to 3D. It’s also really easy to learn to use, and I am very happy with all the possibilities it has.”
Follow Judith on Instagram to see more of her projects.
Heather Baharally
Based in Canada, Heather’s masks and her unique Doodling style certainly turned heads.
“After receiving my first 3Doodler from the Kickstarter campaign, I was delighted by the immediacy of the plastic extruding pen. I can think of something and minutes later create a model of it. The variety of materials has such possibilities for wearable art, cosplay, sculpture and adds incredible dimensions to my 2D artwork.
"The 3Doodler has opened up so many options to express my ideas." Share
I have a connection with the great Rocky Mountains and nature, as seen in my work which largely consists of animals made with variety of techniques.
I’ve been studying different materials for use in my artwork. It has been an amazing experience to use the 3Doodler to enhance my existing style of work and it opened up so many options to express my ideas.
I fell in love with the medium and I am excited to see where this artistic journey takes me next.
Follow Heather on Instagram to see more of her incredible masks and nature-inspired artwork.
Sydnee Davidson
Californian Syd impressed us with her entries in our regular Doodle-Offs where she combined Doodling with other design skills.
“I am a graphic designer by day, and mixed media artist by night.
"The biggest struggle I encounter is having the perfect plan built inside my head, but then having to improvise and let the pen tell you how it should be built." Share
I’ve been using the 3Doodler since the day it was shipped after its first Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Once I saw what it could do I knew I had to have one.
Ever since then, I’ve made several figurines based on my favorite animals and pop-culture characters. It’s a great tool to experiment with, and recently I have been incorporating Doodles into my mixed-media art pieces, which have also included use of LED lights.
My light-up beehive is a good example of how Doodled additions fit in with other media. It features 13 Doodled bees (including a queen), 96 3D printed honeycombs (some filled with Doodled honey), and 100 LED lights.
The biggest struggle I encounter is having the perfect plan built inside my head, but then having to improvise and let the pen tell you how it should be built. The results still surprise me!”
Follow Syd on Instagram to see more of her mixed-media creations.
Do you have what it takes to be a Power Doodler? If you’re interested in joining our team of dedicated Doodlers, contact us for more details. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our mailing list for regular updates!
Kim Hyun-Kyung wanted to take her makeup artistry to the next level. “Of the various materials used in makeup, I was looking for something that could express a new and creative object.”
Hyun-Kyung, a 24-year-old makeup artist from Seoul, South Korea, turned to the 3Doodler. “I was able to create a three-dimensional design of various feelings through actual Doodling,” she says.
Using a 3D pen allowed Hyun-Kyung to explore more shapes and concepts in combination with visual effects and makeup. “It was interesting to me that I could embody the desired form in three dimensions without going through a complicated process,” she says, “and it was good that I could create a shape or figure imagined in my head as a solid itself.”
"I could embody the desired form in three dimensions without going through a complicated process, and it was good that I could create a shape or figure imagined in my head as a solid itself." Share
But just as with any new medium, Hyun-Kyung’s first attempt with the 3Doodler wasn’t as smooth as her stunning beauty shots make it seem. “I wanted to follow the demonstration video making a 3D square, so I turned on the power and drew a square on the paper,” she remembers. “However, I was so unskilled and had to struggle ten times to get it to look good.”
Now Hyun-kyung has been using the 3Doodler for over a year, and there is no sign of struggle in her creative makeup combinations.
Taking inspiration from costume and runway shows, Hyun-Kyung felt that three-dimensional additions could take the drama of the catwalk to a new level. “I devised a makeup design according to the costume used in fashion shows,” she explains. “After understanding the atmosphere and color of the fashion show first, I chose an outfit that might be the most eye-catching when combined with the 3Doodler, and made the work after drafting a design with illustration.”
A look inspired by Iris van Herpen
Hyun-Kyung was especially inspired by bold designers who freely explore new shapes and dimensions, like Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen, a leading designer of 3D-printed fashion design.
"I chose an outfit that might be the most eye-catching when combined with the 3Doodler, and made the work after drafting a design with illustration." Share
Inspired by van Herpen’s 2011 Fall/Winter collections, Hyun-Kyung created her first unique 3D-makeup look. “Looking at the costume reminded me of the feeling of splashing water in the bathtub,” she says. “It took about four hours to make this look, and I captured the outline with clear PLA to show the wavelength of the water.”
It’s one of the pieces Hyun-Kyung is most proud of. “It was a look that many people were interested in, when we were in the studio on the day we shot the 3Doodler makeup.”
For other designs, she found that the FLEXY filaments were the most practical for creating wearable additions to makeup. “It’s comfortable when attached to the face because the FLEXY material is elastic, so it’s possible to form it to fit the facial structure of a person,” she explains. “I like black FLEXY the most. Black is good for expressing a sophisticated, chic, and dramatic feeling.”
A look inspired by the 2016 earthquakes in South Korea
“But not all of my works are inspired by fashion shows,” Hyun-Kyung adds. In 2016, South Korea was rocked by a total of 470 earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks reaching up to 5.8 in magnitude. “Many people were afraid,” says Hyun-Kyung. “These earthquakes occurring one after another were judged to be a warning from nature that we take life for granted.” To reflect the worry and concern of these natural disasters, she created a custom design inspired by the quakes. “It shows the cracks of the earth to raise awareness for the environment,” she explains.
Hyun-Kyung sees 3D printing and 3D pens like the 3Doodler as the way forward for all fashion, whether in makeup, runway shows, costumes, or cosplay. And she wants to help lead the way in the 3D trend. For her next project, she wants to blend the line between fashion, makeup and art. “I want to continue to use the 3Doodler in makeup to express three-dimensional designs which can show a variety of feelings when seen from various angles.”
For some, the adventure doesn’t end when the book closes or the credits roll. Fan Creators take inspiration from their favorite movies, games, comics, and cartoons and make incredible things. To see what that passion can produce, we gave some hardcore fans the latest 3Doodler Create for two weeks.
We talked to well-known crafter and modeler of fictional costumes Gina B as she unboxed the 3Doodler, and then checked back in a week later to see how her project was going.
Few fans are as dedicated as cosplayers. They spend long hours perfecting costumes that can involve incredibly elaborate feats of sewing, sculpting, and design to show off their passion for their favorite media. And Gina B is one of the best.
With more than 37,000 likes on her Facebook page, Gina’s creations are hugely popular. That’s a testament to the care and attention to detail she uses in producing loving recreations of some of the most popular characters from comics, cartoons, and anime. Whether she’s producing an exacting replica of an ancient Korean pole-arm, or she’s putting her own spin on the outfit of a classic character, Gina is always looking for new ways to bring her work to life.
That quest for perfection has given her a wide range of experience with a diverse set of materials. “I have a lot of experience working in fabric, I do a lot of custom body suit work, as well as elaborate armor based outfits. That’s anything from complicated headpieces all the way down to belt buckles and breastplates. In terms of materials, I’ve worked with things such as foam, styrene plastics, as well as fiberglass, and I’ve even tried thermoplastic used in car dashboards.”
Gina B unboxing the 3Doodler for the first time.
As she first sat down with the 3Doodler, she says she thinks that the 3Doodler will offer her an opportunity to do the sort of fine-detail work that often relies on a 3D printing service to accomplish, and is excited by the prospect of accomplishing it with something that costs a fraction of a digital printer.
When Gina holds the unit, she immediately has ideas about what to make with it. “This has a very wide variety of use. It’s great for something small—if you have a detailed item like a belt buckle, it would lend itself really well. For existing armor, I could also do detailed overlay pieces. It would probably be easier than sanding out a product, like I usually do. Instead I could add a layer with this, since it’ll probably adhere to the plastic.”
“Ultimately, I think I’m going to make something that’s in the cosplay department but isn’t super frequently seen, which is a horn item. There are a lot of different styles, whether it’s like a ram horn or a goat horn, or something sanded down like with Hellboy. I think this will work great because what I’m making, it’s really organic and not perfectly smooth.”
A week and an extra package of yellow plastic later, Gina has a horn. It is hollow, and made out of two tones of yellow plastic, one matte, and the other glossy.
The hollow horn took Gina two and a half hours to complete, including some time to learn the ins and outs of using the 3Doodler. She says that compares favorably to the time it takes to produce the item with other methods.
"The 3Doodler has a very wide variety of use. It’s great for something small—if you have a detailed item like a belt buckle, it would lend itself really well. For existing armor, I could also do detailed overlay pieces." Share
To construct it, she used the bottom of a bowl to provide a curved surface. She doodled an internal structure, than stitched the sides together rapidly in what Gina calls a “spider like” fashion to produce a tight chain of strings. Once the initial curved shape was done, she was able to repeat the process, building upon each previously extruded section.
She’s pleased with the results. The horn is immediately identifiable, and has even had passers by asking if it came off of a ram. Making it by hand gave it a natural look Gina’s pleased with. “I think that it has a good organic swoop.”
But her project isn’t over yet. She didn’t make a unicorn horn after all. “The biggest issue now is: can I create a second one?”
Gina B's horn created with the 3Doodler
In addition to crafting a second horn, Gina also plans to use some advanced crafting techniques to enhance the horns. Sanding, priming, and maybe even painting will give them a more advanced and literally polished look. She looks forward to sharing the outcome of her work after she’s brought the horns up to her exacting standards.
Tune in a few weeks from now to see the final outcome!
In Critic’s Choice,speaks to members of the art world who explore what the 3Doodler means in a broader artistic context. Last week we spoke to New Media Art Professor Zhenzhen Qi.
This weekspoke to Kerri Gaudelli, an installation artist and educator at the prestigious Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. At the Aldrich, Gaudelli works to foster an understanding and appreciation of art in every visitor, through historical perspective and interpretation. She also organizes opportunities for visitors to explore their own creative impulses as inspired by the works they’ve seen at the Aldrich.
Kerri Gaudelli doesn’t believe she has ever seen anything quite like the 3Doodler.
That makes the tool particularly unique. In her time at the Aldrich Museum she has seen a wide range of modern and contemporary work created using an expansive array of mediums. The diversity of artists and work on display at the museum is extensive, and often includes work that crosses the boundary between two and three dimensions.
Gaudelli’s own art often involves converting a charcoal drawing into installation pieces, featuring pins and thread that interact with the space around them. As a result, she’s excited by the prospect of using the 3Doodler in her own work.
“The 3Doodler is a new way for artists to think about space,” she says. “It can let them expand and bring their work to life. Letting them bring it out of 2D and into 3D allows them to work on the canvas as well as the wall, or anywhere, really, and often with the same amount of skill.”
While Gaudelli has yet to see a museum display that evokes the exact same look or feel as the 3Doodled work she’s seen, she believes the pen’s ability to work across dimensions and mediums would fit naturally into museum spaces both as a medium and as a learning tool. Gaudelli was impressed by the painterly sculpture of Rachel Goldsmith, which clearly showcased the 3Doodler’s ability to enable a new exploration of space.
“I think it would be a great experiment. My own work has a lot to do with structure, building, and translating from 2D to 3D and back, which is exactly what this pen does.” Gaudelli also said she feels the 3Doodler would be an excellent tool to have on hand at the Aldrich, particularly for the educational programs she runs for children.
“I’m the Education Program Assistant at The Aldrich. Which means I help run and write content for our school programs,” Guadelli said. “I also foster the relationship between schools and the Aldrich, and do outreach to help get students into the Museum.” To be effective at her job, Gaudelli often has to interpret how students as young as 3rd grade might see the museum, and help design an engaging experience for that particular point of view.
The Aldrich is multi-discipline as well as multi-media, and routinely hosts STEAM education events. STEAM education—which combines Art with the Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics of STEM programs—combines the strengths of all five modes of thinking. The Aldrich’s “Full STEAM Ahead” events feature symposiums and presentations about STEAM principals in education and society, as well as practical opportunities for students to investigate the topics and materials directly.
“Our STEAM tours would be a great fit for the 3Doodler,” Gaudelli said of the 3Doodler as a potential educational tool at the Museum.
“These are programs that let kids explore the galleries and artists on display at the museum and try to figure out what the artists are inspired by and interested in based on the works themselves and STEAM thinking. We recently had an exhibit with a piece that consisted of a deconstructed 1976 John Deere combine harvester. The artist used it as a metaphor to show the interconnectedness of different parts of the environment. It’s a real chance for the kids to come to understand space, and the use of something comparatively high-tech would fit really well. I think students would take to it right away.”
Gaudelli believes that the 3Doodler could be a way to open not just new directions for drawing, but also for thinking about art. “It really is the ultimate STEAM tool because it combines so many different ways of thinking, different dimensions, as well as science and technology behind it, and it uses all of that to create artwork.”
Artists and creators the world over recognize the 3Doodler as a powerful and revolutionary tool. But what impact do the critics, professors, and curators of the art world think the 3Doodler will have? In Critic’s Choice,speaks to members of the art world who examine and speculate about what this new technology means in a broader artistic context.
Our first perspective comes from Zhenzhen Qi, an adjunct professor who teaches new media art and interaction design. Originally trained as an applied mathematician at UC Berkeley, she earned a Masters in New Media Arts after feeling there was something missing from her undergraduate studies. Qi’s work is often interactive and fuses her analytical background with representations of emotion. As a professor, she is continuously searching for truth, and helping her pupils find it as well.
Scientist, mathematician, engineer, and artist, Zhenzhen Qi has taken a circuitous path to where she is today. Bringing it all together is an essential part of her quest for truth.
“I had a very typical science and engineering educational experience,” Qi said of her training as an applied mathematician, “but I felt it was lacking something very important to the kind of person I am. The way scientists and engineers are trained and educated made me feel like there needs to be something more.”
“I’m still not sure if art alone is the answer,” Qi admitted, “but I think there are a lot of interesting things happening in the space between art and science technology.”
The search for “something more” led Qi to the Interactive Art program at NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts. After graduation, she became an educator and currently teaches both graduate and undergraduate New Media Art programs across New York City.
“The numerical parts of science combined with the openness of art is what makes both what I teach and what I make more interesting than either on their own.” Qi’s exploration of the spaces where art and science overlap has naturally taken her to the world of 3D printing. And that’s part of the reason why she is excited about the 3Doodler.
Qi’s statement is based on mathematician and computer scientist Seymour Papert’s design principal of “low floors, high ceilings.” When properly executed, this means you can create something with a tool as soon as it is picked up, but that the potential for more complex and involved creations from the tool is limitless. Although Papert was talking about his Logo programing language, Qi was referring to the relative ease of use of a printing pen, even though a practiced user can create truly incredible things.
But Papert’s thinking isn’t the only thing exciting Qi about the 3Doodler.
“I’m very familiar with 3D printing commercial technology. I’ve designed and printed a number of things with different hardware and materials,” Qi said of the emerging medium. But while she has been pleased with the results overall, she finds the process lacking something vital.
For Qi, 3D printing has meant that the act of creation ends when she saves the final version of the design file. The automated 3D printer removes the tactile element of creation and detaches her from the creative process. So, just as applied mathematics turned out to be only part of the equation, standard 3D printing techniques haven’t offered everything she is looking for.
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Qi believes the 3Doodler can provide a sense of creative ownership that automated printers simply can’t match. Executing the design by hand may provide artists with a new appreciation for the medium of molded plastic. Shaping the work directly makes it possible to discover new aspects of the piece, and understand the medium directly. And while it does make mistakes or minor imperfections more likely, this introduces the possibility to learn and find serendipitous new ways to develop artwork.
The increased potential for discovery and creation, Qi feels, is at the core of the appeal of the 3Doodler.
“The reason I thought a printing pen would be a great idea is because it reminds me so much of just regular drawing on a piece of paper. And drawing as a technology is probably one of our oldest forms of expression, one of the oldest technologies we have, and that’s because there’s so much creative potential with that tool.”
Qi envisions a future where the 3Doodler enables creators and students to easily create work that deftly blends dozens of disciplines. “This is a tool which can integrate fields that people are not used to seeing combined—for example, art, physics, material sciences and engineering. I think it’s more about integrating different fields rather than completely redefining any one field.”
And with that integration, perhaps she will find her greater truth.
For South Korean artist Shim Jeong-Sub, everything is about making a connection.
A student at Hongik University, Jeong-Sub studies woodworking and furniture design. But artistry and design is all about innovation, and for Jeong-Sub’s latest project it was time to look beyond traditional construction materials.
Demonstrating the strength of a Doodled truss structure
“While experimenting with different tools and materials during the starting process, I turned my eyes to 3D printing,” Jeong-Sub says. In order to make 3D-printed furniture a reality, it was important to consider the strength and durability of 3D printing filaments like PLA and ABS.
"The 3Doodler uses the latest technology, but it can apply a wide range of human creativity." Share
While using a 3D printer was a possibility, there was something more appealing to the hand-made nature of using the 3Doodler. “Unlike previous 3D printers which require a complex method and high cost, the 3Doodler allows users to draw in 3-dimensions while keeping the same basic process of an FDM 3D printer with ejected molten plastic,” explains Jeong-Sub. “The 3Doodler uses the latest technology, but it can apply a wide range of human creativity.”
With a concept in place and new technology to make it a reality, the next task was to create the intricate structure which would successfully serve as functional furniture.
While most Doodled structures are created with standard horizontal and vertical lines, creating furniture required something different. “After judging that the thickness and the length of the filament would not support the weight of an average man, I experimented with various forms of structure,” says Jeong-Sub.
"I tried to pursue the natural and composite texture of connected filaments, creating a more coincidental impression." Share
After rigorous testing, Jeong-Sub finally found a solution. “I used a truss structure, which can support the most force,” he reveals. “By ejecting the molten plastic and connecting them one by one, the work was produced.”
“Assuming the ability to sit, I first formed a structure which supports the weight of a person,” Jeong-Sub explains. “After judging that it can support the force, I tried to pursue the natural and composite texture of connected filaments, creating a more coincidental impression.”
The result was a full-sized chair and design masterpiece which Jeong-Sub appropriately named “Connect”. The finished piece took two full months to complete, with a total of 450 meters (almost 1,500 feet) of connected filament.
Jeong-Sub continues to explore how hand-drawn 3D forms made with the 3Doodler can be elevated to sculptural interior design pieces. His latest works follow the same concept as his Connect chair. He is currently putting the finishing touches on a pendant light and an electroformation, where Jeong-Sub created an underlying structure modeled with the 3Doodler which was then electroformed and covered with copper.
All of his work reflects Jeong-Sub’s own take on modern life. “This piece ‘Connect’ visualizes in detail the figure of modern people living with connections,” Jeong-Sub explains, “as well as focusing on showing the effect of coincidence when each connection creates a structure with more complexity and variations.”
We have seen members from our creative Community do incredible things, from art to fashion to full-size cars. Cornelia Kuglmeier has been a dedicated member of our 3Doodler Community from the very beginning, and last year took on a project that required the precision, attention to detail, and artistic ability that only she could bring.
The Sagrada Challenge
“I like big challenges,” says Cornelia Kuglmeier. A school teacher from Germany, Cornelia has worked with 3Doodler on incredible artistic pieces in the past. But earlier this year, Cornelia completed her largest and most detailed project to date: a scale model of the Sagrada Familia.
Laying out the facade
Designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), the Sagrada broke ground in Barcelona in 1882 and remains unfinished to this day. In addition to the immense complexity of the building, the completion of the Sagrada was made even more difficult with Gaudi’s sudden death, after which his notes were lost for many years and then later partially destroyed by anarchists in 1936.
"I’m a big planner. I just don’t Doodle without a clue on how to begin and how to move on from each point" Share
To recreate the Sagrada, Cornelia researched Gaudi’s design plans extensively as preparation for creating her model with the 3Doodler.
“I’m a big planner. I just don’t Doodle without a clue on how to begin and how to move on from each point,” Cornelia says. “So I first did some very long and some very detailed research. Then I made myself stencils where I counted on heights and relations on the different parts, and even drew in some decorations to see how much space it would take.”
Immense Complexity
“Gaudi had a very unique idea of building and architecture,” Cornelia explains. “You basically have the outer structure of a Gothic church in the Sagrada Familia, but the sustaining structure on the inside is completely different from what we know of the Gothic epoch.”
Gaudi's hanging chain model
To add to the complexity, nearly every aspect of Gaudi’s architectural design was new and unheard of. “He designed the curved towers by building what he called a ‘hanging model’,” Cornelia says, describing how Gaudi hung ropes weighed down with sand bags to create curved lines for the shapes of the towers. “Their shape, modelled on parabolas, was Gaudì’s way of creating self-supporting structures that would overcome the faults of Gothic architecture.”
Innovative aesthetic twists also provided special challenges to the original builders. “The most difficult part of construction on the real Sagrada was the sustaining structure in the naves holding the roofs and towers,” she says. “Gaudi wanted the pillars inside the church to be shaped like trees with branches, supporting the arches and symbolizing the leafy roof of a forest. Such a system of pillars and arches had never been built before.”
Unwavering Perfectionism
Gaudi’s genius and innovation meant a slow construction process. “I think one of the reasons it is not finished now is because the technique was very different and they had to go step by step to invent it,” Cornelia says. “And it’s huge. It’s meant to be the tallest Christian church when it’s finished.”
"It was obvious back then that Gaudi would not live to see his project finished" Share
But Gaudi was never in a rush to see the Sagrada Familia completed. “It was obvious back then that he would not live to see his project finished,” explains Cornelia. “But when they told him that, and asked if he wanted to simplify some things or stick to knowledge they had already about architecture, he said he wouldn’t change anything because his client had all the time to wait, and wasn’t in a hurry. He meant God of course.”
144 Years in the Making
While the Sagrada Familia is planned to be completed in 2026 (144 years after it first broke ground), Cornelia’s Doodled model took only four months – although with its own unique challenges.
The first major challenge was researching the plans of Gaudi’s original design so the model could stay as close to his vision as possible. “The original ground plot and floor plan was essential,” she says. “Without it, assembling and planning would not have been possible. The main structure is a so-called “latin cross”, the church itself is some sort of modified Gothic style. As those are very strictly planned, the original ground plot studies were very helpful.”
But other parts of the design plans were more difficult to research.
Constructing the Facades
The finished Sagrada will have three detailed façades depicting different chapters from the life of Christ. Cornelia wanted to include as much detail on each façade as possible. “This was complicated though, as only one façade is fully built, the Nativity Façade,” she says. “I could not find a photo of the fully built Passion Façade, so I had to stick to models, which are sometimes slightly simplified.”
"The figures were so tiny. I had to simplify some areas, and reduce others. Some things I had to invent" Share
“The Glory Façade was completely built after model views. What made my work so difficult was that there are actually at least two models; one very colourful, highly decorated model, supposed to be made by Gaudi himself, but only available in very small picture sizes; and one white, rather even and slick 3D-printed model.”
assiduous attention to detail
Staying True to Gaudi’s Vision
Sagrada Pre-assembly
Cornelia decided to rely as much as possible on Gaudi’s own model. “I chose to use green for the turrets in the Glory Façade instead of brown, as the model made by Gaudí himself showed the turrets in green,” she says. “I tried very hard to give every façade as much decoration as possible to give it its typical look; I also tried to put as much decoration as possible onto the towers, but this was limited with both, as the figures were so tiny. All in all I had to simplify some areas, and reduce others. Some things I had to invent, like the decoration of the apse – it’s not built yet, and there was no picture to be found that depicted it big enough.”
1,050 Strands, and Countless Hours
Working up to 10 hours a day, and eventually using 1,050 strands of plastic, Cornelia’s Sagrada Familia model began to take shape.
“I didn’t count how many times I wanted to throw it against a wall,” Cornelia admits. Even when working with stencils and detailed research, mistakes can still happen, and with a project as precise as the Sagrada Familia, even a millimetre difference could throw off proportions and make assembly difficult.
“I Doodled all the parts first, put together the towers, the facades and the church naves and then started assembling from the middle – Christ’s tower – in each direction,” Cornelia says. “Having them all at the right height, sitting straight and at the right angles was very difficult; besides, as organic forms meet geometric forms, putting the pieces together was not always easy, or the form itself grew so edgy that my hand with the pen almost didn’t fit in.”
"It wouldn’t have that impact if it was just plain" Share
And sometimes Cornelia had to get creative to make sure the church came together properly. when assembling the towers, she found space too tight to Doodle from the outside, and the structure was too delicate to lay it on its side without risking damage. “So when I had to assemble this part, I gently pushed it half over the edge of my table – just enough so it wouldn’t fall down – and I kneeled under it and Doodled the whole thing upside down, like Michelangelo painting his Sistine Chapel,” she says. “It didn’t take me as long as Michelangelo though, and I didn’t go blind,” she adds, laughing.
Oven-baked windows
The Devil is in the Detail
For Cornelia, the most important part of her Doodled model was making sure to include as much decorative detail as she could, even when it came to creating the angels on the facade. “It wouldn’t have that impact if it was just plain or only had bits and blobs,” she says. “That was the most delicate work. I was sitting there and forming the hot plastic with pincers to make them even thinner or make some sort of gap between the head and body to keep them as small as possible but visible.”
“I also oven-baked the windows, trying to give them their real colors, making them smooth and shiny in contrast to the brown and rough appearance of the church’s walls,” she says.
"I wanted to finish it. I saw it growing, and it was not in vain" Share
Despite the frustration and hours of dedication to both research and construction, Cornelia says that once the pieces began to come together she felt the whole ordeal was worth it. “I wanted to finish it. It was a big challenge, and I like big challenges,” she says. “I saw it growing, and it was not in vain.”
Over the past few weeks, we have featured artists who have used the 3Doodler as a creative outlet, made works of fine art, and even high fashion. Grace Du Prez went beyond anything attempted before when she led a team of 11 artists in creating a life-size Doodled Nissan Qashqai – the largest Doodle ever made.
Grace Du Prez
Grace Du Prez is not new to Doodling. “I first started using the 3Doodler about 3 years ago when I was commissioned by Maplin Electronics to make a hat for Ladies Day at Ascot,” she says. “I then got in touch with 3Doodler directly and made a few pieces including jewellery, a vase and some lampshades.”
But her latest project was bigger and more complex than anything Grace – or anyone else – had ever done before.
Grace was contacted about an ambitious new idea – to use a 3D pen to create an entire car. The project would be to Doodle a full-size Nissan Qashqai. “I was really excited as nothing had ever been made this size before and it sounded like a really fun project.”
"Nothing had ever been made this size before" Share
Based in London, Grace assembled a team of 11 artists and designers from the UK, and students from Kingston University. But before they could begin, they needed a plan.
“The initial conversations were mainly about feasibility and trying to estimate how long it would take,” says Grace. “We then had to plan all the logistics of how to make it and what the design would be.”
Stitching It Together
With multiple artists, there were many different visions and ideas to consider, and different elements that had to be decided. “In the beginning planning stages, we discussed how it could be made and what the surface might look like. There were lots of meetings to discuss the different options,” Grace explains. “The whole planning took a couple of months.”
When it came time to start constructing the car, Grace showed the team how to use the 3Doodler. As Grace teaches regular workshops for how to use the pen, she was able to get the team Doodling quickly.
But when 11 artists are working on the same project, everyone needs to be on the same page. “Everyone had a slightly different style of Doodling – just like everyone’s handwriting is different,” Grace explains. “So to keep it consistent across the whole car we would get everyone to swap places every so often.”
And it was crucial to have open lines of communication throughout the project. “At the start of every day we would all have a chat and make a plan for which bits we were going to do,” Grace says. “We started off getting all the key lines, which were quite thick to give a bit of structure and support and also highlighted the design features of the Qashqai. Then we could start filling in the bigger areas with more of a web-like surface.”
No one had ever before attempted making a structure of this size using a 3D pen. “That was the biggest challenge for me; as it had never been done before, there was a little element of the unknown,” says Grace. “But that just added to the excitement of it.”
"Seeing the Doodled car next to the real life Qashqai really shows what an amazing achievement it all was" Share
And Grace and her team were prepared for the challenge. “I was always confident as we had planned it really well and thought of every eventuality,” she says.
Working 800 hours over 17 days, and using over 8,000 strands of PLA and ABS plastic, this massive-scale project moved from concept to reality. “Seeing the final video for the first time, I was so proud of the team and how hard everybody had worked,” Grace says. “Seeing the Doodled car next to the real life Qashqai really shows what an amazing achievement it all was.”
The completed Doodled Qashqai is being transported to the Brand Innovation Centre in Barcelona, where it will be on display to the public.
“Working on the Qashqai in a team and creating something large scale as a group was a great experience,” says Grace. “I feel like now we have done this anything is possible so I’m looking forward to what the future has in store!”
Our 3Doodler Community is as diverse as they are creative. This month we’re featuring members who have inspired us with their body of work, incredible projects, or in the way they have brought their imagination to life using the 3Doodler.
Erica Gray’s futuristic creations combine fine art and high fashion into wearable sculptures – each with a focus on 3D technology.
ERICA GRAY
"It has been great to be able to form ideas and play with concepts in a spatial environment." Share
Erica’s artwork refuses to be neatly categorized. “The fusion of technology, fashion, the analogue, the digital combinations as well as a dash of animalistic imagery inspires much of my new work,” she explains.
Each new project Erica embarks on shows a new side of her futuristic creativity. A part-time graphics illustrator and sculptor from Australia, Erica got her first 3Doodler from our first Kickstarter campaign.
“Over time my spatial skills and confidence with the 3Doodler have grown allowing me to explore new structures and formation in my work,” she says. “It has been great to be able to form ideas and play with concepts in a spatial environment, and have it stay in place and be able to analyse it as an object rather than a series of sketches.”
Big Bang (to Being) Bra
Erica’s work often combines 3D printing and design technology with hand-drawn 3D pen additions, as seen in Big Bang (to Being) Bra. This computer drawn and conceived bra combines digitally processed 3D printing with hand-sculpted additions made with the 3Doodler.
“It was a collaboration with my partner Zoran Zivanovic,” Erica explains. “He did all of the 3D printed parts, and I did the freehand Doodles, and we even added lighting to it. It was a fun project to work on.”
While the entire piece is mixed media, Erica says the majority is 3D technology. “And you can reprint it when it wears out,” she adds.
Erica is no stranger to large-scale wearable pieces made with a 3D pen.
“My first 3Doodled piece, Crystal Matrix, is my favorite,” she says. “It was a large piece to start with, and I went through an array of emotions whilst making it – mostly worry that it would never get finished, followed by a tremendous sense of satisfaction that it was indeed complete, and came out how it was designed to look.”
Now Erica is putting the finishing touches on her latest piece, Future Relic, which she will exhibit in a Fashion Technology display at the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival next month. “Over the last few years I have worked very hard establishing my professional art career,” says Erica. “In these last years, I have relied heavily on the 3Doodler to produce my sculptural and wearable works.”
Future Relic
"The 3Doodler is also a great way of prototyping an idea in real-time." Share
For Erica, the combination of structural results with freehand design is what draws her to the 3Doodler. “It’s the combination of great materials and ease of use which has made my 3Doodler one of my favorite go-to art tools,” she says. “It is also a great way of prototyping an idea in real-time – this doesn’t balance right, cut it away. Redo that part, perfect.”
Erica says when it comes to Doodling, go big. “Get totally immersed, and don’t be afraid to start your project at a large scale,” she says. “Working in plastic is very forgiving, and any little imperfections can easily be trimmed out and reworked.”
We’re continuing our series of features focusing on our talented and creative 3Doodler Community members. From hobbyists to professionals, these Doodlers have taken their imagination off the page and into the world around them to create incredible bodies of work.
Ilma Wasty
“My first attempt at Doodling was almost accidental,” says Ilma Bushra Wasty. The 28-year-old recently completed her MA in Interior and Spatial Design at the Chelsea College of Art at the University of Arts in London.
Ilma recently finished a large-scale mixed-media project for her MA in interior and spatial design, combining the delicacy of Doodled pieces with industrial concrete. Her final project, titled Revealing the Pattern, combined delicate patterns made with the 3Doodler and concrete rocks, steps and tiles. "Like the pen or pencil, the 3Doodler was a new tool to draw and express." Share
“I got my 3Doodler when I came to the UK for my masters,” says Ilma, who is originally from Pakistan. “I had intended to use it for recreational purposes.”
But in the first unit of her masters program, Ilma explored new concepts and mediums. “Like the pen or pencil, the 3Doodler was a new tool to draw and express,” she says. “I do not view the 3Doodler as one art form, but rather as a tool which can be customized according to needs.”
“The first thing I Doodled was tracing out a small cup. This was not very successful, as it was my first attempt,” she admits.
But Ilma improved quickly, and found that skills she had gained as a child helped her when controlling a 3D printing pen. “The 3Doodler for me is a drawing tool, which allows me to draw a pattern that is 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional at the same time,” she says. “The way the plastic extrudes reminded me of henna pattern making when I was younger and I would draw patterns on other people’s hands.”
This bridge between traditional culture and modern life became the basis of Ilma’s final project in her MA. “Revealing The Pattern is inspired by old rundown buildings in interior Sindh, Pakistan,” she explains. “It had stemmed from a desire to develop a personal spatial expression rooted in culture.”
For this project, Ilma wanted to make craftsmanship a key feature of the final installation. “I used the 3Doodler to highlight the importance of hand craft and a contemporary interpretation of a very traditional craft from the Islamic patterned tiles,” she says.
“These tiles are proposed for an outdoor environment, where the cement has the opportunity to weather like at the seaside,” explains Ilma. “The pattern, therefore, reveals over time rather than being immediately visible.”
It’s this same sense of patience that Ilma says is the key to working with the 3Doodler. “Patience goes a long way,” she says, “but the beauty is also in the mistake. Doodles do not need to be perfect. Each mistake makes the particular object unique and beautiful.”
To celebrate the creativity we see every day in our Community, we’re bringing you a series of stories featuring Doodlers who inspire us with how they’ve used the 3Doodler.
These Doodlers are from all over the world, with different styles, backgrounds, and creative concepts. But they all have one thing in common – they use the 3Doodler as their artistic outlet.
This week we head to Verona, Italy with 19-year-old Matteo Magnabosco.
Matteo Magnabosco
Matteo picked up his first 3D printing pen less than a year ago when he bought the 3Doodler. He knew right a way it was the creative medium he had been looking for.
“I saw a video on Facebook about the 3Doodler,” he says. “I was so impressed, at Christmas I bought it.”
“For me, drawing has always been a hobby,” says the 19-year-old from Verona, Italy. “Before the 3Doodler, I drew on paper with pencils.”
Working with the 3Doodler allowed Matteo to bring a new dimension to his careful line work. “My first drawing with the 3Doodler was an abstract line that intersected and formed three faces,” he remembers. Soon he was exploring all the possibilities that came with working in 3D.
"I chose to use the 3Doodler to be able to give shape to my designs." Share
“Drawings on paper cannot be used for other purposes,” Matteo explains. “The 3Doodler allows me to use my drawings to create useful items for everyday life.”
Matteo enjoys bringing his drawings off the page. “I chose to use the 3Doodler to be able to give shape to my designs,” he says.
Matteo especially enjoys creating Doodles in one strong color, like black or red. He makes sure to go slowly and carefully, to create clean and neat lines making his Doodles look like prints or drawings brought directly off the page.
“I’ve tried to practice a lot, and have gotten quite good results,” he says.
His meticulously detailed Doodles, from people to animals, are recreated by his own imagination mixed with things and characters from real-life interactions.
"Drawings on paper cannot be used for other purposes. The 3Doodler allows me to use my drawings to create useful items for everyday life." Share
“I am inspired by the things I see around me,” he says.
“My favourite thing I have Doodled is a woman who is smoking and in the smoke there is the face of a man,” Matteo says. “To do this drawing, I spent two hours.”
Matteo says this particular Doodle was an expression of his own thoughts on love and obsession. “When a woman is in love with a man, and when a man is in love with a woman, they are seen everywhere,” he says.
Matteo says that he hopes to bring his love of art and Doodler into a future career. “I’m still a student,” he says, “but I hope my work can tie together design and information technology.”
For the next few weeks, we will feature members of our community with a creative passion who have made the 3Doodler a part of their lives – whether as an outlet for creative energy, use as an artistic tool, or to create large-scale projects as part of a brand collaboration.
Every day at 3Doodler we get members from our Community posting or sending us the incredible artwork they have created. Whether on our Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook feed, or sent directly to us, we love seeing the creativity in our Community.
This week, we’re featuring Tanner Lamm, a longshoreman from Everett, Washington.
Tanner Lamm
“About four years ago, I got rid of my TV and became quite the YouTube nut,” says Tanner. “While on YouTube, I came across a video using the original 3Doodler. I instantly fell in love with the tool and needed to have it.”
The 35-year-old longshoreman from Everett, Washington donated to the 3Doodler Kickstarter campaign to get his first 3Doodler pen. “After messing around with the pen a little, I got straight to work and loved it.”
As with any new art medium, the 3Doodler took some getting used to. “I think I started with a few stick figures to get the flow down, then I made a small tree – which kinda fell apart,” Tanner admits.
But once he got the hang of things, Tanner’s imagination and his artwork took off. “I see inspiration everywhere and have more ideas than plastic strands to use,” he says.
"I love to Doodle because it allows me to pull my drawings off the page and into the real world." Share
From wriggling octopi inspired by his work as a longshoreman, to geometric trees emerging from intricate skulls, Tanner has used his 3Doodler pens as an outlet for his creativity and imagination. “I love to Doodle because it allows me to pull my drawings off the page and into the real world,” he says.
“My favorite Doodle so far is my Hang Glider Island,” he says. “It’s a big purple tree on a floating island with tiny wooden platforms for tiny hang gliders. It also has bigger hang gliders that fly around the island on fishing string.”
Hang Glider Island
“My inspiration was my love for drawing trees and my old paragliding days,” Tanner says. “It took me about 20 hours to make, and I used about 75 strands of plastic.”
Tanner says that when Doodling, it’s what’s inside that counts. “The best tip I can give is to make sure to pay attention to the inside structure of your Doodles,” he explains. Using a 3D pen is similar to 3D printing in this regard. “The bigger your Doodle, the more important structure becomes.”
As he continues to expand his creative work, Tanner plans to bring his Doodles to the next level with mechanical moving parts. “I want to see about getting some Doodles to move through wind power and cranks,” he says.
“The 3Doodler has been great for me,” he says. “I’ve used it no differently then if I were using a pencil. It feels like I’ve pulled my drawings right off the paper and then have the option to make them into so much more.”
With the release of the new 3Doodler PRO, we’ve taken the 3Doodler to the next level. More control, new advancements, and a wider range of materials make the PRO ideal for professional use in prototyping, art, and design.
Here are three creative professionals already exploring how the PRO can help them take their concepts further.
DYLAN BLAU
Co-Founder of #AllNaturalVines, freelance filmmaker and animator
DYLAN BLAU
Dylan was studying Economics when first discovered Vine – and used it to clear his mind during finals. Three years later, and this past-time has become part of Dylan’s career as an animator with extraordinary stop-motion Vines. Dylan now works full-time on stop-motion animation, motion graphics, 2D cel animation, and 3D animation to create unique & stunning visual results.
“I’ve always been fascinated by platonic solids. In a lot of my videos, low poly paper craft shapes are used as part of the sets. What intrigued me with this project in particular was the ability to be able to see every edge and connecting point of the shape, since all that’s needed to hold it together is the wireframe.”
“With this project I wanted to show the very foundation of the PRO pen.”
“It is just as you expect, drawing in 3D space. By transitioning from a flat square to a cube, the goal was to illustrate that with the PRO pen, you literally ‘lift your imagination off the page’. And by implementing more and more complex shapes as the video goes on, the viewer realizes that the things you can create go beyond just the basics.”
"You can never get the same organic and crafty feel with computer generated imagery, that’s where I grab the PRO pen and turn my design into a piece of art." Share
“I like to draw on stencils first, which allows me to get the most accurate representation of the designs. Thanks to the ability to mold and weld the material with the tip of the PRO pen, edges and corners can easily be achieved, turning flat Doodles into 3D objects.”
“Usually it helps if I create a mockup in 3D software. You can never get the same organic and crafty feel with computer generated imagery though, and that’s where I like to grab the PRO pen and turn my design into a piece of art that you can actually grasp.”
“With speed and temperature adjustments right at your fingertips, the PRO pen is highly customizable, making it the most advanced 3D drawing experience yet.”
JONATHON HARRIS
Live artist, installation artist
Jonathon Harris
Jon Harris has been performing his own work for twenty years across 4 continents. Taking inspiration from the cultures around him, his own experience and the views and actions of others, he weaves together stories and images that are as unforgiving as they are emotive. The human form is always centre to Jon’s work, even when physical people are not present.
“This exhibition is about revisiting fragmented memories and walking the fine line between fact and fiction. It really does depend how you remember it.”
“With voices recorded twenty years apart and on different continents, this is the original memory and a memorial – and at its center is a life-sized, hand drawn 3D drawing of the human form attached to a string of written and spoken thoughts.”
"I wanted to create a 3D drawing using my own 2D drawing style. The 3Doodler enabled me to do this directly onto a cast of the human body and not miss any detail." Share
“I wanted to create a drawing and shell of a human being that is both solid and fragile at the same time, using unexpected and emerging technologies. I wanted to create a 3D drawing using my own 2D drawing style. The 3Doodler enabled me to do this directly onto a cast of the human body and not miss any required detail. Once the cast was secured, different versions were made/drawn with the pen – enabling me to plan how different parts of the drawing could be joined and made whole.”
“Drawing the figure was a slow progress with 56 hour of drawing and 949 strands of black plastic, but with careful planning, the drawing began to come together and inform the piece as a whole including its environmental and performative elements.”
“The 3Doodler’s creativity and its innate pushing of boundaries allows me to blur the line between drawing and sculpture.”
WENDY FOK
Creative director and founder of WE-DESIGNS LLC and Resilient Modular Systems, PBC.
Wendy Fok
Wendy’s designs draw on inspiration from mathematics, tying in principles from architecture, digital media, and design. Her design installations have been displayed around the world in Singapore, Paris, London, Dubai, Toronto, Shanghai, Athens and more. Wendy’s work aims to incorporate art and interactive spaces into city planning and architectural design.
“My work focuses on an exploration of geometric structures and how they can be applied spatially in sculptural installations or other various projects. This particular design takes pyramids and prisms and gathers them at a focal point, so that the angular prisms eventually form a circular structure.”
"The PRO is most useful when integrating finer details into a sketch model, and visualizing how the design could fit into a landscape or architectural setting." Share
“My design process relies on continual feedback. There must be a back and forth between mediums: paper, digital, glue, 3D printers, or whatever else. There is constant interaction between the objects at hand and the digital form, and I feel that the relationship between mediums, tools, and techniques are integral to the process of design and creation.”
“The PRO pen is especially useful in this communication between the digital and material. Most of my designs are first made in my sketchbook. Ideas are then transferred between the sketchbook and the computer and sometimes re-iterated through other forms of model making materials.”
“The PRO pen is most useful when integrating finer details into a sketch model, and visualizing how the design could fit into a landscape or general architectural setting.”
“Simply, the PRO allows the ability to build in 3D space that a traditional fountain pen or digital plan does not.”
South Korean artist KIMONE shows the hidden side of human emotions with her digital art. Now she’s looking to push her art into a new dimension.
“The first thing I Doodled was my name on paper,” KIMONE says. But using the 3Doodler was different than other media she had used in the past. “Those words were written badly and I felt pretty awkward,” she admits.
But feelings and emotions, especially those related to insecurity, are what KIMONE’s artwork is all about. Her series “HIDE” was inspired by her experience in therapy.
“During therapy sessions, I looked at myself through the person sitting in front of me,” she says. “The enclosed area where I had the sessions was not a space for me to be comfortable in, but instead put me under pressure.”
Even though the therapy sessions were meant to encourage openness, KIMONE says that for her it made her want to cover up even more. “Every moment, I tried to hide,” she says.
With the 3Doodler and branching out into 3-dimensional art, KIMONE’s artwork turned from hiding to expressing. “I have been working on the natural human body and very basic human emotions,” she says. “I wanted to express the extended concept of a human face that shows abstract feelings and emotions.”
Using the 3Doodler allowed KIMONE to explore new avenues in her artwork. “Doodling enables me to represent all kinds of abstract images,” she explains. “And Doodling has a special virtue in that you can use mixed medium and vary from 2D to 3D.”
"Doodling has a special virtue in that you can use mixed medium and vary from 2D to 3D." Share
Now KIMONE plans to continue using the 3Doodler for bigger projects. “I would like to express the human body in more detail,” she says. “I look forward to creating structural sculpture by using parts of the human body.”
KIMONE says she recommends using Overhead Projector film paper for Doodling. “It’s good for practicing one’s writing and also the letters can be separated into pieces more easily,” she says.
KIMONE says her 3Doodled face was the most intense work she has done with exploring the human form in 3D. She worked on her sculpture for 10 days, working five to eight hours each day. “It is a great pleasure for an artist to feel emotion easily through their work,” she says. “This artwork made me feel this.”
Barbara Taylor-Harris creates mesmerizing mixed media artwork, combining traditional painting and sculpture techniques with new plastic enhancements.
Barbara Taylor-Harris
“I am often told off in galleries. I always touch everything!” says Barbara. It makes sense. As a sculptor, it’s important to have a good sense of the way things feel and move. “Often the joy and knowledge of art comes from feeling texture, not just looking.”
Barbara’s work is all about texture. “I like people to be able to feel the magic and touch my work,” she says. “I started with watercolor, but I soon found flat paper uninspiring, so I decided to experiment with texture.”
Barbara began experimenting with a variety of materials, and came across the 3Doodler. She found that by creating texture with Doodled additions, her mixed media works of art were able to hold up when curious art admirers want to feel for themselves.
But it wasn’t always so easy to make her Doodled creations a reality. “My first project was a dancer, but I struggled to make it stand up,” Barbara remembers.
"Often the joy and knowledge of art comes from feeling texture, not just looking" Share
As she became more familiar with the 3Doodler, Barbara was able to hone her skills and create larger and more detailed pieces. “My last Doodles were creating magical forests,” she says. “I was exploring the use of supports with the 3Doodler.”
Now Barbara wants to take her mixed media experimentation even further. “I want to create 3Doodled sculptures which are designed to be lit from inside,” she says.
Barbara sees her 3Doodler like a brush or palette knife. “The pen is now another tool and plastic relief another material for my paintings,” she says. “In both cases, the 3Doodler allows me to do things I often can’t do or do as easily with traditional materials.”
As a hand-held 3D printer, the 3Doodler opens up a world of possibilities, uses, and applications. This week we look at how the 3Doodler hit the runway with high-fashion wearable forms.
Artist and creator Erica Gray’s Forms Organic demonstrates how free-hand constructions with the 3Doodler can lead to incredible and unique creative fashion.
Forms Organic was made using the 3Doodler and ABS plastic in combination with other materials to create a masked headpiece and torso section. The wearable sculpture is a bespoke one-of-a-kind artwork. The piece is inspired by organic figures and animalistic imagery, expressed using a skeletal structure, tails, teeth and claw-like elements.
“It took a few weeks to produce,” explains Erica. “I had a model booked and a deadline to work towards which helped me really focus.”
Creating a large-scale high-fashion piece was a new step for Erica. “While my work is essentially art based, Forms Organic is also a wearable piece, which meant it took a little longer getting the intricacies of the fit right for a moving subject,” she says.
Every aspect of Forms Organic was constructed by hand. “I pre-selected the elements I wanted to utlize within the piece,” Eric says, “such as the polymer teeth, claws and nylon tail – which I also sculpted from scratch.”
Once the additional pieces were created, Erica then got to work with her 3Doodler. “The main bulk of the piece is then 3Doodled around, through, or within those elements,” she says. “I used roughly sketched stencils for some of the joins, and once those parts were ready I just assembled the form, building up layers of filament over select areas to exaggerate and construct the skeletal ridges.”
"I usually work from sketches, however in this case I just let it evolve." Share
Erica was working only with a loose plan of where to go and how to proceed. “I usually work from sketches, however in this case I just let it evolve,” she explains. It was a process fitting for the nature of this piece and helped inspire the title of Forms Organic. “My sculpted works are often themed on organic forms and animalistic imagery, and this piece captures those fluid forms as well as some more rigid skeletal sections.”
Erica says the process helped inspire her for future works and opens up a new realm of possibilities for wearable, high-fashion projects. “I usually produce wearable pieces that stand as a whole, encompassing any accessories as a part of it’s whole,” she says. “Saying that, while I am not actively pursuing accessories as a direction it does have me intrigued. The idea would be to design individually stylised, fluid plastic pieces for arms, legs, shoes, collars – art as accessories.”
“Initially I didn’t plan to Doodle such a big and detailed piece of artwork,” says Esra Oguz. “I got completely lost in Doodling until someone stopped me to remind me it was time to submit before the Awards deadline!”
Esra won the 2015 3Doodler Interior Design Award with an intricately Doodled basket of flowers, which took a month to complete with Esra Doodling up to five hours each day.
“My first plan was to create a simple bunch of flowers,” she admits. “One by one I improvised each flower, put them together and it turned into a big bunch before I realized.”
Esra first picked up a 3Doodler at the end of 2013. She started by using it to trace 2-dimensional drawings, but soon wanted to try more complex projects.
"Since I have a personality that loves to be challenged, I kept on working at it." Share
“I had trouble imagining how to create 3D objects with soft, smooth, curved surfaces,” she says. But the challenge of learning a new medium didn’t hold her back for long. “Since I have a personality that loves to be challenged, I kept on working at it—in a week’s time I had made my cousin a bird on a swing. It didn’t look spectacular but it sparked my interest in 3Doodling which has continued since.”
Esra soon developed her own unique method and style for creating 3-dimensional forms. She first begins by creating a wireframe to plan the structure of her objects. From this, she creates a stunning variety of objects, from cars to creatures.
“I use a variety of objects to start a base,” she explains, “for example crumpled newspaper. Sometimes I draw the initial image to start building the wireframe or Doodle in 2D before I lift it up and start using it as a base for turning it into a 3D structure.”
"Creating a 3D object in this fashion is more like engineering." Share
The next step is turning a 2D base into a 3D frame. “I usually use ABS filaments for wireframes because it stays strong when I fill the surface,” Esra says. “I’ve gotten used to making them, but it’s still the most time consuming part of Doodling for me.”
Esra explains that most of the time she simply Doodles around a hollow 2D piece to create a frame around it. “The other technique I use is breaking an idea into pieces and then assembling them,” she says. “Creating an object in this fashion is more like engineering.”
The results are a stunning variety of sculptures, all with Esra’s own unique and distinguishable style.
One of the hallmarks of Esra’s style is the uniform appearance on the surface of her Doodles. The key for this, she says, is patience. “I try filling the surface without any space patiently and avoid Doodling in the same space more than once to ensure textural consistency,” she explains. “Another method I use is reheating the Doodle to allow the plastic’s surface to become smoother, but the trick here is to do it without loosing the Doodle’s overall form.”
And just as with any artistic medium, practice makes perfect. “The more I Doodle the more comfortable I become with how the plastic behaves, how to control the pen, and everything else,” says Esra.
It all started with heart. “My friend Michael Husted sent us a heart made with the 3Doodler and asked me ‘David, do you think this will cast?’ The result of that piece is what launched us into the exploration of using the 3Doodler for designing more jewelry,” says David Cunningham.
David owns New York-based DGC Jewellers, and has had incredible success using the 3Doodler in an unexpected way: casting Doodles and turning them into pieces of fine jewelry.
After experimenting with his friend’s Doodled heart, David found it was not only possible to make casts of Doodles, but the results were organic forms that opened up a new realm of possibilities.
"The challenge wasn’t in how we were going to make it, but rather what we were going to design with it." Share
“There was a relatively short learning curve in learning how to control the pen,” says David. “But the challenge wasn’t in how we were going to make it, but rather what we were going to design with it.”
For his first piece, David decided to try a pendant design. “It was a kind of work in progress,” he says. “I used the triangle tip and printed almost like I was decorating a cake with frosting. This gave me a shape that I really liked, but I didn’t know what to do with it.”
As David experimented with the shapes and forms, the end result began to take shape. “I printed the swirl wire around it and cast it, but it wasn’t until I was looking at the cast piece that I decided to antique the pattern, and set an onyx bead at the bottom that completed the look,” he says.
"We tried to focus on what we could make with the 3Doodler that would be difficult or impossible using traditional methods." Share
Working with brightly colored plastic made it challenging to visualize how the final piece would look once cast with metal. “We were surprised on several occasions how different the pieces looked after they were cast, compared to how they looked in green, yellow, pink, and blue plastic!” David says.
What David was really looking for when using the 3Doodler was innovation. “We really tried to focus on what we could make with the 3Doodler that would be difficult or impossible to make using traditional methods of jewelry manufacturing,” he explains.
Of course creating the actual jewelry relies on traditional methods of casting. “When we have the piece ready for casting we invest it [surround it in plaster], then burn it out overnight, and then cast it the next day,” David says. “So this is a two-day process.”
Investment casting is a process all on its own, and David works with jeweler Rob Oakley to bring it all together. “We attach wax sticks (called sprues) to the pieces and attach the sprue to a large wax base called a button,” David explains. “The button is attached to a rubber base that a steel cylinder (called a flask) will fit into.”
Once everything is set into place, plaster is poured into the flask around the Doodled piece. Then when the plaster is set, it can go into the burnout oven, where it’s heated overnight up to 1550° Fahrenheit.
“When the burnout schedule is complete there is a negative cavity in the plaster in the shape of the Doodled piece, and the flask is held at 1000°F for casting,” says David. A special casting machine is used to inject molten metal into the space left in the plaster mold, taking the form left from the Doodle. “The cast piece then has to have the sprues cut off and cleaned up, sandblasted, tumbled, polished, and stones set if the design requires it.”
How long the finishing touches take depends on the complexity of the piece. “With most of these pieces we cast several of them at once and spent three to four days from start to finish to complete a group of them,” David says.
While David was using a blend of old techniques and new technology, using a new tool meant it was important to find a distinct look that made the pieces unique. “We made a few pieces that we liked, but we decided that they could be easily made with metal wire or wax wire,” says David. “So we went back to the drawing board with them.”
What ended up making distinguishing the Doodled pieces ended up being the flaws in the process. “The organic look and variation of thick and thin, and even some of the little mistakes add to the interest and appeal of what we make with the 3Doodler.”
Cornelia Kuglmeier had planned every part of her final submission for the 2015 Doodle of the Year Award—or so she thought. She had drafted sketches, and carefully Doodled the two halves of a delicately detailed seahorse. “But when finally putting the two parts together,” she says, “I realized they did not match.”
Cornelia’s complicated designs and unusual techniques help her create stunning Doodled forms and sculptures, but it certainly doesn’t make things easy. “There’s a lot of trial and error,” she admits.
One of the techniques Cornelia often uses is baking Doodled pieces to give them a glassy surface, an idea she had after a trip to Venice, Italy. “I quite liked the look of Murano glass in Venice and was wondering if PLA could melt in layers too,” she says. “I mean, it melts at 160°-180°C, that’s a temperature my oven achieves.” After some trial and error, Cornelia refined her baking technique to create glassy flowers and decorative pieces.
When it came time to submit entries for the 2015 3Doodler Awards, she knew she wanted to use the same effect on her seahorse. “I first had to Doodle every single plate on its body as a flat piece, and had only a rough guess at what angle they’d be assembled after baking them,” she says. “After baking the pieces I Doodled all the plates and the head together in order to create the two halves of the body, making a nice hollow form.”
"When I finally held it in my hands I was so happy, seeing my imagination take form at last." ShareBut when trying to fit the two pieces together, Cornelia discovered they didn’t fit together the way she had intended. “Every plate was unique and had shaped itself a bit differently when baking,” she explains. “The completed halves of the Seahorse did not have identical curvy lines, with one side being curvier than the other.”
In order to fix the pieces and have them fit together properly, Cornelia used a hot air gun to adjust and bend each shape. “I quite like to use a hot air gun on PLA,” she says. “The heat allows the plastic to bend quickly into shape; you can even heat it up until it gets glossy across its surface.”
Working carefully with the seahorse, she had to re-shape each individual plate to fit correctly. “I had to try hard not to destroy any of the pieces either by breaking or overheating them,” she says. “The work was so sophisticated that I was almost exasperated while making it!”
But in the end, it was all worth the effort. “When I finally held it in my hands I was so happy, seeing my imagination take form at last,” she says. She was even prouder when her seahorse was announced as the 2015 Doodle of the Year.
When it comes to her Doodles, Cornelia is methodical in her approach. “Of course I make a draft of every 3Doodled figure,” she explains. “I usually draw the figure from one side view, roughly in its original size. After this, I divide the figure into its parts and plan out each one so that I can first create a skeleton of it, and then subsequently cover up the skeleton.”
This method allows Cornelia to create a frame to Doodle over. “In this way, the figures are all hollow,” she says. And while she uses references for some of her animals and flowers, she says her fantasy forms are all from her own imagination. “I don’t ever use references when making the more fantastical creatures.”
Cornelia feels like she was always meant to Doodle. “I’ve been drawing since childhood and I always loved neat detail,” she says. “So I guess, I’ve been practicing for my entire life.”
One of the first artists to use the 3Doodler, Yudi Marton lives in Haifa, Israel and caught our attention with his incredible surrealist sculptures. No stranger to creative curiosity, Yudi was among the first to explore the world of computer generated digital artwork more than 25 years ago.
This same instinct is what initially piqued his interest in our original Kickstarter campaign. After backing the world’s first 3D printing pen, Yudi explored new and innovative uses for the 3Doodler, using multiple pens to produce incredibly creative and detailed sculptures.
Yudi spends 30 hours on average for each piece
At 61 years old, Yudi has had a lifetime of creative experience to prepare him for new and emerging creative technologies.
"The 3Doodler is a natural drawing tool for me, it allows me to both draw and sculpt." Share
“I’ve been an artist for as long as I can recall,” he says. “For most of that time I worked with ball point drawings or sculpture using wood, soft stone, or clay. The 3Doodler is a natural drawing tool for me, it allows me to both draw and sculpt, transitioning into using it was an intuitive motion.”
Seated Couple
Yudi’s sculptures take on average 30 hours to complete, but more complicated figures can take much longer. “‘Seated Couple’ actually took almost 60 hours in total,” Yudi says. “This is the reasoning behind having multiple pens, it allows me to switch them out during longer sessions without losing momentum.”
While Yudi’s sculptures look like they come straight from his fantastic imagination, each one requires careful planning. “I build each project from many different parts which are then fused together,” he explains. “These parts are often made up of series of rings which are combined to create a wireframe of the intended character.”
And even with advance planning, Yudi says there’s always unexpected twists in the creative process. “More often than not, things don’t always go as I planned and I need to break, bend and twist before getting the forms correct,” he says. “For instance, ‘The Jump’ was done by breaking the figure many different times in order to achieve the sense of movement in the final product.”
The Jump
Yudi’s personal artistic style wasn’t always the same – it evolved over years of creative expression. “I became comfortable with my technique mostly through experimentation and persistence,” he says. “You need to have a lot of patience, but even the learning process is fun and ultimately rewarding.”
Rachel Goldsmith strikes a fine balance in her artwork between control and chaos. When creating her Doodled masterpieces, she is exacting and meticulous while unafraid of taking a wild leap off the beaten path when another flash of inspiration strikes.
This harmony between two seemingly opposing concepts is nothing new for Rachel. “My artwork is inspired by two sets of contrasts,” she explains. “In my environment, the contrast between man-made and nature; and in materials, the contrast between the control I have over the media and how the media naturally interact with each other. This inspiration manifests itself in my final pieces through contrasts in color, in line, shape and form, and in textures”
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Rachel collaborated with 3Doodler for the debut in MoMA’s design store windows with her Metamorphosis Lamp.
Metamorphosis Lamp
But she had been Doodling long before that, creating mixed media masterpieces and exploring the properties of plastics in unique and unusual ways.
In person, Rachel is a whirlwind of life and laughter, and her artwork is detailed and brimming with energy. She has learned how to adapt and even harness the sometimes unpredictable nature of melted plastic.
Sometimes she lashes it into shape, controlling the Doodled lines with a precise, steady hand. At other times she lets the PLA flow naturally, reacting and adjusting as its meandering motion takes her art in new directions.
Rachel allows her pieces to evolve in a very organic way. Some works, like the appropriately-titled experimental Frankenstein, start on a large scale, stretched horizontally across six feet.
Over the course of a few weeks, the piece was folded, ironed, molded, cut, flipped and formed into a leaf-like form made of PLA, copper leaf, and brass foil.
Rachel’s mix of chaotic control reflects what Doodling is at it’s core: endless experimentation.
“In my artistic work I am primarily concerned with the question of space,” explains design undergraduate Oktavia.
For Oktavia, the concept of “space” is at once familiar and nebulous. What she really wanted to focus on was how to create a clearer definition. “Is our environment created only with our perceptions in mind,” she asks in her undergraduate thesis, “or does it exist independently of us?”
“In my work I am looking for ways to visualize spatial ideas and create a wide range of works on this topic,” she explains. “Materiality and abstraction play just as important a role as variety and spontaneity do.”
When looking to expand on this concept and delve deeper for her thesis, Oktavia looked for new tools to help demonstrate her line of thinking. “When dealing with space, which is generally defined as consisting of at least 3 dimensions, the question arises, where do the limits between 2 and 3 dimensions lie?” she says. “Through this specific question, I came across the 3Doodler as a futuristic tool that could help me further.”
Unlike other more precise drafting or modeling tools, Oktavia was drawn to the imperfect nature of Doodling. “I determined relatively quickly that it was not always possible to draw with exact precision with the 3Doodler,” she explains. “But that’s exactly what makes the objects created with the 3Doodler so exciting. The small elements of coincidence make the difference. So I deliberately tried not to be the best technical Doodler, but to let myself be guided by the characteristics of the tool, making those elements the focus of my thesis.”
As she experimented, she found the 3Doodler was able to add structure and variation to her concept in a way no other tool had. “Because the lines of the plastic thread seem uncertain, the 3rd dimension works to ‘dreamify’ the space-filled graphics,” she says. “The jump between drawing on the wall or canvas and drawing in space creates something fantastical and offers the viewer the opportunity to dream about further dimensional jumps.”
Fashion-forward creatives have been finding new and exciting ways to incorporate 3D aspects into their designs. But Hong Kong fashion art house SHIGO went beyond Doodled additions and constructed an entire dress made entirely with the 3Doodler.
SHIGO love to break from traditional thinking and try new things. Led by two young Hong Kong fashion designers, SHIGO is meant to serve as a platform to express creativity and ideas through fashion. “No one has used the 3Doodler to produce clothing made completely from plastic,” say SHIGO’s co-founders, who set out to do what no one had done before—make Doodled clothing a reality.
The duo began with a concept based from seashells. Taking two types of shell patterns, they wove the spiralling designs together to create an intricate design.
With this textile-like pattern, SHIGO then adapted the design to create a lace-like concept for the dress. The pattern was printed and applied to a base layer of heavy paper to test and fine-tune the form and placement before beginning work with the 3Doodler.
Using Blue Steel PLA and Diamonds & Pearls PLA, the final dress had a subtle shimmer which added elegance, sophistication, and enhanced the impressive 3-dimensional nature of the construction.
The final Doodles were peeled away from the paper base, leaving an intricate lace-like shell made of fine strands of surprisingly sturdy plastic.
The dress was left split down one side, with buckle attachments to make it easier to put on and take off.
The end result was something completely new in both the worlds of fashion and 3D printing. With the free-hand nature of the 3Doodler, SHIGO had created the world’s first entirely Doodled dress.
When Sara Berti first saw the 3Doodler, she knew it would be an invaluable tool for her mixed-media art. “Who wouldn’t want to use this revolutionary new medium?” she says. “It’s the world’s first 3D printing pen!”
Sara is an Italian sculptor who spends her time living between Turkey, Italy and Hungary. She likes to work in parallel with new and old techniques and combine them in creative ways.
Just like her use of other materials and media, here too Sara aims to demonstrate the possibilities of creative freedom, but at the same time incorporate the experience of classical traditional art as the starting point.
She collects materials for her work from different places and occasions—like doily gloves or feathers from Hungary, or metal pieces from Italy.
Sara describes her artwork as “a kind of a symbolic summary of the network of the contemporary (art) world, where everything is extremely international and interconnected. In this way, the combination of natural and artificial materials— the two extremities composing our world—adds an inspiring transcendental dimension to the works.”
Self-taught artist Niki Firmin had just finished a detailed realistic drawing of a calf in colored pencil. The piece was for an exhibition with the U.K. Coloured Pencil Society, and Niki was pleased with the result. But she still felt it wasn’t quite perfect.
“I just felt it was lacking depth,” Niki says. “So I decided I would try Doodling the nose to give the piece that depth.”
Niki had been working for a 3Doodler distributer, and was already familiar with how the pen could be used to bridge the line between the second and third dimensions.
The Doodled nose pushed her drawing into a new realm of mixed media art. “I was over the moon with the result!” Niki says. “I had been looking to find ways to combine the 3Doodler with fine art and the final result blended in so well!”
Niki created the nose of the calf with black and white PLA, and added some paint at the end to blend the colors and make the nose look more realistic.
"I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back to 2D anymore.”" Share
“The calf is looking through a fence, so I found a couple of pieces of wood to put at the top and bottom for the fence and then overlapped the nose over the top of the bottom fence,” Niki explains. The final result was an engaging and entertaining piece which Niki playfully named “Moodle.”
Since the creation of “Moodle”, Niki has explored more animal portraiture with Doodled additions.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to go back to 2D anymore,” Niki says. “2D-3D is the way forward for me, and I’m hoping it will make my work stand out in a very competitive market.”
When it came time for Amanda Sekulow to create a collection for her graduation from O’More College of Design, she knew exactly what she needed. “Every day I prayed that my 3Doodler would arrive,” she says.
Amanda had backed the 3Doodler Kickstarter, and was anxiously awaiting its arrival. But the clock was ticking. “I began in the autumn of 2013 by creating the concept and illustrating the basic garments,” she says. But she didn’t want to start final creation until she had her 3Doodler in hand. “I was determined to wait, as I wanted to use the 3Doodler in my designs.”
As she waited, the Melt into Spring collection took form as a series of white dresses combined with wearable art. The sophisticated dresses would use a variety of woven materials, with 3-dimensional additions created with the 3Doodler.
And soon the wait was over, and the pen arrived. “It showed up, quite literally, just in time,” Amanda says. “I was able to go back to school in January ready to get down to business!”
She spent the next four months creating, embellishing, and perfecting a total of 10 dresses before her final runway show.
.
“There is more than 1,000 feet of ABS plastic in these pieces,” Amanda says, “along with 600 Swarovski crystals, and 810 work hours in total.”
"There are some dresses with intricate sculptures on them, others I let the fabric and plastic do their own thing." Share
While they stand together as a collection, Amanda made sure each dress made a statement on its own. “Each piece is so different, and has its own story to tell,” she says. “There are some dresses with intricate sculptures on them, others I let the fabric and plastic do their own thing. Some of the looks are polished and refined where others look messy and organic.”
And while the entire collection was a labor of love, Amanda says one piece stands out above the rest.
“My favorite piece was the finale piece in the show,” she admits. The dress in question has a high neckline with a chest and shoulder piece with attached apron made entirely from Doodled ABS. With 85 Doodled flowers and 119 attached crystals, this dress alone took over 100 hours to complete.
“I made the neck piece and bodice portion of the apron directly on a body form, so that it would fit close to the model’s body,” Amanda says. It was a risk, as the fit of the final piece would depend on the model who would wear it. “It ended up fitting her perfectly.”
Amanda says watching her final piece during the show was her proudest moment. “I have never been more excited to see anything walk down a runway,” she says, “and everyone else seemed to love it just as much as I do.”
Amanda says the final result of Melt into Spring is a culmination of all the work she has put into design and fashion. “The entire collection is a reflection of my feelings, motivation and life experiences in the moments when I created them.”
Korean wire artist Jina Sim has taken 3Doodler around the world—in a manner of speaking.
Jina typically works with wire, creating complicated forms from tangles and twists. She wants her work to serve as a “boundary that distinguishes the outer world of an object, to separate what is real from what is not.”
Her complex wire-frame work allows the viewer to see the inner and outer aspects of each object simultaneously.
Recently, Jina has began taking this concept to new levels with the 3Doodler. Using the same basic design structure as with wire, she now creates her clean yet complex lines with PLA drawn into the air.
Her Doodled wireframe globe showcased the stunning possibilities that the 3Doodler can offer.
Jina began with a simple styrofoam ball, covering the surface with paper tape which she says prevents the PLA plastic from sticking, making the Doodled lines easier to remove.
On the tape, Jina then sketched the outlines for the countries and continents before setting to work Doodling along the stencil she had made for herself. She was careful to work only on half of the globe, so she could easily remove the the Doodle from the ball.
Once the two halves were complete, Jina Doodled them together to create a stunning finished product.
