4 reasons 3D printing is a modern artist’s best friend
3D printing technology has become so versatile, and so impressive, that the full scope of its potential is almost difficult to grasp. Most people tend to appreciate its general capabilities, and think of it with regard to a handful of specific applications. In fact though, it can be more helpful to think of 3D printing the other way around. Instead of recognizing its capabilities and then imagining them applied to one or two purposes, think instead of a purpose, occupation, or industry, and then imagine all the different ways in which 3D printing could be of assistance there. When you start to think of the technology this way, you begin to realize that it really does offer nearly boundless opportunities, and that virtually any individual or company can find ways to put it to use. In this post, we’re following this line of thinking with regard to artists. And from photographers to painters and anyone in between, it’s clear that 3D printing can be an invaluable asset. Here are a few ways in particular that 3D printing can be a modern artist’s best friend.
1) Providing Custom Parts For Staging
In a past article here on how we use 3D printing, you can read up on the benefits the technology offers when it comes to creating arbitrary designs. In ordinary manufacturing methods, a more complex or unique design often requires more steps or material, whereas 3D printing can efficiently craft a custom design exactly as needed. The example of in that article was 3D printing being used to create an iPad holder, and this speaks to the technology’s potential use for staging in photography, painting, sketching, or even sculpting. To those who don’t work in visual arts, staging might seem like an afterthought. To an artist, however, setting up subjects and equipment exactly as needed - whether that means mounting a camera, positioning a canvas, or anything similar - is one of the most important parts of the process. 3D printing technology can provide staging materials that fit the exact needs of artists.
2) Providing Custom Supplies On Demand
This ties into the idea above to some extent, though in this case we’re talking more about the potential need for multiple products than a given staging mechanism. For instance, let’s say a painter would like to design a specific sort of handle for brushes, or an artists would like a certain set of containers designed to keep supplies ordered and clean. Clearly there are products in stores that can work, but through 3D printing an artist can have exactly what he or she wants and needs.
Furthermore, said artist won’t need direct access to a 3D printer to make it happen, now that professional services are more widely available. A post at Fictiv about the 3D printing services available today demonstrates just how customizable they’ve become. It highlights a range of materials that can be used in designs, the fact that a prototype can be produced in a single day, and also the fact that custom designs are welcome. The post also offers an interesting example in the form of a testimonial from Quip - a company that’s used 3D printing to manufacture toothbrushes. That’s not a far cry from some of the artistic supplies we’re talking about.
3) Resetting The Stage For Digital Art
This point is a little bit different, because in this case the idea is that 3D printing is the actual mechanism for producing art, rather than just something that can assist an artists. Nevertheless, a piece at Vice about recreating a legendary sculpture through 3D printing technology got us thinking. In a sense, 3D printing of any kind is sculpting, only rather than being manipulated by hand it produces crafts according to digital designs. So, in a way, we can look at 3D printing as something that has reset the stage for some digital artists. It is now possible to create something in a digital format that is then printed out in the form of a sculpture.
4) Creating Subjects
This is similar to the idea of printing out a sculpture in some respects, though in this case the printed product is not meant to be the actual work of art, so much as the subject for it. If you happen to know a painter, photographer, or sketch artists, you’re likely familiar with that person always being on the lookout for something to capture in a work of art. Of course, different artists have different preferences; some would sooner capture a centerpiece on a dining room table, while others would prefer an entire landscape. With 3D printing though, a talented artist can create more or less any sort of model that can serve as a subject for art.
Perhaps this is as simple as printing out blocks in different shapes and rearranging them to work on capturing different effects of lighting and shadow; perhaps a photographer will print out models comprising an entire miniature city and then photograph them up close, not unlike some filmmakers seeking to render fantasy settings. The possibilities are, almost literally, endless.
