skullOrnate

Hello all, it was suggested that I post this here, I am not very good at self promotion so hopefully this will get the ball rolling. Let me know what you think.

-ANT

This is soo cool! thanks so much for sharing it with us here.

I know you've already been asked this elsewhere but it would be great if you could share a little bit about how you made it and what your plans are these designs.

What is your background as a 3D designer?

How did you design this model?

How did you add the patina?

Who are you interested in sharing your work, in what setting or context?

Thanks!!

Well thanks for the interest. This is my first small step in a long time to get back into fine arts and sculpture. I have been a 3d artist for quite a long time, but my first foray into rapid prototyping was my Master's thesis in Computer Art at School of Visual Arts in NYC. I had a bachelor of science in painting at the time and was quite annoyed with all the gallery snobs rolling their eyes when I told them I was studying computer art. Having worked for a sculptor, throwing his molds and doing his patinas, I decided to get a free Z-corp (corn starch) print of one of my models and go the traditional route of throwing a mold and getting a nice foundry cast done. I thought it would be an interesting statement about having something so fragile and inconsequential (digital file) that it could be wiped out by a small power surge or stray magnet, to then have it bridge into something that could withstand anything short of a nuclear blast (a sizeable chunk of bronze). The old website (2003) is still functioning and you can see that old project here (under current projects/digital sculpture) : https://lesserdeity.com/
This recent one is quite an improvement from what I tried years ago, and skips many traditional steps. I have been doing TV, commercials and film for the past decade or so, most notably Hobbit I and II down in New Zealand at Weta Digital, but am back in NY now and looking to branch away from that industry. my latest show reel is here:
https://vimeo.com/97003157
Though it still pays the bills, and will for some time, I came back to NY to find avenues to branch away into different kinds of work. Rapid prototyping, jewelry, design and furniture are all things I would like to explore. Any help along these roads will be greatly appreciated, so I look forward to a long and fruitful exchange via this and other forums.
This model was just a sketch really, I have a few variants in various states of disorder that I will also have cast through Shapeways in the near future. The patina was as simple as it gets. Make sure your bronze is clean, get some distilled water (tap is often fine too) and dissolve a chunk of Sulphur Potash in it with your bronze for about a week. After that, wipe it down, take a wirebrush/ sandpaper/ buffing wheel to it to get the gold shiny parts back and then wax it.
I guess I would be interested to share the work with anyone and just see what happens. As I said its a road I have been aware of for a long time, but have charted a lucrative, but tangential course for a long time and am now finally ready to get into this more seriously. Thanks again for the interest, and please excuse my long windedness.

-ANT

Hey Anthony,

thanks for sharing, its great to have a such a prolific 3D artist joining the Shapeways community!

I checked out your reel, you've got a lot of beautiful (and highprofile) work to share, so its cool to see that you're getting back into fine arts again.

The part you mentioned about the NYC gallery world and its relationship with CG art is really interesting, I've gotten a similar feeling although it seems like there is a solid CG and animation community in the city as well. The more design/industry related arms (jewelry, fashion, IT) seem to be the most comfortable but I keep meeting more and more fine artists who work digitally nowadays.

Nicely done and great detail!

Would look awesome in front of a motorcycle / modded car door and fronts.

Find some modders in your zone and do some projects with them!