So where do you get your figures grown?

[Jeff]

Hi All,

So I have a small figure company and had been talking to some new sculptors, and they have pointed out that they can also sculpt digitally. I just wonder where I would get the figures grown, and who are the best growers? Any help would be most welcome.

 

[RKapuaala]

If you are just starting out, I would try shapeways. It is the cheapest for the best results. Since they are cheap you can afford to print a concept piece for hardly anything at all if you make the piece hollow and no greater than 4 inches using Frosted Ultra Detail. You get a fairly decent print at a cheap price to more or less check to see 1 if it is printable and 2 if the 3D object looks as good in real life as it does on the monitor.
If it works for you then you can either have it printed at a more expensive printer that gives you better resolution and finish, or you can go the route that I do and clean up the shapeway print so that to use as a prototype for making molds.
Shapeway prints that are hollow with a .5 mm wall thickness in their highest resolution material (frosted ultra detail) that are no more than 3.75 inches tall will run anywhere between 19 and 30 dollars a print. That is why it makes sense to me to at least do the concept print through them. The major draw back is that it can take anywhere from 10 days to 20 get your print back from them. If time is an issue you may want to consider purchasing your own printer so that you can save time debugging issues with your object before sending them to a printer for a final copy.

 

[MAX.I.G]

I can digitaly sculpt and print on my printer, you can see my profile, please write me on [email protected] or skype: Sled_na_peske

 

[Jeff]

Can Shapeways print a 1/32 scale figure. That is the scale we most commonly do. And thanks for taking the time to help educate a novice

 

[RKapuaala]

Yes, they can print any scale up to 1:12 with ease in Frosted Ultra Detail. They have some material guidelines that you might want to review. Here is an image of a 1:35 scale figure they printed for me in that material.

This is one of their earlier prints. It is a solid print no hollow spaces and I had not learned at the time how to clean these figures well. But, it cost about 13 bucks to print and I mainly did it to check the integrity of my file for printing.

 

[MAX.I.G]

My prints on Envisiontec mini multilns

 

[RKapuaala]

Max, Beautiful. How much are your prints?

 

[MAX.I.G]

40-60 euro soldier in 54 mm. But if pose very complicate with lot of ammunition may be more.

 

[RKapuaala]

If I was in Europe I would definately use your service for the finished proto.

 

[MAX.I.G]

I work with USA companies, even regualar post work well. 7-10 days for parcel.

 

[Jeff]

Max those prints are stunning. That jointed figure is brilliant. What a great idea for a mannequin all those holes give puttty or clay a palce to bite.