Tim Griffiths Illustration & Digital Design

Last month I dabbled in trying out 3D printing. This is an area I’ve been aware of for several years, with gamers getting little plastic figures of their favourite goblin or whatever. I sat up and paid more attention when my brother-in-law had a small piece of equipment 3D printed in plastic in the Netherlands and sent to his lab in the US to use in his research.

I guess I really got into 3D representing my art when I took up pottery last year. But it was while adorning my bowls with hare’s in coloured slip using masks I’d made in Adobe Illustrator that I made the leap to try a 3D print of the design. My daughter’s 22nd birthday was coming up earlier this month, and I always like to have a real reason for creating art – a use or function beyond just creation for art’s sake. So, now she’s received it and the ‘cat is out of the bag’, it is now safe to post some images of it online.

My first 3D print

The pendent is 1.8cm across and was ‘printed’ into raw bronze by a metal sintering process (see Wikipedia for more info). Basically powdered metal and lasers!

You can even order it yourself from 3D printing company Shapeways via my shop page hosted by them: The Hidden Paw. Though I must admit there is just the one piece there so far.