I have a figurine room filled with figurines. Part of the collection is Disney Infinity characters, and I showed a few of them in this post. The game’s long gone now, off the market for years, but I still miss collecting and adding to the shelf. Thanks to 3D printing, I can make my own in any pose. So I started designing a few. At first I overdid the detail, forgetting that Disney Infinity has that clean, cartoonish style. Once I got it right, it became addictive.
And before anyone asks: I unfortunately don’t 3D print for the public anymore. I get a lot of requests for family figurines or “just one quick print,” but it’s not just pressing a button. Each print takes 4–8 hours, then it’s washed, cured, sanded, filled, primed, and painted. The resin alone costs a small fortune, and the hours add up fast. That’s days of work.
Christi paints them beautifully when she’s not busy with her pet portraits. And when I try and paint as good as her they come out looking like Disney Zombies. So until full-colour home printers exist, it’s just not practical.
These days I keep it personal. I’d rather design them digitally. That part I’ve built a fast workflow for, and it scratches the creative itch.
I’ve designed dozens lately. I do things like this because they help me relax and keep me feeling creative.