3D printing has been a fantastic tool for bringing my creations to life, I design my characters with 3d modeling software and then I can “quickly” bring them into the real world through Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Stereolithography (SLA)
I’ve really fallen in love with 3D printing, I’m able to quickly prototype designs and scale things up or down with ease. I’ve recently switched from FDM to SLA with my characters, I was hesitant at first due to the post processing but I think it is worth it. With FDM printing I would have to sand down my prints, prime them, then paint and sand over and over to get a smooth finish. Now that I’m printing with SLA after I wash and cure the prints I just have to start sanding (usually starting at 400 vs 120 with FDM) and work my way of the grits till I finish with a little buffing and polishing.
Overall I prefer SLA printing for the creation of my characters but both methods have there benefits, FDM printing is far more durable than SLA printing, but SLA always results in superior detail even when scaled down.