Woman and Dove Picasso

thingiverse

This is an innovative project that converts a two-dimensional line drawing into a three-dimensional sculpture using 3D printing technology. I've chosen a Picasso drawing of a Dove and Woman as the subject, taking a photo from the internet to serve as the starting point. First, I imported the drawing into Inkscape, a free and open-source graphics program. Within Inkscape, I converted the strokes to paths, then selectively adjusted and rearranged elements so that no part of the image is disconnected from another, ensuring everything will be attached when printed. The goal is to transform the drawing into a three-dimensional sculpture. Next, I fine-tuned some nodes and curves along the lines to enhance the structural integrity of joined areas, enabling the sculpture to support its own weight. Some modifications were also made for aesthetic purposes, resulting in a rendering that captures the essence of Picasso's distinctive style while remaining faithful to his original proportions. I saved the modified drawing as a plain SVG file, which I then imported into Tinkercad, a free and open-source web-based CAD program. Tinkercad automatically extruded the svg lines to approximately 2cm deep, a remarkable feature that simplifies the process. After downloading the file in STL format, I loaded it into MatterControl, a free and open-source 3D printing program with an internal slicer. Using a 220mm x 300mm print bed, I scaled the object to 190x150mm while maintaining the extrusion depth at 2cm. The slicing process was quite challenging due to the intricate nature of the object, requiring the software to thoroughly analyze it. My computer is up-to-date, but MatterControl's 32-bit architecture caused a noticeable delay in the slice time, which felt like an eternity. In my haste, I made two errors: I specified PET-G Glow-in-the-Dark Translucent White as the material but left the setting on PLA, and set the nozzle temperature to 200C. This resulted in a stringy mess that was easily removed using mini-Dremel milling heads and a sharp hobby knife. The experience of working with the lines and seeing them transform into a beautiful object was delightful, much like a highly refined surgery technique. However, I did encounter another issue: in the final rendering, I had moved her left eye slightly to the left and stretched her eyebrow to intersect with her face line. Unfortunately, this change did not translate to the slicer, causing her eye to be held on by trailing. I promptly recovered the eyeball and sent it for ocular surgery, which made the process significantly easier. The results speak for themselves: my first attempt at a complex extruded line object was successful, capturing the essence of the artist's intent and conveying the masterful use of line and expression that characterizes Picasso's work.