Whoops, I Just Couldn't Resist Drawing This Cutie.

Whoops, I just couldn't resist drawing this cutie.

Happy new year, everyone!

Okay, so I’ll fess up- my first attempt at a Millennium Ring ended up with it disintegrating in the parking lot of the con and starting what would probably be called “The Mystery of the Golden Chili Peppers”.

So I decided to put my engineering education to good use and make a 3D model! And I took…

Some of the awesome cosplayers I saw at animatemiami! (Part 1/3)

Ah, thank you so much! <3 Don't worry about asking me questions, I love answering them~

As for how to design a 3D model, it really depends on what you're trying to print! I'm a mechanical engineer by training, so I've been taught to use SolidWorks. This program is oriented towards making models of machines and complex assemblies with very precise measurements for stress analysis, rapid-prototyping and eventual mass-production.

Solidworks is probably the most user-friendly software of its kind. It is very good at allowing me to make accurately sized props, and the Millennium Items are geometric enough that it isn't much trouble to model them on the software at all.

The most challenging parts of the model are actually the curvy bits that go around the iris on each model! That's because SolidWorks isn't good at working with organic, flowy and curvy shapes since it's typically used for production rather than art pieces.

This means that if you're thinking of making character models or swoopy, curled art pieces, then you're much better off using a different program. At this point, I can't be of too much service, since this isn't my area of expertise, but I have heard good things about Blender, a free, open-source 3D-modelling and sculpting program.

The biggest downside to SolidWorks, besides its trouble handling very organic geometries, is its pricetag. It costs $90 a year for a limited student license, which doesn't have all the features of a full version of the software.

Being an engineering student gives me access to the software through my university, but if engineering is not your major, you might have to look into alternative (preferably free/open-source) software. Whichever software you choose, there are probably a ton of free tutorials online to get you started modelling right away~

I hope this was helpful!

How to paint your 3D-printed Millennium Items (and maybe non-3D printed ones if you like)

This is a little (hopefully) informative post about how I painted my 3D-printed Millennium Items~!

I did a little research beforehand and what I found most commonly recommended was to do a coat of plastic primer, then glossy black (the chemicals that make the paint glossy force the paint to make a nice smooth surface, which is what is critical for getting a metallic gold look rather than a sparkly gold look), and then the metallic gold.

The Ring looks pretty sick in black too though, tbh.

There's no appreciable difference between the one that had the primer and the one that didn't, so I wouldn't bother. Note that these models are the White, Flexible and Strong Polished kind, I don't know how well this process would work on an unpolished piece.

Notice that these seem more glittery than actually metallic. They just have a coat of metallic gold. I didn't want to risk giving them too many coats of paint and accidentally filling in the tiny details.

I tried sealing one of my Millennium Eyes with glossy sealant, and it really dulled the paint, so I ended up painting over it. Some people swear by epoxy glaze, though I didn't have the budget to give it a try (plus I didn't want to risk getting the Ring's pointers stuck).

So, these are the paints I used: Rust-oleum Metallic Finish Spray (in Gold) Rust-oleum Ultra Cover x2 Glossy Black (it might be either the Painter's Touch brand or the American Accents brand, but definitely has to have the Ultra Cover x2 Glossy bit)

I got them at the local Walmart Supercenter. If there aren't any Walmart Supercenters in your area, Home Depot and other hardware/home repair and painting stores should have it. If you can't find these particular brands, then try looking under the Krylon brand, those were also highly recommended. I bought a can of the Krylon gold with the Rustoleum, though I forgot to do a comparison painting. Either should do the trick though!

Once you have your paint, give the item a coat of primer (if you want to), then a coat of the glossy black paint, then two coats of the metallic gold. Before painting, check the can to see how much time you'll need to wait between coatings, and follow it religiously! The best thing would be to only give it a coat of paint per day, to make sure everything is 100% dry.

If you're painting a tiny, doll-sized item and you're sure you can give it very thin coats, then try a coat of glossy black and one of gold. If you're not that confident or it has moving parts, like the Ring, one coat of gold should be fine, though you'll get the more of the glittery look.

Protips: The Eye is best painted by slipping a thin stick through the pupil so it is suspended like a lollipop. Hang the Ring on a line so you can spray from every angle- air movement should keep the pointers from sticking together, and if it doesn't, jingle the line a little periodically.

If you're a total newbie to spray-painting (like me), here are some helpful tips and a pair of tutorials~!

Hopefully, this is helpful, though I'm curious: do any cosplay veterans know of better ways to get a nice metallic sheen onto a prop?

Last one today I promise!

VaguelyGenius wanted a Dark Magician doodle, so I made a little one for her~ In manga colors because that’s what my sister’s figurine looks like (my reference xD)