3D scanning makes it easier to create art objects

3D scanning technologies are great for learning and creativity. They create exact virtual copies of almost any objects. These copies can be modified, combined, and used in real time in various fields of visual art, or transformed into new real objects with different properties and materials.

Teachers of Russian art universities often ignore the potential of 3D modeling technologies. They consider only manual work to be truly creative. This prejudice restricts students (and in the future, artists) and does not allow them to take a broad look at the possibilities of the material and their own. In addition, there is a gap between the concept "in the head" and its implementation in practice.

But there is a different approach in art circles. Ivan Kozitsyn, a senior lecturer at the Stieglitz Academy (formerly Mukhinka, one of the oldest art universities in Russia), shared his experience of using 3D models in his work with us. His methodology shows that 3D scanning of prototypes and their computer modification simplify and accelerate the creative process. The master creates 3D models using a RangeVision 3D scanner, and his students produce finished products using CNC machines and 3D printers.

A work of decorative and applied art is created in several stages. First, a problem is posed, and a conceptual solution is sought for it. Any concept needs to be embodied in the material so that the master can visualize and refine it or even radically rework it before creating the final version. Artists call such a "probe" a protomodel.

Traditionally, protomodels are made and adjusted manually. It takes a lot of effort and time. With 3D visualization technologies, prototypes can be refined on a computer screen, compared, and combined. This significantly saves the artist’s time and effort. It is also important that 3D technologies offer more opportunities for creativity and the implementation of new ideas.

The method of using 3D scanning in the creation of works of art, which Ivan Kozitsyn teaches his students, will become clear on the example of one student’s work. Her goal was to create a traditional decorative and applied art object, but using a 3D scanner and a CNC milling machine. The work was supposed to show how much easier and more flexible the creative process becomes with them.

At the first stage, the student manually molded a flat model out of plasticine. The main requirement for it was to form a prototype without axes of symmetry. This prototype was then scanned with a RangeVision 3D scanner, and the built-in program stitched individual scans into a single point model, followed by translation into a triangulated one. At the same time, the defects of hand molding were intentionally left to make the product look natural.

At the next stage of the work, the students chose the optimal compositional solution, using the well-known Osborne questionnaire to activate their creative search. They asked questions like "What can be changed, reduced or reflected in the object?" and we went over the possible options. The ZBrush program was used for visualization, which allows you to change the model in real time. This significantly accelerated the search for the best artistic solution, because students did not have to sculpt a new protomodel manually every time or vary it solely in their imagination.

As a result, the optimal composition of the object was found in the shortest possible time. A CNC milling machine has cut a model out of plaster. At the same time, manual processing became the last stage of the work anyway — the process is automated, however, a small human involvement is almost always necessary. The electroplating method was used for the final treatment: the gypsum part was coated with a thin layer of metal. The metal replica was then gilded. The finished product was named the "Scythian-style gold breastplate."

The described process of turning a project into a finished decorative object differs depending on the type of product and material. Sometimes a trial 3D model is created from scratch directly on the computer. However, such "purely computer" models do not look so natural — symmetry violations and other subtle flaws of the "real" prototypes make them more attractive and unique. This uniqueness is especially important for decorative objects.

The work of the Academy’s students shows that translating a prototype into a 3D model and refining it in a virtual format is much faster and easier than making various versions manually using only imagination. At the same time, the role of the artist’s creativity is not lost — the technique only takes on routine tasks.