Portfolio

Through this course I created two projects with varying aesthetics but similar creation processes, where I was able to use resources I had, develop my skills, and come up with two final products which I now have for forever. I came into this class wanting an outlet to flex some of my creative and artistic desires, as I find it hard to devote time to these pursuits solely on my own volition. I wanted to create things which I could use for decoration and display, and hopefully develop a new hobby. I have a 3D printer which I purchased a couple of years ago which I have mainly used for my senior design project up until this class. However, I did make a couple of art pieces (like 3D printed plastic sculptures) and I wanted to do more of this at an even higher level, so I came into this class with that idea.

Project 1: Japanese Temple Inspired 3D Printed Art (Final Report Overview: Japanese Architecture Inspired 3D Printed Art – Aesthetics of Design)

My first project, the upcycle project (meant to use limited, cheap, or recycled materials), came into form as a Japanese pagoda inspired 3D print. It came to me as an idea which would be distinct and identifiable, while also being relatively easy to make in CAD and print. You can find the complete process report in the link above. For both projects there were two main phases, designing it first in CAD and then printing and painting it. You can see the CAD and final product below.

Overall, I am proud of the design and think it looks great, and it was rewarding to learn how to use my SolidWorks skills to best make this, along with thinking about how to go about printing it and combining the printed pieces together. I am still not in love with the paint job, as the bright red is a little too unnatural against the bright white. I still might change these colors slightly in the future.

Project 2: Medieval Castle Fortress 3D Printed Art (Final Report Part 1: Medieval Castle Fortress Final Report Part 1 – Aesthetics of Design, Final Report Part 2: Medieval Castle Fortress Final Report Part 2 – Aesthetics of Design)

This project was a similar but larger evolution of the first project, focused on a different aesthetic (although still based on old and recognizable architecture). There were different challenges involved, like having a brick texture patterned across every wall, but the process was quite similar to the upcycle project. The main difference is that I incorporated a dynamic component here, being a drawbridge connected with steel chains to a crank, which can be manually turned to lift the drawbridge. Again, it is purely an aesthetic project. See the design and final product below.

I am happier with this project than the first one. Mainly, I really like the final color palette I chose, and because there were fewer small details to paint, it came out looking a little cleaner as a whole. The project, including the drawbridge, came out very close to how I envisioned it, if not exactly. The main challenge I had here was just deciding what to focus on and when to stop designing as the end of the class drew near. As a result, the center “courtyard” is empty, and I would have loved to have something here, and I still hope to do that in the future. Otherwise, it was fun to learn some new SolidWorks skills and even do some assembly and work by hand, like using 3D printed pens as a plastic welding solution.