The art that has lived through the centuries, that of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso, among others, is still loved because of the time it took to make, and the precision of the artists’ hand in creating it. The Sistine Chapel, for example, took four years to paint. The statue of David took three years to sculpt. Now, we can print beautiful and perfect items with the use of rapid prototyping and 3D printing, within hours or days. There’s a company in China that is creating art for a purpose. They are 3D printing houses in twenty four hours. In this article, we will discuss the ways in which rapid prototyping and 3D printing are making it easier for people to delve into the fine arts, architecture, jewelry, and industrial design.
Fine Arts
Wouldn’t it be amazing if one could eat a course in fine arts and be able to create paintings the same way Van-Gogh or Picasso did? Well, that reality is getting closer and closer. In an article provided by Bloomberg, a 3D printer is able to scan, digitize, and re-create fine-arts paintings with a level of detail so precise, that it knows the brush stroke and pressure used in every part of the painting.
Fine arts not only include painting. They also include statues and modeling. Rapid prototyping allows artists to test different materials such as resin, paint, gel, PVC, metal, and other mediums to create unique pieces with the help of technology. One artist who has pushed the boundary of science is Jeff Koons. He has created his pieces using traditional methods, but with the advancements in rapid prototyping, he will be able to create even better pieces.
Architecture
As mentioned earlier, architecture and construction is an area being changed by rapid prototyping. When more and more companies see the vision that the Chinese company, Winsun, is bringing into reality, the issue of homelessness will be solved. Imagine being able to literally, print, new houses in every part of the world. Solving such a problem would allow veterans, third world countries, and people living on the street to get their lives back on track and create their own impact in the world.
Jewelry
Major jewelry companies have been disrupted by sites like Etsy, where people often handcraft their pieces and sell them at a much cheaper price. With the help of 3D printing, jewelry designers can think of an idea, design it online, upload the file to the machine, and print as many copies as they have material for. Once the piece is printed, a simple coat of gold, silver, or bronze paint can make a plastic ring or necklace seem like the real thing. People don’t want to pay the thousands of dollars, unless they have it, for a real gold ring, but rapid prototyping is making it much easier to make their own.
Industrial Design
Industrial design is the process of designing products that will be produced for mass consumption. Think chairs, sofas, kitchenware, etc. Designers draw the design, manufacture it, and test it. Rapid prototyping is perfect for this, with this example of industrial design.
In conclusion, 3D printing and rapid prototyping allow us to create almost anything we can imagine, and easily recreate what already exists. We can test different materials, structures, and dimensions quickly. We have shown how even the fine arts sector is being revolutionized by a process with purpose.