MatterMaker
Well-Known Member
Hey all, I just thought I'd post a quick end of build post of my Saber Tooth Cat Skull with some detail on the finishing work.
The original model is the one made available by makerbot over on thingiverse.
I printed it on an FDM machine in PLA. It was such a good model I felt it deserved a full on realistic paint application and my interpretation of a "museum mounting", complete with old archive tag!
Micro Smilodon Fatalis. Machairodontinae. (try to say that a few times fast.)
Here is a breakdown of my paint steps:
Sanding, 80 grit, 120, 280. The more attention to sanding and initial smoothing of fdm layers will lead to the best surface.
Spray with primer filler. (which is essentially polyester in a spray can)
Let dry, then sand again. Repeat as required to get a fairly smooth surface. I believe I went up to 400 grit.
Next step was to begin painting. As the model is a skull, which is bone. I started with a simple acrylic layer of white.
On the white layer, I used a number of weathering and staining colours. Including, washes with a pale beige/yellow and further highlighting of white using a dry-brushing technique (check out my Edge of Tomorrow Heli Blade Build, for drybrushing techniques)
The dry-brushing worked really well on this organic shape to capture the surface detail and all the pitting.
I went back with very watered down washes of dark, grey/yellow/black combinations to get the darkest areas. Simply brush on liberally, then immediately wipe off with a cloth, leaving shading in all the darker areas.
You might also notice that the teeth have more yellow, as teeth seem to age differently than the bone.
I finished off the skull with clear acrylic gloss varnish applied in the highlight areas. After everything dried, I went back and hit the highlights with a buffing cloth to get the impression that the skull had been handled for decades by various curators leaving the raised areas smooth and shiny.
The Tag, and all that Latin mumbis et jumbius. < that's latin for mumbo-jumbo,
The tag was lots of fun to do, I wanted the imagined "authenticity" of a real old archive tag that a museum in the 18th century might have added to an asset like this. So I did all the artwork, including the aged paper texture, typewriting, number stamp and official Museum/Royal crest to make it feel as real as possible. Lots of photoshop work here. The observant among you will realized that there is no such thing as a "Micro Smilodon Fatalis" There is, mind you, a "Smilodon Fatalis" sans micro! The skull was printed at the limits of the print bed available at the time. Which meant that it topped out at around 115mm x 115mm x 75mm. With the stand included, the full height is 193mm from table to highest point.
Going with the "Micro" nomenclature I think was appropriate.
The name of the animal, all the wording, Species, Genus, Subfamily etc, took a bit of research to make sure I was using all the correct terms. I did have to guess as to the Species as the print model is only called a Sabertooth Tiger, which is a very VERY generic term. I researched a number of papers and compared the skull to actual skulls and picked the one I felt was correct. If anyone knows otherwise be sure to let me know!
After printing the tag, I used the tried and true aging method... Instant coffee, to further age and stain the perimeter. The last bit was some twine to hang from. The back of the tag is just as aged as the front. (It was printed on white card stock, so the back needed just as much work as the front.)
P.S. The British Museum Natural History Department, does not exist!
The Stand:
The stand was made from a ripped and planed section of oak, stained and varnished. The post is a piece of stainless steel rod. All simple so as to not detract from the skull.
The Final piece & some additional detailed shots:
A fine build and a smashing museum specimen, my good man!
I've got one more of these in the works for a friend and a second one for a client. There's actually quite a bit of labor involved in the sanding, finishing and painting but I love the final result. Please comment and ask any questions you have any. I love making stuff like this! I know there will be many more to come...
Thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting and following along with all my builds! Your input is always welcome.
MatterMaker.
The original model is the one made available by makerbot over on thingiverse.
I printed it on an FDM machine in PLA. It was such a good model I felt it deserved a full on realistic paint application and my interpretation of a "museum mounting", complete with old archive tag!
Micro Smilodon Fatalis. Machairodontinae. (try to say that a few times fast.)
Here is a breakdown of my paint steps:
Sanding, 80 grit, 120, 280. The more attention to sanding and initial smoothing of fdm layers will lead to the best surface.
Spray with primer filler. (which is essentially polyester in a spray can)
Let dry, then sand again. Repeat as required to get a fairly smooth surface. I believe I went up to 400 grit.
Next step was to begin painting. As the model is a skull, which is bone. I started with a simple acrylic layer of white.
On the white layer, I used a number of weathering and staining colours. Including, washes with a pale beige/yellow and further highlighting of white using a dry-brushing technique (check out my Edge of Tomorrow Heli Blade Build, for drybrushing techniques)
The dry-brushing worked really well on this organic shape to capture the surface detail and all the pitting.
I went back with very watered down washes of dark, grey/yellow/black combinations to get the darkest areas. Simply brush on liberally, then immediately wipe off with a cloth, leaving shading in all the darker areas.
You might also notice that the teeth have more yellow, as teeth seem to age differently than the bone.
I finished off the skull with clear acrylic gloss varnish applied in the highlight areas. After everything dried, I went back and hit the highlights with a buffing cloth to get the impression that the skull had been handled for decades by various curators leaving the raised areas smooth and shiny.
The Tag, and all that Latin mumbis et jumbius. < that's latin for mumbo-jumbo,
The tag was lots of fun to do, I wanted the imagined "authenticity" of a real old archive tag that a museum in the 18th century might have added to an asset like this. So I did all the artwork, including the aged paper texture, typewriting, number stamp and official Museum/Royal crest to make it feel as real as possible. Lots of photoshop work here. The observant among you will realized that there is no such thing as a "Micro Smilodon Fatalis" There is, mind you, a "Smilodon Fatalis" sans micro! The skull was printed at the limits of the print bed available at the time. Which meant that it topped out at around 115mm x 115mm x 75mm. With the stand included, the full height is 193mm from table to highest point.
Going with the "Micro" nomenclature I think was appropriate.
The name of the animal, all the wording, Species, Genus, Subfamily etc, took a bit of research to make sure I was using all the correct terms. I did have to guess as to the Species as the print model is only called a Sabertooth Tiger, which is a very VERY generic term. I researched a number of papers and compared the skull to actual skulls and picked the one I felt was correct. If anyone knows otherwise be sure to let me know!
After printing the tag, I used the tried and true aging method... Instant coffee, to further age and stain the perimeter. The last bit was some twine to hang from. The back of the tag is just as aged as the front. (It was printed on white card stock, so the back needed just as much work as the front.)
P.S. The British Museum Natural History Department, does not exist!
The Stand:
The stand was made from a ripped and planed section of oak, stained and varnished. The post is a piece of stainless steel rod. All simple so as to not detract from the skull.
The Final piece & some additional detailed shots:
A fine build and a smashing museum specimen, my good man!
I've got one more of these in the works for a friend and a second one for a client. There's actually quite a bit of labor involved in the sanding, finishing and painting but I love the final result. Please comment and ask any questions you have any. I love making stuff like this! I know there will be many more to come...
Thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting and following along with all my builds! Your input is always welcome.
MatterMaker.
