I first became interested in the concept of 3D printing after attending an introductory lecture on the topic, hosted by the University over the lockdown period. I was particularly interested to see the use of 3D printing in making textiles, and the concept of 3D printing directly onto fabric. It got me thinking about how I could make use of this technology in my own work.
I decided I needed to explore this further and got my own 3D printer to experiment with.
It was pretty straightforward to put together, with the only really tricky bit being levelling the bed well enough that the prints come out as intended. This was my first test print:
For a first print, I was pretty pleased with the quality and the detail that could be achieved.
When thinking about possible uses, I started thinking about the sheer gloves that drag queens wear. They are usually (though not always) skin tone and often encrusted with rhinestones with fake nails attached. They enable quick costume changes for drag queens, and the gloves are reusable so it's an easy way of putting on elaborate false nails and taking them off later.
Here's an example from the Instagram account vie.lette:
Unicorns Poop Glitter. (2017). Poison Ivy [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BYC_U8ahsSU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The embellishments in drag gloves are traditionally glued on, but it struck me that, as 3D printing works the most effectively on mesh fabrics, 3D printed embellishments could work instead.
With 3D printing you would also have the advantage of being able to print anything at all, any shape you wanted in a very wide range of colours (including metallics), and this could be tailored specifically tailored to a certain outfit.
My next steps are to learn more about 3D modelling software so that I can design some of my own 3D shapes, and start experimenting with pattern making for gloves.
留言