3D Models Help Students Grow Their Artistic Talents

UTA Libraries is now offering students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to expand their artistic drawing abilities: several 3D-printed reproductions of well-known sculptures are now available for checkout from the West Campus Library. Each model was 3D printed in the FabLab from files released as a part of the Scan the World project hosted by MyMiniFactory.com. 

Morgan Chivers, FabLab Librarian and Artist in Residence, stated that these models would give people more options as they learn how to develop their artistic skills. 

“The idea is that we wanted to update the drawing models available within the Art & Art History Department for the drawing and painting classes,” Morgan said. “They have been using an assortment of objects which are common within drawing studios, like plaster models, fabrics, and basic primitive shapes.” 

This new UTA Libraries collection gives students several choices to choose from for their drawing exercises, including a bust of Albert Einstein, Yuri Gagarin, Testa di Moro, the Head of Bacchus, Lady of Elche, and Rodin’s Cathedral. In total, 18 different 3D-printed sculptural models are available to check out. 

Morgan said that learning how to draw the human form during the pandemic became a challenge for students because they did not have access to live models. He noted that “using a live or 3D model to draw the human form is quite different than drawing from a photograph, where the three-dimensional form has already been collapsed into two dimensions.” A resource like this helps students perfect this technique outside the classroom even more. 

The My Mini Factory website states that the mission of the Scan the World project is to gain a greater understanding of the world’s cultural heritage.  

The plans on its website for 3D printable objects of cultural significance are free for anyone to download and use. Every model on the website originates from 3D scan data, which is provided by people from across the globe. 

“Many of the sculptures in the Scan the World repository are also studied in the art history classes every art major is required to take,” Morgan said. “Hopefully, this collection in our libraries will help students develop a closer relationship with what are normally priceless, one-of-a-kind artifacts made of marble, bronze, or ceramic.”  

The 3D-printed sculptural models are available now for all current UTA students, faculty, and staff to use. They are inside a glass case at the West Campus Library, located between the Fine Art and Architecture buildings. Each model can be checked out for one week. Library patrons take on the liability if an item is damaged, most of these models are about $35 each.  

To view the available 3D-printed sculptural models, go to https://libraries.uta.edu/collections/scantheworld