How to Create, Print, and Paint Your Own Video Game-Stylised 3D Model

In our first guide to creating, printing, and painting your video game-stylised 3D model we will focus on Kratos, the leading character and warrior from God of War video game.

First things first, it is important to have skills for working in a 3D modelling program. We worked in Autodesk Maya program to create the mesh.

The 3D model output is based on a picture of the video game character found online.

This is how Kratos 3D model looked like after having drawn his human body in the 3D modeling program. It usually takes up to 3 hours to have this primitive shape of a human body.

Use sculpting geometry and 3D texturing to shape your model to make it more realistic. You can add wrinkles, scars, facial expressions and muscles.

This will create a high-poly 3D model. Kratos 3D model counts over 1439663 polygons. The more polygons the 3D model counts, the more details the surface has and the more realistic it looks when 3D printed. You can also put the 3D model in a pose, according to your own liking.

This is simple. Just use the EXPORT option in your 3D modelling program. If, however, you can’t find it, here’s how you can do it manually.

Go to View > Setting Preferences > Plugin Manager

You will see that the model is saved in STL file.

We use Netfabb to check and correct errors in STL files.

Open the Netfabb program, drag your STL file in the Netfabb window. Use arrows to rotate the model as you want. If the program generates an exclamation mark, it means that the file contains errors which you must fix.

Repair the file before sending it to print for an outstanding printing result.

You can read here about how to export, correct your STL file in Netfabb, view, open, and print it in more detail.

For our model we used CURA 15.06 slicer.

The slicer converts the file in the G-code, your 3D printer’s language. Once the G-code is generated, save it on an external drive and insert it into the card slot of your 3D printer device.

Kratos 3D model is printed in grey PLA material. It printed clean, without visible layer patterns. Therefore, we used no sanding to smooth the surface of the model, as the surface is already smooth enough. Support removal was easy.

For painting we used the following tools:

• White primer;
• Acrylic paints;
• Spray painting;
• Palette to mix the colours;
• Different size regular brushes for painting.

The coating with white primer ensures coverage of the PLA material’s colour and acrylic paint adhesion to the model.

Then you use your imagination and paint your model applying any colours you like. We painted the model in his video game colours, to make it more realistic. Pay attention to details. Don’t forget to paint the scars, battle wounds and blood traces, witnessing the model's engagement in battles.

The picture illustrates from what we started and what we came to in the end. A digital file has been created into a beautiful physical model.

We've put up a time-lapse video of the entire painting process of Kratos 3D model.