"Facing" Your Fears

I thought of this idea to have people 'face' their fears 'head' on by showing them through a mask. Unlike common masks that are supposed to hide, these ~reveal~. Overall, the mask is an impression of their fears. Therefore, after printing, I'll be painting the masks in a  painterly way, similar to the Impressionism movement, just to show that this is only my interpretation of a quick snapshot of someone's fears.

Goals

  • Learning how to model for 3D printing

  • Becoming more familiar with the 3D printing process

  • Learning the processes involved in 3D scanning

  • Coming up with creative, original ideas to personify people's monsters in ways that haven't been done before

Process

  1. 3D scanning someone's face using Photo-geometry (Program: Regard3D) and measuring their face

  2. Interviewing that someone about their biggest fears/monsters

  3. Creating the face through Library Scanning Service then slicing it through Maya

    1. Previously used program was Regard3D, but the library's is better

  4. Import into Zbrush to distort face with the interviewee's fears/monsters

  5. Export as a file suitable for 3D printing (.stl or .obj)

  6. Print distorted face life-size on the big printers, a Taz 5 (more reliable than the medium sized printers and will fit a life sized face better on its bed, but downside = longer wait) so it can be worn as a mask

  7. Finish off the print (maybe sanding it/painting it)

  8. Tada! A creepy, form fitting mask made specifically for an individual

Schedule (blue means complete)

  • Test - Friday, 9/13: Have 3D scanned test subject submitted for printing, hopefully to be done by Monday but unlikely as there are around 8 people in the printing queue right now who need the big printers.

  • Test/Mask 1 - Week (4/15) 9/17-9/21: Have first person interviewed and scanned. For test mask, finish it off by sanding and painting.

  • Mask 1 - Week (5/15) 9/22-9/28: Complete sketch of ideas for the monsters on the mask. Model monsters on the mask by the end of the week. Submit to be 3D printed.

    • Milestone 1: Check for test mask sometime this week. This allows for extra time in case I run into problems with creating the mask, and a good checkpoint to see if I'm going in the right direction.

  • Mask 1/Mask 2 - Week (6/15) 9/29-10/5: Have second person interviewed and scanned. For first mask, test to see if it fits then finish it off by sanding and painting.

  • Mask 2 - Week (7/15) 10/6-10/12: Complete sketch of ideas for the monsters on the mask. Model monsters on the mask by the end of the week. Submit to be 3D printed.

    • Milestone 2: Check for 1st mask sometime this week. This allows for extra time in case I run into problems with creating the mask.

  • Mask 2/Mask 3 - Week (8/15) 10/13-10/19: Have third person interviewed and scanned. For second mask, test to see if it fits then finish it off by sanding and painting.

  • Mask 3 - Week (9/15) 10/20-10/26: Complete sketch of ideas for the monsters on the mask. Model monsters on the mask by the end of the week. Submit to be 3D printed.

    • Milestone 3: Check for 2nd mask sometime this week. This allows for extra time in case I run into problems with creating the mask.

  • Mask 3/Mask 4 - Week (10/15) 10/27-11/2: Have fourth person interviewed and scanned. For third mask, test to see if it fits then finish it off by sanding and painting.

  • Mask 4 - Week (11/15) 11/3-11/9: Complete sketch of ideas for the monsters on the mask. Model monsters on the mask by the end of the week. Submit to be 3D printed.

    • Milestone 4: Check for 3rd mask sometime this week. This allows for extra time in case I run into problems with creating the mask.

  • Mask 4/Mask 5 - Week (12/15) 11/10-11/16: Have fifth person interviewed and scanned. For fourth mask, test to see if it fits then finish it off by sanding and painting.

  • Mask 5 - Week (13/15) 11/17-11/23: Complete sketch of ideas for the monsters on the mask. Model monsters on the mask by the end of the week. Submit to be 3D printed.  

    • Milestone 5: Check for 4th mask sometime this week. This allows for extra time in case I run into problems with creating the mask.

  • Mask 5 - Week (14/15) 12/1-12/7: For fifth mask, test to see if it fits then finish it off by sanding and painting. 

  • Extra Time Allotted for Problems that will 100% occur - Week (15/15) 12/8-12/11

    • Milestone 6: Check for 5th mask sometime this week. Have all the people who I made masks for in the class wear them.

Checklist (blue means complete)

  • Test

    • Subject: Audrey Farrell (not part of the class) 

    • Photos

    • 3D Scan

    • Slicing face and adding depth

    • Redefining face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

      • Actually fits in the Prusa (medium size printer) which is surprising but may not be a good thing because the Prusas are the worst

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

  • Mask 1

    • Subject: Emma

    • Photos

    • Interview

    • 3D Scan

    • Concept Art

    • Adding monsters to face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

  • Mask 2

    • Subject: Zac

    • Interview

    • 3D Scan

    • Concept Art

    • Adding monsters to face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

  • Mask 3

    • Subject: Noelle

    • Interview

    • 3D Scan

    • Concept Art

    • Adding monsters to face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

  • Mask 4

    • Subject: Daniel

    • Interview

    • 3D Scan

    • Concept Art

    • Adding monsters to face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

  • Mask 5

    • Subject: Rachel

    • Interview

    • 3D Scan

    • Concept Art

    • Adding monsters to face in Zbrush

    • Submit to be 3D printed

    • Receive 3D print

    • Test to see if it fits

    • Finish off 3D print

Problems That Will Likely (Definitely) Occur

  • Mask won't fit

    • Either size is wrong, or 3D scanning didn't capture enough/the right details

  • 3D printing can take weeks

  • Details from ZBrush model won't transfer to the 3D print because it can't read them

  • Model won't be suitable for 3D printing and I have to redo it

  • Messing up finishing the final product

  • Lines from 3D printing mess up the details

  • Mask breaks

  • If I have to use the cheap plastic, the print won't finish nicely

    • Resin printer is too small for full sized mask 

  • Supports on mask after printing might ruin it

  • Regard3D won't provide enough details

  • Regard 3D will make a way too clumpy scan

  • Regard3D will make me completely recompile my images from the beginning (which it has done already and adds like 10 hours)

Interview Questions

  1. What do you think of when you hear the word "monster?"

  2. Do you personally know any monsters?

  3. What are your biggest rational and irrational fears?

  4. What was the scariest/craziest dream you've ever had?

Research