Gallery

About Project

An apsara is a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist culture. The exhibition Apsara Figures in the Dunhuang Wall Paintings explores how the Apsaras motif developed in Dunhuang caves from the Northern Liang to Tang Dynasty. Recently, the Dunhuang museum follows the trend and develop Bluetooth speakers in the shape of cartoon apsara action figures to attract young people. These mock-up samples are 3D printed with SLA technology.

Solution

• Step 1: The 3D models are built with reference to the real wall paintings. The action figures are doing classical poses: dropping flowers, playing the Pipa and the flute, beating the drum. The bases and the figures are split for the convenience of coloring.
• Step 2: Add supporting structures and arrange the placement in a 3D slicer software such as Cura. Check the printer and prepare the liquid resin material.
• Step 3: The laser starts “drawing” on SLA Generic Resin and the platform raises 0.05mm when a layer is solidified.
• Step 4: The platform rises out of the tank when finished and the excess resin is drained. Wash the model with IPA, then place them in a UV oven for final curing.
• Step 5: Polish with sandpaper and color the prints with acrylic paints and wood grain paints.
• Step 6: Cover the figures with UV-oil and glue them onto the bases.