[Image: Jeff Christianson]
It may still be another year before
Game of Thrones fans get to see the final season, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been keeping busy. A lot of
Thrones fans are
3D printing fans as well, and that has resulted in some incredible
dragon eggs,
daggers, and even
Winterfell itself. Now a fan named
Jeff Christianson has done his best to kill some of the hours before next year’s season premiere by 3D printing his favorite character – Tyrion Lannister. That’s neat, you might say, but haven’t lots of people 3D printed
Game of Thrones figurines? Yes, but this Tyrion is no mere shelf-dwelling figurine – he’s life-sized.
[Image: HBO]
It took Christianson more than 1400 hours to 3D print the figure, which stands 4’5″ tall, the same height as actor Peter Dinklage. He printed it in several parts using his Creality CR-10s, then painstakingly assembled it using glue and glazing putty to fill in gaps. He sanded it, primed it, and painted it using a combination of airbrushing and acrylic paint. Apparently, Christianson had never tried airbrushing before, so the final effect is quite impressive. The statue was 3D printed using 22 pounds of PLA, and then the paint, epoxy and glue added an additional three pounds to its final weight.
Christianson didn’t design the figure himself; he used a smaller-scale one that he found on Thingiverse, though he says he can no longer find the original. If you want to make your own Half Man pal, you can find all of the files here. Christianson also 3D printed a 1:1 scale Iron Throne, impressively, so if you want to see Tyrion on the Iron Throne, you can place him on there and happily taunt Cersei. 3D printed Tyrion is holding a glass of wine, naturally, and wears the brooch designating him Hand of the Queen.
[Image: Jeff Christianson]
Christianson may not have designed the original files for his creation, but his 3D printed statue still shows a great deal of talent, particularly the flawless paint job. The Hand of the Queen looks ready to impart advice and/or snark – now all Christianson needs is a life-sized Daenerys Targaryen for him to accompany. That would take a lot more PLA and printing hours, however.
Fan art is a major segment of the 3D printing world – just look at all the Star Wars and Marvel 3D prints that are out there. Cosplayers have found an invaluable resource in 3D printing; the ability to make realistic props and costumes has been greatly enhanced by the use of 3D design and 3D printing. The technology has taken fan dedication to a whole new level; rather than having life-sized cardboard cutouts of your favorite characters, you can now have actual 3D versions. It’s easier if your subject is only 4’5″, but if you have the time and patience, there’s no one who can’t be rendered in life-sized 3D.
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