“Although I don’t play Dungeons and Dragons, I do love tabletop games,” Stockton told me via email. “I like to get together with friends and play games that use physical pieces to represent characters and things. When I started getting into 3D printing 6 months ago, I searched the internet for good 3D models to use in tabletop games and couldn’t find what I was looking for. I saw a lot of sci-fi and modern tabletop models but almost nothing that looked like it belonged in a medieval fantasy era. So, by my model designing, I am trying to fill a niche that has not gotten a lot of attention yet (and is my favorite niche). It is also validating to know that other people are getting good use out of the models I am making!”
Stockton’s creations in this vein include a female knight available in several poses, as well as a female knight accompanied by a tiger (because “every knight needs an animal companion”) or by a smaller Egyptian cat on her shoulder.
“Once the model is made, I attach a movable skeleton to the mesh,” Stockton told me. “This lets me move the model into different poses – standing, kneeling, brandishing a sword. I attach a base to the mesh, clean it up to make it easier to print, and it’s ready to share online!”
Among his first creations were some pieces for the board game Settlers of Catan (including a delightful robber stealing a sheep, and my personal favorite victory points to earn, a trophy for the Longest Road, along with several other figures and trophies). It was with these creations that Stockton “fell in love with the process,” and he then turned to creating his own designs.
“I was pleased to discover that 3D modeling is not nearly as hard as it seems, and that by following along in a few youtube tutorials you can learn the basics very fast. Modeling became my summer hobby, and I got great fulfillment out of seeing my creations printed out as physical objects,” he told me.
He will be releasing more designs over the coming months, featuring more figures, monsters, and items for tabletop gaming. Stockton does accept design requests, and is also available for freelance work. Let us know what you think of these designs. Discuss in the 3D Printed Female Knight forum thread on 3DPB.com.