Shelf Elf Christmas Illusion
Print Profile(1)
Bill of Materials
Description
Engineering + Art = Magic primetowerdesigns.com | ||
 Beginner's Guide |  The Next Dimension |  How It's Made |
Description
On your trip to the North Pole, Santa asks if the kids have been naughty or nice. Not quite satisfied with the answer, he sends his spies back with you. Unlike other shelf-related elves you might come across, these ones pay attention and seemingly turn their heads to follow you! The illusion is powerful and is sure to delight the family this holiday season!
Display using the simple instructions at the bottom. Note that unlike my previous busts, since elves are small, this one only comes in one “one size fits all” size.
The Haunted Busts
Due to the fantastic reception of The Haunted Lincoln, I'm releasing new models in The Haunted Busts throughout the season. A few community verbatims from that first release…
- “This has got to be my favorite thing I've ever printed by far."
- “This is unbelievable.”
- “Man this is sick!”
See for Yourself
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Each Boost fuels more free designs - THANK YOU!
How to Print
Carefully remove supports. You may have to cut the big tree support so you don't torque the model trying to get it through the hole in the base. Don't put pressure on the connection between the chin and the base or it may crack.
How to Display
- Concave (hollow) side faces the viewer. Place near head height.
- Best viewed from 8+ feet away where binocular vision becomes less effective.
- Light from underneath for the best effect.
- Direct underlighting is the easiest way to get a great effect, like a holographic projection that stares at you. The base is compatible with the Bambu LED Lamp Kit (see Bill of Materials for link). While it's the most convenient/integrated option, pretty much any light you can put near the bottom will work.
- Upwards-angled lighting from a few feet in front yields a more life-like effect.
If you're wondering how this works, it's because inverting a face's geometry swaps which parts are light / which are dark. Underlighting also swaps light / dark, and this double-reversal makes the figure look like a naturally lit convex face. This geometric interpretation is strengthened by the fact that most humans are hardwired to recognize faces as being convex. When you move, however, the image you see from the inverted face changes differently than how your brain expects a convex face to behave. To reconcile the discrepancy, your brain interprets the figure as turning.
Thank You
A big THANKS to BambuLab's Make My Statue for helping me go from concept to reality!
Looking for more holiday magic? Check out The Enchanted Ornament.
Membership
You can always print this model for yourself or to gift, for free. Selling prints requires a tier 2 or higher membership. The allowed sales quantity is specified within each tier's terms.
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Boosts, follows and honest reviews all help me keep releasing free designs. THANK YOU!
License
You shall not share, sub-license, sell, rent, host, transfer, or distribute in any way the digital or 3D printed versions of this object, nor any other derivative work of this object in its digital or physical format (including - but not limited to - remixes of this object, and hosting on other digital platforms). The objects may not be used without permission in any way whatsoever in which you charge money, or collect fees.
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