The world today embraces creative minds, with the ability to bring out uniqueness and attractiveness out of the norm. The artistic field to be precise emphasizes on creativity and perfection. Thus, to be a successful artist, you will need to get out of the ordinary and explore the amazing techniques to ensure your work stands out. Technology makes this possible through the invention of tools and techniques that aid the artistic process. One of these inventions is the 3D pens.
A 3D pen is a digital tool that uses electricity to create things using a plastic filament. It is a handheld tool hence most effective in ensuring creativity as you can actualize your ideas by drawing them. Since their invention, 3D pens have had several myths surrounding them that impact consumer purchase both positively and negatively. Unfortunately, most of these myths are just some human creation rather than facts. This article, therefore, focuses on these myths Vis a Vis the usefulness of these pens. However, before this, we will first understand what 3D pens are and how they work.
What is a 3D pen and how does it work?
A 3D pen is a handheld drawing tool which unlike ordinary drawing pens uses a thermoplastic filament to draw designs. Its tip is metallic and serves to deliver the preheated filament on a surface according to the artist’s preference. This feature thus makes this pen a perfect drawing tool. The commonly used plastic in this process includes the PLA which is not only environmentally friendly but also requires less heat to melt. Other pens use ABS plastic which features strength and a higher melting temperature. This plastic element is however expensive compared to the PLA.
The working of a 3D pen requires the user to know the right temperature, speed and motion to use with this tool. As an artist, you need to understand the right temperature at which the plastic filament in the pen melts at to avoid unnecessarily high temperatures which may be hazardous. Also, the speed at which the plastic comes out from the tip is important in the attainment of even lines throughout your drawing. High speed will result in some thickness in different parts of the line, making your drawing uneven. Finally, a good understanding of the forward and backward movements in drawing and erasing is important for efficient control of the pen.
What are the benefits of a 3D pen?
Using a 3D pen does not require you to be a professional. This is because of its diverse applications besides drawing. Among the benefits of using this pen include:
- It is possible to draw vertically in the air using this pen
- Creating 3D objects is possible by freehand
- You do not need any computer to use this pen
- The pen is small and light hence portable
- The pen features a plastic cooling system that converts the melted plastic to solid within a short time thus no distortion of your original art
3D pen myths
Some people still hold on to the traditional drawing tools with no intention of exploring the 3D pens. The reason for this behavior, however, varies among individuals with others terming 3D pens irrelevant in improving the drawing quality and creativity. As a smart artist, however, these myths should not hinder you from advancing your creativity with 3D pens. Instead, you should rule them out and embrace the technology based on its usefulness. The myths include:
The user expertise does not count when using 3D pens: while you may consider advancing your skills by using 3D pens, it is important to note that perfect results are only attainable if your work is already top-notch manually. Your pen will not do the work for you. This, however, does not mean that you need to be a professional to use this pen. Rather, depending on your experience and skills, you should be prepared for results that are a perfect match to your skills.
It is difficult to use the 3D pen: the effective use of a 3D pen solely relies on an individual’s creativity rather than drawing experience. Thus, some people will find the pen difficult to use while others will find its use simpler. Thus, in an attempt to use this pen, one should not feel intimidated simply because someone else has tried to use the pen but failed.
The usefulness of a 3D Pen
The usefulness of a 3D pen spreads widely among the amateur, novice and beginner artists. These pens work to ensure quality and more creative outcome while simplifying and shortening the process. The melted plastic offers a firm and flexible way to attain any shape and design. Other usefulness of a 3D pen includes:
It is useful in decorating objects
3D pens take your home decoration a step further. In fact, if you are a DIYer, this pen offers all that you need to fix these decors in your home. One of the practical ways you can use this pen at home is drawing some decorative patterns on your vase and cabinets.
Designing your object from scratch
Coming up with designs normally calls for you first to draw then fold your drawing to a perfect form. To save you this process, a 3D pen comes in handy. Also, when using this pen, being freehand, you will realize a variation in the size of your drawings. This, in some instances, serves as an eye opener, showing you the possibility of increasing the size of some current objects. This factor is important in circumstances where an increase in size can result in the advancements of the product features. To accomplish this, however, you will need to purchase a quality pen.
Finally, based on the above usefulness of the 3D pen, it is evident that the myths are only there to disregard your use of the pen and should therefore not dictate your purchase decision. As a smart artist, therefore, risk-taking by buying this pen is crucial. In fact, purchasing a 3D pen is not only a good risk but also a worthy investment. This pen not only ensures you show off your creativity but also grants you the freedom to be more creative.