Thanos: 3D Lithophane Following Head

thingiverse

I wanted to create a following head effect similar to what is used on the statues at the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. After doing some research I found this Thanos great bust (tagged from remix) and using Meshmixer made an imprint into a cube. Then hollowing the cube I sliced off the walls and was left with this face. The hollowing created thicker areas where the image had deeper lines so that when held up to the light you get lithophane-style natural shadows. My intention was for this to be front-lit like the Disney versions, however, when I held mine up to the light I discovered the accidental lithophane quality which, honestly, was quite an accident. I found that by placing a small light at a 45-degree angle, about a foot above and behind the print, I was able to create naturally falling shadows. I have included 2 videos showing how the effect looks when lit from both the front and behind. I have printed this using both FDM and SLA. There is a natural support beneath the chin to help support the model and will not require supports using either FDM or SLA printing. Edit 10/25/21: Added 200% scale version without increasing thickness for those with larger printers Natural Lighting: https://youtu.be/ffa-O0_pDpw Back Lighting: https://youtu.be/1ycBszxecCs Front Lighting https://youtu.be/ehBB7P-D1C8