3D Modeling and Printing for Digital Artists

Art toys, or designer toys, are a creative form that has blurred the boundaries between art, design, collecting, and the toys of our childhood, and that makes works by artists accessible to every budget through serial production.

In this course you will learn to create your own art toy, from developing the idea and the first sketches to 3D printing the figure and post-processing it. You will work with ZBrush, the leading software for organic 3D modeling, and learn the complete workflow: tools that apply to any digital character, plus tips specific to 3D printing.

Classes combine guided practical sessions, where you will get familiar with ZBrush and with the specific tricks for creating a character, and workshop classes, where you will leave the digital realm and move into analog, hands-on work.

We will also visit a Barcelona gallery specializing in art toys, one that LCI collaborates with, to discover different styles and techniques from industry professionals.

Start of the next intake: November 13, 2026. This specialization course consists of 40 hours of in-person training at our 22@ campus, split across two weekly sessions: Friday afternoons (4:00 pm to 8:00 pm) and Saturday mornings (10:00 am to 2:00 pm).

1. CONCEPTUALIZATION

• The creative possibilities of art toys, the message we want to express, and who we want to reach. Real examples and a visit to a specialized gallery.

2. LEARNING ZBRUSH

• Why it is the leading program for organic 3D modeling and what sets its modeling system apart. An interface customized for character work.

3. 3D CHARACTER CREATION WORKFLOW

• From the first blocking and abstraction of form, through joining and retopology tools such as Dynamesh and ZRemesher, to brushes for final detailing.

4. PREPARING THE MODEL FOR PRINTING

• What splits and joints are, why they are necessary, and how to make them optimally.

5. 3D PRINTING

• Types of 3D printing, with pros and cons of hardware, materials, and post-processing. Slicing software, parameter adjustment, and operating filament printers.

6. POST-PROCESSING

• What a professional finish looks like on a printed figure, plus specific tricks for PLA printing.

7. CURATION

• A talk by the gallery's CEO on how to enter the art toy world, its distribution, and how an exhibition is curated.

*The study plan is subject to change.