Prism Prints - Ladybug with Dandelion Seed

For this project, I made a ladybug in celebration of Spring and warmer weather. I got this idea after scrolling through some images for inspiration. When I came across a photo of a little ladybug on a dandelion holding onto the last seed, I had to make it.

For the sculpt, I kept it fairly simple. I wanted the base to look like a dandelion that had all the seeds blown off, except one. The ladybug will be standing on its back four legs, while holding the last seed with its front two. Once I got everything modeled out, I went back to pose the scene before making it all one piece for printing.

I ended up printing the base separate from the ladybug with the seed. From here, it was just a matter of getting everything painted. Using the airbrush for the red shell left a very smooth and even coat. For the spots, I used a pencil to draw them on first as a guide. One thing I had to figure out, though, was how to make the white tufts on the dandelion seed. As a side note, the white tufts are called the pappus. The entire dandelion would be covered in pappi, for the plural. I had to look this up, and I thought it was kind of interesting. As for the sculpt, I modeled the tall stem of the seed, and slightly enlarged the top. I had the idea to use paintbrush bristles for the pappus instead of trying to model and print it. Of course, I couldn't find any paintbrushes with long enough white bristles, so I made do by painting what I had. Using clear resin and UV light, I attached each bristle individually until the pappus was formed.

This is such a fun little project, and I really enjoy how the model looks on display. Hope you like it, too, and Happy Spring! :D