Case Study:

Ranglack bison scapula model painting

“When I needed 3D printed replicas to be painted as an exact match to the original, I knew that Rick and Science Lab Studios would nail it. Rick was great to work with; he kept me updated each step of the way with photos and did a great job. The replicas were so good I kept grabbing them by mistake thinking they were the original! Highly recommend working with Rick and Science Lab Studios!”

— Dustin Ranglack, Associate Professor - University of Nebraska at Kearney

What the client needed

Dr. Dustin Ranglack of the University of Nebraska at Kearney needed two 3D-printed models of a bison scapula painted to resemble the original specimen. The bone was discovered in a Nebraska farm and dates back to the 1800’s. What makes this scapula unique is the presence of an arrowhead embedded in one side. Approximately half of the scapula was stained from the soil it was found in. Dr. Ranglack had two 3D models of the bone and arrowhead printed. The models were dark gray in color. Our job was to paint these two models so they would closely resemble the original specimen.

What we did

Our task was to make these models look like the original. It’s not practically possible to exactly replicate all of the texture details but we strived to achieve a close facsimile. The models were sprayed with primer before painting. Multiple layers of acrylic paint were applied using an airbrush to achieve accurate colors. Texture details were rendered with traditional brushes.