Low-Poly Female Character Figurine

This low-poly female character figurine is based on the OverScore Proxy set, with some significant alterations to make it 3D printable.

Designing this was trickier than it might seem, even though I already had a character model to start with. It really all boils down to the differences between a 3D model that's easy to edit, one that's "game ready", and one that's 3D printable. There are a number of trade-offs you will inevitably have to make depending on your application, but it's a valuable learning experience if you have the time and patience to follow through.

For making this model printable, I first had to close all the gaps, connect all the seams, and ensure that the model didn't just look right in the editor, but that it would slice properly. That took a while, since the clothes and hair were basically just "floating" above the body and not actually attached. I then had to tweak the pose, since the model's original "A" pose proved too difficult to print. The arms printed more sideways than up, which made them weak and too easy to snap when I was removing the supports. Certain details also had to be tweaked so they would be more visible in the final model. Since I couldn't rely on colour for instance, I wanted to make a clearer boundary between the shirt, pants, shoes, and hair. The individual fingers also had to go, they were just too small to remove the supports from. I did manage to add a bit of detail so the hands don't just look like mittens, and I was able to keep the thumbs. The hair also needed some tweaks to get right, mostly so it wouldn't be too thin or require too many supports. I had to get rid of the model's ears in the process, but I think it worked out.

I tried to bring over some facial detail, but it's hard at this scale (especially with regular FDM). I tried exaggerating the facial features a bit, and it kind of works in the right light. My pictures don't really do it justice. But especially with this glossy filament and at the scale I printed at, there isn't a lot of definition to the face. If you have access to a high-definition SLA printer, or you want to print at a larger scale, the facial detail should come over more clearly.

Speaking of detail, in order to preserve a more quad-based low-poly aesthetic, I ironically had to add some subdivisions in Blender, so it's now sitting around 84,000 triangles. Not exactly low-poly anymore, at least not in most respects, but it should still be relatively easy to slice. It was either that or the STL conversion would leave it with a more triangulated look, which wasn't what I was going for.

At any rate, I also wanted it to be able to stand upright. In its original pose, the model's knees were not bent enough, so it was pretty unstable. After some tweaks and testing, it's still fairly easy to knock over backwards, but it shouldn't fall over on its own.

I sliced it with PrusaSlicer, with Organic Supports enabled, and was able to print it in approximately 2 hours with approximately 23g of PLA. Organic Supports are probably your best bet, since they will be the easiest to remove. Some areas like the hands and head need significant supports, so it may be tricky to remove them, but it should be possible if you have your settings dialed in fairly well.

If you choose to purchase this model, you will get access to the Blender source file, as well as an STL file. The Blender file should help you understand the process I took to convert the original "edit-friendly" model into something that would print well, including a number of intermediate models I used for test prints.

If you have any questions or require printing assistance, please get in touch with us via our contact form. Thanks!

• Designed by Matthew Piercey, September 2025