3D printed stag antlers for Glenfiddich

A 3.5-metre crown of stag antlers for Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year display, sculpted from the key visual, 3D printed, hand-painted and installed overnight.

Client: Glenfiddich
Service: Art Installations & Wall Murals
Made for: Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year display in a mall atrium
Mounted: High on the backdrop wall, above visitors' heads
Started from: The stag in Glenfiddich's key visual artwork

Plan an installation Send a brief

Size of the antlers, from our dimensioned drawing: 3.5 m by 2 m
From the first 3D modelling order to the installation: About 8 weeks

What we brought

What we can do
Flat artwork turned into a 3D sculpture
We sculpted every branch from the stag in Glenfiddich's key visual, then printed it in segments sized to mount.
How we look after you
Checked in 3D, as a scale model and on our wall
We checked it in marked-up sculpt rounds, on a 12 cm scale model and in a full dry fit in the studio before anything went to the mall.
What you get
Installed on site, ready for the campaign
We mounted the antlers on metal brackets high on the backdrop overnight, in time for Lunar New Year.

Gallery

The whole project at a glance. Drag or swipe to browse; tap a picture to enlarge it.

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The finished piece
The display launched with a lion dance.
Visitors gather at the finished display.
The antlers crown the painted stag.
Orange cloud scrolls run along one branch.
A feathered tine is painted in orange and gold.
A painted fish sits among the branches.
The briefDrawingThis is the stag in Glenfiddich's key visual.
ConceptRenderThis is the display as we first planned it in 3D.
RenderWe placed white antlers on the backdrop.
RenderThis view shows the backdrop and antlers from one side.
RenderThis view shows the same backdrop from the other side.
Design and prototyping · First designRenderThe full sculpt shows every branch in 3D.
DrawingWe drew it at 350 cm by 200 cm.
RenderThis shows the surface detail on the sculpted branches.
DrawingWe sketched the wall bracket with its sizes.
Design and prototyping · First sculptRenderRed circles mark the areas for rework on the first sculpt.
Design and prototyping · Wall mountsRenderThe wall mounts are in place, with the low branches marked.
Design and prototyping · Branch anglesRenderNew branch angles are drawn over the sculpt.
RenderTwo branch tips are marked for reshaping.
RenderBoth sides are lined up to the new angles.
Design and prototyping · Final designRenderFrom above, blue lines show how far each side reaches out from the wall.
ProductionPrinted segments lie on the bench.
A long printed branch is held up before primer.
A large printed tine is held up in the studio.
This printed tine has not yet had primer or paint.
This is one of the metal wall brackets.
A wall bracket is bolted to a test frame.
Finishing and installationThe team painted the branches in the studio.
Painted parts are laid out on the bench.
An orange tine is painted by hand.
We fitted the centre antler in the studio.
The gap at the centre measures 75 to 80 cm.
Both sides are dry-fitted on a studio wall.
A branch is locked onto its wall bracket.
We fitted the upper branches from a stepladder.
Branches are wrapped in film for the move.
We mounted the antlers in the mall atrium.
The video looks down into the atrium during the overnight set-up.
The last branches went up before dawn.
Our team fixed the antlers in the atrium.

The build

How we built it

6 steps, from the brief to the finished piece. Pick a step to jump to it.

The brief

Step 1 of 6 · 12/11/2022

Installation: On site, by our team

At Additive Inn, our 3D printing studio in Singapore, we made the stag antlers for Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year display. Glenfiddich needed the antlers from its key visual turned into a 3D piece, mounted high on the backdrop of a mall atrium.

Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year key visual: a stag whose antlers branch out into colourful ribbons, feathers and blooms against an orange sky — DrawingThis is the stag in Glenfiddich's key visual.

Concept

Step 2 of 6

We planned the display in 3D first. Our renders showed Glenfiddich how the antlers would rise from behind the stag on the backdrop and spread over the booth below.

Render of the planned display: the stag on a red backdrop, its colourful antlers spreading wide under hanging lanterns, with a bar counter in front — RenderThis is the display as we first planned it in 3D.

Render of the Glenfiddich backdrop from the front with plain white antlers placed above the stag — RenderWe placed white antlers on the backdrop.

Render of the Glenfiddich backdrop from one side, with the white antlers reaching out from the top of the wall — RenderThis view shows the backdrop and antlers from one side.

Render of the Glenfiddich backdrop from the other side, the white antlers spreading out above the stag — RenderThis view shows the same backdrop from the other side.

Design and prototyping

Step 3 of 6 · 18/11/2022

We sculpted the antlers branch by branch from the key visual, to a 3.5 m by 2 m spread, with mounts built in. We printed a 12 cm resin scale model to check the form before going full size.

First design

The full sculpt shows every branch in 3D.

RenderDrawing +3 more
First sculpt · 22/11/2022

We sculpted the whole crown in 3D and marked the centre antler and lower branches for rework.

Render
Wall mounts · 06/12/2022

We added mounts where each side meets the wall and redrew the lowest branches.

Render
Branch angles · 07/12/2022

Lines drawn over the sculpt set new angles for the longest branches.

Render +2 more
Final design · 13/12/2022

We checked the final sculpt from above against the wall line.

Render

Production

Step 4 of 6 · 26/12/2022

We 3D printed the antlers in lightweight segments, sized to be mounted overhead, and prepared metal wall brackets to hold each side.

Grey 3D printed antler segments laid out on a workbench in the studio — Printed segments lie on the bench.

A hand holding up a long white 3D printed branch in the studio, before primer — A long printed branch is held up before primer.

A large yellow printed tine with long pointed spikes, held up in the studio — A large printed tine is held up in the studio.

A printed tine with five pointed spikes, unpainted, held up against a red curtain — This printed tine has not yet had primer or paint.

A hand holding one of the black metal wall brackets: a square base plate with a drilled round flange — This is one of the metal wall brackets.

A black metal wall bracket with its angled tube, bolted onto a test frame in the studio — A wall bracket is bolted to a test frame.

Finishing and installation

Step 5 of 6 · 03/01/2023

Every segment was primed and painted by hand to match the artwork. We dry-fitted both sides on a studio wall, then installed the antlers in the mall overnight on 09/01/2023.

Our team painting antler branches in the studio, painted parts standing on racks around them — The team painted the branches in the studio.

Painted antler parts in stripes of yellow, blue, pink and green laid out on a long workbench — Painted parts are laid out on the bench.

A hand holding a feathered tine painted in orange and yellow over a work table — An orange tine is painted by hand.

A team member fitting the orange centre antler between the finished branches on a studio wall — We fitted the centre antler in the studio.

The team dry-fitting the antlers on a studio wall, with the gap between the centre antler's tips marked at 75 to 80 cm — The gap at the centre measures 75 to 80 cm.

Both sides of the antlers dry-fitted on a white studio wall, with a tape measure stretched between the two wall brackets — Both sides are dry-fitted on a studio wall.

A wrapped antler branch locked onto its black metal bracket on the studio wall — A branch is locked onto its wall bracket.

A team member on a stepladder fitting the upper branches beside a wall bracket — We fitted the upper branches from a stepladder.

Painted branches wrapped in clear film, seen from below — Branches are wrapped in film for the move.

Our team on two ladders mounting the antlers on the Glenfiddich backdrop in the mall atrium — We mounted the antlers in the mall atrium.

The video looks down into the atrium during the overnight set-up.

Two of our team on ladders fixing the last branches to the backdrop in the empty atrium — The last branches went up before dawn.

Our team fixed the antlers in the atrium.

The final build

Step 6 of 6 · 11/01/2023

The antlers crowned Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year display, rising from the stag on the backdrop and spreading above the booth, and they held up for the whole campaign.

A lion dance and a group of guests in front of the finished Glenfiddich backdrop and its antlers — The display launched with a lion dance.

Finish close-ups

Up close, the branches carry cloud scrolls, feathers and fish, each painted by hand to match the artwork.

Close-up of a branch covered in raised orange cloud scrolls, painted by hand — Orange cloud scrolls run along one branch.

A feathered tine painted in orange and gold above branches patterned in blue, pink and red — A feathered tine is painted in orange and gold.

A painted fish in cream, pink and blue among branches striped in bright colours — A painted fish sits among the branches.

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3D printed stag antlers for Glenfiddich

What we brought

Flat artwork turned into a 3D sculpture

Checked in 3D, as a scale model and on our wall

Installed on site, ready for the campaign

Gallery