Excellent Doom Slayer Figure 3D Printing Guide: Interview with Krystian Granatowski

Are you ready to “Rip… and… tear?” A famous playable character of Doom video games can come to life on your 3D printer. Talented hobbyist Krystian Granatowski recreated an inspiring PLA version of Doom Slayer figure on his Prusa i3 MK3S printer. He is willing to share his tips and tricks on printing and painting the Hell Walker with Gambody readers.

The Doom Slayer 3D printing model was scaled to 225%, but its guns were scaled down to 80% according to the maker’s taste. Many days of work have resulted in the finished figure that amazes with its intricate details and beautiful colour palette.

Doom Slayer Figure

You can find this stunning Doom Slayer figure for 3D printing on Gambody – Premium 3D printing marketplace. The iconic Doomguy, also known as the Slayer, Hell Walker, DM1-5 or DOOM Marine, is depicted in his famous Praetor Suit and with the well-recognized Super Shotgun always ready to fire into the enemies.

3D designer Saimon Laster was inspired by the 2016 game’s box illustration so much that he created this stunning version of Doom Slayer for 3D printing.

In 2020, this impressive model still motivates many 3D printing hobbyists for new feats and accomplishments.

3D Printing Doom Slayer Model

You will love how smooth the Doom Slayer printed and painted by Krystian looks. This hobbyist spent several weeks on puttying, sanding with 1K paper, priming the model and repeating these steps all over again before starting to hand paint and airbrush it. But the result wows!

1. Krystian, Gambody community loves your 3D prints so much! Can you please introduce yourself and recollect your path into the 3D printing world?

Hi, my name is Krystian. I am a thirty-something years old IT-manager from Poland. 

My path to 3D printing was dual. I was considering buying a 3D printer for printing useful stuff. At the same time, I struggled with creating my statues and figurines. No matter how silly it sounds – I wanted a T-Rex on my shelf. Really!

Figurines that were available to buy were horribly expensive or just toys. So, I tried sculpting myself and let’s say the results were not good enough. Then I stumbled upon (I am not kidding) a T-Rex figure from Jurassic Park for 3D printing on Gambody marketplace. And the two ideas (helpful staff and figurines) seemed to match perfectly. 

Of course, I bought the STL files, but haven’t printed a single element of it yet…

2. Your Doom Slayer figure was printed on Prusa i3 MK3S. Is it your main and only 3D printer? Do you like to print with PLA filament?

Yes, right now it is. I have owned other printers, but this one required the least attention and was quiet enough, so it stayed with me.

As far as FDM goes, I am not planning any replacement right now. A resin printer would be a great addition to my workshop, though. It is perfect for the more delicate parts, like heads or palms, where the FDM printers struggle.

PLA is fine for “decorations,” easy to print and details are fine. But most of my prints are useful things, and I prefer to use PETG or ABS for them. For example, I wouldn’t trust a mounting made out of PLA on my motorcycle.

3. Let us talk about the creation of Doom Slayer 3D print. Why did you choose this model? Are you a big fan of the Doom video game?

That is precisely why! I played all of the Quake and Doom games and loved them. So, when I saw this Doom Slayer 3D printing figurine on Gambody – Premium 3D printing marketplace I just had to buy and print it.

There were some other models’ STL files available for free, but the quality was not worth printing.

4. Why did you choose to scale up Doom Slayer figure to 225%? Do you always scale up the 3D printing models?

Bigger is better, right? And especially with FDM printer, scaling up 3D printing models results in a lot more details.

And the precise scale of my prints is not relevant to me. I do not care if they all match or not. I care if they look good. So, I pick the maximum size that I can print without further slicing the model. Luckily, I do not own an XXL printer.

5. Did you test printing the Doom Slayer guns at 100% before scaling them down to 0.8 of the original size? What makes you decide to scale something up or down?

Yes, truth to be told the gun was the first element I printed. But when all was there, I found it way too big. Funny, it didn’t seem that way on the renders provided on the model’s website.

When printed, the handle was too large to be grabbed with palms; such a gun would not be very usable. So, I took some measurements of how small of a gun would still fit. There is a ring at the front that needs to be in front of the left palm. So I slightly rotated the palms to match the weapon better before scaling down the gun. And this scale worked perfectly for me.

6. Have you studied 3D design? Where did you learn to work with STL files and adjust them to your needs?

As a hobby, yes. But it was a long time ago. I also have some experience with game development, that requires such skills.

Right now, I am trying to learn the ropes back again. Still, it is taking the time, and the results are not good enough to offer them on Gambody – Premium 3D printing marketplace. Hence, I upload them on Thingiverse for grabs. But my skills are sufficient for adjusting the position of palms or altering small things to my liking. 

7. Which printing settings did you use while working on the Hell Walker figure for 3D printing?

All of the parts are printed at 0.05mm layer height with a printing speed of outer walls at 20 mm/s.

It was exactly as it sounds, slow. Torso itself took six days to print.

8. Did you count how many days you spent on the creation of Doom Slayer 3D printing figure?

No, but it took about a week or maybe ten days, a few hours a day. So, it took some 40 hours of work after it was printed. But hey, I enjoyed it.

9. Your FDM print is so highly-detailed and impressive. Can you please describe the processes of puttying, sanding and priming the 3D printed Doom Slayer figure before painting it? Which materials did you use? Did you face any challenges?

That is no rocket science. I used Revell Plasto putty for it. Layer lines vanish quickly when you rub the putty with your finger and then fine sand it.

But this model does have a lot of details and elements that are hard to reach. After each round of puttying and sanding, I spray painted it with a monotone base coat. It allowed me to see where the imperfections were to correct those places.

It takes time, sure, but it pays off when painting. 

10. You both airbrushed and hand-painted Doom Slayer figure. Which paint brands do you like? How do you mix colours to achieve the right shade?

I do not have a favourite brand. It depends on the colours. Most of the paints used for Doom Slayer 3D print were Revell, but I painted metal parts with Tamiya. And the visor was painted with clear nail polish.

As far as mixing goes, I try to avoid it, especially when the paint is needed in other areas.

I would lie if I told you that all the elements were perfect at first approach. Some parts required repainting from scratch, and some needed reprinting. For example, I had to print the Doom Slayer helmet twice.

Oh, I also prefer to use enamel paints. Acrylic ones don’t work right with my airbrush. Or I don’t know yet how to use them right.

11. How do you create shadows and light areas on the figurine using paints?

I do it with multi-layered painting. All shaded areas are first airbrushed black and then coated with the final colour.

It is important not to paint the darker spots too well, only with a thin layer of the final colour. Highlights are just a little bit of lighter paint (mixed) airbrushed and dry-brushed on the model. So, nothing extraordinary, really.

The key is understanding perception. It is one thing I remember from the old days. It does not matter what colour is the surface you are trying to recreate in a scaled model or a 3D model for CGI. What matters is how you see it.

Light on a smaller scale will not behave like on a large object, so it is not enough to paint it the same colour. It will look flat. You have to think about how you see the real object, where the occluded areas that will not be reached by light are, where the highlighted areas are. Think of how it influences your perception of the object. And then try to mimic it on a smaller scale.

12. What were your favourite moments while working on 3D printing Doom Slayer figure. Was it hours of sanding, days of printing or the time spent on painting the model?

I loved the two moments when it all came together. First, when the printing was done, and second when the painting was all done.

I also like the part very much when you add the fine details to the model. Tiny elements in different colours such as bolts, scratches, dirt can turn a good-looking object into a great one in just a few minutes. 

13. What is the size of your finished Doom Slayer figure 3D print? How much does it weigh?

The Hell Walker is 52 cm tall and weighs around 1 kg (2.2 lbs).

I did not print the base, though; it stands on its own.

14. Where do you display such a stunning masterpiece?

The Doom Slayer figure is displayed on a shelf in my living room.

I haven’t reached the point where the complaints start about the number of figurines that stand there yet. After that, I will have to find another place.

15. Which is your next 3D printing project?

It is Ellie figurine from The Last of Us Part 2. I am printing it right now.

Ellie is scaled up to 200% if you want to ask. But I have no idea when it will be painted.

I did a test-paint on the guitar only. I wanted to know if I could achieve the look of old, chipped clear coat. Strings on the guitar were corrected by Gambody team after my suggestions so I will be printing it again.

My Thanos 3D print waited for almost a year to get some colours, and I don’t expect to find time this year to paint Ellie. But who knows?

P.S. Do you also wish to add Ellie from The Last of Us or Thanos to your collection of 3D printed figurines? You can download their STL files on Gambody – Premium 3D printing marketplace:

• Get Ellie figurine STL files for 3D printing;
• Download Thanos STL files for 3D printing.

Thanks to Krystian, we all learned how to make Doom Slayer figure at home if you have a 3D printer. Such beautiful projects require much time and patience. Still, they adorn your attention for many years afterwards when displayed on your shelf or table. We believe that you also have great 3D printed models to share in Gambody Community on Facebook. This group of talented hobbyists cannot wait to see more artistic members and enjoy your masterpieces.