Exceptional Paul the Alien 3D Print: Interview with Michael Shaw on Making a Collectible Piece

Can you imagine coming across Paul the Alien without visiting the iconic UFO sites across the U.S., as it happened in the 2011 sci-fi comedy movie? Michael Shaw made friends with this creature by breathing life into a fantastic 3D printed figure. The incredible details, thin body, giant head, unique skin color, and realistic eyes that pierce right through you – such a display can surely decorate any home that is friendly to legendary comics and movie characters.

Michael is a talented hobbyist and a member of Gambody 3D Printing Community on Facebook. His Paul El Extraterrestre looks so realistic! With its beach-style shorts and flip-flops, this 3D printed alien can fit perfectly into your interior, reminding you about the great beach moments and sunny weather adventures with your friends and family.

Paul the Alien

If you wish to recreate this model, download Paul the Alien 3D model STL files now and begin working on your life-size figure or a smaller figurine.

Gambody’s versions of Paul the Alien 3D model contain seven to 49 parts that can be 3D printed and assembled. The smallest version stands at 6.7 inches (170 mm) tall, and the life-size figure reaches 52.7 inches (1,339 mm) tall. Michael’s figure is a life-size version, and he is happy to share his vision and steps in bringing this 3D print to life to give you some insights on assembling this model and painting it for the most impressive outcome.

1. Hello, Michael. Please introduce yourself to our readers and recollect when you first heard of 3D printing and decided to try it.

My name is Michael Shaw. I live in a small country, New Zealand, and I’m 26. I was personally introduced to 3D printing in early high school and have been addicted since then.

2. Paul the Alien stands out among many great 3D prints you share with Gambody 3D Printing Community. Why did you choose to print its life-size version?

I decided it would be a fantastic piece to display at my home and catch the attention of everyone who visits – and he very much does.

3. What 3D printers did you use for 3D printing Paul the Alien?

I used two old 3D printers, Creality Ender-3 and Creality Sermoon V1, to 3D print Paul.

4. You mentioned that it took two weeks of nonstop 3D printing to create this life-size Alien 3D print. How do you control your 3D printers when you are not around and at night to avoid possible errors and issues?

I simply start one print on each machine in the morning before work; then I start the next one when I get home from work, and another one at midnight before bed. Then, I repeat this process.

5. Was it easy to make Paul the Alien model with PLA? How much PLA did you use?

From memory, he took around seven and a half rolls of PLA, including any failures. Yes, while printing such a big project, you can sometimes feel daunting. Overall, it is quite easy and not a lot different from doing small projects.

6. Can you please describe your post-processing work? Did you have to sand the parts of Paul the Alien?

I did a light sanding over the entire model and filled the larger gaps with filler. I left a lot of the layer lines because after painting the model, they aren’t too noticeable when you stand back and look at it.

7. Why did you fill the Alien’s joints with wood filler?

Using wood filler itself was simply an experiment to see if it worked. I wanted to fill some bigger gaps in the 3D printed parts with wood.

8. Do you remember how many parts you had to glue? What glue works well with PLA?

I can’t recall the exact amount of parts, but they were all glued with CA (superglue) and have held up very well with no issues.

9. Have you encountered any problems using the life-size STL files of Paul the Alien 3D model from Gambody?

Not at all. As is usual for Gambody files, the parts all went together very well, and the instructions are fantastic.

10. You did some color testing on a smaller resin version of Paul the Alien. Can you describe your tests and how they helped paint the life-size figure?

This was to guess what colors worked together and helped me create a step-by-step painting plan.

11. How long did it take to paint a life-size Paul El Extraterrestre? What painting technique did you choose and why?

It was all said and done in a couple of days. I did a base coat of spray paint and followed it up with several coats in various colors with an airbrush. I went the airbrushing route as it was fairly new to me, and I just wanted to experiment with it.

12. Your Alien 3D print has impressive eyes. Can you describe how you painted them?

These were super simple. I laid down a black layer and then added some blue accents with the airbrush. I added the pupils by sticking a circle cut out of masking tape down and dusting around the edges of it with a white airbrush. I then applied the black color and faded the blue back out around the outer edges of the eyes.

13. What were the hardest and easiest parts of your 3D printing, assembling, and painting processes?

The hardest part was assembling it all. Superglue sets to PLA incredibly fast, so the perfect alignment is the key. Painting it is the easy part and the most enjoyable. Once you get started, it all flows nicely together.

14. Where do you display your Paul the Alien life-size figure?

He currently stands in my home theater.

15. How many 3D prints did you accomplish yourself?

It’s hard to count them. I have been 3D printing for around seven years now and own well over ten printers, and I have super-sized a number of Gambody’s files now, including an R2-D2 3D model and a C-3PO 3D printing figurine.

16. What project are you making now?

I am working on a life-size version of Gambody’s Yoda to go with my R2-D2 and C-3PO.

17. Thank you for your time! Is there anything else you want to tell our readers about your hobby and 3D printing in general?

I absolutely love this hobby! Technology is growing at such a rapid rate it’s exciting to see what new things come around the corner. As for STL files, I really can’t recommend Gambody enough to people. It is always fantastic quality, the splits are well-thought-out, and the instructions are excellent. You guys rock!

What colors will you choose for your Paul 3D print? No matter the color combination, this alien is a beautiful display piece for a home, porch, backyard, or office. Choose one of the five versions of Paul the Alien STL (between FFF/FDM, DLP/SLA, DLP/SLA Eco, and SLS) and help your unique friend to escape from the Secret Service agents.