Statues have been around for tens of thousands of years, decorating people’s lives and honoring their subjects. Statues have long been the domain of sculptors and other artists, but thanks to 3D printing, that time is no more. With practically any 3D printer, you can produce statues rivaling or imitating any of the great works.
This revolution began around 10 years ago when MyMiniFactory introduced Scan the World as a non-profit initiative to create a free digital archive of the world’s great statues, sculptures, and landmarks. Once 3D scanned, these iconic works of art became easy to download and print, and they have since captured the imaginations of makers and headlines. Scan the World has now grown to include scans of over 25,000 cultural artifacts, with several popular ones making our list.
But they’re not the only game in town. Plenty of other 3D makers have posted their own statue designs from a variety of source materials. These designs are perfect for anyone with a 3D printer who was filled with jealousy whenever they had art class.
Whether you’re looking for a historical statue to class your place up or a fun pop culture bust to show off your passions, here’s our list of the top ten statues to 3D print. And if you want to make sure your statue is reproduced to perfection, consider trying a printing service like Craftcloud. With countless materials and colors to choose from, you can immortalize your icons in just a few clicks!
Busts
If you want a detailed head of a historical celebrity, busts are the way to go. Considering the average size of hobbyists’ print beds, these statues can be realistic or minimal as you want it to be.
Nefertiti
Nefertiti was a very influential queen during the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt who symbolized beauty and power, both showcased with this bust. What makes this model stand out is the attention to detail when it comes to the weathering and aging of the actual bust. The designer was careful to add missing chunks from the statue to give it an authentic appearance.
There is a make that was shared that shows just how good this print can look with a little paint. The model was also designed to be printed completely hollow like a vase, with no top enclosing the print. This helps to save on print time and filament usage, although supports are recommended for best results.
Medusa
The first design to make our list courtesy of the Scan the World project is this bust of the Greek figure famous for turning men to stone. Considering her victims, it’s only right she earns her place on our list of top statues.
This print requires supports, which makers will need to be very careful of when removing to avoid damaging Medusa’s hair/snakes. One community member used a resin printer (pictured above), which might be the best way to go for a highly detailed result.
- Who designed it? Scan the World
- How printable/popular is it? There are several community prints of this detailed and dangerous bust.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Superman
This statue was designed as a tribute to Christopher Reeve’s Superman character from the 1978 film. The statue is printed in two pieces, with the base as one piece and the actual bust as another for easy color separation. This reduces the amount of support needed for the print, though you might still want to use some for the chin.
Makers have shared their prints of this statue and shown just how incredible it looks with a little paint. Printing the bust in either blue or red filament can save you a lot of time when adding more color as well. You could also get a great statue out of this model using a multi-material printing setup.
- Who designed it? JSstudio
- How printable/popular is it? This depiction of Christopher Reeve’s Superman almost has 2,500 downloads and 12 makes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Julius Caesar
Not only is this an impressive quality bust of the great Roman leader, but it also doubles as a pen or pencil holder with holes stabbed (printed) into Caesar’s back, courtesy of Brutus (and the designer). Now we’re just waiting for someone to remix it into a knife block.
This bust prints with supports to maintain the facial details and bust shape and the designer recommends ensuring strong bed adhesion before starting print so none of the details warp.
- Who designed it? Derailed
- How printable/popular is it? There are an impressive 207 makes of this popular bust, plus 11 remixes.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Dumbledore
This is a somber statue of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series – perfectly sized to fit on your desk. This bust can either be printed to look like a statue with bronze, gold, silver filament or as a fun DIY art project with an easy-to-paint white filament. The community prints are full of people who’ve chosen both routes.
This bust prints without supports and the designer recommends only 10% infill. It was originally designed for FDM printing, but some of the community prints have imported the design to their resin printers for greater detail.
- Who designed it? twiesner
- How printable/popular is it? There have been over 29,000 downloads and many community prints on MyMiniFactory of this statue.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
Albert Einstein
Class up your makerspace with a bust of the man synonymous with genius. Other makers have posted pictures using this bust as a bookend on their bookshelves or conversation piece on their mantles.
This is a remix of a popular Thingiverse design that prints without any supports needed. None of the other makes mention any issues with the design, with most complimenting it on its ease to print and high level of detail.
- Who designed it? icfirz
- How printable/popular is it? It clearly doesn’t take a genius because Einstein has 172 makes.
- Where to find it? Printables
Dwayne Johnson
If you spend time on 3D printing TikTok, you’re probably familiar with this statue of The Rock that’s gone viral. Here’s the design file to print your own version!
This model was designed to print without supports and none of the community prints contradict this, so it should be a breeze.
- Who designed it? JSstudio
- How printable/popular is it? There are 10 makes of this viral sensation, leaving plenty of room to hop on the trend.
- Where to find it? Printables
Handsome Squidward
If you’re looking for a bust that’s a little more bold and brash, this depiction of Handsome Squidward from the popular SpongeBob SquarePants television series is the print for you. This model is the perfect blend of silly and serious and will fit perfectly into your home’s decor.
Some makers have noted that the chin requires support though no complaints can be made for this fantastic model. The original model size may be too large for smaller format 3D printers though it can be scaled to fit if required. One maker even split the model into multiple pieces and still found great success with the print.
- Who designed it? Kong
- How printable/popular is it? This statue is a great find with over 120 downloads and 3 makes to browse.
- Where to find it? Printables
Statues
If you find busts lacking and are looking for something a little more full-bodied, here are a few of our favorite statues. Each is easy to scale, giving makers the option of a new ornament for their desk or a scarecrow for their backyard garden.
Lion
There are many different types of lion statue designs. This model by Peter Farell is inspired by the traditional Chinese Guardian Lion statues that can be found throughout China. The model was designed with care and has a lot of detail that will put your 3D printer to the test. This is the type of model that would greatly benefit from the higher resolution of resin printing.
Most modern 3D printers should have no issues printing the body without support, though the mouth may require a tiny bit of it to keep the teeth from falling out. Overall this is an impressive model that should definitely be a part of your statue-printing list.
- Who designed it? PeterFarell
- How printable/popular is it? The lion statue has seen 205 downloads and a make.
- Where to find it? Printables
Statue of David
Another design from Scan the World, this statue simply wouldn’t be complete as only a bust. The famous full-body David is easy to scale, depending on where you want to place your Renaissance art.
This is one sculpture where supports are essential. Community prints recommend 10% infill, and pretty much all used PLA to make this statue.
- Who designed it? Scan the World
- How printable/popular is it? There have been over 65,000 downloads and plenty of makes shared of this Renaissance icon.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory
The Thinker
This low-poly statue is unique on our list but clearly a hit with makers, based on the huge number of makes that have been posted. This design is actually a remix of a slightly higher quality Thinker but has proven far more popular in the 3D printing community.
This low-poly print doesn’t require any supports and has been printed with a variety of filaments.
- Who designed it? LxO
- How printable/popular is it? Over 130 makes are evidence of the simplicity of printing this statue.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Moai
The famous Easter Island statues have always been a fascinating topic with a unique design and curious origin. Now you can print your own Moai statue in your favorite color of filament, or go for a marble filament for a stony finish. This file comes with three pre-sized models for small, medium, and large prints.
The designer was careful to ensure there were no overhangs that required support when making this model, so you should have no issues turning supports off and getting a good print from this model. Infill is also completely optional, with many makers choosing to print their statues with 0% infill for a fast, lightweight print.
- Who designed it? Julien_DaCosta
- How printable/popular is it? Many have fallen in love with this design, with over 72,000 downloads and 212 makes shared. You can also find 25 remixes of this file!
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
Gargoyle
Whether you enjoyed the 1994 television series or are a fan of Gothic architecture, these gargoyle statues are a great print to use for decorating around the house. The designer put a lot of thought into sculpting a stone-like texture onto the model that looks very impressive with the right paint job.
The designer recommends a layer height of 0.15 mm for the best quality. You’ll need support for the jaw – that’s the only area that should require it. Just like the Moai statues, this print will look stunning with the right filament color if you don’t plan on painting.
- Who designed it? mikkopih
- How printable/popular is it? This file is relatively new, with a little over 50 downloads and around 25 likes so far. You can be the first to share your make!
- Where to find it? Printables
Statue of Liberty
This Scan the World design is sure to be popular with makers in the US and France and is easily scalable depending on how large of a print you’re looking for.
Many makers have opted to use different filaments between the base and statue to give different weights (along with the obvious color change). There’s no mention of any supports used in the community prints, so they shouldn’t be necessary.
While the original model by Scan the World has been shared on MyMiniFactory, a user uploaded it to Thingiverse (with proper attribution), where more makers have shared their versions.
- Who designed it? Scan the World
- How printable/popular is it? There are 15 makes so far from all around the free world.
- Where to find it? MyMiniFactory, Thingiverse
Oscar
Is there a more famous statue for film buffs? Host the best Oscars party your friends have ever attended by printing these customizable award statues for each of your guests to take home. A base with a label is also available for the golden statue, printable separately with different color filaments.
Supports are recommended by the designer, though they say they’re mostly important for the base.
- Who designed it? jnalezny
- How printable/popular is it? This highly coveted model has 9 makes from over 5,000 downloads.
- Where to find it? Thingiverse
License: The text of "3D Printed Statues: The Best STL Files to 3D Print" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.