Aleph Objects ran a contest in celebration of their launch of the brand new Lulzbot Mini 3D Printer, and will be awarding three lucky winners with a Mini of their own. I've been working with 3D prints relatively extensively, and this contest was very much in my area of interest, so I decided to join in.

The contest rules were to display their Lulzbot mascot, the 'rocktopus', in a unique piece of art, using a provided 3D model to utilize in 2D or 3D work, including prints. I took the 3D model and incorporated it into a heavy metal-esque setting, with it fighting a sea monster, complete with a Mjolnir hammer duplicate and grey, stormy seas.

The entry:

""Kraken The Dragon"

From the bowels of the ocean, under the roiling waves, the Rocktopus awakens to his archnemesis, the Tuurasucha... the World Serpent. With heavenly hammer in...tentacle...he readies his strike...

When smacking legendary reptiles in the face, what better way to do it than with heavy metal flair! This is the true nature of the Rocktopus!

Media: ZBrush 4r6, final touches in Photoshop CS6"

The announcement: https://www.lulzbot.com/blog/ces-2015
Photo of the winning entries at the CES conference: http://i.imgur.com/hNlw7BG.jpg

I was amazed to find out that when they announced the winners at the CES conference this week I was awarded with Critic's Choice! There were a lot of contestants, and some extremely strong entries, and I am extremely humbled by this! This is one of the only contests that I've ever won, and what a contest! I am extremely excited to be able to not have to work through a middle man like Shapeways, and get my own little business chugging along!

Here's the full resolution image that I promised to upload after the votes were counted. A fully printable model is still in reconstruction, but will be available to the public soon in celebration of my win!

Thank you all who voted for my entry so very very much, and I hope to get this printer going as soon as it arrives!