BLANK Canvas Academy · The Creator Journey · Dublin 2026

THE
CREATOR
JOURNEY.

From the first line on a page to a hand-painted 3D figure you take home. This is what every BLANK Canvas pupil builds — in ten weeks, at their school, with their own two hands.

003
Current cohort
□Sketch □3D Model □3D Print □Painted Final □Certificate □Digital Files □Garda Vetted Instructors □Dublin Schools □Sketch □3D Model □3D Print □Painted Final □Certificate □Digital Files □Garda Vetted Instructors □Dublin Schools
The Process

FOUR STAGES.
ONE CREATION.

Every character a pupil brings to life follows the same four-stage process. The method is consistent. The result is always entirely their own.

Original pencil sketch — Top Hat Cat — BLANK Canvas Academy pupil
01
Stage 01 / 04
✓ Complete

The Original
Sketch.

Pencil on paper. No template, no reference image, no prescribed outcome. The pupil draws their character from scratch — this is the only rule. What they imagine is what gets made.

Top Hat Cat: a tuxedo cat with a monocle, bow tie, and a miniature top hat. 100% original. 8 years old.

MediumPencil on cartridge paper
SessionWeek 1 — Character Concept
Time45 minutes
02
Stage 02 / 04
✓ Complete

The Digital
3D Model.

The sketch is rebuilt in three dimensions using Blender — the same 3D software used in feature films and video game studios. Every curve, every detail, every stubby toe.

The pupil reviews the model as it develops and approves each element before it goes to print. Their character. Their approval.

SoftwareBlender 3D
SessionsWeeks 2–4
Output.STL file ready for print
03
Stage 03 / 04
✓ Complete

The 3D
Print.

The digital model is sent to the printer. Layer by layer — each one finer than a human hair — Top Hat Cat is built from the base up in PLA filament.

What was a drawing on paper, then a file on a screen, becomes a solid physical object the pupil can hold for the very first time. This is the moment every cohort lives for.

PrinterFDM 3D printer
MaterialPLA filament
SessionsWeeks 5–6
04
Stage 04 / 04
↓ Upcoming

Painted &
Finished.

The printed figure is sanded, primed, and handed back to the pupil. Using acrylic paint and fine brushes they add colour, personality, and their own artistic finish to the character.

The top hat. The monocle. The bow tie. Every detail brought to life by the same hands that drew the original sketch. This is the figure they take home. Theirs, entirely.

MediumAcrylic paint, hand-finished
SessionsWeeks 7–10
OutcomeFinished figure + portfolio + certificate
◉
Painted Final — Coming Soon
Programme Levels

THREE LEVELS.
ONE CLUB.

Every pupil enters at the right level. The programme scales with them — from first print to gallery-quality studio work.

Level 1 — Foundation
PRINT STARTERS
Character design fundamentals, introduction to 3D printing, and the first original print. Where every creator begins.
4th–6th Class · Ages 10–12
10-Week Programme
After-School · All equipment provided
Garda Vetted Instructors
Level 2 — Intermediate
DESIGN & BUILD
Prototyping, iteration, and real-world design challenges. Students move from characters to purpose-built objects.
4th–6th Class · Ages 10–12
6–8 Sessions
Requires Level 1 completion
Garda Vetted Instructors
Level 3 — Advanced
STUDIO TRACK
CAD, engineering principles, material science, and a gallery-ready final project. For students who are ready to work like real designers.
4th–6th Class · Ages 10–12
10–12 Sessions
Level 1 recommended
Garda Vetted Instructors
Why 3D Printing

SKILLS THAT
LAST.

The research is unambiguous. Students who engage with 3D printing and maker education develop stronger spatial reasoning, creative confidence, and design thinking — and are more likely to pursue STEM careers.

01
Creative Confidence
Pupils learn that their ideas have real weight — that imagination can be made solid. Once a child holds something they designed themselves, how they see the world changes.
Peer-reviewed · Frontiers in Education 2025
02
Spatial Reasoning & Design Thinking
3D modelling and printing develops the ability to think in three dimensions — a skill proven to transfer directly to mathematics, engineering, and architecture.
Springer · Journal for STEM Education 2025
03
Problem Solving Through Iteration
When a model doesn't print right or a design needs reworking, pupils learn to diagnose, adapt, and try again. Real resilience built through real challenges.
American Journal of STEM Education 2025
04
STEM Meets the Arts
Character design, CAD modelling, printing, and hand-painting. The programme sits precisely at the intersection of technology and creativity — the skills the next generation of makers will need.
3D printing in education market: +13% annually
05
Engagement Where It Matters
Students who don't normally engage in school are completely absorbed. The work is theirs — nobody told them what to make. That ownership changes everything.
Observed across all three pilot schools · Dublin 2025–26
06
Craft & Patience
A 10-week programme that results in something tangible teaches pupils that quality takes time — and that the outcome is worth the effort. That lesson travels far beyond the classroom.
Core founding principle · BLANK Canvas Academy
What Every Pupil Receives

THEIRS TO
KEEP.

Certificate
Certificate of Completion
Personalised, named, signed by the instructor. Programme level and character name included. Made to be framed.
Named and dated
Programme level and character name
Signed by BLANK Canvas instructor
Physical
Their Painted 3D Figure
The finished, hand-painted 3D printed figure of their original character. Sanded, primed, painted by the pupil, clear-coated. This goes home with them on the last day.
Sanded and primed
Hand-painted by the pupil in acrylic
Clear coat finish — packaged for home
Digital Files
Their Own Digital Files
The design belongs to them. STL and Blender source files delivered via secure link. They can reprint it, modify it, or keep it forever.
.STL file — printable on any 3D printer
.BLEND file — editable Blender project
Sent securely to parent email
After-school programme · Dublin schools
BRING THE CLUB
TO YOUR SCHOOL.

BLANK Canvas is an after-school 3D printing programme for primary and secondary school pupils across Dublin. Garda vetted instructors. Everything provided. Book a free 20-minute discovery call.

Book a Discovery Call Back to Main Site
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