Note: Figmee currently offers figurine-style image generation and 3D model data (GLB / 3MF) downloads. Physical 3D print ordering is Coming Soon.
Use Studio Photos as a Drawing Reference for One More Keepsake
For Shichi-Go-San, many families book a photo studio. The professional photos are a treasured keepsake in themselves. On top of that, if you draw your child's festive outfit while looking at those photos, you can turn the drawing into a figurine-style 3D model with Figmee and keep one more memento you can spin around on screen. Note that the photos themselves (photos of your real child) can't be turned into 3D on Figmee. What becomes 3D is the drawing you make from them.
Why Studio Photos Make a Good Drawing Reference
Even lighting shows colors and shapes clearly
Studio lighting is even, with few shadows, so the colors of the kimono or hakama and the shape of the obi sash come out clearly. It's easy to see which part is which color, so drawing from the photo is less guesswork.
You get full-body, front-facing shots
Studios take several full-body shots. Drawings that convert well to 3D show the full body facing roughly forward, so having photos to use as a model for that is a real advantage.
You can study the outfit's patterns in detail
You can check the patterns on the kimono, such as flowers, cranes, or checks, while you draw. When drawing, simplify very fine patterns into bigger shapes; they come across better as colors in 3D.
A Suggested Flow from Studio Photos to a 3D Model
- Book a studio — The Shichi-Go-San season tends to be busy, so book early
- Have the photos taken — Ask for several full-body shots
- Get the photos — How you receive the data and how you may use it differ from studio to studio, so check in advance
- Draw your child's outfit from the photos — Your child or anyone in the family can draw. Photograph paper drawings from directly above, or scan them
- Upload to Figmee — PNG, JPEG, or WebP, up to 20 MB per image. The figurine-style image (3D image) usually takes 2–3 minutes, and the 3D model made from it a few minutes
If an image is judged to be a photo, generation stops and the tokens you used are returned automatically. You could also ask an illustrator to draw from your photos, but in that case, check with the illustrator that you may upload the drawing to Figmee.
Shots to Ask For at the Studio
Asking the photographer for these shots will give you good references for drawing later:
- Full-body shots (down to the feet)
- Shots from the front
- Close-ups that show the kimono pattern and obi
- Shots holding props such as chitose-ame candy or a small drawstring bag
Photos, a Drawing, and a 3D Model
The studio photos go straight into your album as treasures. Turn a drawing made from them into a figurine-style 3D model with Figmee, and you'll have one more keepsake that holds the time you spent drawing, too. This Shichi-Go-San, why not keep the day in photos, a drawing, and 3D?
