Sweet! 3D-printed figures made from sugar (pictures)

Julian Sing, a Netherlands-based model maker who worked on two "Matrix" films, has combined his talents for modeling and baking to create artwork from sugar and water. He uses a modified ZPrinter 310 Plus from 3D Systems.

"I had already used 3D printing in my cakes to make custom cutters and stamps, and when I decided to give 3D printing in sugar a serious go, I was totally hooked and it just snowballed from there," he told Crave.

Here, Sing 3D-printed a visual puzzle, as the ball is too big to fit through the openings in the sides of the cube. As he says on his website, "The game is now on."

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To showcase his work, Julian Sing launched a website called 3dchef, which he hopes will lead to more work fusing baking and 3D printing.

"Apart from cake toppers, and wedding figures, sugar is naturally strong enough to do far more than only create decorations," he told Crave. "What I would also like to do is get involved with chefs and see what they could come up with not only visually, but as the structure for something completely different. In essence that is what 3dchef is all about. Playing with all things 3D, throwing them in a metaphoric bowl and mixing it up."

Speaking of bowls, this is a sugar bowl. Get it?

Related article: 'Matrix' model maker 3D-prints sweet figures from sugar

Redefining the phrase, "Dude, that's a sweet gun," Julian Sing says he was inspired to make this mini model of a pistol due to all the attention 3D-printed guns were getting the media.

Related article: 'Matrix' model maker 3D-prints sweet figures from sugar

Julian Sing created three of these mesh eggs, each standing a little less than 5 inches tall. "My next 3D print is going to have the Easter bunny hiding inside," he says on his site.

Related article: 'Matrix' model maker 3D-prints sweet figures from sugar

Sugar and coffee are an iconic pairing, and now they have their own icons. Julian Sing says he was inspired to create these mini espresso machines while sitting in a cafe and wondering how to jazz up boring old sugar cubes.

Related article: 'Matrix' model maker 3D-prints sweet figures from sugar

Not every 3D-printed outing succeeds, as you can see here with this design that was meant to be a cake topper.

That doesn't dissuade Julian Sing, however. "I have had some good and bad prints and I learn from each what works and what does not," he says on his site. "Each time I adjust my settings searching for the optimum setting. Getting closer."

Related article: 'Matrix' model maker 3D-prints sweet figures from sugar