A Timeless Art Form That Brings Images To Life

Bas-relief is a sculptural method where the sculpted elements protrude from the background, firmly anchored to the supporting structure, unlike standing figures that rest on fragile legs and ankles.

Where you can see it

Bas-relief is everywhere! From the ancient pyramids in Egypt to your local high-end furniture outlet. Figures projecting from surfaces like walls and furniture panels, carved in wood, molded into ornaments, embossed characters on greeting cards, or creatures moulded with plaster by children in art class. If you examine a coin in your pocket you will likely see a relief sculpture there too. Other notable examples of where relief sculptures may be found include the Temple of Karnak in Egypt, The Parthenon Marbles in ancient Greece, the Chartres Cathedral and Bourges Cathedral in medieval Europe, and Mount Rushmore in the United States.

3D Onlays

A quick and easy way to add graphical 3-dimensional images to an existing flat surface. We can create them in a wide variety of materials such as carved wood, MDF and plastic, molded rubber and silicone, as well as molded metal and 3D printed resin. Self-adhesive or glued.

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Automating the Process

In ancient times, when the relief was carved into stone or wood, the background was painstakingly chiselled away to leave the untouched areas seeming higher. Modern day reliefs may be created in all types of materials such as metals, clay, wood, ceramics, and even papier-mâché. These materials could be chiselled, built up, or fabricated by any number of casting processes.

alati3D creates computer-controlled machines and tooling that make carving bas-relief sculptures as effortless as a walk in a park. Many of these are specially tailored for small businesses and do-it-yourself enthusiasts.

RTV is Great Too!

Room Temperature Vulcanizing plastics and rubbers (RTV) are another of our favorites for short-run productions like the 3D covers for our upcoming Feature Product 'Little Black Book' and the French version 'Petit Carnet Noir'. Handy little notebooks for your purse or pocket, to record naughty little secrets.

Body Forms: Mating Front & Back Reliefs

Wonderful things happen when you mate front reliefs with back: You get to see the whole picture. Humans generally see just one side of themselves. Front. Back. Right side. Left side. One facet at a time is their only privilege. Yet put them in mannequin form, and new images emerge. alati3D has created fully articulated bodyform skeletons for artists, designers, and fashion displays. 3-dimensional foundations you could pose any way you like, then adorn with skins, clothing, or plaster, to create your own Venus de Milo. Our LiveDoll body forms are created with interlocking vertical and horizontal cutouts in wood, plastic, or metal, and may be purchased as 3D models or kits. Naturally, you could also request custom adult body types and sizes, including anatomically-correct adult body styles.

The Final Frontier

Merging front and back reliefs of human body forms takes bas-relief to a higher level: Stand-ins for human models. Unlike conventional display mannequins that hold a singular pose, our fully-articulated body forms let you display your fashions in human-like settings, as if worn by actual fashion models.

Need to Carve 3D Graphics On-site?

If you're a DIY craftsman (Do-it-Yourself) with access to a 3D printer then alati3D can help you take your talents on the road with portable Laser-cutting and CNC carving machines. Build them yourself by downloading our construction plans and 3D component models, or request a custom unit Made2Order. We can create Carve-in-Place machines that clamp to surfaces like door panels and cabinet faces so you can carve your designs directly on the panel without removing the door or disassembling the cabinet.

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Download Plans & Kits for Your Custom Machines

alati3D provides you with construction plans and component kits that you could use to build your own custom Laser cutters and CNC carving systems. Our basic machine pictured above is designed for easy construction using readily available 3D printers. We can also provide automated material loading/unloading systems that make it possible for our machines to run all day long completely unattended so you could focus your energies on running your small business instead of wasting time loading stock and unloading parts.