Concept
A series of decorative candle holder figures consists of paired objects unified by the shared idea of warmth and closeness. At the center of each composition is a candle, around which two figures are positioned, facing each other as if warming their paws.
The concept is based on a universal gesture—warming hands by a fire. This gesture is interpreted through animal imagery and is intuitively understandable to everyone. It conveys a feeling of coziness and tranquility without the need for further explanation.
The series consists of five paired objects. Each pair is a distinct motif sharing a common structure: two figurines, a shared base, and a central heat source (a candle).
Characters: — kittens — geese — hamsters — crabs — dachshunds (dogs)
The animal motifs have been selected to strike a balance between recognizability and abstraction. The forms are simplified, lacking fine details, which lends visual harmony to the objects and makes them suitable for 3D printing.
All the figurines interact in the same way: they are symmetrically positioned, facing one another, their paws are raised and directed toward the center of the composition. This establishes a visual and conceptual unity across the series.
Posters
Prompt for creating the first poster:
Use the uploaded images as STRICT product references.
There are TWO DIFFERENT candle holders: — Candle holder A = first uploaded image — Candle holder B = second uploaded image
Each candle holder is a COMPLETE OBJECT and MUST remain unchanged: — Bowls must stay — Figures must stay attached to bowls — Original shapes, proportions, colors, and materials must be preserved exactly — Do NOT redesign, stylize, simplify, or reinterpret
Scene: Place BOTH candle holders together on the same wooden table. They must be clearly DIFFERENT from each other, matching their respective reference images. They must not be copies or variations of the same object.
IMPORTANT: — Do NOT duplicate one object — Do NOT merge the two candle holders — Do NOT remove bowls — Do NOT mix features between the two designs — Each candle holder must match only its own reference image
Environment: Professional lifestyle advertising photography. Warm, cozy interior. Natural wooden table. Minimal cozy props (linen cloth, cup, book) — props must not touch the products.
Lighting: Warm, soft evening light. Visible candle flame in EACH candle holder.
Composition: A4 vertical format. Camera at table height. Both candle holders fully visible and separated. No text. No logos. No people. Photorealistic, high-end product photo.
Sketch Creation
A single ceramic candle holder scene featuring TWO cats sitting opposite each other inside ONE shared shallow round bowl. There is ONE tea light candle placed exactly in the center between them.
The cats are clearly two separate characters: — left cat: black and white — right cat: calico (white, orange, black)
Both cats face each other directly. Both raise their front paws toward the candle as if warming them. Their paws do not touch the candle.
Naive handmade ceramic style. Rounded, toy-like proportions. Minimal facial features: dot eyes, tiny mouth. Visible paw pads. Glossy glazed ceramic with slight handmade imperfections.
A single ceramic candle holder scene featuring TWO dachshunds sitting opposite each other inside ONE shared shallow, round bowl. There is ONE tea light candle placed exactly in the center between them.
The dachshunds are clearly two separate characters: — left dachshund: warm reddish-brown — right dachshund: black with tan markings
Both dachshunds face each other directly. Both raise their front paws toward the candle as if warming their paws. Long bodies, short legs, naive proportions.
Naive handmade ceramic style. Rounded, simplified shapes. Minimal facial features: dot eyes, tiny nose. Glossy glazed ceramic with slight handmade imperfections.
A single ceramic candle holder scene featuring TWO hamsters seated opposite each other inside ONE shared, shallow, round bowl. There is ONE tea light candle placed precisely in the center between them.
The hamsters are clearly two distinct characters: — left hamster: soft gray — right hamster: creamy beige
Both hamsters face each other directly. Both hold their tiny front paws toward the candle, as if warming themselves. Their bodies are very round and chubby, possessing a pebble-like shape.
The style is naive, handmade ceramic. Proportions are toy-like. Facial features are minimal: dot eyes and a tiny nose. The material is glossy glazed ceramic, featuring a soft, handmade aesthetic.
A single ceramic candle holder scene featuring TWO geese sitting opposite each other inside ONE shared shallow round bowl. There is ONE tea light candle placed exactly in the center between them.
The geese are clearly two separate characters. One goose wears a small, simple hat. The other goose is hatless.
Both geese face each other directly. Both lift their wings toward the candle, as if warming them. They have simplified, rounded bodies and short necks.
The style is naive, handmade ceramic. Facial details are minimal. The bodies are white with orange beaks and feet. The finish features a glossy ceramic glaze, giving it a handcrafted feel.
A single ceramic candle holder scene featuring TWO crabs sitting opposite each other inside ONE shared shallow round bowl. There is ONE tea light candle placed exactly in the center between them.
The crabs are clearly two distinct characters. They differ slightly in shape and claw size, but are consistent in style.
Both crabs face each other directly. Both raise their claws toward the candle as if warming it. They have chunky legs and simplified anatomy.
Naive, handmade ceramic style. Rounded sculpted forms. Minimal facial features: small dot eyes. A red-orange glossy ceramic glaze with slight imperfections.
Renders
«Kitties» Candle Holder. Renders.
«Goose» Candle Holder. Renders.
Candlestick holder «Crabs.» Renders.
«Dachshund» Candlestick. Renders.
«Hamsters» Candle Holder. Renders.
Production Specification
Manufacturing Technology and Quality Control:
The objects in this series are designed for production using FDM/FFF printing. The following parameters are used: — Layer height: 0.20 mm — Infill: 15% (Gyroid) — 3 perimeters with wall thickness of approximately 1.2 mm, 0.4 mm nozzle Material — PLA (1.75 mm). Printing temperature: 205–215 °C for the nozzle and 60 °C for the bed. Supports — tree-like. Model Dimensions:
Hamsters: X 100 mm Y 99.9 mm Z 49.8 mm
Crabs: X 100 mm Y 99.9 mm Z 42.6 mm
Geese: X 100 mm Y 92.3 mm Z 75.6 mm
Kittens: X 100 mm Y 99.8 mm Z 59.5 mm
Dogs: X 100 mm Y 99.9 mm Z 70.6 mm
After printing, supports are removed, the surface is sanded with sandpaper, and a glossy varnish is applied. Quality control includes visual inspection (absence of burrs and defects, smooth curves), functional stability testing (the item does not tip over when tilted up to 15°), and dimensional measurement using calipers with an allowable deviation of ±0.1 mm. Items with defects exceeding 0.5 mm are subject to reprinting.
Workflow Description
Step 1. Conceptualization
In the initial phase, the idea for a series of paired candle holders was developed, based on the concept of shared warmth—two figures turned toward each other, extending limbs or wings toward a common source of heat. Key principles for the series were established: pairing, symmetry, a central element, a rounded form, and suitability for 3D printing.
Step 2. Sketch Generation
Tools: ChatGPT, Nano Banana At this stage, detailed text prompts describing the figures’ form, poses, proportions, and character, along with the overall composition of the candle holders, were created using ChatGPT. These prompts were then used in Nano Banana to generate initial figure sketches.
Step 3. 3D Model Generation
Tool: 3DHunyuan (Tencent), Image-to-3D Selected sketches were used to generate three-dimensional models via the Image-to-3D function.
Step 4. Model Refinement and Preparation
Tool: Blender The generated 3D models were refined in Blender: the integrity of the form was checked, proportions were adjusted, surfaces were smoothed, and the figures’ fit onto the base was refined. At this stage, the models were prepared for export in STL format.
Step 5. 3D Print Model Validation
Tool: Anycubic Photon Workshop Before printing, all STL files were validated in the Anycubic Photon Workshop program.
Step 6. Rendering and Visualization
Tool: Blender, Eevee render engine Renderings of the models from multiple angles were created to present the series. Neutral lighting and a simple scene without a background were utilized to emphasize the objects' form, proportion, and materiality.
Step 7. Promotional Poster Creation
Tools: ChatGPT, Nano Banana, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop After the rendering phase, individual prompts for promotional posters were generated using ChatGPT. Based on these, visual compositions featuring the candle holder renders were created in Nano Banana. Final poster refinement—including composition alignment, typography, and color work—was executed in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.