Snow White and the Seven Dropbeards
A fairy tale nobody remembers, starring paint bottles, a modular paint rack and seven very hardworking bearded miners.
Every model show needs something that makes people stop, smile and ask, "What on earth is that?"
I wanted a fun way to display my DropStack modular paint racks, so naturally I ended up creating a fairy tale about a princess and seven tiny bearded paint bottles.
The result is Snow White and the Seven Dropbeards, a display piece that combines storytelling, miniature modelling and just the right amount of nonsense.
Snow White and the Seven Dropbeards TM
A Tale from Absurdist Folklore
According to absurdist folklore, paints left undisturbed in a DropStack for many years slowly begin to awaken.
At first, they merely settle and separate. Then they develop opinions.
Eventually, tiny beards emerge beneath their caps and they become DropBeards.
Each develops a distinct personality based on the pigment within. Reds tend to be bad-tempered, yellows are cheerful, greens are prone to sneezing, and blues are known to become rather sleepy.
They spend their days arguing over colour theory, complaining about being shaken, and insisting that paints from other manufacturers don't make colours like they used to.
Legend tells of a rare white pigment known as Snow White. Nobody knows where she came from, but the DropBeards seem fiercely protective of her, and she alone is able to stop their endless arguments over which shade of military green is correct.
Behind the Scenes
This display was built to showcase the DropStack modular paint storage system at model shows.
Rather than simply displaying rows of paint bottles, I wanted to create something that visitors would remember. Every bottle became a character, each with its own tiny beard, expression and personality, while Snow White herself was designed to match the playful fairy-tale theme.
The entire scene was digitally modelled before being 3D printed, assembled and hand painted. Although created to demonstrate a practical product, the finished display has become a miniature in its own right and regularly attracts attention at exhibitions.
Have a story you'd like to bring to life?
From mascots and display pieces to one-of-a-kind miniatures, I'd love to hear about your idea.
