Mike Doyle's Snap

Exploiting the Expected

2011-11-24T11:38:00.010-05:00

First off, let me get this out of the way. For non purist builders working with non Lego parts (glue, paper, sticker and such), you can first skip to the bottom section, the Mixed Media Build, to qualify this piece. There is also a section on clones to better ground that aspect for those interested in such mods.

The purpose of this piece is to illustrate the unique power that a purist build offers. It is not to say that this type of building is superior but rather to point out the benefits to such a build. The basic point to which all this pivots on is as such. Excitement is built within the larger community when a moc takes the expected to unexpected territory.

General Purist Defined
There is no easy way to comprehensively define what purist building means. Brick Brothers has a good general definition though. "A Lego creation that does not include any customizations, such as decals, modified parts, or custom accessories from third-party vendors like BrickArms, BrickForge, and Big Ben Bricks." This sounds good to me. There are a few slippery details like sprues which are part of a few Lego pieces but not intended for use. My sense is that a reasonable level of intent should be applied. Was The Lego Group (TLG) intending this piece to be used in building or not? If not, the part in question – like a sprue – is more a legalistic excuse to use something Legoish rather than using a Lego piece. In the end though, that matter is usually a really trivial point.

What is Lego?
Most important to me is the question, "What is Lego?" I do not mean in the technical, legal sense but rather, what does Lego mean to the average person who views it. This, then, informs us as to what is expected of this medium called Lego. To most, it would be something like this:

- rigid plastic
- a system approach (studs and holes)
- imaginative builds using small units combined to make things

This is the expectation when people view Lego. They expect to see plastic Lego pieces built within the Lego system rules. Most everyone has, at one point or another, interacted with Lego and has a basic idea burned in their brain based on their repeated snapping together of these iconic plastic pieces. It is this expectation of what Lego is and what it generally delivers that a builder can exploit to the amazement of others creating a magical viewing experience. It is through mastery over this defined system impresses beyond other’s expectations.

While Lego is more than just plastic – there are strings, cloth (from capes, bedding and such), rubber bands, tubes and more – the iconic Lego material is plastic. The iconic method for building is the use of studs or, conversely, holes. Amazement is built on the extent that a moc can deliver on this impression. I have seen some builders who seek out non traditional Lego materials in building their mocs (capes, rubber bands and other cloth materials). My reaction is that they are clever uses of material, but they do not feel Lego. One can perhaps delight in the unexpected uses, but one looses the essence of Legoness. The special amazement one gets from a Lego look is then diminished.

Expectations
So, let's take a look outside of Lego to help understand what is meant by this. Below we have a rock sculpture created by Shane Hart which was created with the use of balanced rocks (no artificial reinforcement of materials). The expectation (or hope) and amazement when we view this is that these rocks have been balanced with no foreign materials. We imagine just how impossibly difficult this must have been to create and how delicate and fragile this situation must be. The slightest touch, perhaps a gentle breeze, could topple them over and no more would be the sculpture. There is a tension to all this and it amazes.

Now, think for a moment how much less exciting these pieces would be to find that they are affixed with reBar and cement. The piece may still be interesting as a concept. But, in terms of execution, something critical is lost. All of a sudden, the piece becomes commonplace. It is now no longer a mastery over a medium, but rather a general craftsman’s skill put to use for a concept.

In short, the rocks below suggest an improbable circumstance (balancing), that, if true, is completely amazing. To the extent that the rock have not been balanced, but manipulated through use of foreign reinforcement, the piece fails to impress as strongly.

And so it is with Lego. We are all familiar with how Lego is supposed to look and work. When a moc has complied with this expectation of how it has been built and yet defies the expectation of what it can look like, we are awestruck. It is this delta between what we expect a Lego build to look like and what an artist has actually built – while complying within the system – that delights.

Exploiting Expectations
Knowing what people expect Lego to be (the first points above: rigid plastic, system, imaginative build), decisions can be made while building to exploit this to your advantage. By focusing on plastic materials (rather than cloth, etc) you set up amazement as the known plastic properties of Lego magically seem to defy expectations. Making a round wall out of bricks is one such instance. Sticking within the system by following stud and holes suggest a level of mastery over the set of rules Lego has created. This, as opposed to using glue, tape or even Lego rubber bands to hold pieces together. Unexpected uses of pieces add to a sense of imaginative building.

Clones
Generally, the clones that I have seen, fall into the category of thematic decor. Basically involving the detailing of minifigs like guns, helmets, flasks and such using plastic pieces that comply with Lego system (studs, holes, bars and such). This does not bother me so much as they do not change the nature of Lego. They are still plastic and do not add foreign or new functionality to how Lego works. One should declare the use of such materials in presentation, though. By declaring it, it does suggest (to the non Lego enthusiast) a type of cheat, which I believe does diminish amazement.

Changing the Nature of Lego
Altering the nature of Lego is where mocs fail to deliver the unique properties of Lego. Like the rock sculpture above, if the materials used do not follow the meaning of the form – in our case a Lego system build – the moc will lose its appeal. Materials, like glue and tape break the nature of Lego's system build approach. Destroying bits (cutting, melting, etc) break the nature of the original bit. Painting pieces break the nature of Lego's system of colors. Stickers break the nature of the additive properties of a build (that is, combining small things to describe the look of a thing).

Exceptions to this are when materials are used for the preservation of a moc, generally for public display or future sale. One cannot deny the need to reinforce in these situations. This is true as long as the materials are used for preservation rather than a solve for lack of a legal building methods. Whether glue has been applied to a piece or other structural materials – like steel – are used, it is an expected precaution that, I believe, the public would expect to protect against vandals, weather and exhibition travel. UV protection, such as sprays using in pieces found LegoLand Miniland – help maintain color steadfastness. Admittedly though, the UV protection tends to crack and peal which actually helps many pieces in that they look more realistic and weathered. This then does break a bit from a protection material to an unintended aesthetic effect.

Wear and Tear
As most have used Lego, we are all aware how wear and tear can effect pieces. Fading colors, bite marks, scrapes and scratches are a part of the Lego experience. I find this a reasonable exploit that does not take away from the known properties of Lego. My sense is that naturally occurring Lego deterioration is a reasonable expectation. To this end, I tend to buy old, worn and faded Lego which I mix into new pieces to add random texture. My favorites are yellowed white pieces. Again, the whole point to creating excitement withing the broader community is to make the unexpected out of the expected.

The UnLego Lego
Indeed, there are some instances where Lego has been unLego in their development of pieces. Such is the case with BURPs (big ugly rock pieces) and those bits which break the most basic Lego premise of using one's imagination to build. From the prefabricated roofs of Harry Potter, to stone printed walls of castles, these pieces take away from the amazement of a Lego build. This also applies to the premade trees from the older days. To the extent that TLG designs bits that diminish imaginative build, mocs which utilize said bits suffer from an imaginative anemia. While the immediate impression might be somewhat favorable from the detail, a closer look can quickly disappoint.

The Mixed Media Build
Just as in the art world there is a broad category called Mixed Media, so to does this apply to Lego. When foreign materials are used in building mocs, they no longer are Lego mocs but rather mixed media mocs, using Lego. Whether the materials are from model train building or other hobbies, the introduction of these materials interfere with the expectation of a Lego build. There is an awe that comes to knowing that beauty and complexity can be found within the rules and bounds set up by Lego. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with this approach, it is simply another approach out of the realm of Lego and into a mixed media realm.

There is no denying the freedom from breaking free from the rules and constructing outside of the Lego system with other materials. And no denying the merit of such pieces. They, however, must be looked at in a different way – not a necessarily better or worse way – just different. It is no longer a Lego piece but rather a mixed media one.

– Mike

The Making of ... Part 2

2011-11-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

Above I have a close up focusing on a fallen tree partially covered with mud. Roots are exposed with chunks of mud still clinging on. This is my now typical way of building trees using mostly cylinder hinges (30554 and 30554b) for bark texture and rigid hoses of various lengths for branches and roots. Off of the hose branches I use Battle Droid Arms (30377), Robot Arm bar 1 x 3 (4735) and Clips with mechanical claw (48729). I have various techniques for thickening the branch as it comes of the tree, but generally the hose goes right through to the end. Various cylinders, cones and 2x2 round plates help to give texture and an appropriate thinning of the branch until you get down to bare hoses. Unfortunately, the angle the tree ended up at did not really show the roots very well. It all sort of looked like a bush. Oh well, that's the way it goes.

(a) Cylinder hinge for bark (b) 3mm Rigid hoses for branches (c) Droid arms for branches (d) Robot Arms work great as a start of branches off of the hoses (e) Mechanical claws work great to attach to hoses as small branch growths or on the end of (c) Droid arms to finish a branch. There is a bit more than this going on here, but this should give the general idea.

In the image above, you can see how the overall plains of the mud swell like waves. As described in the previous "making of" post, the suspended plates that are underneath the visible mud pieces allow for great control in articulating direction while also providing a spongy give and take each time plates were added to the matrix.

Lego Gallery Showing

2011-11-06T08:05:00.004-05:00

I'm very pleased to announce that the three Abandoned House series prints, Victorian on Mud Heap, Three Story with Tree and Two Story with Basement will be exhibited in Gallery1988 Melrose (LA). These will appear in a show along with other artists (not Lego) in a show called "Devil Town" which will feature works related to urban and rural decay. The opening will be Dec 3rd. Gallery1988 focuses on pop-culture themed art – which this show will be a bit of a departure for them. If you are in the area in December, drop on by! :)

2011-10-26T19:04:00.000-04:00

Since entering the Lego hobby in the last year or two, I can't seem to get enough Lego themed material to read and browse through. I've poured though flickr, hit all the blogs I can and keep BrickJournals handy in my backpack, always handy for a 'quick fix' on the train. What a delight it is then to read John Baichtal and Jeo Meno's new coffee table book, The Cult of Lego.

This book is jam packed with all sorts of fun info. From interesting trivia on the Lego company to the different genres of building, there's lots to read. In anticipation for this book, I had read through the contents that No Starch Press lists on their site. After receiving the book, I can say that the book is bursting with more than I had thought based on what appears on the contents. It sort of reads like a magazine, with each page generally a new topic within broader themes. Each topic is just a few paragraphs long so it's easy to flip through the book and take in specific details quickly. Great for kids too. All the pages are filled with images. The look of the book is colorful, playful and has a fun spirited Lego feel.

The book really is a must have for all LEGO enthusiasts' book shelves!

Contents:
Chapter 1: The History of LEGO
Chapter 2: Building Again
Chapter 3: Minifig Mania
Chapter 4: (Re)creating Icons
Chapter 5: Building from Imagination
Chapter 6: LEGO Art
Chapter 7: Telling Stories
Chapter 8: Micro/Macro
Chapter 9: Digital Brickage
Chapter 10: LEGO Robotics: Building Smart Models
Chapter 11: Gatherings
Chapter 12: Serious LEGO

Hardcover, 304 pages, listing at $39.95 through No Starch.

The Making Of... Part 1

2011-09-30T23:04:00.003-04:00

The process for creating this moc began, as with all these mocs, with a little research. I took some time to find just the right house that would work for me. Initially, I had my eyes set on some more exotic structures. One by one though I passed on them until I came to this house, which originally seemed "too ordinary." What caught my eye on the second look was all the peaked gables and repeating spindles on the porch. There was a pleasing rhythm here that I could work with.

I had originally planned to do a house flooded near a lake. Then I thought about mudslides. Finally, I settled on the notion of a house on a pile of mud. This really makes no sense, but seemed interesting both from a textural standpoint and contextual as one is confronted with the weight and solidness of a home on what seems to be unsettled mud. My first concern from here was how to create mud. I looked online to see how other mocs handled it, but it was always done with brown which usually was splattered or soaked on some other object near it to give a mud feel. Without color, this presents a problem though. In the end, I'm not totally sure I got mud, but it isn't bad and definitely has an organic motion to it.

Mud

I began the mud as you see above. This was a bit time consuming but seemed somewhat successful. It was simply built using plates 4x8 and such and piling these pieces on them. The plates were hinged generally on the base and occasionally on other plates. The problem with this technique is that too much pressure on one side of a mound could snap another plate off somewhere else. It was all too ridged and brittle in the end. The build just didn't seem sustainable for the large section that I would eventually need.

I set this aside knowing that mud could be created to some extent and began the construction of the house. As the house was nearing completion, I stumbled across an interesting technique using hoses (one of my favorite Lego pieces). By securing a hose to the base or some platform I would build and then attaching to the back side of the plate, I could basically float all the plates in this spongy network that had a bit of give as new plates were added. Each plate needed at least 2 hoses to be rigid and allow for control of angle. This technique gave me huge control over the angle of the plate in three dimensional space which contributed greatly to on organic flow. It was pretty tricky to do and probably took 30 or more hours to do all the mud, but in the end, I think it was worth it.

House
I decided to build the house separately from the mud at first. (Later on, when I came across the spongy technique above, I decided to partially hang some of the mud plates off of the house.) The house began with the foundation, which was raised quite high to set above the mud. This was a bit of a task and required many thousands of 1x and 2x bricks. I only just recently found out a technique – that was kindly supplied to me by Anna at theBrickblogger.com – where one can use duplo bricks. (Quick note here, Anna wrote a really nice article on the 3 works from this series on her siteat Brickblogger). Compatible to Lego these are and much, much quicker and cheaper in the end to use to build up structural mass that is hidden from sight. Sigh, oh well. I knew the house would be very heavy and didn't want to risk any instability, so I might have gone overboard. It worked though, and I never had any structural issues.

You can see here there are 5 walls which are periodically connected for support. The bottom of the base pictured here is about 1/2 the total length of the moc. You can also see how I ran out of pieces and then reordered. Every time there are white areas, it means my supply of black was finished. Again, I always seem to drastically underestimate how many pieces are needed, causing many reorders. :P

Even before I started the foundation, I tested a few key areas of the fanciful decorations to make sure I could do them. If they presented too much problem, I might need to reconsider my choice of house. Fortunately, I was able to figure them out. You can see in the picture above, the cornice sitting on the shelves. This was the very first thing I did. Below, you can see the second problem I wanted to solve for before starting with the house. I liked this detail, but it proved to be too fragile to support any weight. Oh well. You can't win them all.

Another detail that I wanted to solve for initially was the wood siding of the house. The trick is to get the wood panels angled while maintaining a thin profile for the wall. Finally, the light blulb flashed here to point to a technique so simple, I felt partially defeated for not considering it in the first place. All that would be needed is 2x plates stairstepped on each other. The tiles fit on the area of each plate not yet built on. Then the wall would need to be angled at the base and properly supported. I use technic liftarms to attach the walls to the base. This, again, because the plates were stairstepping up at an angle and could not attach by themselves to the base. It was slightly flimsy, but certainly fine enough to resist breaking from accidental bumps or motion. The walls are not load bearing. For that, I needed to create structural walls behind and unattached to them. These structural walls would hold up all the floors and even the entire porch.

Here you can see how thin the walls are. Basically just a plate and a tile thick, with some occasional technic liftarms (you can see them poking up behind the walls).

On the edges of each horizontal row in the walls, I ran the tiles off the plates so that they were only 1 thick. This allowed for some tight corners, which pleased me.

After applying the tiles, I went in with my favorite Lego tool – a micro screwdriver – and partially pried them up to give a warping feel.

Curtains
Now for the fun! I attached grilles, 1x1 round and turntables to plates to give a nice lace feel. At first, I struggled to get the pleated feel of curtains folding in on each other. With some work though, I found that raising certain vertical columns of the curtain away from the plate gave the impression of some pleated depth. It is not perfect, but even from a little distance, it seemed very effective.

These turned out to be terribly easy to make and very sturdy. Wow! Something that looks good, easy to make and strong. That's a win in my book!

Soon to come, Part 2 with more closeups, building info and other such chit chat.

– Mike

Victorian on Mud Heap: in 3D

2011-09-28T13:55:00.001-04:00

For this image, you will need the red/green lens type 3D glasses.

Victorian on Mud Heap

2011-09-28T13:53:00.002-04:00

5.5' x 6' x 3'
110k - 130k pieces
Black, white, dark and light bluish gray, clear trans and black trans colors used.
No foreign materials (wood, glue, paint or otherwise) were used – this is pure Lego.

No altered Lego (painted, custom, cut or otherwise).
Photo retouching used only for adding contrast and color correction & background.
Approx 600 hours to build
Third in my series of Abandoned Houses
(also, my third moc)

Special Thanks
To my wife, Stephanie, for her support and generous patience
The afol/moc community for design inspiration and techniques to make this possible.

MOC Page
Flicker
To purchase this print and or a piece of the model
------

The third installment of this abandoned house series continues its textural exploration of decay with a Victorian home engulfed in mud. The mud travels through the first floor, tears down a front wall and oozes over the porch side, taking with it household contents of convenience. This detail opens the piece up, allowing the eye to travel the surface of the house and then back through the porch, into a room and back out to survey the piles of garbage. The play on depth here is something I enjoy as one has a glimpse of the activity behind this architectural scrim.

The house, itself, was chosen due to the repeating angled roofs that reach up high. This gives the architectural mass a certain rhythm that I found appealing. Also, abstractly, this echos the gothic representation of cathedrals – with their many spires – reaching upward to the heavens. While this is not a religious piece, there is a certain contemplation that I find in it.

On that note, of particular interest to me in this work is the notion of broken trust and faith. Foundations give way. Permanence transmutes into fragility. Our safe havens betray us.

For me, this piece speaks to the inherent unpredictability of those things which we call our foundation. Like a little dollhouse, a seemingly secure home is plucked up and set on a new path. This charming home, lovingly embellished with ornamental fancy was no match for nature. The fancy embellishments serve as a reminder of our earlier focus on the material world, while the aftermath removes us from that focus. The piece offers no answers or necessarily any hope, but rather points to life's fragility.

Strong foundations are the essence of safe havens. These foundations can be physical foundations (an orderly home, for instance), ideological foundations (religion and politics), financial foundations (steady income and solid investments), social foundations (emotional ties to others) and so on. Our well-being is pinned on these safe havens that we hold on to as a place to fall back in times of stress and trouble. Amidst the chaos of environments we cannot control – whether physical, financial, social or mental – the house is one of the ultimate icons representing a safe haven. It is the final retreat and escape of the day where we can let go of the external pressures (or at least some of them) that grip us during the day. Here, in the home, with the world locked behind a door, we control what will be our guest and what will not.

However, this and other safe havens betray. The door can be kicked in at the blink of an eye and our foundation instantly dissolves. Local events of recent – catastrophic earthquakes, tsunami, nuclear radiation leaks, record fires, floods and tornadoes – all presented real devastation to many personal safe havens. Graft and corruption in media, government, financial sectors and businesses betray a sense of social order that provides for us a mental, moral safe haven. Untouchable international crime organizations silently hack large databases of personal information with crushing effect to individuals' financial safe haven. Financial institutions and the people within unapologetically bring the world to its knees through reckless, greedy practices. Religious safe havens (whether "Christian" or otherwise) are assaulted from within as certain fundamentalists carve out their own scriptural interpretations of hate toward others. A democratic superpower representing life, liberty and happiness denies personal rights and institutes a policy of indefinite personal torture and the threat of it. And so it goes. All the planning, effort and unbreakable trust we put in our foundations – whatever form they take – can falter without warning.

Such it is. Life events that kick at our door or we witness through others temporarily blasts the scrim open, revealing – like the hole in this model's wall – the fragility of our own foundations and, perhaps for a moment, a sense of gratitude for those foundations left standing and greater clarity as to which safe havens are truly important to our well-being.

– Mike

the Art in art

2011-07-29T11:18:00.035-04:00

(This is a rewrite of an earlier post I made)
Some ask if Lego brick building is Art. To me, that is like asking is sculpting with clay, Art. Well... it could potentially be. Anything, absolutely anything can be made into Art in the right hands, even the ‘child’s toy’ Lego. In the end, bricks are a medium, like oil paint or clay or pixels on a screen. It's what you do with them that matters.

Art vs art
Unfortunately, Art is a very slippery term to identify. Like the word 'love', there are different kinds of meanings or levels depending on the situation. Whether love is puppy, romantic, brotherly, motherly or otherwise, we understand which kind it is in the context we are in. So it is with art. We have art classes in grade school where kids create art. There is art generated in design disciplines (graphic design, etc) that is sent to the printer. There is art from the fine art disciplines (painting, sculpture, etc, etc). A beginner painter refers to his art. Museums hang fine art from famous artists. People use terms like, 'the art of cooking', 'the art of writing', 'the art of brick (Lego)'.

And so it is that many in the hobby find themselves in a confusing discussion clouded by semantics. Without a common ground for context, when some say art, they mean Art and when others say Art, they really refer to art. Art being the highest form and art being any product of a creative endeavor.

I think the term most people are interested in is Art with a capital A. It is Art in its highest form – that which is transcending, that which is worthy of professional critique or display in a museum. They want to know if a piece is a work of Art. Or, in the case of Lego, whether a MOC (My Own Creation) is a work of Art.

Most likely any given Lego MOC has not risen to the level of Art. Just as in the world of paintings, sculpture and other traditional mediums, there is a lot of craft, but relatively little of it rises to Art status. A piece may seem well crafted or even artful. It can be interesting or technically masterful. It can certainly be even be art. But often there is a certain something missing that transcends beyond the expected. That something is a powerful emotive element. This is not to say that many pieces have no emotion at all, but rather to say the majority lack in a truly special spark that allows them to rise far above.

Where does Art begin? I find that when a creator sets out to create Art – that being the goal – they will fail. Art is not the pursuit, but rather the result of excellence. Excellence is the pursuit. When a piece transcends beyond its parts in a memorable way, excellence soon follows. This excellence is that secret ingredient that connects with the viewer on an emotional, memorable level. Art is a direct connection between the heart of the artist and that of the viewer.

Principles that give rise to Art
I must admit, I tend to wince a bit when I see posts that define Art in terms of a list of qualifying criteria. To me, it is not a checklist, but rather that unique, magical combination of principles that take a piece beyond the norm. Rather than identify a checklist of what it takes to make Art, I offer here a few principles (of a larger set to be sure) that may contribute to a piece's rise to the higher status of Art.

These principles tend to fall into two categories:

the medium
the message

Principles

Craftsmanship. When a piece is crafted far beyond the norm. (medium)
Newness. A fresh, new take on a medium. (medium)
Evolved medium. A unique interpretation of a craft or new craft altogether. (medium)
Timeliness. A piece is created at just the right time to hit upon a very relevant social matter. (message)
Concept. A powerful concept. (message)
POV. A unique perspective or POV on some matter. (message)

All these have the potential to tap into an emotion that can be a memorable, even profound experience. It can be the case a piece rises to Art status based on one principle – like craftsmanship – alone. Or it can be the case that it is a unique combination of craftsmanship and message bring Art status. Or perhaps it is message alone that carries the piece.

The notion of newness or uniqueness is an important point in identifying Art. If a piece seems commonplace – that is, not special – it most probably is not Art. It may be artful or artistic. It may be art to the creator. But if everyone can and is doing the same, the piece will fail to connect on an emotive level, which is a deadly place for art to live in. Its impact is lost by virtue of familiarity.

The Power of Many Pieces
Beyond all these principles lies the effect of a body of work. At times, it is less about a single piece and more about a collection of works. There is power in seeing an artist’s exhibit from a series of works. From this, you observe a continued way the artist is looking at the world and reacting to it. It is an evolution of thought and technique. Art is not a destination but rather an exploration. The creation of art is a process of discovery, evaluation and evolution.

At times, the artist's exploration focuses on the medium. The artist might want to explore manipulation of paint by splattering or through thick application or manipulate to get a high degree of detail or to get a subtle effect, and so on. Other times, it is to capture a moment in time – perhaps a relevant social matter, or a commonplace human event. Work after work, the artist explores the possibilities within the idea. It is a drive, a fascination, even obsession within the artist to pursue this exploration.

Less talk. More feel.
Perhaps the slipperiest point of defining Art is that the Art experience is a passionate one, not an analytical one. Art comes from the heart and is delivered to the heart. Simply writing about it and what makes art, Art, is a more mental, analytical endeavor. What thoughtful writings (like this one) tend to lack is that emotive, heartfelt passion that captivates and consumes. It is the obsessive force that drives the artist back down the same path to reexamine the possibilities and the magnetic tug that lures the viewer in again and again. And so is again that Art is like love. We know it better when we feel it, not when we stop to think about it.

– mike

My new sister site: reMOCable

2011-07-19T14:52:00.010-04:00

ReMOCable is a showcase blog that features MOCs from builders everywhere, presented in themed clusters. Each entry will have a unique and, hopefully, interesting theme that I curate. These themes help to provide a unique and fresh view of works seen together as a group. It is my desire to see MOCs framed within the context of a thoughtful, art environment which reMOCable should provide. Every few days I should update the site with a new themed entry.

Hope you enjoy!

Mike

Victorian on Mud Heap: Work in Progress

2011-06-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

I've been working away since February on my third piece and third in the abandoned house series. This moc is turning out to be quite a time and piece gobbler. I think it'll probably top 100k pieces in the end. Seems like it will be about 5 1/2' x 5 1/2' and 2' deep, which will make it the largest one I've attempted to boot! I chose this large format so I can get the most detail possible.

Current work in progress without 'mud' base which I'm building separately. Currently, the house is missing a large roof peak and dormer window between the two peaks pictured here.

The piece features a three story Victorian with wood panel siding and lots of gingerbread detailing. One portion of the first story has been blown open by mud which has run through the house and spills over the porch. As the name suggests, the entire piece sits on mud with landscaping and tree turned over in it. The exposed room has lovely wood panel detailing and wallpaper and ceiling plaster/paint that is pealing off.

I'm pleased to say it is nearing finish with perhaps a month and a half to go or so. As with the others, I'll be selling prints and chunks of the actual model (I take them apart after photographing to recapture the pieces). The price will be less expensive than the last if buy the package without the chunk or more with a large chunk. Unlike previous mocs in the series, I'll only be selling a few editions with the chunks.

Mike

Help Needed: How do I age these Lego

2011-02-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

I'm looking to age some of my bricks – in particular to get the age discoloring. I know that UV and sun exposure ages and yellows white bricks, but I don't have UV and that much time patience to wait for nature to do its thing. Does anyone know of a good way to age them?

The Making of...

2011-01-30T20:36:00.008-05:00

I was cleaning up my computer of files from this model and found some of the in-progress shots that I hadn't already deleted. So, I thought I would share a little bit of the process as it is often fun to see things in time lapse mode.

Ok first, my dirty little secret. Things never seem to look as good in person as the photo. So, at risk of humbling the creation a bit, I'm going to expose the piece a little.

This first image here with the beginning of the first floor. Note the burned window which I later redid. This image also shows the process of adding bricks to the facade. Each 'brick' takes at least 5 or 6 pieces. This was quite a process. Surprisingly, while the walls are entirely 1x1 bricks (headlights as well as normal bricks), they remained pretty sturdy. This is due to 1 stud wide plates behind the bricks attached to the headlights strung horizontally which added a great amount of stability. The terrain was redone, as you will see later, as I needed more room for the tree.

Much of the walls with bricks now. You can see the corner of one wall has gaps between the bricks. I was not able to resolve this problem until later on while building the second floor. (Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone but I figured the tree and column that would go over there would cover up my mistake and didn't want the hassle of redoing an entire two walls.)

Also, you can see here that I was playing with the notion of curtains. In the end, I thought there were not exactly as fluid as I wanted and they were so obscured by tree and branches that it was not worth keeping. I had also played with using minifig capes for curtains. Here's the thing. While I could have strung the cloth capes together to make a totally convincing curtain, they would not appear 'lego'. For me, the magic is seeing hard bricks transform into something else. That, to me, is Lego.

I was very happy with the base of this porch column. A bit of fancy snotting to get vertical cracks in it as well as horizontal cracks.

Fast forward now to the 3rd floor. (Much of the interim photos were deleted.)

A few things to note here. Firstly, I got rid of the first floor burned out window which looked like a hole, as a friend pointed out. I later revisited this on the second floor when I had another idea how to achieve. This time I was much more pleased.

The landscaping was mostly removed to change the ground to make room for the tree. Sounds like a waste and bad planning, but, I needed to see first off how the effect of levers and droid arms would look in mass. It's sort of like painting a room. That little swatch you get from the hardware store never seems to look the same after you paint a wall. The front ground was sort of my temporary painted wall. Once I 'painted' the ground with many hundreds of levers, I was satisfied that the effect was what I wanted.

I put the tree in just by leaning. I had thought I would need to use some hinges and fancy connecting, but simply leaning it on the wall was all it needed. It never fell or budge either, which was a huge relief. Every morning I'd come down wondering if this would be the day the tree would slip and bring the model down with it.

I was very, very pleased with the shingling on the tower cornice. There is offsetting both horizontally and vertically to get the pattern. In particular, I was able to get a nice clean corner, which was very satisfying.

You can get a good sense of scale here. The window is around 7' high I think.

The tower roof now going up. I had to do this 4 times as getting the corners to meet properly was very difficult. It was not so bad getting the plates to butt up next to each other, but there were tiles on top of it which complicated things for me at first.

The large victorian bracket just below the 3rd floor on right was not the final one. I sort of gave up after a while and left it until I could get back to do a design that was appealing to me. I spent some time digging through Katie (eilonwy77's) beautiful patterns, but I don't have quite that mindset to think through that way and figured I'd get to it later when, hopefully, more advanced.

One tower facade has been completed here.

One thing I'll point out in this picture is the makeshift porch beam leaning on the wall up to support the porch roof. It is both thematic and real support for it. The columns offer no support at all. I decided to make the columns appear cracked by flipping the pieces back and forth. They connect by a 3mm ridged hose that runs through them.

More shingling here on the 3rd floor. I ended up redoing the arched window later on. Here it is pictured using 1x2 brick hinges. While the effect was ok for the window on the tower, this one was more ornate and did not hold up as well.

I've added another tree here to soften the side of the house. This makes the transition from building to ground much smoother. It also serves to bring interest to the side of the piece as the branches extend out away from the building.

You'll notice here that I have changed the arch on the 3rd floor window. It's much more cleaner than the previous version (you can see in the previous picture for comparison).

Nearing the end here. The trees do not have the final bark treatment. In addition to the tree, I really needed to smooth out the roof peaks. I've added bushes to the right side which, again, soften the sides of the piece a little. A lot of fun details were added after this picture. This part is were it gets really fun as there is no worry that I might not be able to achieve a particular problem and - while I build at this point - it's really satisfying to look at.

Hope you enjoy!

– mike

Three Story Victorian with Tree

2011-01-27T21:12:00.007-05:00

5' x 3' x 2'
50k - 60k pieces
Black, white, dark and bluish gray, clear trans and black trans colors used.
No foreign materials (wood, glue, paint or otherwise) were used – this is pure Lego.
Photo retouching used only for adding contrast and color correction & background.
Approx 450 hours to build
Second in my series of Abandoned Houses
(also, my second moc)

Special Thanks
To my wife, Stephanie, for her support and patience
David for feedback through the process
The afol/moc community for design inspiration and techniques to make this possible.

MOC Page
Flickr
buy a Limited Edition Collector's Art Print

Image Detail: tower

Image Detail: tree trunk with roots, grass and weeds.

Image Detail: burned out window

Image Detail: stairway to porch

Front door

Abandoned houses offer unique opportunities from a visual point of view. The deterioration transforms materials. Texture on top of texture. New patterns overtaking old ones. Nature repossessing. This textural aspect to deterioration and the patterns that it creates can be rich and fascinating to look at.

I also find that the experience of seeing a deteriorated house (or any familiar object) interesting. When looking at the image we see a dual image of the house – one as it is, and one as it was. You see a huge hole in the side of the house not just as a hole, but also as an interruption of the known. And so the mind seeks to recreate the known. We fill in the holes. We project. Our eyes follow the angle of the broken awning to a point, now destroyed, and we can feel the mass that was of the front 3rd floor. The same with the porch covering. This visual duality – the mind flipping between destruction and pre-destruction – is magic. It's entertaining and engaging.

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Process:

Many ask me how I go about planning and building these pieces. Sadly, I tend to be a 'messy' planner, so I do not make any blueprints or basic construction drawings. Rather I just get to work. I start by researching photos I find online. Generally, I find a house feel I would like to recreate. I also look for others that have specific moments of deterioration that I find interesting. In this case, I also researched houses that have been smashed by fallen trees. Next, I take a look at other moc's to see if there are any special techniques I can use based on the subject matter.

Now for the size. I look on the buildings for objects that I would like to recreate with a piece. In this case, the scale was determined by the size of the bricks. One real life brick is almost the same size as a 1 x 2 tile – the 1 x 2 tile being a little bigger, but not by much. From here, I count out the bricks on the building to determine width and height and use rudimentary measuring tools, like a pencil or thumb held up to gauge relative proportions between the real thing and my work. In this way, I can make sure all is on track. I've tried plotting everything out on paper and using measurements, but inevitably I mess up somewhere along the line with the numbers and then have to start over again. Thus, I tend to just 'wing it'.

In this series, I am most interested in textures and the effect of layering textures over each other. To this end, the absence of color helps the viewer to focus on just this. Lego colors tend to be pretty harsh and unrealistic for my tastes, so I stick to black/white and grays. Without color, we dive right into form, which is where I want you to be.

The tree was the most difficult texture to determine. I had thought by reversing the bricks – to show backs – worked best (you can see this in my previous post with the detail of the tree trunk). But very late into the process, a friend had advised me that it didn't look as real as everything else. What to do? Spend a week rebuilding the tree and perhaps money for more bricks or let well enough be. In the end, I found that hinge cylinders worked well to describe bark texture. Strung together, they conform to all sorts of organic configurations. Additionally, they could be skinned onto the trees that I had already built so I would not have to rebuild or spend much more money. Whew! It's not perfect, and I hope to try something similar but different in future, but for now, seemed pretty effective. The branches were created with ridged 3mm hose and a variety of droid arms as well as other technic connectors to give the appearance of branches.

Cylinder hinges were used to give the tree texture and a more organic form than bricks were offering me.

I also had difficulty creating the burned out area coming from the mid floor's window. Lego does not provide a good variety of grays to blend, so I ended up using some trans black tiles to help smooth out the difference.

A lever (control stick) on left used for grass and droid arm used for weeds and branches. Thousands of each of these were used in the landscape of this piece.

From the start, the ground texture was of primary importance. I had wanted to create a dense textural experience here that would dazzle and sparkle. I ended up using levers for grass and droid arms for branches and weeds. There are thousands of each to hopefully capture the unevenness of an unattended yard. This wild growth also allowed for some nice irregularity to break free of the mass of the base and into the background void. In this way, they soften the piece a bit. The bushes on the left and right of the foreground also were much fun to make. Very quick (perhaps 30 minutes each) and effective. Each one of the four bushes must have a hundred or more droid arms!

The hardest technical aspect to the piece was the roof. In particular dealing with the seams where each of the four sides meet. For the photo, it is fine enough as the shot does not show the imperfections of the joints. Still, it would be nice to understand how to better manage it. In addition to 2 x 2 tiles, I used diver flippers as a second shingle type. It's not original, but is nonetheless, effective.

As I've mentioned before, I love looking at things through other things. So, I seek out opportunities to set up situations where there is a sort of layering and openness to structure. This to give the viewer a peek into another space. An instance of this is the way the tree overlaps the porch and then the porch contains a door which is open looking into another space. One enters, then enters and then enters again.

Hope you enjoy!

– Mike

Three Story Victorian with Tree: Work in Progress

2010-12-15T14:04:00.004-05:00

Whew, my latest piece is a few weeks away and the excitement is driving me to pick up the pace a bit. It is much, much grander than my first piece – which looks more like a practice model next to this new one. I’m reserving any more pictures at this time, though, until it is good enough for show. The above image is just a small section of the larger house. Even here though the piece is unfinished. There is still detailing to do – from adding tree branches to detailing the way the tree rips through the porch.

A brief look at the uncompleted house.

I can say that it is a Victorian three story, brick (using dark bluish gray with light bluish gray grout) and white for the wood. It’s about 40-50k pieces I think using black for base/grass/tree/roof and grays for main house and white for some wood detailing. The house measures almost 5’ high and 3’ wide 1.5’ deep. This compared to my last piece which was 3’ x 2’ x 1’. The scale is such that the bricks are about the size they should be in real life – slightly big but not noticeably so. (The bricks what I based the scale on.)

I’ve been able to simulate fire damage pretty convincingly I think with a smoke effected section of brick/wood that is above a window (not pictured here). The roof has also been a fun challenge mixing a few different types of shingles as the Victorian houses would do. In this case, the minifig flippers work nicely for the decorative shingle areas and regular tiles for the “plain” shingles. No snow this time. Instead the landscape is filled with brick built grass, weeds and a large tree which has fallen and crashed into the house. This tree is one of the big features of the piece.

There is something I find very, very appealing about this tree. It is large, allowing me to get lots of branches using ridged hoses covered in pins, technic connectors and droid arms. The result is a wonderful and convincing network of branches that give the piece the organic layering that I enjoy. Many of the techniques I use here I picked up from the work of Doctor Mobius’ and his bugs – the legs, specifically. The tree is on an angle, giving the piece a nice sense of depth. This angling also allows me to rip up the ground attached to the tree and show underneath ground where the roots hang down. The section where the tree rips through the home allows me to detail wood house framing behind the bricks which adds to the layering I like so much in pieces. The tree is also a wonderful bridging device that allows the eye to travel up to the house and then back down to the ground to study landscaping.

One thing I definitely need to work on is some better engineering skills, perhaps using technics. I’m not sure if this is the way to go with larger pieces, but relying on building big brick towers behind the piece for support is timely, costly and cumbersome. It’s gotta be the wrong way to build. :P If anyone knows of any resources here, I’d love to see. I have seen Yoshihito Isogawa’s wonderful technic books, but they seem more about the machines rather than pure structure and reinforcement use.

I’ve been thinking on my next piece and have decided to take a brief break from this series to start another series called The Collection of Boxes. (I’ll come back to the houses later). In this new series, each piece will be a different box with a strange collection or part from the collection. Either rocks or trees will be the first collection. I’ve not seen anyone do rocks before and have been really wanting to do from the beginning. My fondness for building is much about textures and organic (messy) structures. This, rather than perfect things. Rocks/minerals can have a wonderful combination of structure and deterioration which is very appealing and certainly falls in this textural/organic world. Additionally, I’ve been experimenting with transparencies which I can hopefully bring into the rock for great effect.

– mike

Now for Sale: Limited Edition Collector's Prints

2010-11-19T21:27:00.020-05:00

I'm pleased to announce that I am selling exhibition quality archival prints of my lego creations via my sister site Bumble & Bramble. Here, signed/numbered limited edition prints are sold (unframed) with a certificate of authenticity also signed/numbered and stamped along with documentation of the piece which is also signed. Also on this site are such prints of board game art from past years that I created.

08.19.11 Note: I've moved previous purchasing functionality from this site to Bumble & Bramble.

– Mike

Lego Magic

2010-10-25T15:08:00.001-04:00

I write this as I am fascinated by the way Lego – more than any other modular building material I'm familiar with – can produce that certain something that attracts and engages the viewer. It is that something that keeps our eyes focused on pieces for longer than they might otherwise and amazes. I call this Lego Magic.

Knowing what is going on emotionally when one views a piece can help in the design and development of our own pieces. We can exploit the medium to work for us to create designs that engage, entertain and amaze. Below is a collection of observations and intuitive feelings I get from this intricate collection of plastic bricks.

Lego: The Everyman Art
Lego inherently has this going for it. Most everyone, at some point or another, has played with Lego: either as a child or a parent with child. This familiarity with the medium draws people into the works faster. They see what you’ve done and can relate to their own experience.

Works utilizing advanced building techniques, amaze folks as this is not the way they ‘played’ with lego. Comparing to their own works, they can relate to how difficult a piece must have been to make.

Lego: A Child’s Toy
It is arresting to see that a child’s toy has been elevated to a high degree of craft and sophistication. The transforming of these plastic bricks from toy to a serious medium is unexpected and shocking. This is the "I had no idea Lego could be taken to this level!” reaction.

This child’s toy or play thing perception is what makes Lego stand out from other mediums. In painting and drawing, one is aware of what high craftsmanship can be. We expect that something painted well can (or should) look like something we have seen in a museum. That is what the medium is supposed to do. However, one does not expect a child’s toy to be taken to such a museum quality level. Toys aren’t supposed to do that after all, or so the thinking might go.

The Macro/Micro Transformation
The macro view usually comes first. It is the seeing of the whole piece as one. A viewer first needs to identify the subject. Usually, this comes very quickly. A house is a house. A car is a car. A ship battle is a ship battle.

After this, comes the micro view inspection. Suddenly, one discovers what the piece is made of – that is, Lego. The Lego comes to view and then the individual Lego types. This is an excellent exploit one can utilize. By selecting unexpected pieces, you reward the viewer with a second tier of discovery. I remember being shocked and delighted with the clever use of minifig hair pieces for smoke in the tank picture. Also used again for mushroom tops. I simply did not expect that.

Upon closer inspection of this piece by BMW_Indy, the smoke has been made up of hair pieces.

In this scene by Legohaulic , the small mushrooms here have been made with minifig hair pieces as well. This displacement of a piece's original function (to go on a head) and it's new placement (as a mushroom top) is unexpected and memorable.

For this reason, I do not think the use of plant Lego (bushes, flowers, grass, leaves, etc) and other ready-mades is the most effective practice. When one views a scene filled with Lego specific plants, there is not much deeper or more micro to go. Preformed plant shaped Lego pieces = a scene with plants – no surprise here. To contrast, if one is to look at a scene filled with plants that upon closer inspection are something else, one will enjoy that surprise and then reexamine to the effect. On one hand, the prefabs might look more like the real thing, on the other, the prefabs are just not as interesting or exciting in the end.

The use of prefab plants denies the viewer the experience of micro. When one gets in closer to examine the piece, there is no displacement here. The plants are exactly what they seemed... pre-made Lego plant parts.

It is this back and forth from Macro to Micro and back to Macro that can engage. We’ve all done it as observers. You see a lego work – say a ship battle – then look closer to find the cannon smoke made of round 2x2s or something else unexpected, then back again to macro to reexamine those round 2x2s in a different light. That’s magic.

Miniaturization
This is that universal appeal that miniatures have on us. There is definitely something magical about seeing small models of things. Whether they be cities, houses or trains. We stare and stare and stare. There is an appeal to suddenly being a giant; we gain a new perspective.

Flickr Size Me
Photographing a piece and posting is a very convenient way to get a larger audience. It is also a great way to trick the eye with scale. By building pieces in a larger scale and photographing without any other reference – such as a person in the picture – the object’s scale is unknown. Instead of a build that might be 2’ or 3’ high in reality, you have an image that now may be a 6” or 8” picture on screen. This gives the impression of more detail. There is the surprise one gets when viewing a thumbnail or smaller image, only to zoom in and find out that it’s not a real thing but a Lego build.

Repetition
A common tool in the world of art and design, is also applicable here. Seeing a work that is made up of smaller pieces which are all identical is mesmerizing. Such an effect can be enhanced by choosing designs which use many like pieces rather than using a ready made piece.

Minimalism vs Maximalism


Some architectural minimalist (micro) examples from 2 Much Caffeine, and the castle by Max Niebling

There are many ways to approach pieces, but two ways that can guarantee positive appraisal when well done are minimalism and maximalism. The minimal approach is also known as micro in Lego jargon. It is the reduction of form to the simplest possible construction while still remaining recognizable. The exciting moment for a viewer is that point which comes after first view when one sees the blob of Lego and then ‘gets it’. The light bulb appears and all of a sudden your brain sees a castle or car. It’s not really a castle or car, but a very abstracted version of one. It’s a puzzle that needs solving. In so doing, it builds a level of enthusiasm that is not there from an instant recognition. The mind flips back and forth from micro to macro or macro to micro very fast with these. Like a strobe light you rapidly flip back and forth from a simple stack of pieces to a castle.

A maximalist piece oozing with texture and detail.

Maximalism is the opposite approach. It is constructing a piece in a manner which has a high level of complexity to it. It is a baroque, greebley, expressionistic point of view that excites through an apparent level of detail and aesthetic noise. This is the same allure we get from a Fabergé egg, palace or cathedral architectural details and close ups of natural patterns, like bark or such. Often times achieved through the use of repetition, this technique causes the eye to dance around the piece and get lost in the details. It is simply mesmerizing.

The Picture Perfect Moment
Here is something that I feel is underutilized in many scenic, dioramic, vignette pieces. Designing a work with a hero point of view, or the perfect picture moment, is important. What I mean by this is that it is important to bear in mind where you would prefer the viewer to see the piece (from which angle) and optimize the scene for it. Build the scene as if viewed from this point of view. Compose everything so that that as many objects as possible look their best together at this viewing point. Make this your hero shot when photographing and posting. This gives the piece a drama built around a moment and a focal point to concentrate on. It is not uncommon to see the pictures of larger scale works that don’t seem to have a well composed focal point. It seems to take a number of photos to 'get' the whole piece yet no one image seems sufficient. There might be a ship on one end, an underwater scene somewhere else and an island on the other side. Alone, all are fine objects, but together there is not the visual glue – at least, none captured by photos. Composing a single picture ahead of time and building to that seems an effective way to get a magical image or moment in a piece.

Usually, this picture perfect moment is not seen from above but somewhat level with the piece. It’s like those family photos of the kids seen from the adult point of view – looking up at you. The same image is much more engaging when crouching down to take the photo. You are on level with the child and the moment is more intimate. For this reason, at cons or other events, displaying at the proper height seems very important. Smaller pieces are really killed by simple placement on a table. They tend to appear thrown on the table together like a day at the flee market. The most ideal spot is along the wall at eye level. Shelves on walls anything that can get the pieces against the wall, just below eye level allows the eye to focus in on the small object in an intimate manner. The wall helps to frame the object and reduce distraction. The eye remains at a single focal point rather than straying off in the distance. The problem is, of course, varying spectator heights – kids to adults. Ideally, but not practical for cons are two standing levels.

For large scale pieces more open and scenic, somewhat lower is good, about a little higher than the stomach area.

The Square in a Circle Hole
Lego's strict modularity and consistent proportions seem at first to limit creativity. For many, the perception of Lego is that of square, bitmappy buildings, bridges and other linear objects with bumps (studs) on top. When a work breaks through this limitation, it can appear as unexpected as the square going through a circle hole – it doesn't seem possible. Advanced building offers many techniques to squeeze through the ridged modularity of straightness. Other pieces, such as tiles used along with SNOT, smooth over the bumpiness many expect. The delta between the expectation and breaking of the expectation here can catch many off guard.

Cause and Effect
It is one thing to document a thing, like a building or car or a train. but it is another thing to record that thing which has been affected. This is because of what goes on in the mind when viewing that object. We at once see the affected object (say a house) and then imagine what the house must have been like before that effect. We even can imagine the event itself. This then involves the viewer in the piece in a way that mere representation cannot. Of particular interest is when only the effect has been recorded and not the event. This allows the viewer to imagine the event rather than receive it literally, though a build. Again, by engaging one's imagination, we draw the viewer in. It creates a dual image in their mind of the piece – the before and the after (as well as what the event might have been like).

When creating Two Story with Basement, I made sure to employ this technique to great measure. Some effects were subtle, like the way the snow melted on the window panes – generally more melting toward the right where the sun was strongest, unless this might have been in more shadow. The snow sort of sunk a bit on the porch roof as it melted faster when further away from the building side. Also, the melting formed icicles which centered on the clogged storm drains. The snow on the main roof melted into patches which had frozen ice flowing down the roof from them. On the ground, patches of fallen slow disrupt the perfect blanket of snow. The snow on the broken steps seem to have been walked on with patches leading up to them. Also, frozen ice appears out of the gutter drain on the ground. All these things document the passage of time so that we see a process or activity that has already happened.

Through the Keyhole
Seeing something through something else is very interesting. Whether this be details inside a store or house window or a scene behind a cluster of trees we get a sense of a world that has just been cracked open for us. Not enough to totally see, but enough to imply that something is going on.

Again, in my last piece, Two Story with Basement, I was very pleased by the way the second story side shingles had broken to reveal the substructure underneath. you get the feeling that there is detailing behind the shingles without showing it. Or the way the just visible ornate bookshelf in the first story can bee seen through the center window. All these things provide interest, depth and a sense that there is more there than there really is.

The Lego Immersion
Using only Lego pieces for one’s work allows the viewer to step out of their real world and into the world of Lego. This is a large problem I have with the Miniland exhibit at Legoland. Here, we have fantastically detailed buildings and city street scenes, brilliantly done, but spoiled with real grass, plants, water and rocks. As soon as one is brought into the world of Lego we snap back out with a dose of real world which has been manicured in Lego scale. They are building not only with Lego bricks, but also pebbles, grass blades, water and such. The two mediums don’t mesh at all. How much more mind blowing such exhibits would be made entirely of Lego – all the water, all the trees and bushes. Everything. I want to see these incredible artisans’ techniques on the organic parts of the scene as well. This Lego immersion would then be like entering a Disney ride. You are taken into another world, believable by the absence of everything else real. Here you can escape.

From Miniland at Legoland. Yes, it looks real and pretty, but it doesn't feel lego. The introduction of real plants is distracting to the Lego experience - I don't feel like I'm in a Lego world and that's what I really want

For us Lego hobbyists, incorporating model craft pieces, like train hobbyist’s scrub, rocks and trees into one’s Lego scene is distracting and diminishes the overall effect. Sticking to a pure Lego build enhances the immersion and let's us escape into it.

These are just a few thoughts towards what is happening when we and non FOLs look at works. As builders, we have the advantage of surprise. We are not bound by our early preconceptions surrounding the medium that many still carry. Working around bitmappiness, bumpiness and lack of round can be a step towards this level of surprise and amazement. Complexity, intricacy and scale can be stunning effects, while reduction can exude a level perfection of form. There are many exploits at our disposal to manipulate the pieces to our advantage which makes Lego a really incredible medium to interact with!

– mike

A Lego Primer

2010-10-01T19:31:00.125-04:00

This page will be updated from time to time in order to refine and add details.

Having just started myself, I can say I was really surprised at just how much there was to learn about building with Lego. I had no idea the vast variety of pieces or colors out there, how to buy them, how much they would cost, what I would need and.... as I quickly found out, how to build. I certainly thought I knew something about building, until I started poking around and saw what really could be done! With this realization, I felt like I was back in kindergarten all over again. But, thanks to the rich libraries of images built up by the Lego community, one can find treasures all over to guide one very quickly on the proper path.

The Joy of Lego
There is, without a doubt, something magical going on with Lego. It fulfills on many levels. Creating, collecting, miniaturizing, building. All very fundamental in Lego. It fills this sort of puzzle solving need as well. Coaxing and fitting pieces together can be an interesting mental challenge. And oh that feel and unique SNAP! as pieces bond perfectly together. Pick up. Snap. Pick up. Snap. The motions are calming. The repetitive motion, rewarded with that sharp sound can put one in a trance. Time passes without knowing. A sort of tunnel vision. In the end, you have created something, often a miniaturization of a real world counterpart. The power to control. You make your own little world that is your vision of things. After a while, you sit down and just stare. 'Wow. I made that?' ... later you show it off. 'Yes. I made that!'

Resources
First off, here is a list for you to poke around at. These are some of the resources that I found very helpful and present some basic information on Lego. This is by no means a comprehensive list and I invite others to help me add to this it. :)

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Here are some of my favorite links I use all the time or have found of interest.

BUYING
Bricklink
Lego Store (Pick a Brick)

PRIMARY SHOWCASES (builder postings)
moc pages where builders post their mocs
flickr
brickshelf an older spot to post mocs

BLOG SHOWCASES
Curated blogs each showcasing a variety of work.
These are more general in nature, large in scope and have been maintained for a long while.

reMOCable a curated art gallery of fine works
The Brothers Brick: a comprehensive general showcase
Fascinating Lego Model of the Day a comprehensive general showcase
Klocki a comprehensive general showcase
Brickd  featuring the Micro genre
Legobloggen  a comprehensive general showcase
The Living Brick  a comprehensive general showcase
MicroBricks featuring the Micro genre
BrickTown Talk featuring the Architecture genre (specific style to Cafe Corner sets)
BioniBlog: featuring Bionicles
Classic Castle featuring castles
Unique Brique Techniques featuring interesting techniques (no longer updated though)
HistoryBricks featuring historical themes

LEARNING LEGO TECHNIQUES
Building School
Snot Techniques (changing direction of studs)
flickr building techniques
Roof Techniques (Eurobricks Forum)
Lego Digital Designer
LDraw

OTHER LEGO RESOURCE SITES
Peeron catalogs parts in each set and more

LEGO GLOSSARY
The Brothers Brick Glossary

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Buying Lego

Lego hobby can be expensive if one is not careful. These little plastic pieces, pennies a piece, all add up to a mountain of cash if one is not careful. 100, 200, 500 bricks can snap into a project quicker than one would think. How many times did I think, "500 pieces should take care of the job." Only to find I'd gone through them in 15 minutes to build up a portion of a wall. Additionally, pieces can get so specific, that projects may call for hundreds, even thousands of a certain piece in a certain color. For this reason, it can be advisable to start smaller and work up to the monumental sizes (if that even be a goal for you) as your collection grows.

Bricklink
Bricklink is the best resource I have yet seen for Lego. This is where I bought all my pieces from. It is convenient to find exactly what you need and prices are most often the best here. (Please let me know if you know otherwise, as I would be very interested.)

Bricklink home page

On this site thousands of vendors collectively have anything you will likely need, all linked together through one handy search engine. If you know what you want, search for it and all vendors selling even one of that piece will pop up with their price (usually pennies per piece). You can sort by price or by volume and narrow your search for other conditions, such as if they are US based. If you don't know exactly what it is you need, you can search through their catalog to find parts that might fit your description. This can be the most frustrating part – figuring out what you will need. What I found most helpful was to see how others built their own creations (see the blog showcases link above) and look for similar pieces.

Here we have a search result for 2x4 black brick. you can see that over 2000 vendors came up in the search! The cheapest one here is selling for 1/2¢ per brick which is very cheap. But he only has 13 bricks and it notes that they are playworn.

Some things to look out for with vendors. I bought from scores of folks and never had a major problem. A few were slow, one or two, extremely slow (3-4 weeks) but the great majority were speedy (usually within a week) and all honest. All vendors have a splash page which will list information on buying from them.

Minimum Buys
Not all, but some vendors have this. Usually around a few dollars to $10 or $15 for US. This amount will come up directly when you search for a piece, so it can be quick to weed out some sellers if you are not looking to spend that much.

Handling Costs
Some will have handling costs. This can be on a per 'lot' basis or total purchase basis or other that they decide on. (Each part type is considered a 'lot'. No matter how many of a particular piece you buy, that is generally considered 1 lot.) This can amount from less than a dollar to a couple of bucks. The charge is understandable as the profits can't be much when dealing with pennies and having to count out all these tiny pieces to exacting detail must take a while.

New/Used
As you can guess, used is cheaper. Sometimes a description will list with the part if there is more wear and tear on those pieces. Vendors will sometimes identify on their splash pages what they consider to be acceptable quality for used as well.

Location
State flags easily identify where they are from. If I need a piece fast, I will go with the closer one, even if pennies difference.

Payment types
I use Paypal which is universal. Vendors will have different options for you with Paypal being the constant.

Allergies and such
Some mention dog/cat free home, smoke free, etc if that is a concern for you. Never a problem for me, except once I received a package so smoke dense, I had to wash my hands as soon as I opened the package. Yuk! That is an extreme exception though.

Some things to take into account. Don't necessarily go with the cheapest price. If there is a minimum buy or handling charge on the cheaper priced piece, you might be better off paying a few cents more per piece to avoid. (I usually don't mind the handling cost though as it must take them a while to put the order together. A couple of bucks is a small fee in my opinion). International shipping costs and timing is a drag. Generally, it's not worth it unless they have lots of what you need as the shipping and timing can be a drag. Try and identify all that you might need ahead of time. Sounds common sense, but I can't tell you how many times I would go back and pay shipping for more parts I could have put into a previous order. If you are building large, try to buy more than you think you will need.... by a lot. I vastly underestimated what I might need to build over and over again. Consequently, reordering was frequent for me.

If you're starting out from nothing, (like I did), and you want to build larger, you will need a lot. I found it worked nicely to search for the best price for the most commonplace pieces that I would need lots of, like 2x4, 2x3, 2x2, 1x2 bricks of the color I was using and buy those in bulk from the cheapest vendor selling the amount I needed. While I was there, I would tack on as much in the way of secondary pieces as I could find that I needed smaller quantities of. Even if I could get those secondary pieces cheaper somewhere else, it worked out better to pay a little more for them and avoid shipping from another vendor.

Oh, and be sure and comment after you receive your order. The feedback is very helpful to them.

Lego 'Buy a Brick' online store
My first instinct was to go to Lego online. They have a 'buy a brick program' where, like Bricklink, you can buy individual pieces. The problem here is that they have a very small selection of pieces and the prices are generally many times higher, particularly when you might be just as well off buying used. I didn't buy from here in the end.

Lego Store
You can also try a Lego store near you if you have one. They have a lovely Pick-A-Brick section that carries maybe around 50+ different pieces or so. Given the small selection, you are pretty limited. There are a few ways they sell them depending on the store. With some you pay by the weight and others you pay by the volume (how much you can stuff in a plastic container). I have only done the volume method and can recommend it as a potentially economical way to get pieces. The trick is to stuff it as best as possible. Generally, I start with the very small 1x1 pieces. Let them gather in the cracks on the bottom. Then add the larger pieces. For larger bricks and plates, it's best to snap them together first before putting in the container. Believe me, you can gain as much as 50% more space – in some cases – with the larger bricks. After you get the container mostly filled, go back in and sprinkle in some smaller pieces, like the 1x1s. They will trickle their way down and fill up the holes caused by the larger pieces.

Another idea is to go for the Lego Basic Brick Set. For $30 you get an assortment of 650 bricks in 9 colors. Works out to about 4.5¢ per brick, which isn't bad. The downside is that you are not getting exactly what you might need for your particular situation.

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Lego Lingo

LEGO TYPES
Seems like common sense to me now, but I did need to learn the terms when starting in order to better my searches. There are certain classifications of Lego that make searching for them much easier. Some basic ones you will need to know:

Brick
The basic building blocks of Lego.

Plate
Like bricks only thinner.
Three of these on top of each other exactly equals 1 brick height.

Tile
Like plates only without studs (smooth on top).
Very useful for finishing models making them seem non Lego in a way.

Baseplate
Thinner than plates and large to very large, designed to build models on top of.

Slope
Used often for roofs they are the angled brick types.

There are many other types, most with common sense names like arch, window, arm, etc

BRANDS
The brands are interchangeable and can be used with each other. Each one focusing on an aspect of creativity.

Lego
Working with these is akin to design (architecture, graphic, etc). It is mostly about surface detailing, form and looks. This is the type of pieces you might have grown up with and consequently probably the most common brand for us to start with.

Technics
Working with these is akin to engineering. These pieces look like beams, axels, gears and such. Fantastic moving cars, trains and such have been built with these. Objects built primarily with Technics tend to look skeletal. For those who primarily work with Lego (above), certain technics beams and pins can be great for hanging things on walls, for adding strength to objects or making things move. Again, it's perfectly right to mix these brands and often necessary.

Bionicle
Working with these are akin to sculpting. Many AFOLs avoid these as the pieces are too specific for the kit they come in to be practical. However, if you know what you are doing and have a great imagination, very extravagant, baroque works can be made with these. Here are a couple of pieces that might give you an idea: horse, samurai, scene with tree. In the hands of a gifted craftsman, some very realistic looking things can be made.

Mindstorm NXT
These are akin to robotics. This involves programming and making pieces do things.

Modulex
Specialty architect's blocks. These came out in the '60s and were discontinued. Smaller than the standard Lego, they also were of a different proportion, namely, a perfect cube! This are somewhat hard to get and a bit pricey, but you can find them at bricklink and at minibricksmadness.

A HANDFUL OF TERMS
Stud
Is the iconic lego 'bump' on pieces for connecting.

Snot
Stands for 'Studs Not On Top.' A hugely important building concept to change the direction lego pieces face. For instance, if you want to hang shingles on the side of a house, like I did, a piece with a stud on the side (as well as top) works perfectly. That is a SNOT piece.

Legos
A no no. (I slipped a few times in some of my posts). Plural of Lego is just Lego.

AFOL

Adult Fan of Lego. Us. Wear it with pride. :)

MOC

My own creation. Things you make from your imagination rather than instructions. MOCpages is a wonderfully organized site specific to showcasing MOCs.

Colors
Lego comes in a nice array of colors, though I wish there were more. Not all pieces are available in all colors though. The basic Lego colors (black, white, red, yellow, green, blue, brown and orange) generally have a wider range of pieces available than other colors. (photos of color comparisons to be added soon). Here you can find an official Lego color chart of colors available and comparable CMYK/ RGB/Pantone breakdowns.

Building with Lego

One of the first considerations you will encounter is scale. How big are you looking to make a thing? Smaller works can be challenging to coax ridged Lego forms into the correct forms, but they are cheaper to make and one can potentially make faster. Larger works take much more time, money and space. The payoff with larger formats is one can get greater detail and fidelity to objects they are trying to replicate. Additionally, larger formats have an incredible presence when it off in person. There is the awe factor to seeing something so big. Another factor to consider is transportation. If you are hoping to possibly show the work off at a con or one's local store, can you easily transport it without damage?

What to build is also a primary consideration. There are many standard genres of construction, each of which have blog specific coverage and plenty of folks who have built some amazing things to gaze at for inspiration. Often personal interest is a driver here. A car enthusiast will gravitate to cars, etc. Some folks specialize in one genre, while others jump around. Not that you have to be a part of any genre in particular, but it is interesting to see what others have done and expand on it.

Different genres tend to have different plusses and minuses to building.

Pictured below are a few of the many of the incredible works you can find in the links up top.

Architecture

Lego does seem a natural fit for architecture. With all the straight lines and set angles, constructing simpler buildings can come very naturally. Replicating existing landmarks can be exciting for many. Arthur Gugick has done a nice job capturing famous landmarks and monuments. Here is a beautiful exhibit of some masterpieces. How real can you get a building? Can others recognize it? Or perhaps create a number of buildings to make a city block or cityscape. There is a series of sets out known as Cafe Corner and Green Grocer. These follow a specific building scale and general style so that all the sets can be put together to form a city block. Working in this format, adapting from the sets and improvising new buildings is of interest to many. Building architecture pieces is often a matter of good clean lines with bursts of decoration. Tricking pieces into looking like decorative details is a draw as well.

Castle
This is a popular specific architectural genre. As a resource for what can be done and techniques specific to castle building you can go here.

Trains/Planes/Cars/Boats

These genres tend to be for those interested in the particular subject and looking to replicate real objects. These can be tricky to create as real life objects can twist and turn in ways that are hard to translate with Lego (particularly at smaller scale). Rewards here come from getting realistic looking objects. Building into objects some sort of movement to them (doors, hoods of cards, etc) can also be a fun challenge to many. Personal expression can manifest in the types of vehicles one picks or manners in which they might be displayed. Additionally, having a collection of such displayed is also very satisfying.

Sci-fi Ships/Mecha

This becomes more an aesthetic exercise within the world of sci fi. There are no absolutes here as there are in trains/planes/cars/boats. That is to say, one need not replicate a thing to exacting detail. (The exception being copying from existing brands). For lovers of sci fi, this is a creative expression. Some of the joys of working in this are creating unique, but aesthetically pleasing forms and colors, creative use of greebles (all those bits and bops of detailing that are meaningless, but appear to have function) and creative movement capabilities. Nate Nielson, nnenn, is highly regarded in the world of spaceships. For Mecha in particular, it can be rewarding to create forms that seem to defy gravity, with massive armatures or legs can be supported with minimal structure. Building fleets of similar ships or Mecha from the same timeline can also be exciting.

Off the beaten track

Perhaps you have a fascination with something else specific. This is an opportunity to specialize in something unique that fits your own personality. Jason Ruff, an afol, does mostly bugs - very beautiful ones in fact. Mijasper specializes in 'collections of things' : mini chairs, pianos, and other such. Karyn Traphagen creates intricate patterns you would never think possible in Lego. Cole Blaq has brought graffiti into the picture which is refreshing. Unusual subject matters are interesting. Collections of unusual subjects are even more so.

Minifigs

Generally involves recreating existing characters or types of people by mixing and matching minifig parts. Often these are then put in scenes or vignettes to tell a story.

Character Art

Another refreshing development is the rise of this art. Influenced by the designer toy / urban vinyl movement, these designers create extremely interesting characters on par, many times, with the vinyl designers. Angus MacLane has a whole line of hundreds of clever 'cube dudes'.

Vignettes

This is putting any of the above in a context. Generally, a love of that genre, expanded on to create a miniature world of sorts. Rewards here also come in the form of photography which can expand the possibilities of making objects look life like. Recreating scenes from movies or literature is also popular. Some vignettes don't include the standard genres above but are scenes of there own merit. Landscapes come to mind here.

Micro

One genre that stands out different to me is called micro. It is more a building philosophy than a subject genre. This philosophy being a 'less is more', 'how small can I make a thing and still keep it recognizable using fewest pieces' type of mentality. It is the purity and clever use of objects. I find this work fascinating as it really engages the viewer.

Mosaics
Typically, these are flat pictures of .... pictures. Since Lego only comes in a certain number of colors, the challenge is to blend colors by virtue of proximity to each other to give the illusion of a wider spectral or tonal range. Generally, these are of people or famous painting, but they can be of anything.

The Tinker

On the other hand, it may not be a particular something you are after but rather some sort of effect. Like the illusion of pieces bending around or some spacial trickery. Tinkering with pieces can yield interesting results for some as well. Here, it can be as much about the process as the product.

Technique

I found the following downloadable pdf as well as this handy flickr collection very helpful. I don't understand everything yet, but I got what I needed from it and come back when I'm stumped. Another idea is to google Lego instructions to a genre you are interested in. Lego posts many of their instructions online and some that they don't can be found elsewhere. Looking through these, you can pick up great beginner and more advanced building techniques. There are a few others that I'll add here soon when I remember where they are. :(

One thing I do not do and do not encourage of newcomers is the adding foreign materials to your pieces – either to bond pieces together or for visual effect. This is a personal thing and more of a purist attitude, but it seems to me the nature of Lego calls for it. After all, part of the magic of looking at Lego is the suspended disbelief that a work is made completely out of Lego. At times, looking at the finished pieces, it seems impossible to believe! Whether it be that objects are comprised of smaller objects that you would never have guessed or just the notion that it doesn't seem like the work could support itself without glue. There is an allure here. A magic. Using glue or rubber bands and such to bond, or other things like cloth, wood or hobby landscape takes away that magic.

An example of that 'Lego Magic' moment. This piece by BMW_Indy . At first glance it is a convincing thick smoke cloud. Upon close inspection though.... you can see a very clever use of minifigure hair pieces. It is moments like this that create excitement and interest. That double take in which things are not what they appeared to be.

Personally, I desire to go a step further than that. If I can, I go 'brick-built'. This is a term to describe the use of multiple Lego pieces to create something larger of which there is a prefabricated counterpart. For instance, there is a big gray rock base. Plopping that down is no great feat. However, creating a unique interpretation of a rock face using slopes or other such is far more interesting and contributes again to 'Lego magic'. It's that dazzling experience of the double take. Seeing an object for what it is supposed to represent (like a big rock) and then suddenly realizing that the thing or part of it is made up of completely different pieces is magic. Another example, to me, is the use of pre-made plants. Now, I know, most everyone likes them and uses them. I would argue though that, for the same reasons as the rock, if another method could be used to achieve similar results as the plant prefabs, this other, non-prefab method, would bring about a greater sense of awe and Lego magic.

The Lego Brick Separator

The Lego Ruler

Tools

Good news, there are none!! The great thing about this hobby is you need virtually nothing. No glue, no wood, no X-acto knife or paint.... it's just wonderful that way. Lego has perfectly engineered the pieces to work for you. That said, a couple of things can come in handy. My best friend has been a tiny micro screwdriver. It works perfect as a lever to break piece apart or press tiny pieces together in cramped areas. I didn't encounter much in the way of scratching, but if not careful, one can scratch pieces this way. Lego has put out this tool - a brick separator (pictured above) - which I have not yet purchased but many swear by. It has been designed to break apart attached pieces and works well. Your fingers will thank you. Your broken finger nails will thank you. One other thing you may want to create is a Lego ruler. Lego sells one but you can make one yourself with Lego pieces as well for free. Keep in mind that a 1x1 lego brick is not a square. They are taller than they are wide. So, you will need two rulers – one for width and one for height.

Another tool we now have is a free software package (donations accepted though) called LDraw. Essentially, this is a very basic 3D program made specifically for Lego enthusiasts. It comes with a library of parts that is fairly complete. Lego puts out a free one that looks great, but I've personally not yet tried called Lego Digital Designer . Whichever one you choose they are great for when you are away from your set and you need a fix or want to practice with parts you don't yet own. The Lego one has some features like telling you how many pieces you used in total and a function to order the pieces as well.

Space and Storing Lego

This is a tough subject and has most to do with personal style, cost and space. I'm only going to touch on this in the most superficial terms and leave this subject to another post. Why is this tough?? Well... with over 2000 different pieces and a bunch of colors, coming up with a workable system can be tricky.

You probably remember as a kid, spreading out that box of pieces on the floor or table. I remember my bedroom was a minefield of tiny bits. Organization really is key for the hobby though. At least it was for me. I can't imagine sorting through a big box of all I have just to find that one piece. Not only would it take forever, but it breaks the 'flow' of creation. To that end, I found categorizing my pieces and putting in drawers worked the best. I bought a bunch of these, but honestly, while good, they're overpriced me thinks. Others have offered suggestions in comments in other posts here which I'll add soon, but I will be following up at a later date with another post specific on storage.

It requires a fair amount of rigor to clean up after a session. I found, for me, it worked to just slide the mess into the top drawer of my desk or some container. (Wish this trick worked with the dishes). Every few days or week, I'd take 10-20 minutes to resort into the proper containers. While it seems like a drag, the sorting can be relaxing as well.

At any rate, whatever your storage units, you will want to make sure you have plenty of room to build on a desk type unit where you have comfortable seating and good to very good light. A window is perfect for getting the precious daylight to view colors best and a couple of desk lamps are great too for catching details. If no natural light, daylight bulbs are great. If you are working on a nicer desk, you might consider buying a simple x-acto knife cutting board or some barrier between your Lego and your desk. I found out the hard way with my work that the sheer weight of my piece + a non baseplate bottom (just regular bricks stacked to make the base) turned into a nightmare of scratching on my desk as I shifted the piece from side to side to get to it. Also, another tiny tip. Turns out I have a near black desk and was using black pieces. I had a heck of a time during the evenings seeing what I was doing.

The making of ...

2010-09-29T09:32:00.006-04:00

The melting snow on the roof came about by accident. I ran out of pieces and was waiting, waiting, waiting for a particular order to come in. It took 3 weeks to get the pieces I needed. Meanwhile, I had the base structure of the roof done and some of the white snow in place (perhaps 1/3 up from the bottom). While I waited, it occurred to me that, indeed, it was starting to look like snow melting. With some experimentation and a little rebuilding of the roof, I was able to soften the transition between snow and roof. Had the order come in quickly, I would simply have built up the roof in a night or two and likely not noticed or thought of this effect. Happy accident here.

One of my favorite details is the ice formed under the little snow patches to indicated melted snow later frozen. Flickr is great for studying how things really are and used it in great measure to understand how things should look (rather than how I remember them looking).

The door went together very quickly. It's one of my favorite details and was the fastest to create. My only regret is that it doesn't show up so well in the main image. Oh well.

One of my earlier assembling moments. I really love seeing things under or through other things. There is a certain magic to it. Here, we have rotting, degrading substructure under the shingles (which have fallen off). This is a cause and effect technique which I will be writing about in a later post. I'm a big fan of showing (or implying) before and after in a natural way. It's storytelling, really. It also is engaging – it draws the viewer in to ponder what has happened. Now, this technique is different than showing the action or act. The action is implied (in this case, gradual decay of house through winds and harsh weather).

Here is a detail of the photo just below. Again, I enjoy a thing through a thing technique. You get depth through details in the window. Nothing new here, Lego does this all the time with their sets.

Ok, a little tip for those starting out or just curious about Lego... When building a house (or any structure for that matter), begin by constructing your walls attached to a base floor. Now, This might seem a bit ... obvious, but for some reason, at the time, it wasn't to me. It took two failed builds of the picture above to realize, yes, walls are best attached to the floor. It sort of, anchors it. :) Being new to this, I didn't know how to attach these kind of angles to the base, so I figured I'd create the walls with hinges and sort it all out later. ....Not a good idea, btw. :D

Broken up steps with snow piles. To the right of the steps you can just make out the gutter which has water frozen in place. This detail was mostly lost in the main image. Again, oh well.

Again much thanks for enthusiasm all have shared with me! And most of all, much thanks for the blogs and flickr/moc posts that made studying (copying) techniques developed by all kinds of talent possible.

– mike

Two Story with Basement

2010-09-26T20:43:00.015-04:00

To my eyes, patterns of decay find a more pleasing path than an untouched object. A roof collapsed by the weight of snow, side shingles ripped by the force of winds, substructures rotting, insects and weather gnawing the exposed surfaces. I can picture those windy days where a shingle flies off. Or the sudden creaking, cracking and burst of tinder giving way under snow's heavy hand.

At once I see what was, as a complete home, and what lies before me now.

This object has two stories. What was and what it is becoming. Nature repossessing. No one point in time, good or bad, right or wrong. Just an interesting series of transient patterns.

Abandoned Home Project, Work In Progress

2010-09-09T09:12:00.014-04:00

... a few months later and nearly finishing my first MOC since coming out of the dark ages.

A more recent image of the final roof (added to this blog after initial posting) with melted snow.

Here is a first look at the project, near completed in my studio. Overall, I'm pretty pleased. Mostly, I'm still concerned about getting a well lit, good photograph of it. This was just a quick image taken. I'm still working on the roof, but the idea here is that it will have snow melting on it. I don't have a scale on this model but it is about 2.5' wide and high and 1' deep. It is to be the front facade only.

My 'studio' is working out ok for me so far. The desk you can partially see is filled with legos sorted by color. On the wall in front of me are some hanging tray cabinets which is the core of what I am working with (you can just see the corner of it in the right). Other such cabinets are to one side of me as well.

- mike

Organize'n

2010-07-28T06:15:00.008-04:00

I've found I really need a system to get things going. I just can't dig through bricks to find things while I create. It 'disturbs the flow'. I know everyone has their own good system that works for them. This one seems to work for me so I thought I'd share it.

I make these tags (above) which go on each tray. Images are from my LDraw program. Info is in sync with BrickLink so that I'm using the same language and IDs as them for repurchasing and research. Since I'm a graphic designer, I have access to page layout software to make this. I found with some experimenting that using large numbers for size worked best. Additionally, stacking the numbers rather than writing 2x4 for example makes for an easy visual scan across the shelving. A large color bar reinforces the correct color at a glance. In cases of non primary colors, I'll add a tag in lower right corner to help further specify the color. Special pieces requiring more information will have more info under the category description as seen in the headlight example above.

So far so good. The tray placement order is evolving as the collection expands but for now it seems to be netting out hierarchically at: color / brick - plate - slope - special / size. I'm very pleased with this system and find grabbing pieces I need so quick and intuitive, I hardly need to look up. (Though, I'll admit my collection is yet small. That will no doubt change when things grow larger.)

- mike

Oh man, BrickLink's a money sink!

2010-07-27T13:04:00.023-04:00

First off, I'm not complaining but boy!, I didn't know what I was getting into here! Can't tell you how much $$$ I've spent or how many shipments of legos I've had since starting a few weeks ago. It takes a lot of bricks though – as you all must know – to make a larger piece... a lot of bricks. It's all great fun though and the BrickLink service is magnificent. Really a wonderful resource I couldn't do without.

Things are progressing with my abandoned house concept. I've finished the first 1/4 of the front facade. So far, I'm liking the piece, however am increasingly concerned of how it will photograph, being all black. I'm definitely going to try and photograph it in 3D. Some wonderful results out there. Much time has been lost waiting for pieces which I greatly underestimated brick count on.

While I wait, I've been doing research on interesting subject matters to capture. Of special interest to me are children's book illustration - particularly some french illustrators - pop up books and contemporary vinyl toy designers. I think what I find fascinating is a lego like quality to many of these. From the simplistic, flat art book illustrations, to the succession of flat plains in pop up art to the faceted art and lovely colors of vinyl toy movement, there seems to be a language there that is very lego in a fresh, new light.

A typical Lego method of describing volume. To my eyes, this technique has gotten a bit old looking. Seen it a million times and fails to impress me like it used to.

The general tendency with lego building is to pixelate volumes that involve compound curves. It seems interesting though to flatten space and let the eye fill in the rest. Such as pop up books. From here you get multilayered plains in a very compact space.

Of lego interest to me here are (from left to right, top to bottom): the bold colors of Nathan Jurevicius' Scary Girl; the popup quality of this illustration; the way in which the white window area could be a flat white brick plain opening up to a lego scene; the facets of the robot illustration; pop ups in general and the lego opportunity here; finally, "It's a Small World" like graphic illustration style. All these seem like unique opportunities to move forward in.

Also of interest, is this idea of framing the work. I speak not exactly of a picture frame but more of a method to draw the eye into the scene and keep it there. One problem that I see exists is how quickly lego works get lost in their environments, particularly in trade shows. A combination of the massive space, hustle and bustle of spectators and abundance of closely positioned, relatively small works makes it hard to focus in on work. For my next project, I am going to work on a flat plained piece set within a large white box. In this way, I force the viewpoint to the proper position (as all the components are flat and meant to be viewed face forward) and keep the eye in the setting like a target to a bulls eye. By forcing the viewpoint, I also open up the opportunity to completely reconfigure the viewpoint that the art depicts. For instance, the art can now appear as if you are looking down or up at a scene.

I have to say, the AFOL community and flicker sites have been an awesome resource to learn from. Some incredible work out there using very clever techniques.

- mike

Into Legoland and out of the Dark Ages

2010-07-27T06:18:00.011-04:00

(originally written a few weeks ago)

The dark ages ended only a few days ago for me. After a visit to Legoland, CA last week – and a fun time playing with lego’s ... er, I mean a fun time watching my son and nephews play with lego’s – I caught the bug. A few hours online and I discovered the vibrant community and explosion of creativity in all things lego. Guess I should have thought it’d be there, but it came as a pleasant surprise, really. Now - days later - after pouring over flickr, blogs and other image hosting sites, I can’t wait to receive and break open all my Bricklink buys. Pleeese come soon!!

So after looking around, what do I want to build??? A few things come to mind, the first of which I'll speak of in this post and begin working on (as soon as the pieces come in). The others will come on a later post. They remain very unusual though. Themes that I don't think have been done before or certainly don't fall into traditional categories.

For technique, I'm thinking that the first project should be all black with some transparent pieces when applicable. No color. No grays. Just black. Also, I'll be creating objects that have a high degree of realism.

Why Just Black?

For me, the monochromatic approach produces works not unlike carved or cast statues that you might see in a museum or a bronze architectural piece in a souvenier shop. As for the color, I love black as a color. It is a neutral much like grays, tans and white. However, unlike the other neutrals, black just looks more finished and purposefully applied. Additionally, black has a sophisticated appeal. To me it's slick and rich.

Given there are so few neutral / non primary colors available in legos, I often find that people's works (particularly the architectural models and vignette/diorama) seem a little cartoony. At times, this is absolutely called for of course. More often than not though, it feels a bit unreal for this reason. This, despite the fact, that the designer might be shooting for high realism.

In terms of sticking to a single color, I love the idea of using neutral monochromatic color schemes. In so doing, the eye focuses on form and is not distracted by color. Looking at monochromatic works is not as approachable as a full color work. You can't necessarily take a piece in immediately all at once. Instead, it takes time to decipher the object without color. This is particularly true with darker objects as the shadows do not show as well and you tend to work only with highlights from light to define objects. The monochromatic approach then is an invitation to participate in the discovery of form. This act of actively observing and discovering is of much interest to me. You tend to bend forward or zoom in to explore and identify. Conversely, when too much is revealed or obvious at once, I tend to move on to the next piece quickly. When I have invested a little time examining, I have a connection to the piece more so than if it comes to me in one quick blast.

It is that tension when at first you are not exactly sure what something is and then it 'clicks', the lightbulb goes off and you see it. I've 'figured it out'. Micro works tend to behave in this manner, where the viewer is invited to decipher the (hopefully) clever reduction of form and purity. Such moments are special and remembered.

The challenge will be to achieve a high degree of texture and description with the removal of the color and tone. Form becomes everything in this case.

First Theme: Abandoned Buildings

As for a subject, my first thought was to do skyscrapers. The simple ones seem relatively easy to build with all their straight lines. I might try to build some skyscrapers, but so much has been done of this already that it is less of interest of me to do another one. I get bored quickly and if something is too common, I get bored.

Abandoned buildings though is new though... I think. I’ve seen the occasional shack and destroyed/demolished house. But the idea of showing a ruined home in a neutral manner devoid of a story or any message at all is very fascinating to me and something I've yet to run across in the world of legos.

Disintegrating, rusting, heading toward ruins. I love this. The notion of something valuable but abandoned and experiencing decay has long appealed to me. There is a beauty in a thing in which natural forms have overwritten the order inherent in man made objects, such as buildings. The contrast of order and disorder excites. It also engages the mind to fill in the blank from what once was to what is visible now. For instance, compare a building with a porch and the same building with the porch somehow removed or fallen down. The impression of the porch though is still persistent (like porch pillar supports still in place or the unfinished bits on the main house that were once covered by the porch beams). From these clues, you know the porch went there and was shaped basically as such. Enough evidence is there to suggest and yet, no porch. You're mind fills in the blank as you view the house. I'd argue this is much more interesting than seeing the porch intact.

A straightforward image of an abandoned home is void of any intention or meaning. There is no story being told here. But there are many that can be imagined. Was the family driven out of the property? Did they lack money? Did someone die? War? There are no answers here - only pure form. It is this ambiguous approach to narration that I enjoy. While it is certainly great fun looking at lego works of monsters, soldiers or such destroying a building, such examples are a clear presentation of cause and effect - which gets a bit old, frankly. Perhaps that is why I was a bit drawn to the piece below. This, for the simple reason that we know a battle happened here, but it was not shown. The battle does not need to be depicted. Such a presentation of an event would have been limiting. The after effects of the battle is more interesting then the battle that would have been portrayed with those cartoony characters. The story is ours to make up and interpret. In the same way also, while viewing an abandoned building, we see the effect with the cause being open to personal reflection. This forces us to interact with the piece and imagine what could have been. Again, such reflection and study engages me. I don't move on to the next table of lego works but stick with the object for a while.

I'm afraid I couldn't find the link to this picture which I had earlier downloaded, so I can't credit the author yet. However, as mentioned above, I enjoyed imagining what had happened here, rather than a depiction of minifigures in battle.

Presentation

The presentation is to be as neutral as possible. A black object on a smooth black stand with a simple gray/black background photographed straight on. No tricks. Nothing to get in the way of the object. The object in portrait as crisp as possible.

I very much dislike the look of the 'tip in'. This is what I refer to as the photoshopped or photographed images of lego works that have been dropped into another scene. The lego space ship orbiting a photo of a planet. A lego house set in the grass in the backyard. The figurine set in a real world pumpkin. As if to fool the viewer or give a heightened sense of realism. Indeed such implementation has the exact opposite effect! It shows, very vividly, how unreal the object really looks to its real world counterpart. This is one thing that kills me at legoland. Putting the buildings on gravel and working in weeds as bushes 'fakes up' perfectly beautiful work. These are legos after all. When I look at a lego world, I want to be fully transported into it - not be reminded that it is unreal.

A beautifully lit model set with a seamless background of a color or tone appropriate to show off the product is all a model needs in a photo.

Scale

Given the house is a relatively small form, compared to apartments, skyscrapers and such, it seems appropriate to build it at a large scale to capture the details as best as possible. Such details will be necessary to help tell the story of abandonment and create that awe that we all have when looking at highly detailed lego objects. Additionally, without the help of color to explain the form, details in form become very important here.

- mike