pxtobrx
July 13, 2015 12:08 PM Subscribe
*inputs 365-gigapixel panorama of Mont Blanc*
*checks bank balance*
posted by Sys Rq at 12:47 PM on July 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
*checks bank balance*
posted by Sys Rq at 12:47 PM on July 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Pretty clever to NOT use 1x1 bricks. Those are a surprisingly terrible pain to square up.
And yes, in general Lego is very expensive to buy. At least it's easier to buy direct from Lego than from third parties (if not cheaper.)
posted by smackfu at 1:00 PM on July 13, 2015
And yes, in general Lego is very expensive to buy. At least it's easier to buy direct from Lego than from third parties (if not cheaper.)
posted by smackfu at 1:00 PM on July 13, 2015
Meh, this looks like a more expensive version of what folks have been doing for years with perling anyway.
I know its not trivial to automate, but using Lego to build these in 2D makes my heart hurt.
Lego is a sculpting medium.
posted by butterstick at 1:28 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I know its not trivial to automate, but using Lego to build these in 2D makes my heart hurt.
Lego is a sculpting medium.
posted by butterstick at 1:28 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you can get over the interface, I've had some luck saving money on loose Lego via Bricklink (third party site -- you're buying from individuals with their own stores). But this strategy is somewhat limited by the quantity of pieces you'll need of a certain kind, plus whatever shipping fees and policies the individual stores have. But yeah, echoing smackfu, Lego can be a pricey hobby. :-/
posted by betafilter at 1:29 PM on July 13, 2015
posted by betafilter at 1:29 PM on July 13, 2015
Hmm, the original Sinistar sprite ... 1688 bricks, $204.90.
posted by scruss at 1:34 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by scruss at 1:34 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Lego Pick-a-brick has a $0.10 per piece price floor, and there are plenty of bricks that sell for less than that on Bricklink. Since this kind of project uses "common" bricks, you can probably save 50% off the listed price if you are willing to go with private sellers. The trouble is when a Bricklink store has 95% of what you want, and then you need to fill the gaps with other stores that have minimum buys and minimum shipping fees that wipe out those savings.
posted by smackfu at 1:52 PM on July 13, 2015
posted by smackfu at 1:52 PM on July 13, 2015
Meh, this looks like a more expensive version of what folks have been doing for years with perling anyway.
Or cross-stitch, for greater color granularity and cheapness (though not speed).
posted by rifflesby at 2:05 PM on July 13, 2015
Or cross-stitch, for greater color granularity and cheapness (though not speed).
posted by rifflesby at 2:05 PM on July 13, 2015
I'm not really a LEGO geek; I just posted this because I thought it looked cool.
If you look on the Reddit thread, the creator says that they made it because other services out there were more intended for photos and didn't work as well with sprites.
posted by roll truck roll at 2:13 PM on July 13, 2015
If you look on the Reddit thread, the creator says that they made it because other services out there were more intended for photos and didn't work as well with sprites.
posted by roll truck roll at 2:13 PM on July 13, 2015
I know its not trivial to automate, but using Lego to build these in 2D makes my heart hurt.
Lego is a sculpting medium.
I never particularly understood the urge to make 2D pixel art out of Minecraft blocks either, except it's just fun to build stuff. It's fun to make mosaics, it's fun to snap LEGOs together, so why not make LEGO mosaics?
posted by straight at 2:59 PM on July 13, 2015
Lego is a sculpting medium.
I never particularly understood the urge to make 2D pixel art out of Minecraft blocks either, except it's just fun to build stuff. It's fun to make mosaics, it's fun to snap LEGOs together, so why not make LEGO mosaics?
posted by straight at 2:59 PM on July 13, 2015
wow do the prices ever get crazy fast
Maybe I'm too used to LEGO pricing, but isn't $200-$500 pretty reasonable for a 30"x30" piece of wall art? I would think commissioning an artist to paint a similar piece would be in that range, if not more.
Even making a LEGO version of a full screenshot at full size came to $17,700 (using plates) which, for a 26'x23' mural, is pretty reasonable.
I Googled traditional mural pricing and the first resut listed $18,000 for a 620sqft mural.
Of course, there's a bit more to a giant LEGO mural than the raw materials (prepping, mounting, labor, etc), but it doesn't really seem too far out of line for a really amazing piece of mashup art.
posted by LEGO Damashii at 10:43 PM on July 13, 2015
Maybe I'm too used to LEGO pricing, but isn't $200-$500 pretty reasonable for a 30"x30" piece of wall art? I would think commissioning an artist to paint a similar piece would be in that range, if not more.
Even making a LEGO version of a full screenshot at full size came to $17,700 (using plates) which, for a 26'x23' mural, is pretty reasonable.
I Googled traditional mural pricing and the first resut listed $18,000 for a 620sqft mural.
Of course, there's a bit more to a giant LEGO mural than the raw materials (prepping, mounting, labor, etc), but it doesn't really seem too far out of line for a really amazing piece of mashup art.
posted by LEGO Damashii at 10:43 PM on July 13, 2015
Maybe I'm too used to LEGO pricing, but isn't $200-$500 pretty reasonable for a 30"x30" piece of wall art? I would think commissioning an artist to paint a similar piece would be in that range, if not more.
But in that case you're commissioning the artist to come up with the idea and execute it. And provide their own tools and materials. Here, the art is already made (the sprites), and you have to execute the idea yourself. The cost is entirely bound up in the materials, as you acknowledge.
A better comparison would be if a 30"x30" paint-by-numbers kit cost $200-$500. They cost more like $60.
Lego is an expensive medium. That's okay. It has other advantages: flexibility, durability, reusability, water-resistance, just to name a few. But it is expensive.
posted by jedicus at 6:26 AM on July 14, 2015
But in that case you're commissioning the artist to come up with the idea and execute it. And provide their own tools and materials. Here, the art is already made (the sprites), and you have to execute the idea yourself. The cost is entirely bound up in the materials, as you acknowledge.
A better comparison would be if a 30"x30" paint-by-numbers kit cost $200-$500. They cost more like $60.
Lego is an expensive medium. That's okay. It has other advantages: flexibility, durability, reusability, water-resistance, just to name a few. But it is expensive.
posted by jedicus at 6:26 AM on July 14, 2015
How does Lego compare in cost to oil paint? I've heard that stuff is really expensive.
posted by smackfu at 6:40 AM on July 14, 2015
posted by smackfu at 6:40 AM on July 14, 2015
If I remember correctly from my art school days, a tube of oil paint is a good deal more expensive than Lego by volume or weight, but much less by surface area covered, since you spread it out fairly thin.
posted by rifflesby at 1:34 PM on July 14, 2015
posted by rifflesby at 1:34 PM on July 14, 2015
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posted by jedicus at 12:28 PM on July 13, 2015 [1 favorite]