Awesome Art & Design

Marble machines can be so much fun to watch in action. The 3D Printer Academy shows how they built a neat marble machine from modular components that hold together with 3D-printed thumbscrews. It took a little trial and error to get it all working smoothly and without jamming, but eventually, it worked perfectly.

While we all experience life differently, we also share many common experiences. Animator Nate Milton’s short film offers up “a kaleidoscope of memories to remind us that we’re all living different facets of the same experience.” We could relate to all of them except having an ear pierced with a safety pin. How about you?

Animator Cyriak’s motion collage HONK is one for the birds. Hit play on the video, and you’ll be treated to 86 seconds of snow-white geese waddling along, honking their hearts out, and literally putting their necks on the line for your entertainment.

Carpenter John Heisz of I Build It typically makes things out of wood. However, with the high price of lumber these days, he decided to use cardboard boxes to build this parts organizer. We appreciate the attention to detail he put into crafting this multi-drawer parts storage unit.

Dan Creator is an expert at making models out of cardboard. After creating an R/C truck out of the stuff, he’s back with another cardboard vehicle – a city bus. He started with an off-the-shelf R/C car, which he cut into pieces, extended its chassis, and then added a detailed interior and body. His pet hamster, Natsu, finally has a ride to work.

And the court will rise, while the pillars all fall. Peter Gabriel has been creating musical masterpieces since the 1960s. The Court comes from his new album i/o. The track explores society’s need for order and the flaws of judicial systems. The video was created by Junie Lau using various AI tech, including Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT, MidJourney, and DALL·E 2.

After seeing a video of an artist making string art portraits, engineer Paul Morris Hill wanted to see if he could achieve a similar effect with a machine. This video chronicles some of the trial and error he worked through developing the machine and its software, eventually arriving at a system using a grid of nails. Paul posted a full build log on Medium.

After creating their Woodworking without Tools video, animator Omozoc was approached by Casio to create a similar short film for them. While the clip is ultimately a promo to celebrate 40 years of G-SHOCK watches, it’s also a wonderfully-executed example of stop-motion animation and smart product placement.

Inspired by the stainless steel pool ball made by MyMechanics, Cool Again Restoration set out to make their own. They used different techniques to set their pool ball apart and incorporated copper and epoxy resin. They started by machining cylindrical sections, gradually refining into a spherical shape. We’d love to see a whole rack filled with these.

Matty Benedetto of Unnecessary Inventions loves IKEA and hopes to collaborate with them someday. After the Swedish home furnishings company reached out to him, he thought it would be fun to design, prototype, and produce an office chair with a built-in pegboard so he could readily access hand tools while wheeling around his studio.

On his quest to make damascus out of every kind of metal object he can find, Shurap is back with another satisfying blacksmithing project. After arranging hundreds of individual calligraphy pen nibs into steel tubing, he forged, hammered, and twisted the molten metal to form a beautifully-patterned dagger.

LEGO fanatic I like home presents an incredible stop-motion video that shows how to break down a brick-built king salmon into a delicious sashimi dinner. The sequence is made up of more than 3000 individual photos. If you thought that looked tasty, be sure to check out his LEGO steak and cheese.

Woodworker Bourbon Moth asked his pal Rainfall Projects if he could help him build a custom staircase for his new workshop. He came up with a tubular steel structure with wooden steps that can fold flat against the wall when not in use. That giant plywood jig he created was genius. It could use a handrail, though.

Alex Aliume creates psychedelic artworks that glow brilliantly under UV light. These intricate, hand-painted images go far beyond ordinary black light posters. Among his trippy pieces are these kinetic sculptures that reveal hypnotic patterns as they rotate. You can reach out to Alex on his website if you’re interested in purchasing one of his original pieces.

Advancements in display tech enable some pretty immersive experiences, like that storm simulation spa we checked out a while back. In this video from custom LED display maker JYVisions, they show off a party room wrapped in screens on all sides to surround viewers in moving images. That splashing water effect is awesome – it also might make us vomit.

Designers and artists looking for a source of inspiration would do well to add Vault Editions‘ idea books to their library. This two-volume series features nearly 1000 engravings, etchings, and woodblock prints from the 17th through 19th centuries. It’s loaded with skulls, animals, and vintage objects and includes high-res downloads.

Kings Wild Project makes original playing cards with artful designs. The Eternal Order of the Fez deck is illustrated with intricate imagery inspired by a vintage Shriner’s deck. The tuck case and cards are embellished with conical red hats, scimitars, camels, snakes, stars, and the number 13.

Musician and luthier Shane Speal is known for making guitars out of cigar boxes. But his penchant for creating unusual musical instruments goes far beyond that. In this short video, he shows off some of his crazy builds, including guitars made from a boat oar, copper pipes, and a shovel. The exit sign electric guitar is our favorite.

It’s not too hard for most mortals to lift dumbbells. On the other hand, you must prove yourself worthy to lift Mjölnir. Random Hands shows us how they cut up plates from rusty old dumbbells and welded the metal together to make a hefty but liftable version of Thor’s mighty hammer. The finished Mjölnir can be wielded by a new owner for $5000.

Annie “Ancho” Choi is a brilliant young artist whose wonderful animations landed her a gig working for the famed Studio Ghibli. Her Instagram and TikTok feature a selection of her beautifully rendered visuals, each of which features an unexpected transformation. We especially love her wearable bread loafers.

A dual-layer glass drinking vessel helps insulate its contents thanks to the air gap between its layers. But how do glass manufacturers sandwich those layers together so precisely? This fascinating factory video from Process of Everything shows how skilled workers cut, heat, and connect glass tubes to create these insulated drinking bottles.

Road Agent Leather wanted a case to protect and carry his 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol. Being a skilled leatherworker, he decided to make his own from scratch. He started by flattening and dying leather sheets, cutting them into precise shapes, then gluing and stitching them together. He used a laser cutter to make the perfect circles for holding ammo.

Exploring Alternatives takes us on a tour of one of the coolest tiny houses we’ve ever seen. Created by Repère Boréal, the Uhu is a 200-sq.ft. steel home that floats 40 feet in the air. After ascending a spiral staircase, occupants cross a bridge in the trees to enter the 1-bedroom home. Inside, it has a kitchen, bathroom, and a desk.