Awesome Art & Design

Tears of the Kingdom and Katamari Damacy have a few things in common, like gathering objects to create more complex ones. That inspired Studson Studio to combine the two games into one epic diorama. He gathered some characters and Zonai objects from TotK, rolled them into a jumbo Katamari, and then made a combo of Link and The Prince.

(Flashing images) Filmmaker Conner Griffith created this riveting short video from public domain images found on Wikimedia Commons. It starts with a single-cell organism, and as each frame advances, the subjects evolve into larger and increasingly complex things. Conner’s 2023 showreel is also well worth a watch.

For the art installation, Colapso in Bilbao, Spain, SpY created this simple yet effective display. Sitting inside a cube, a 10-meter balloon gradually inflated over four days. When the balloon burst, it revealed it was filled with colored smoke. The cloud lingered for only a few seconds but produced the perfect red sphere captured in this slow-motion video.

After making a computer desk with a terrarium inside, Tanner from SerpaDesign went all-out with his latest creation. He built this waterfall-edge coffee table from live-edge pine boards and incorporated a terrarium with living plants and a working waterfall. Hopefully, the epoxy and fiberglass will hold up to the moisture and plant life for a long time.

This drink coaster commemorates the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon. Concord Aerospace is making a limited number of these slate coasters, printed with a micro-scale recreation of the Sea of Tranquility. Look carefully, and you’ll see the Eagle lunar module, U.S. flag, and other details on the lunar surface. A magnet on back lets you display it on your fridge.

Artist Alain Biet created this mindblowing short film, which starts out with an artist painting an image of a pencil. As soon as he’s done with that one, more everyday objects start appearing and accumulating until the frame is completely filled. We can’t imagine how long it took Alain to create all 8,000 watercolor paintings. Music by Yan Volsy + Pablo Pico

Master of Chocolate Amaury Guichon shows off one of his most impressive creations yet, a larger-than-life teddy bear. He built the 5-foot-tall, 150-pound bear using a giant egg-shaped mold for its belly, rolling cylinders of chocolate for its arms, and sculpting other body parts using water-filled balloons as forms. The zipper teeth were cut using a waterjet.

These artful ceramic cups are perfect for enjoying a small espresso or cappuccino drink. The conical cups each sit on a small stone base and hold 100 ml (appx. 3.4 oz.) of hot liquid. They come in a variety of colorful finishes for a mix-and-match palette. Kyoto Kitchenware also sells a larger 200 ml size.

LEGO brings the iconic supersonic jet, the Concorde, to life with a fantastic 2083-piece kit. The brick-built model looks like the real airplane, with a tilting nose and tail landing gear. Under its roof, you’ll find a micro-scale cabin, complete with seating. The finished plane measures 42″ long with a 17″ wingspan. Comes with a display stand and an information plaque.

LEGO builder ScottMakesMOCs spent an unfathomable amount of time creating this Mario Kart roller coaster. The intricate build includes Kart-inspired cars, Bowser’s castle, an airship, and lots of characters and details from the Nintendo game. He’s recently built an expansion to the theme park, and Beyond the Brick has a great interview video.

This 432-page hardcover book from Taschen explores the origins and evolution of iconic corporate logos. Graphic designers and history buffs will love exploring the more than 6000 logo designs from the 1800s to the 1940s, some of which are still in use today. It’s a great source of creative inspiration too.

Cristiana Felgueiras of Get Hands Dirty shows off an awesome piece of furniture she designed for efficiency in a tiny apartment she’s building out. The desk has a floating design and a built-in electronic piano that slides out from underneath its work surface. She also built a matching rolling cabinet with a secret drawer.

There’s something so satisfying about woodturning and lathe videos, watching artists carve away at a solid block of material to reveal smooth shapes and interesting patterns. Watch as woodworker Olivier Gomis turns sticks of lumber into what he refers to as an “average size” bowl.

Scotland’s Wildflower Designs makes these unique coasters with tree-like patterns by applying high-voltage electricity to oak wood. They fill the one-of-a-kind patterns with colored resin then finish them with butcher’s block oil. They also make cutting boards and tabletops using the technique. Sold in sets of two or more. The price shown is for a pair.

As we’ve seen before, blacksmith Dmitry Shevchenko (aka Shurap) loves to make things by melting down metal hardware. While he usually forges knives, this time he turned his attention to making a uniquely-textured hammer out of a bunch of screws.

LEGO is the dominant player in the brick-building game. But they weren’t the first to make snap-together plastic toy bricks. Historian Phil Edwards looks back at Kiddicraft, a company that was making something similar 10 years before LEGO. Then LEGO solved a problem that gave them a major advantage.

We love the look of this custom-built table by Germany’s Marmota Works. It’s made from recycled wooden beams that were cut and sanded into curved shapes to fit together like puzzle pieces, then bathed in clear epoxy. The outer pieces have flat sides, so they form a perfect rectangle.

At first, we thought these color-coordinated LEGO habitats had been slathered with paint. But artist Dana Knudson built each entirely from same-color LEGO bricks. He had to remove some printing, otherwise, it’s 100% LEGO plastic. Beyond the Brick stopped by Dana’s display at Atlanta Brick Con for an up-close look at every scene.

We’ve seen how a skilled carpenter can create a traditional Japanese Kumiko lattice. Neil from Pask Makes wanted to see if the same sort of pattern could be created using another material – steel nails. He started with a wooden template to hold the nails in place, then welded them together and smoothed out the rough bits.

We’re amazed by the things that people can make out of cardboard. In this video from The S, he shows how he built a massive toy blaster that fires a trio of rocket-shaped projectiles. The video also serves as a great demonstration of the bargain-priced Wainlux L6 laser cutter, which makes quick work of the precision paper cuts.

IKEA furniture is perfectly functional but basic by design. Dave from Make Something shows us how he took a $150 IKEA KOLBJÖRN metal cabinet and transformed it into a high-end piece of designer furniture by wrapping and embellishing it with wood. He also improved its versatility by adding a top shelf and a removable serving tray.

Matty Benedetto is known for making things we don’t need but seem like plausible products. After completing hundreds of projects on his Unnecessary Inventions channel, he revisited three of his earlier builds to apply new skills he’s gained. He started with a motorized ice cream cone spinner, and things get sillier from there.

Cotopaxi’s playful backpacks are handmade from a collage of repurposed nylon. Each Del Día bag features a one-of-a-kind mix of fabrics selected by its maker and lovingly assembled into a work of wearable art. The 16-liter Tasra backpack has a large main compartment, two front pouches, numerous organizer pockets, and a padded laptop sleeve.