Awesome Art & Design

Relax, sit back and drink in the warm glow of the yule log, done in the style of dozens of different animators, in this annual tradition orchestrated by Daniel Savage. Check out, then loop each of the individual short films here. James Wignall’s Yule Dog is our favorite.

Expand Furniture’s space saving design combines several full-sized pieces of furniture. One side has a table and a bookshelf. Fold the table up and turn the shelf around to reveal a fold-down mattress. Available in six colors.

The second in a series of videos called Polygon Graffiti. Made by Japanese collective AUJIK, the series is a conceptual look at the potential of augmented reality for artistic expression. First video here.

For the past ten years, surfing legend Kelly Slater and his team have been working on a system that creates long and sustained open-barrel waves. Now they’re ready to show off what they’ve accomplished.

8man’s lab is working on an electronically enhanced version of chess called Blitzkrieg Speed Chess. Players don’t have to take turns, but each piece has a cooldown period before it can be moved again.

Level Frames makes ready-to-hang 25.5” x 17.5” frames that contain actual vinyl records of classic albums, such as Dark Side of the Moon and Madvillainy. The album cover is shown in full while the record peeks out of its sleeve. Available in black or white maple frame.

Inspired by anime One-Punch Man, artist Shinrashinge created a wonderful hand-animated interpretation, which plays out on a series of three stacked paper coffee cups, using illustrations and cutouts to acheive the effect.

The Backyard Scientist has made a habit of pouring molten aluminum into things to see how it will interact with them. This time, he pours the hot metal into an aquarium filled with thousands of water-absorbent polymer beads. The resulting sculptures are totally awesome.

In tribute to the release of The Force Awakens, pop artist Red Hong Yi created a series of sculptures which look like disjointed, almost random objects, but when illuminated at just the right angle, they cast shadows of iconic images from the Star Wars universe.

(PG-13) An American desperate to keep her land and a Honduran who escaped his country have a bizarre experience together. Bryan K. Vaughan (Saga) and his The Private Eye co-creators Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente weave a tale of violence, language and immigration.

Shawn “Obi-Shawn” Crosby visits children’s hospitals with fellow Star Wars cosplayers to cheer up patients. He bought a used Nissan 350Z and modified it using found items to give it a Star Wars theme. The flight sim joystick shifter is wicked. More on Hack A Day.

Jay Leno’s Garage talked to Hot Wheels’ designer and builder about the fully functioning life-size replica of the Darth Vader toy car. It’s amazing how Leno got through such a lengthy interview while barely knowing anything about Star Wars. Test drive at 17:13.

The workshop of Artisan Dice creates incredible limited-run dice in wood, metal, bone, stone, steel, acrylic, Teflon, carbon fiber and more. They even make dice from old whiskey barrels. Check out their YouTube channel to learn more about how they’re made.

(PG-13: Language) A New Place 2 Drown is the title for several artworks all made by or with the trip hop phenom Archy Marshall aka King Krule. It’s the name of his new album, the poetry and art book he made with his brother Jack and Topsafe’s short film about him.

Designed by Nendo for home goods maker Sugita Ace, the Minim+Aid packs a radio/crank-powered battery, a raincoat, an LED lantern, a water bottle and a medicine kit in a tube the size of a rolled-up umbrella.

ABStract’s proposal for a mid-sized LEGO Concorde. It’s 31″ long and has an adjustable nose. It also comes with mobile ladders and a model of the plane’s engine. Check ABStract’s Updates tab for the latest mockups. 개인창작 made the physical prototype.

Darryl Cox’s surreal art are tree branches that look like they’re growing out of antique picture frames, or vice-versa, made using a combination of sculpting, painting and woodworking. Check out his Etsy shop for available pieces. He also accepts commissions.

A coffee table book featuring beatmaker Ross Schwartzman aka DJ Ross One’s extensive collection of hip hop t-shirts, sweaters and other merchandise, including bootlegs and one-offs. LL Cool J should bring back the Troops while he can. More at NYT.

Redditor defenestrate_me_now combined the state flags of all NBA teams with their respective logos. Naturally some states got multiple versions, though that doesn’t mean much for Texas’ state flag. Flat versions here.

Funded on Indiegogo, Greycork makes flat pack minimalist living room furniture that are easy to assemble and take apart. The sofa and chaise don’t have springs, but their included cushions have different layers of foam for support and comfort.

Thomas Medicus’ sculpture Emergence Lab is a translucent cube with six different paintings, each visible only from one of the cube’s sides. The paintings are on 216 strips of acrylic glass, which are arranged in a grid and suspended in silicone oil inside the cube.

While your cat might like to make biscuits on your actual dog, Fido probably doesn’t appreciate it. This dog-shaped scratching post from Erik Stehmann is the perfect solution. Sadly, we can’t see spending over $700 on something your cat will eventually shred.

An ink that lets you create drawings which disappear after you create them, then reappear over the course of several days. The secret sauce? Writing with algae. Full kits include two pens that reveal at different speeds. The Artist Edition include paintable inks and brushes.