Lego Art & Design Principles 101

Colors - Below you

Shape

Better Brain for Building

Personal Style

Color Moods

Tools (Part 1)

Tools (Part 2)

Photography

Building Big

Will be updated constantly!

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Orignal post by Rook:

As some of you know, I have minors in Art & Communication. I have had several art shows and I have sold a lot of pieces over the past 10 years. I have also done some contrac pieces for some nice $$$. I the past few years I've gotten more and more into Lego and less and less of what would be considered main stream art. I, of course, use the stuff I learned in school when I build with Lego. Once in a while I'll post some new information that will hopefully help new builders improve their MOC's an become better Lego Artists & Designers. If you what you can ask questions or post your own knowledge Here's the thread! So, Lesson 1.

Basic Color Theory 101

Primary Colors
Red, Blue, Yellow

Secondary Colors (made by mixing 2 primary colors)
Purple, Green, Orange

Brown is made by mixing all 3 primary colors.

Basic Complementary Colors
Colors that are exact opposite side each other on the color wheel.

Basic Corresponding Colors
Colors that are beside each other on the color wheel.

Black absorbs natural light.
Gray is between Black and White.
White reflects natural light.



How does this help me build awesome looking Lego sets?

Choose one main color for the model. Then use one, two, three, or all of the following if you want to: Black, Grays, White, or Browns.
Then add a little or a lot a Complementary or Corresponding Color to your first main color.

Examples:

Main Color: Dark Red, then White, & Light Green (Complementary Color)


Main Color: Dark Red, then Gray, & Orange (Corresponding Color)


Main Color: Green, then Gray & Black, & Light Green (Corresponding Color)

Building Big

Thanks for posting Rook! This might help me!

Very nice! This can really help!

I've not always looked at it like that, and I'm sure it will help even more, though I feel I usally do a fair job with my color schemes!

Basic Design 101

Approaches to Design
User-centered design: focuses on the needs, wants, and limitations of the user, or who is going to "play" with it.
Example: Duplo. Duplo is designed for younger builders because of their limitations.

Use-centered design, which focuses on the goals and tasks associated with the use of the model, rather than focusing on the user.
Example: Most minifig sets over $20 USD are built this way. (This is how I usually build.)

KISS principle, (Keep it Simple, Stupid), which strives to eliminate unnecessary complications.
Example: Most minifig sets under $20 USD are built this way.

There is more than one way to do it (TMTOWTDI), a philosophy to allow multiple methods of doing the same thing.
Example: This is what happens when you make a MOC of a design that already exists. All of us can make an Imp. speeder bike but each will look different.

Basic Shape
"Shape" often equals "Function" in our universe. Since we created the SW universe it makes sense that our ideas of shape carry into the SW universe. One major difference is repulsor technology.

Round/Ball: When you see ball what do you think? Movement in one direction. If you build something that looks like a ball you don't think wow that looks fast! You think wow that can defend/attack in every direction. Example: Death Star.


Sharp/Knife: When you see knife what do you think? Destroy in one direction. Example: Imp. Star Destroyer: Two sharp sides cutting through battle.


Square/Box: When you see box what do you think? Solid, hard to get into, a house, or a fort. If you build something that looks like a box you don't think wow that looks fast! You think wow I can't get into that. Example: Borg Cube or Sandcrawler.



Smooth/Organic: When you see something smooth without corners what do you think? Free, fast, aerodynamic. If you build something that looks smooth you think wow that looks fast! Example: Naboo Royal Cruiser or Naboo Starfighter.


Animal like: When you see something animal like what do you think? The strengths and the weakness of that animal. A bird (aircraft) is fast and can move quickly but can fall to the ground and die. An elephant is big and strong but slow. A man (robot) can move through water, land, & sky but is not fast like a bird or strong like an elephant. A dolphin or shark can move through the water like it was air but they can't go on land! Example: All Terrain Armored Transport, or AT-AT walker.


How does this help me build better MOC's?
Ask yourself these questions: What do you want it to be? Does it need to fast or slow, strong or weak, smart (able to move though may environments) or dumb (only one environment like a Sandcrawler)? What is it's purpose? Then give it a name that matches what it does. You wouldn't call a walker a starship, a submarine a speeder, or a gunship a cargo transport. So have fun and keep building.

Wow Rook that's pretty good!

Not done, just didn't want to lose what I typed.

I've actually never thought of that. Great job!

Ok now it's finished.

What did you change?

DarthPineapple wrote:What did you change?

Depends when you started reading it I updated 8 times as I was typing it because of the amount of info.

When I read it I saw all of the pictures etc.

Thanks for adding in pictures.

This is really making me think about how to make beter mocs.

Good! I'm by no means an expert. But hopefully what I do know will help. I try to keep myself up to date by looking closely a brick construction of MOC's that I think are good. For example: Large Group of Builders http://www.flickr.com/groups/fbtb/pool/ OR Individual Builders http://www.zemi.net/?p=alphabet%20Project

Rook wrote: Good! I'm by no means an expert.

I don't know what you consider to be an expert, but your pretty darn close to one in my book! Incidentally, what are the names of the two models you created and showed to demonstrate color application?

Again, thanks a lot. You sort of remind me of an art teacher, except that we all use lego. You're reminding me of the bsics, which most builder's here know, and then building slightly on them each time. Thanks!

^Exactly, I always tell people that Lego is a form of art, and is how I choose to express myself, whenever I get the "You still play with LEGOs?" response.

Just remind them someone has to design the toys that kids play with. You wouldn't make fun of a video game designer or a Disney Film Producer.

True, anyway the people who say that are mostly idiots anyway...