Battle of Yavin Mural

[StoutFiles]

As part of an OT display, I need a 118 by 56 stud mural to put on the wall. Since I'll need to buy the pieces for any design I have (used up all my black/gray pieces on stands and another mural) I need to plot out what I need to build before I build it.

Here's a drawing I did in Paint of what it looks like so far. One stud equals one pixel. Copy the image below, paste it to paint, and zoom in to get an idea of how it'll look on a wall(about 3 ft. by 1.5 ft.)

Hopefully you can see what I'm going for? Using only two grays along with white, red, and black...is there anyway I can get the rear of the X-wings and the Death Star to look more accurate with this low stud count? Or maybe this is awful and should be scrapped entirely? Let me know!

If you have a theory on how to improve something, please test in in Paint to see if it holds up.

[Frolando22]

Looks pretty good. What type of studs are you intending to use? (1x1 flat, 1x1 studded, 1x2 flat, etc.)

[Brickdoctor]

There are a number of variations on the mosaic technique. I assume you're avoiding SNOT and/or different angles of bricks and you just want studs-up/out? I know there's also a technique using a second layer of transparent bricks over the solid colors to create quite a few extra colors.

[StoutFiles]

Looks pretty good. What type of studs are you intending to use? (1x1 flat, 1x1 studded, 1x2 flat, etc.)

All studs. Plate size will vary to knock down the cost.

The only transparent bricks I was planning on were for the xwing engines, and possibly the stars.

[Fallenangel]

Frolando22, I do believe you are referring to plates rather than studs – and in LEGO jargon the three you described are referred to as 1x1 tiles, “studs” (since they’re literally one stud in diameter) and 1x2 tiles, respectively.

StoutFiles, while this mosaic is certainly far from awful,even for a LEGO mosaic, I can’t help but think it’s just too blocky. I mean, 118 studs by 56 studs – that’s nearly a meter wide. You could really do a lot with plates at that size. I’m not sure whether you are trying to maintain a “blocky” look (to show the non-AFOLs what they expect to see in the manner of the miniland models at LEGOland). Is it not customary to use wing plates and such in a LEGO mosaic? Because at this size, they really would help if accuracy is what you’re going for... and furthermore, if this is a non-LEGO gig you’re making the display for, surely the AFOL community would appreciate a more learned use of plates and less blockiness in appearance... (if you’re going for a strictly blocky LEGO mosaic feel, you can pretty much disregard the rest of this post.)

Do you intend to utilize multiple (3-4) layers of plates or only a single layer? You mentioned trans-clear plates for the X-wing’s afterburner glow (for which magenta is a pretty close color, though I don’t know if they have that in LEGO) so I’m assuming at least two. That’s enough to use some corner and wing plates to better approximate the round shape of the Death Star in the style of 7778 (or even hinged plates, if you’re willing to have a non-uniform surface). For additional details, some inspection of the source material might help. And surely adding a dot of some sort in the middle to indicate the superlaser crater would be possible?

Continuing discussion of the X-wings, jumper and rail plates could make the wings thinner than a single stud, and I know from this that the angle of the sides of the rear fuselage cross-section can be approximated at this size with 2x3 wing plates. 2x2 round plates could be used for the wingtip laser cannons and maybe 3x3s for the engine glow. Not sure why you’ve made the wings different colors (is it shadow? Because the wings look pretty much all the same color in that scene). The fuselage color could be white in this case because i would be more eye-catching (and X-wings are a dirty white, after all) and provide more contrast with the blackness of space.

[StoutFiles]

Frolando22, I do believe you are referring to plates rather than studs – and in LEGO jargon the three you described are referred to as 1x1 tiles, “studs” (since they’re literally one stud in diameter) and 1x2 tiles, respectively.

StoutFiles, while this mosaic is certainly far from awful,even for a LEGO mosaic, I can’t help but think it’s just too blocky. I mean, 118 studs by 56 studs – that’s nearly a meter wide. You could really do a lot with plates at that size. I’m not sure whether you are trying to maintain a “blocky” look (to show the non-AFOLs what they expect to see in the manner of the miniland models at LEGOland). Is it not customary to use wing plates and such in a LEGO mosaic? Because at this size, they really would help if accuracy is what you’re going for... and furthermore, if this is a non-LEGO gig you’re making the display for, surely the AFOL community would appreciate a more learned use of plates and less blockiness in appearance... (if you’re going for a strictly blocky LEGO mosaic feel, you can pretty much disregard the rest of this post.)

Do you intend to utilize multiple (3-4) layers of plates or only a single layer? You mentioned trans-clear plates for the X-wing’s afterburner glow (for which magenta is a pretty close color, though I don’t know if they have that in LEGO) so I’m assuming at least two. That’s enough to use some corner and wing plates to better approximate the round shape of the Death Star in the style of 7778 (or even hinged plates, if you’re willing to have a non-uniform surface). For additional details, some inspection of the source material might help. And surely adding a dot of some sort in the middle to indicate the superlaser crater would be possible?

Continuing discussion of the X-wings, jumper and rail plates could make the wings thinner than a single stud, and I know from this that the angle of the sides of the rear fuselage cross-section can be approximated at this size with 2x3 wing plates. 2x2 round plates could be used for the wingtip laser cannons and maybe 3x3s for the engine glow. Not sure why you’ve made the wings different colors (is it shadow? Because the wings look pretty much all the same color in that scene). The fuselage color could be white in this case because i would be more eye-catching (and X-wings are a dirty white, after all) and provide more contrast with the blackness of space.

It's two layers deep, but I want the top layer to be solid, no gaps. All the pieces you've described would make the angles look better, but result in gaps. I could have the layer beneath it be the correct color for the scenario, but it wasn't what I was hoping to do. As for the wings, the two colors are there to differentiate the wings, so I exaggerate the shadow. Otherwise it wouldn't look like two wings together, just one fat one.

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I should just create a different mural where blockiness wouldn't be a fault? I'll play around with some other designs.

[Lord Starkiller]

Wow,a 13216 Stud Mural (118l X 56h X 2L)! Cant Wait to See it! Also, can you Photograph the First Mural?

Edit*

Wait, it will be Around 1/2 Meter Long and 23cm Tall, Thats actually Smaller Than I Expected......

Edited February 25, 2011 by Lord Starkiller

[Fallenangel]

Edit*

Wait, it will be Around 1/2 Meter Long and 23cm Tall, Thats actually Smaller Than I Expected......

Actually, a 1x1 is 8mm on a side, so it'd be about 94cm by 45cm wouldn't it?

[Lord Starkiller]

Actually, a 1x1 is 8mm on a side, so it'd be about 94cm by 45cm wouldn't it?

a 1X1 is around 6mm, not 8. Just Mesured.