The Art of LEGO Design
Posted by Huw,
If you're a new adult fan of LEGO you've probably bought a shed-load of LEGO sets, built them from the instructions, admired them for a bit and then decided to take them apart to try building something of your own from the parts. You then look online for inspiration, on Flickr, Brickshelf and Brothers-Brick, and perhaps feel somewhat overwhelmed by the quality of the models you see and wonder how on earth they've been built. You don't know how to get started on your own models and ask yourself whether you'll ever be able to build anything as good as you've seen.
If that sounds like you, the latest book from No Starch Press, The Art of LEGO Design: creative ways to build amazing models, by Jordan Schwartz, might help.
Jordan Schwarz (online pseudonym Sir Nadroj) is an award winning LEGO builder who served an internship at LEGO in Billund a couple of years ago, working with the Creator team on the likes of the Palace Cinema. His models were well known and admired long before that, though, and he continues to create superb models many of which you can see on Flickr. So with that resume, he is well placed to author a book that aims to get you thinking like a LEGO artist so you can create models like the masters.
As is usual for No Starch books, this 270-page paperback is printed on high quality paper and is illustrated throughout with excellent full colour photographs.
After a section on inspiration and preparation which covers the ideal working environment, building tools and essential elements, the rest of the book's chapters deal with building specific types of model such as patterns and motifs, sculptures, large-scale figures, wildlife, cars, buildings and science fiction. In each, after Jordan has revealed the techniques and parts used in the models he's made, there's an interview with a well-known builder of the genre, for example Katie Walker on mosaics, Iain Heath on characters and Adam Grabowski on cars. Most make for interesting reading, Iain Heath's particularly so.
The book doesn't provide instructions for any models (except for a Lowrell sphere) as that would defeat the object of it: the whole point is to get you thinking creatively, to provide ideas and inspiration and to help answer the question 'how on earth was that built?' when you view other builders' models.
One thing the book is particularly good at is illustrating the use of parts in ways they were never designed to be used and will never be used like in official models, and which, therefore, you might never think of. For example, turning tyres inside out to either hide the tread or to make the body of an octopus. Jordan is also a big fan of using cloth parts for a myriad of different purposes as this owl illustrates.
There isn't much to be critical of: it's well written and illustrated. The only thing that bugged me a bit was the use of the term '318 part' which isn't really explained fully and certainly isn't a term I've heard used before. Turns out it's any element with a diameter of 3.18mm, such as a light sabre blade, pneumatic- or flexi-hose, or anything that fits in a minifig hand. I guess it was a term Jordan picked up while in Billund.
Also, I felt there was some confusion about when you should start with the head and when you shouldn't when building animals and people and I'm sure there was some contradiction in places.
So, is the book successful in achieving its aims? On the whole, I think it is. I enjoyed reading it and learned a few things despite being a seasoned AFOL. However, most of the models and techniques were familiar to me, probably because Jordan's models are so well known online.
Should you buy it? I have no hesitation in recommending the book if you fit the description at the start of this article but if you've been around a bit you probably know and have seen much of what's covered already. Having said that, it is a great book to flick through for inspiration and to admire Jordan's great work.
You can order it from Amazon: UK
Here are a few page spreads. You can also 'look inside' at Amazon, in particular at the table of contents.
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8 comments on this article
Never been much of a creative builder, but all I need is a stimulus to start thinking...
I might need to check this one out... if only for the interesting usage of parts. Those are the things that make me go "WOW!"
I'm fine with no instructions. LEGO Space BTF had instructions, and I couldn't even build 70% of the stuff!
I remember Jordan from the Save 9V Train days.
I've heard the term 318 used rarely on the New Elementary, but never anywhere else
A Lego Jingle Truck? BRILLIANT!
Boy - Amazon sure lets you read a lot before even buying! I was pretty sold on the book via the review Huw gave, but now that I've read so many of the pages, I am even more sold.
Sounds like this might be for me. Most of my city is made up of sets, with a few custom things scattered here and there. I'd love to do more of my own work, but I've always been a little intimidated by the amazing work found here and elsewhere on the net. This book might solve my problem!
Does anyone know of a book that provides even better technique details?