The course An Introduction to Design through Making provides a hands-on introduction to maker education. Course modules can be found at the link below:
The Bead Mosaic project builds on the work done in an earlier strand on the forum, Two-Dimensional Design.
The project focuses on simplifying designs to create art using pixel.
Use the Inkscape to create a pattern for the mosaic design.
Use the Silhouette die cutter to cut out the paper tray that will hold the beads.
Replicate your design on the cardstock using beads to create a physical version of the digital mosaic.
Use LEGO to prototype a support system for the mosaic.
Post an image of the collage in this strand with a note about the way in which was created and the related artistic goal.
We wanted to create an elephant that was simple to replicate and would not weigh too much when trying to design our support system prototype. We used only three colors, keeping it simple, and easy to recognize at first glance. For our prototype we put legos underneath the edges of the paper to lift it, almost like a frame. We also put legos around the edges of the elephant itself to stabilize the weight of the beads where it will weigh the most. Since it was unstable with only legos underneath, we built a frame on the outside of the paper so that if it is touched it would not budge so easily and the beads will not fall out.
Claire and Julia
Hippo Bead Mosaic
We wanted to continue with our hippo series, but make it 3D with beads. Initially, we ran into several problems with making the hippo have some sort of details because making it on a bead gird, it loses some of its realism. We wanted to originally have the hippo be standing up, like our most recent shadowbox hippo, but we found that it looked like a grey blob. We switched to a more profile, cartoon hippo look in order to make the hippo more obvious. Once we designed that, the cutting of the grid was simple, which then led to the other issues.
Once the grid was cut out, we began to place beads on it, but found that the beads rolled out of their holes. From there, we designed a lego frame that was a structure for stability to keep the beads in their holes. We had corners with visible legos that we used to pinch the paper down. Our lego grid worked well, but the grid is heavy with the amount of beads, so the paper sags. We have found that we need more stability in the center, so we are planning on further modifying the frame into something that will hold it more steady.
For my bead mosaic, I recreated the giraffe landscape I have been using in my previous projects. I first had to decide whether to use a grid shaped only like the giraffe or start with a blank grid and build the entire scene myself. I chose the blank grid because I wanted it to feel more like the beadwork Professor Joe showed us in class, and it gave me more flexibility to change the design as I worked. After importing the grid into Inkscape, I filled in the holes with different colors to create a digital mock-up of the giraffe and landscape. This took a long time, but it helped a lot because it became my guide when I printed the grid and started placing the beads. To keep the beads from rolling off, we elevated the paper using Legos. I wedged the paper between Lego pieces around the edges and attached them to a baseplate to keep everything stable. However, since my paper grid did not perfectly match the size of the lego baseplate, the border pieces did not fully connect, which caused the paper to sag slightly as I added more beads. For the design, I added a green strip of grass to create contrast and used blue beads for the sky. I also wanted to add a sun in the corner where there are no beads, but I ran out of time. Overall, I am happy with how it turned out. If I did it again, I would make sure the paper size matched the baseplate exactly for better support, and I would probably make a giraffe shaped grid as oppose to a blank grid because placing all the blue beads for the background took much longer than I expected.
My partner, Yujin Seo, and I made a bead mosaic of an East African impala. We wanted to switch things up as we had used the same leopard setting in the previous two projects. To ensure our bead project would be as creative as possible, we wanted to make it look as “realistic” as possible. We used several colors to create a dynamic look, the browns being key to making the impala have more depth.
For the base, we created a frame of Legos with a second layer frame on top that would create a slit. This would allow us to slide the grid in. We did use a bit of tape on the sides afterward to help the grid stay in place, just for extra support.
This project was very relaxing as we ran into little to no problems. We found it to be very relaxing to place in the beads. It felt like one of those satisfying online art games we love so much. Overall, we are super happy with how the project is turning out so far.
I created a bead mosaic with the same giraffe silhouette that I’ve used in previous projects. This time however, I changed my background from the acacia tree on a blue sunny day, to an evening sunset. For my bead work I decided to only bead in the giraffe and the grass, leaving the sunset background as the plain cardstock. I hoped that this would create some interesting contrast and help focus on the subject at hand. I decided to keep a yellow giraffe and a dark green grass silhouette underneath the beads to make the image clearer, as without my giraffe looked less like a distinguishable animal, and more like a blob. The cutouts also helped me layout the beads as it was very obvious where to fill in and which colors to use.
I added some small brown spots to my giraffe, a detail which I think makes the animal stand out more. For the grass, I used a few different shades a green, where the colors got lighter towards the center right underneath the sun. The intention was to imitate how a setting sun often illuminates the landscape.
I created a base using Legos to elevate my paper outline, so that the underneath of the beads wouldn’t directly touch the table. Otherwise, the beads won’t be stable and will roll right off the page. I first created a rectangular frame of Legos that fit right under the border of the paper. I extended the width of the border and extended the height of the outer layer with a thinner piece of Lego. Finally, I attached another thin piece of Lego that goes over the outer layer and slightly on the paper to hold it in place. To stabilize the center, I placed Lego pieces in areas where there were no hole cutouts (right behind the sunset background). I found my frame to be quite sturdy and stable and had no issues placing my beads.
My partner, Kennedy, and I (Annalise) created a bead mosaic of a lion. We had originally been creating art with an image of an African Bush Elephant. With this lion we decided to make it simple and look almost like a cartoon lion. We tried to stick with basic colors, but added a few different colors of gray for the rock that the lion is standing on.
We made the base with legos. To do this, we stacked legos on all four corners and connected a piece on top of each corner to hold each corner in place. We added blocks underneath the edges to add stability as well.
Overall, we had a great time creating our bead mosaic. We had to be careful when placing the beads but our frame helped. It was fun to use beads to create an image and to pick out the vibrant colored beads. We loved creating our lion and thought it looked very cute. It would be fun to see what other animals we could create in this form!
