Arch, Rectangles, and Half-Cylinders.

I was thinking, “what could I make that would force me to internalize a variety of methods and techniques all while sticking with the shapes we agreed on?”. I started with the arch because it was the most complex block and was immediately reminded of the Greco-Roman arches of yore. But a simple door way wasn’t romantic enough for me, and so i decided I would make the gates to paradise.

For the doorway, I had to rotate the long skinnies in 3 different directions (including a barrel roll) and lock them precisely into place to ensure fit. For the steps, a rotation from  the top-view was required as well as a height adjustment. The cloud platform on the bottom necessitated a very precise alignment to get the desired effect right.

I then colored the entire thing along a spectrum, a touch that complimented its verticallity. The most difficult part was not knowing keyboard shortcuts and having to manually select each tool. I’d often forget which block i had highlighted or what tool i was using and ruin the whole thing.

When you click a block to be imported or pasted, the initial click determines its vertacility and the subsequent manipulation affects only its depth and left/right orientation. That insight made the latter half of this design much less of an ordeal.

Start simple. Variety of method and techniques, not quantity of blocks. Also, try to not think about grades. Fact of the matter is that for this type of learning, being externally motivated by a grade hampers  creativity. Your best work will come about when you lose track of time, and “dim the part of the brain responsible for self editing”.

“Happiness is Absorption” – T.E. Laurence