Original Nanoblock Art

You know how some creative kids just won't colour between the lines? Grown-up fans of Nanoblock (the micro-sized Japanese building bricks) are like that too. When these artists have had their fun with the boxed kit Nanoblock construction sets, they load up on extra sets of basic bricks and start creating the most fantastic original Nanoblock art - outside of the box models.

Take a look!

Photo: Himeji Castleby smashmedia [CC BY-SA 2.0] on Flickr

Yes, this is an original-design model from the creative Nanoblock artist who goes by the handle ChrisNanoblock. Take a look at Chris's Nanoblock Blog and you'll soon see why I believe he's the ranking Nanoblock artist outside of Japan... possibly worldwide. (If you are aware of another worthy contender for the title, please let me know in the comments -- we'll have a fun face-off on the question!)

Just like LEGO and all the other (normal sized or giant) building blocks toys, Nanoblock micro-sized building bricks are sold in a wide variety of sets or kits intended to build one specific model, with all the pieces you'd need to assemble that figure but no more. For the true Nanoblock artist, bent on original creation, this is not adequate. Some collect a large number of Nanoblock sets and combine them to get a pool of pieces from which to create their own models, but by far the easiest way to get the number and variety of blocks needed to "color outside the lines" of standard figures is to lay in a supply of Basics, with generic color sets like primary colors, darktones, or black/white/grey sets.

Nanoblock Award 2011 Entry - Artist: MIWattL

Mizumoto Rin posted this miniature book on Facebook, with this comment:

My mom made a miniature book with this nanoblock.

It's the first nanoblock miniature book of the world!!

With three-dimensional pages of extreme cuteness, the teensy-tiny book opens 180 degrees. It was @MIWattL's entry in the "No Limit" section of the Nanoblock Awards 2011 competition.

Here's a selection of some of Chris Tan's other original designs made of Nanoblock bricks:

This hand sculpture reminds me of a piece of modern architecture, with cantilever levels hanging out over a precipice of dizzying heights. In this construction, as with the wristwatch model below (same artist), the apparent - deceptive! - simplicity of the piece is a large part of its charm. It's all about the line and the balance. I particularly like the decision to create the Nanoblock Hand all in white building bricks. Made all in one colour, the artistic lines of it are dominant, and the clever placement of the tiny building blocks almost is secondary to the viewer's appreciation.

At first glance, the Nanoblock watch is deceptively simple to look at, but just watch it rotate on the display turntable and thing about the planning that went into creating the band so that it would balance so neatly. It's very Japanese in its aesthetic - like the Nanoblock Hand, above, by the same Japanese artist who goes by the pseudonym googoodatte on YouTube.

My grasp of the Japanese language is shaky at best - understatement! - but I believe this model is a blend of the Nanoblock Space Shuttle set with the artist's own imagination.