How Dominoes Can Be Arranged to Create Amazing 3-D Sculptures
Dominoes are a type of tile game that features rows and columns of squares (known as “pips” or “bones”) that can be played individually or stacked together. They can be purchased commercially in sets of 28 tiles or larger. The tiles may be colored, inlaid or painted with a variety of designs.
Some domino sets are made from materials like stone, ceramic clay and frosted glass or crystal, though the most common material is plastic. They often include a line in the middle that divides the tile into two squares, called ends. Some sets feature a variety of pips, and some even have a different set of numbers on each end.
These different styles of dominoes have their own distinctive characteristics, such as the shape of the tiles, the size and design of the lines, the number of pips or spots on each side and the colors of the pips. Many people prefer to use dominoes for playing positional games, where each player places a tile edge to edge against another in such a way that the adjacent faces are either identical (e.g., 5 to 5) or form some specified total.
One of the most striking aspects of these different kinds of dominoes is how they can be arranged to create complex, mind-boggling structures. Using this principle, professional domino artist Lily Hevesh makes incredible creations that are reminiscent of 3-D sculptures or architectural designs.
She uses a version of the engineering-design process to create her works, incorporating ideas she might have if she were working in the field of architecture or interior design. For example, if she wanted to make a domino installation with an architectural theme, she might brainstorm what she would need for the design and then think about the materials and textures she’d want to incorporate in her construction.
As she creates her domino installations, Hevesh focuses on the details, making sure that each piece is well spaced so that it can fall smoothly. She also carefully calculates how much of each color she needs to make the design work.
This strategy is based on the idea of the “domino effect.” In 1983, physicist Lorne Whitehead wrote an article in the American Journal of Physics that demonstrated how the energy released by a small domino can help knock over a much bigger domino. When applied to personal development, the domino effect suggests that focusing on one activity can lead to the progress of many others.
It is important to keep this in mind as you begin to implement new habits into your life. The best way to do this is to follow three rules: a) break each behavior into small, manageable pieces; b) make progress; and c) maintain momentum.
Keeping these rules in mind will ensure that your new behaviors will have the greatest chance of cascading into new habits. Taking time to reflect on your current habits and how they are going can also help you decide which ones to pursue and how to improve them.