One Maze - Many designs - experiment #20

This is a continuation of my maze design experiments. Read about it in post #1, One Maze - Many designs, and so on with a new post every Friday.

The original maze:

I used Inkscape filters for the last time I think. I seem to have used all of them by now that were able to be used (I have not mixed and matched them however).

• The first maze uses something called canvas bumps, bit I would call it old school tv screen static.

• The second maze uses glowing bubbles and while I do not see any bubbles, I do see what looks like bubble light reflection on some of the internal walls.

• The third maze uses a filter fire which I was excited about, until I saw what was generated. It put the maze on fire, I guess.

• The fourth maze uses the silk carpet filter and makes the maze wavy with some light reflection in specific locations.

• The fifth maze uses ink blot and makes me think I need glasses.

I had these made for awhile and I waited to post them, but they never got better while sitting in my folder. I do not expect to use any of these unless I have a tv screen static illustration.

Canvas Bumps maze

Glowing Bubbles maze

Maze on fire

silk carpet filter maze

Ink Blot maze

Maze Art: Advanced Tips to Creating Your Own Masterpiece

So you want to make some maze art. I’m here to help. I will take you through some things to think about and give you tips to make the best possible mazes. I can’t construct a maze for you, and while maze art, like all art is subjective, my goal is to help you make your mazes more interesting. Ideally, you will layer on your own particular style and make beautiful mazes. My goal is to help you Unlock the Secrets of Maze Art.

Before we get started:

I assume you understand how to make a maze and just want advanced and specific instruction and tips. If not start with the blog post how to make a standard maze. On this website I have a section on how to make a maze includes over 40 different maze types (and there are even more types not shown made by others) if you want - browse around for some inspiration and ideas.

Maze Construction:

I also have done a series of blog posts that pull together different aspects of maze making, like starting and ending a maze that will help you see the different options and come up with a style you like. Personally I like to experiment often, but build off of 2 things: the first is making more of what I like while the second is making mazes similar to what is successful on the site ! Tip #1 - Make lots of experimental mazes. When I initially made mazes on this website, and I used to make daily mazes, I did a large variety of maze types and constructions. I also did monthly voting where people could vote for their favorite mazes. This feedback was essential to help me find my lane. Tip #2 - Get feedback. Some options: Voting, posting mazes online in the reddit mazes forum, looking at traffic on your site by maze. I prefer to ask strangers vs. friends and family, because friends and family tend to only give uncritical, positive feedback. They also do not have a passion for mazes while anyone on the maze forum does.

Here are the 3 blog posts that deal with Maze Construction:

Part 1 - Options for Starting and Ending a Maze

Part 2 - Maze Pathway options

Part 3 - Conditional Pathway options

And some case studies:

Using Color for Maze Pathways - A Case Study

Maze Design Case Study - Designing a Grid Maze in Different Difficulty levels

A Case Study - The Free Stamp Maze

My first attempt at a how-to for making maze art is my project that made Maze of the Week #46 - The Free Stamp, located in Cleveland, Ohio. I turned this into a case study that includes step by step instructions. Let’s look at those 6 steps, each of which has a few tips in the how-to. Here I will add some additional tips specifically suggested to elevate the quality of your maze.

STEP 1 - CHOOSE YOUR MAZE SUBJECT

• While your neighbor’s shed may make a nice maze…will anyone really care ? Tip #3 - Famous landmarks/locations/objects get more interest. 5 of my top 6 voted mazes from last year were of famous buildings. Here are some examples: The Louvre, Sydney Opera House, Rock N Rock Hall of Fame. This is my way of saying the subject matter matters (usually). If you are making a cool geometric maze, or a colorful puzzle maze, then then the subject is generic, and then it does not matter.

• I specialize in making mazes of buildings and signs. I like them as subjects and make them well. Other maze artists specialize in cityscapes, comics, map mazes, or colorful landscapes. One thing I am terrible at is drawing faces. Human faces are difficult to draw and if you have that skill you should use it. Making a human face that is recognizable as a specific person is even more impressive, so if you have that very difficult skill - leverage it ! Tip #4 - Leverage your unique skills. This could also be Specialize in the maze types you do best.

STEP 2 - TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SUBJECT (OPTIONAL)

• Tip #5 - Take lots of detailed pictures of your subject. I will explain this later with an example !

STEP 3 - DRAW THE MAIN OUTLINE OF THE SUBJECT

• When I first started making mazes I tried to have each maze fit on a standard size piece of paper. This made me leave out details I wanted to include and not optimize the shape of the artwork. Now, I make mazes that fit the subject matter- tall, short, boxy. Tip #6 - Don’t worry about “fitting” the maze into a particular size. If a maze needs more room, take it !

STEP 4 - BEGIN THE DESIGN OF THE MAZE

• My best mazes all took the longest amount of time to make. It is not a perfect correlation but it is definitely there. For me, the juice is worth the squeeze. Tip #7 - Slow down and take your time. Don’t rush. Take your time. Get it the way you want it.

STEP 5 - DRAW THE MAZE

STEP 6 - MAKE ANY AESTHETIC CHANGES TO COMPLETE THE MAZE - COLOR, SIZE, BORDER, TITLE

• Not sure if this tip becomes part of step 6 or a new Step 7. Tip #8 - Add as many small details in the maze as possible. Even if they are not relevant to the solving of the maze. In my ‘how - to’ I give this example of a maze of The Alamo - and I repeat it here:

Example 1 - The Alamo

Part 1. I think a lot of people would recognize this maze without a label or title. This maze was done quickly and was made for kids.

Part 2. - Here is the detailed maze of The Alamo Mission which I remade.

Do I even need to comment on which maze has been more popular ? Both are recognizable as the Alamo Mission. What did I do to improve the maze ? I added a lot more detail. I spent more time. And this was not my last version.

Part 3. Even more detail. I added textures, and extended the illustrations to the corners of the paper. Added sky, ground, grass.

Example 2 - The Lotus Temple Maze

This maze is all about shadowing. Depending on your subject matter this could become it’s own tip (Consider adding shadows) It is the #1 thing I struggle with adding or not adding to a maze…here is an example where the use improved the finished product, the Lotus Temple Maze.

This gallery shows 3 versions of the same maze. The first is in black and white. The second with shadows, and the third fully colored. In my opinion the shadows add a lot to the illustration.

Lotus Temple Maze black and white

Lotus Temple Maze with shadows

Lotus Temple Maze in color

Example 3 -  Templo de Sangre de Cristo Photos
I decided to make a maze of a church near my house. I went to the church and took a picture from an angle that I thought would look good. I went through the steps of making the maze…and when I got about 80% done I went back to the church and took more pictures (close-up this time) of items on the church and the surrounding area that could be included in the maze. Here is a collage of some of the details I added ! Similar to the Alamo example, without these details the maze is still good, but adding details enhances the interest in the maze. I will repeat the top again: Tip #5 - Take lots of detailed pictures of your subject.

Can you find the details from the photos above of in the final maze ? Each photo in the above collage can be found below !

Example 4 - The Louvre

This is one of my most popular mazes. A world famous building that everyone knows. But look at it closely. The maze is completely housed in the pyramid. This part of the maze was easy to make. The details of the other buildings of the Louvre in the background have nothing to do with the maze, but without them this maze is completely different. Those buildings took more time to create and really change the illustration. Let’s compare them:

Compare to this version without the background buildings:

Nio background buildings

A few of you might prefer the 2nd cleaner version….but without the label do you know that is the Louvre Museum ? You know it is a pyramid, and a modern one because of the straight lines/edges, but that’s about it.

Tip #9 - Know what you are drawing. This sounds obvious but it is not. I realized this myself while making some of my own mazes. The best example to illustrate this is if I asked you to draw a brick wall. Let’s look at the most common way this would be done below. Looks like a brick wall.

Brick Wall

What did I draw ? I did not draw bricks. I drew the mortar. Maybe it is not important, but maybe it could be. And what did I draw below ? Bricks in a brick wall. Know what you are drawing !

Tip #10 - Make the maze solving fun. This applies for all mazes, but with maze art this will keep people coming back to your work. Tip #11 - Know who you are designing for. These tips go together. If you make a maze for kids do not make it really difficult. If you make a maze for maze enthusiasts, make it more difficult. Mazes for the masses should be medium difficulty. How do you make a maze more enjoyable to solve ? By making the difficulty level equal to the solvers ability. I have written 2 blog posts about how to design a maze with many difficulty levels if you want a deep dive on the subject.

Case Study - Making Maze Art in 3 Different Difficulties

Maze Design Case Study - Designing a Grid Maze in Different Difficulty levels

Here is a summary of all of the maze making tips:

Tip #1 - Make lots of experimental mazes.

Tip #2 - Get feedback.

Tip #3 - Famous landmarks/locations/objects get more interest.

Tip #4 - Leverage your unique skills. Specialize in the maze types you do best.

Tip #5 - Take lots of detailed pictures of your subject.

Tip #6 - Don’t worry about “fitting” the maze into a particular size.

Tip #7 - Slow down and take your time.

Tip #8 - Add as many small details in the maze as possible.

Tip #9 - Know what you are drawing.

Tip #10 - Make the maze solving fun.

Tip #11 - Know who you are designing for.

I hope my 11 tips help you make your own masterpiece ! I think you would also enjoy my blog about Francesco Segala - The world's first maze artist !

Maze Prints for Sale: Decorate Your Home with Mazes

I recently wrote a blog about How to Make Maze Art in 6 “Easy” Steps. Yes, the easy was and is in quotes. I gave many examples from my own library of items that I believe qualify as maze art. Today I want to take you around the internet and show you some examples of maze prints that are for sale.

Each piece is linked to on external sites so when you click on the link you will have the opportunity to buy some very cool pieces ! Now, I will mention that a few of these pieces do NOT have a solvable maze….

Art Maze by Kris Ardrey, Labyrinth Wall Decor

From Etsy. A print available in 2 sizes (A1 and A2). Artwork that looks like a maze. Really cool use of empty spaces to give the maze more interest. I have it shown long ways, but really it could just as easily be hung horizontally.

Animal Alphabet Maze Letters for Full Name Wall Art Print

From Etsy. Mazes of animal themed letters that can be combined to spell words on a children’s wall. Available in 3 sizes. By Jujydesign. Each letter IS a solvable maze ! Everyone loves to have their name made into a maze !! Hopefully you have a short name.

Labyrinthian Metropolis - cityscape art print

From Etsy. From TimStokesArt. A really cool print of a cityscape where the roadways and walkways are all a large maze. Great concept that is well executed. It would be very difficult for someone to see this on the wall and not check it out. Available in 3 sizes. The artist has many other similar looking prints style wise, but this maze one of course was my favorite.

Brutalist Maze Art Print

Spore Maze Art Print

Available on Society6 from maze artist Sean C Jackson. Available in 5 sizes. I suggest checking out his entire store which includes multiple versions of maze prints. These are wonderful, solvable mazes appropriate for all ages. He also has branded books (Star Wars, Marvel and Disney for example) you can purchase thru links on his website.

Whimsical Maze Prints by gorff

The artist gorff has a large amount of prints for sale on redbubble, but I was drawn to their maze section that features 20+ options. Lots of geometrical mazes and some more budget friendly options. Here are 2 to give you an idea of the work, but there are many styles to choose from. 3D Cube Maze & Labyrinth Photographic Print; Colorful Shapes Maze Art Print

A 3D Maze Poster from Pasieka

I found this maze poster on Science Source Prints. Very cool perspective of a 3D maze shown at an angle from above. You can find other maze and labyrinth prints on the site with a quick search, but this is my favorite. I see an entrance in the top right corner….but where is the other break in the outer wall ?

Did you find anything you like ? I think these are some cool prints to decorate a room.

Additional Posts you may like:

Maze items for gift lovers

The Largest Arrow Maze in the World

Free Downloadable Maze books

How to Draw Large Circuit Circular Labyrinths

Today we look at how to digitally make a circular labyrinth with 9 or more circuits. This method is a draw and cut method, meaning you will be making edits that remove lines you have previously drawn as you move thru the steps. It is possible to use a drawing only method but I think it is much more complicated with many more steps. Let’s get started. Here is what you can expect:

PART 1 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF CIRCUITS

PART 2 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF SECTIONS

PART 3 - CHOOSE YOUR THICKNESS

PART 4 - STEPS ON HOW TO DRAW THE LARGE CIRCULAR LABYRINTH

PART 1 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF CIRCUITS

We are covering multiple sizes of labyrinths in this post, so your first task is to choose how many circuits you want your labyrinth to have. From my research project on labyrinths in the US, I found that 87% of labyrinths in the US have an odd number of circuits. This explains why most directions are for odd numbers.

PART 2 - CHOOSE YOUR NUMBER OF SECTIONS

Labyrinths can be broken into sections that typically correspond to the shape of the labyrinth. Triangular labyrinths naturally fit 3 sections, but octagonal labyrinths do not look good with 3 sections. The nice thing about circular labyrinths is that they can look good with any number of sections. Divide 360 by the number of sections you want. That tells you where to place the sections in a 360 degree circle. All of the below are 9 circuit labyrinths, but they have 1, 2, 3, 12, 6 and 4 sections respectively. You can also mix and match sections that are divisible…more on that later.

PART 3 - CHOOSE YOUR THICKNESS

This is just an aesthetic choice that can be adjusted at the end of the process if you are making a digital labyrinth. I prefer the thicker lines for drawing and the thinner lines for real world labyrinths that you walk.

View fullsize

View fullsize

PART 4 - STEPS ON HOW TO DRAW THE LARGE CIRCULAR LABYRINTH

Step 1: Draw # Concentric Circles

Draw 1 more concentric circle than the number of circuits you want. A 9 circuit labyrinth requires 10 circles. A 17 circuit labyrinth requires 18 circles. Each circle should be an equal distance between one another and centered around the middle circle. The middle circle will become the labyrinths goal. Here are 10 for example:

Step 2: Draw the Inner Walls that become the sections

First draw the final processional pathway to the goal. Use 2 lines to draw a pathway from the center to the bottom edge (notice neither are at 6 o’clock). The right line will stop one circle short of the outer circle. If you want a single section you are ready to move to step 3. Otherwise you need to draw your sections based off of 360/# sections. Here is a 9 circuit with 4 sections showing the “flow” of the labyrinth from goal to start in red. You go in one section (towards the center), then out (away from the center), then in, then out. I noted with blue arrows where the turns will be.

Now the good news, bad news. You can mix sections when creating a labyrinth. In the below step 2 the outer circuit rings are in 2 sections with the inner using 4. Personally, I prefer consistent sections, but they are not required.

Step 3: Add Pathways Where Needed

Create the pathway to the goal by erasing the circle sections at 6 o’clock. Create an entrance to the labyrinth just to the left of 6 o’clock. The other pathways will depend on the number of sections you have. From the goal work backwards, opening turnback’s as needed. Here are what the above labyrinths look like when complete. The first version has 4 sections while the second version is mixed between 2 and 4.

That completes the drawing of a 9 Circuit Circular Labyrinth.

In the real world there are not many labyrinths above 11 circuits, but that doesn’t mean we can’t draw them. Let’s do a quick gallery on how to make a 17 circuit circular labyrinth and a 25 circuit using what we just learned. Here is the 17 circuit. 18 concentric circles. 4 sections.

And here is a 25 circuit circular labyrinth. 26 concentric circles. Mixed sections of 2 and 4.

Check out this post to see how other constructions look and compare.

Other posts that may interest you:

10 of the Most Frequently asked Questions about Labyrinths, with Answers

The 8 best books about mazes, labyrinths and their history

The Top 12 Maze Generation Websites