Maze of the Week #20 - Cabana Inn Sign Maze

We return to signs for our 20th maze of the year. From Boise, Idaho we have a very interesting and colorful hotel sign from the Cabana Inn. The sign is wonderful but the maze is very simple since I only used the white background for a standard maze construction (and almost a vertical construction).

Some information about Cabana Inn

Located in downtown Boise, Idaho this budget hotel is at the center of all of the cities many attractions. I never thought it would have a video on YouTube, but maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. And it features the sign !

And before we get to the actual maze, here is a photo of the sign for reference from Jasperdo (flickr).

Photo from Jasperdo, flickr

The maze:

A fun sign with great colors and a simple maze.

Cabana Inn Sign Maze

I hope you enjoy the mazes. You can find downloads of the maze on it’s dedicated webpage.

Coming next week:

Another sign maze, this one from the beach !

How to Make a 11 Circuit Diamond Labyrinth

In this post I will show you how to draw an 11 circuit diamond labyrinth. A diamond shaped labyrinth is not common but I like the way it looks when completed and you have a few interesting aesthetic choices to make when you design your own that I will review.

How to Draw an 11 Circuit Diamond Labyrinth

Step 1 Draw 12 concentric diamonds

These will become your guides for the drawing of the labyrinth. Note that the number of circuits you want add one and that is how many concentric layers you need for any labyrinth creation.

PROTIP: Start your drawing with the center goal so you do not run out of room !

AESTHETIC CHOICE: For this example my diamond was made using a 2/3 grid (2 over, 3 up) giving it a sharp angle. My 7 circuit uses a square turned by 45 degrees to create the diamond.

Step 1 - Draw 12 concentric diamonds

Step 2 Draw the outer wall, and pathway to the goal

At the 6 o’clock portion of the center diamond, draw a centered pathway to the edge, while keeping the right side open for the outer pathway on the right. Extend the left pathway to the edge and then create the outer wall all the way around the diamond, leaving only the entrance pathway open on the bottom left of the diamond.

Step 3 Begin the internal pathways

Draw the entrance pathway all the way towards the goal, stopping when you hit the second diamond layer. Continue this pathway around the center goal, leaving the pathway open on the bottom right of the second center diamond.

Take the right pathway from the center goal and continue it counterclockwise around the diamond, stopping to keep the pathway open on the bottom left of the diamond.

Step 4 Continue drawing the internal pathways

In the center portion of the diamond, draw a turnback pathway in the third concentric diamond, creating a second pathway from the center goal. Keep the pathway open on the bottom left for a turnback the other way in the next step.

In the outer layers, draw the second outer pathway from the bottom left to the right side, clockwise, ensuring to not close the pathway on the bottom right.

Step 5 + Finish the internal pathways

Continue drawing pathways from each direction until they meet.

Step 6 Delete guides and make aesthetic changes

Delete your guidelines.

AESTHETIC CHOICE: In this step I decided the labyrinth looked a bit flimsy with walls so thin, so I decided to change to a standard equal construction by thickening the walls.

AESTHETIC CHOICE: For any labyrinth with sharp angles the turn-backs will be deeper than normal. If you do not like the way it works, you can fill-in the turn-backs to give the labyrinth a different look (and in this case one that I prefer).

11 circuit diamond labyrinth with turn-backs

That concludes our instructions. Good luck in making your own design !

Additional posts you might like:

The 12 best maze/labyrinth movies of all time

The Louvre Maze

Spillway Lanes Sign Maze

World Record Hand Drawn Maze - 1,500 Feet long

If you are a maze lover you will love this story.

If you love to solve mazes this maze might be a bit intimidating.

If you are a maze maker you will really appreciate how much work this is to make.

If you are a record holder of anything, you understand the dedication and time that doing something like this takes.

In case you missed it, the world record for longest hand drawn maze (at around 1,500 ft long) was recently broken by Michigan based artist Michelle Boggess-Nunley. To read about the maze which took about 300 hours to make, her life, and her mazes check out this article which includes a nice long interview.

To find her artwork, check out her website where you can buy maze prints and downloads. She also has some really nice non-maze artwork available.

Why not get deep into the rabbit hole with a video about the making of the record maze:

And you can even watch some of the previous record holders. Here is a video of Eric Eckert making the previous maze that measured 1,072.08 square feet ! You can read about his maze making in the linked article.

And records are made to be broken. Before Eric then record was held by Joe Wos (his maze was 4ft x 30ft). Here is an article about that maze. Joe currently runs MazeToons, his website dedicated to maze cartoons. Here is his video:

Would you like to be a part of this blog post ? “Just” break the record and I’ll add you. Good luck !

A Comparison of 5 different types of 11 Circuit Labyrinths

I have previously shown how to make a variety of digital labyrinth drawings. The ones I reviewed fell into one of 5 categories: classical labyrinths, square labyrinths, circular labyrinths, octagonal and hexagonal labyrinths. Today we are going to take a quick look at the five different structures and compare them. We will also discuss the different symbolism associated with each labyrinth shape.

First let’s look at the seed patterns. For the classical and square labyrinths you can use the same seed pattern show below. None of the circular, octagonal, and hexagonal labyrinths have traditional starting seeds beyond their inherent shapes.

Next let’s look at the connections for the labyrinths that use this seed pattern. The difference between a square and classical labyrinth is simple, and that is the shape of the connections between the seed endings. Here is the first move for each, one square and one curved (each makes the destination of the labyrinth).

Both also use the following seed connections to finish the drawing of the labyrinth:

For a square labyrinth you also have a second option to create a larger square goal if you prefer (the seed is shown with a green background guide below). This is more likely to be found in a real world labyrinth to allow labyrinth walkers to have a large center to rest/meditate in. On the right you see the final version of this center goal variation.

What about the starting seeds for the other 3 types of labyrinths ? Well it seems they go their own way. While they also have 11 circuits, the making of them differs significantly from the classical and the square versions. They also have more variety in the way they are constructed, including allowing the creator to make some aesthetic choices along the way.

Let’s first look at the starting patterns:

Circular - 12 concentric circles

Octagonal - 12 concentric octagons

Hexagonal - 12 concentric hexagons

We have consistency here, we just change the shape. If you did not already know, the # of concentric shapes needed is always 1 greater than the number of circuits you want. So, if you wanted to make a 7 circuit pentagonal labyrinth, you need to start with 8 concentric pentagons. If you go back to our seeding pattern for both the square/classical labyrinths you’ll notice that there are 12 seeded connections there also ! So this math is consistent across all constructions.

The next step in drawing each of these labyrinths is determining how many turn-backs or sections you would like the labyrinth to have, and it really is your personal choice. There is no standard way to draw the walls and turn-backs like you find with the classical labyrinth. I typically make 4 sections for my step by step instructions, but I have made 1,2,4 and 8 sections for most shapes with one exception, the hexagonal looks best in 6 sections vs. 8 for obvious reasons. Similarly, a pentagon would look natural with 5 sections.

Here are the 1,2,4, and 8 section octagonal labyrinths:

Here are the 1,2,4, and 6 section hexagonal labyrinths:

And finally the 1,2,4, and 8 section circular labyrinths:

Once you have chosen the number of turn-backs, you can also make 3 more design aesthetics:

Wall or Line Thickness:

For my examples, the hexagonal and octagonal labyrinths each used standard equal constructions (the wall and pathway thicknesses were the same). I like the way they look. All of my other examples used a regular construction. Here is what a circular labyrinth would look like in standard equal construction. All labyrinths can be made in either construction. Which do you prefer ?

Left-handed vs. Right-handed Labyrinths:

All 5 versions of these labyrinths can be created as either right handed or left handed. Every example in this discussion so far has been right handed. The left handed versions is the mirror image of what I have shown. This is difficult to notice for most people except for the classical labyrinth where it is apparent as shown below (although you would notice the handedness of any labyrinth that you were walking I imagine):

Labyrinth Orientation

The last variation applies to only the octagonal and hexagonal labyrinths construction (or any other shape you decide to use). For geometric shapes you may start the initial pathway centered on a wall, as all the above examples have done, or you may start the labyrinth on a corner. Here is the 4 sectioned hexagon with each orientation. Notice that the section lines are placed in the same place for each version.

So that concludes our discussion and comparison of the 5 main types of labyrinths. I hope I have inspired you to create your own !

More shapes to consider:

Following the basic steps I have outlined you can create additional shaped labyrinths. I think once you get to a decagon (10 sided) and dodecagon (12 sided) regular shaped polygons you are close enough to a circle that that would be the preferred construction. A pentagon and triangle are certainly both possible, although not commonly seen. Similarly, irregular polygonal shapes are possible but typically not drawn, just used in the real world because a rock/tree/other is in the way of the path.

Here is the final comparison. Which do you prefer ?

Labyrinths - Shape and Symbolism

The symbolism of labyrinths is complex and varied. Some people see them as symbols of the journey of life, while others see them as representations of the universe or the mind. Labyrinths can also be seen as metaphors for the challenges that we face in life and the rewards that we can reap if we persevere. Here is a look at some of the symbolism found in the most common shapes:

Most Classical labyrinths have 7 circuits. The 7 circuits represent the 7 stages of life: birth, childhood, youth, adulthood, middle age, old age, and death.

Square labyrinths are often seen as representing the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water),

Circular labyrinths are often seen as representing the cycle of life.

Hexagonal Labyrinths may have been made for a variety of reasons. One theory is that the number 6 has symbolic significance in many cultures. It is often associated with creation, completion, and balance. For example, in the Bible, God created the world in six days, and the Star of David has six points. It is possible that the builders of labyrinths used the number 6 because they believed that it had special powers or meaning.

Step by step instructions on how to draw digital labyrinths.