LEGO Art Van Gogh Sunflowers designer reveals how a masterpiece was built
The designer behind 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers has revealed what it took to create a LEGO Art version of the iconic masterpiece.
The LEGO Art theme will be gaining another brick-built version of a famous painting next month, when 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers launches on March 1. The 2,615-piece set is based on one of the artist’s most well-known pieces or artwork, created when Van Gogh was enjoying a positive and fulfilling time in his life.
The designer behind 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers has revealed how he recreated the masterpiece in LEGO form and just what went into translating the painting into its upcoming three-dimensional brick form.
“Initially, I worked on a very rough first concept sketch,” said Stijn Oom. “With LEGO bricks, there is the possibility of going into a full 3D translation, but we decided to stay close to the original and limit the extrusion. Using our LEGO system as a medium, we look for existing elements that relate to the shapes and brushstrokes in the original artwork. This way we can decide the scale and size of the model.”
Adapting the iconic artwork into a LEGO Art set also required that the design team had to collaborate with The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings, drawings and letters in the world.
“The connection helped us to elevate this work to a new level,” explained Stijn. “Besides getting in-detail feedback and suggestions as to how to improve the model, they also provided us with a 1:1 replica that was sent to our office in Billund, Denmark. The replica gave us great insight and helped us determine the right colours to use for the LEGO set.”
In fact achieving the correct look and colours for 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers proved to be the biggest challenge for the LEGO Art design team.
“My objective as a designer changes from trying to use exactly the right colours,” Stijn elaborated. “to finding a colour balance and harmony that mimics the original artwork. Of course, we also were at liberty to play with the natural shadows created by the bricks, creating a gradient in colour.”
You’ll be able to check out the results for yourself when 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers releases on March 1, 2025, with the LEGO Art set priced at £169.99 / $199.99 / €199.99.
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