By Mohammed Al Riyaz D · Published · Updated
Rubik's Cube art gallery
These simplified digital mock-ups show how different subjects can map to the six standard cube colours. They are planning examples generated as colour grids, not photographs of finished physical mosaics.
Ready to try your own? Open the generator and drop in a photo, or read the step-by-step build guide first.
Mona Lisa
Classical portrait · 16 × 24 cubes
Warm skin tones map to orange and yellow; the famous dark backdrop resolves to deep blue and green at cube scale.
Einstein
High-contrast portrait · 20 × 20 cubes
Black-and-white source images translate cleanly — whites become white stickers, shadows become blue, mid-tones become green.
Sunset over the ocean
Landscape · 24 × 16 cubes
Sunset palettes are ideal — the source colours already sit almost exactly on the red-orange-yellow arc of the cube palette.
Tech logo
Brand identity · 12 × 12 cubes
Flat-colour vector logos are the fastest wins — no dithering needed, and every sticker maps directly to a brand colour.
Pop-art comic panel
Flat illustration · 18 × 18 cubes
Comic art uses bold flat fills and thick outlines — exactly what the six-colour palette handles best.
Album cover
Graphic design · 20 × 20 cubes
Iconic covers with big shapes and limited palettes scale beautifully. Great starter project — recognisable at 20 cubes wide.
Worked planning examples
Four of the subjects above are worked through in more detail below: cube count, size, what to test in the generator, and how the palette handles the subject. These are planning scenarios, not records of completed physical builds, so size, weight and time are given as calculations you complete with your own measured cubes.
How the six colours are used in every example
| Colour | Typical role |
|---|---|
| White | Brightest highlights and pale background areas |
| Yellow | Warm highlights and bright mid-tones |
| Orange | Warm mid-tones |
| Red | Warm shadows and accents |
| Green | Cool mid-tones and foliage |
| Blue | Darkest values and cool shadows |
Worked example: a 16 × 24 Mona Lisa mosaic
This digital planning scenario explores a difficult subject: a softly lit face and muted background rendered with only six saturated colours. It is not evidence of a completed physical build.
- Subject
- Classical portrait with soft transitions
- Mosaic size
- 16 × 24 cubes (384 cubes, plus spares)
- Estimated size
- 0.90 m × 1.34 m at a nominal 56 mm cube
- Weight
- cube count × your measured cube weight
- Work time
- measure a sample batch, then multiply
- Method
- Compare turn-based and sticker methods on samples
What to test
Generate several tightly cropped versions. Compare whether the eyes, nose shadow and mouth remain separate at the intended viewing size.
Try both dithering settings. A smooth portrait may benefit from spatial colour mixing, but too much noise can obscure small facial features.
Sizing calculation
A 16 × 24 grid requires exactly 384 cubes and produces a 48 × 72 sticker image. The displayed dimensions use a nominal 56 mm cube with no frame gap; replace that assumption with measurements from your sample cubes.
Palette decision
Orange, yellow and white can carry warm facial values while blue acts as the darkest available colour. The preview should be treated as a palette interpretation, not a colour-accurate reproduction of the painting.
Worked example: a 20 × 20 high-contrast portrait
This digital scenario tests how a high-contrast monochrome portrait can use the cube palette as a brightness scale. It does not depict or document a finished installation.
- Subject
- Monochrome portrait with strong lighting
- Mosaic size
- 20 × 20 cubes (400 cubes, plus spares)
- Estimated size
- 1.12 m × 1.12 m at a nominal 56 mm cube
- Weight
- cube count × your measured cube weight
- Work time
- measure a sample batch, then multiply
- Method
- Choose after testing both methods
What to test
Convert the source to monochrome before upload and compare several crops. The smallest identifying features—not the overall head size—determine whether the portrait remains recognisable.
Sizing calculation
A 20 × 20 grid requires 400 cubes and produces a 60 × 60 sticker image. Physical dimensions depend on the measured cube edge and any spacing added by the frame.
Palette decision
Use the six colours as brightness steps rather than literal hues. High fidelity mode can help retain the separation between highlights and shadows.
Worked example: a 24 × 16 sunset landscape
This digital scenario explores a subject whose yellow, orange and red areas align naturally with the available palette. It is a generated planning grid, not a photograph of a real build.
- Subject
- Landscape with horizontal colour bands
- Mosaic size
- 24 × 16 cubes (384 cubes, plus spares)
- Estimated size
- 1.34 m × 0.90 m at a nominal 56 mm cube
- Weight
- cube count × your measured cube weight
- Work time
- measure a sample batch, then multiply
- Method
- Choose after testing both methods
What to test
Compare dithered and undithered previews. Dithering can break up hard bands in a sky gradient, while an undithered version may preserve a clean horizon.
Sizing calculation
A 24 × 16 grid requires 384 cubes and produces a 72 × 48 sticker image. The same cube count as a 16 × 24 portrait creates a different wall shape.
Palette decision
The warm sky maps directly to yellow, orange and red. Blue and green are compromises for darker water or land, so crop placement strongly affects the result.
Worked example: a 12 × 12 logo grid
This generated grid shows how a bold symbol might survive at low resolution. It is not a commissioned logo or a completed reception-wall installation.
- Subject
- Flat symbol with hard edges
- Mosaic size
- 12 × 12 cubes (144 cubes, plus spares)
- Estimated size
- 0.67 m × 0.67 m at a nominal 56 mm cube
- Weight
- cube count × your measured cube weight
- Work time
- measure a sample batch, then multiply
- Method
- Choose after testing both methods
What to test
Switch dithering off for the first comparison because flat fills and hard edges do not need gradient smoothing. Check that every important stroke remains at least a few stickers wide.
Sizing calculation
A 12 × 12 grid requires 144 cubes and produces a 36 × 36 sticker image. Confirm the final physical size using the measured edge of the cubes you plan to buy.
Palette decision
Exact brand colours may not exist in the six-colour palette. Approve the generator preview as a deliberate approximation before purchasing materials.
What makes a good source image?
Every example above shares three traits: bold shapes, high contrast, and a colour palette that lives near the cube's six primaries. Portraits work best when the subject is lit strongly from one side; landscapes work best at sunrise or sunset when the sky already skews red-orange-yellow; logos and album covers work best when they use flat fills.
For a full breakdown of picking source images, sizing, dithering, and mounting the finished wall, see the complete build guide.