VFX Atlas
M 108 / 18304 Print & Ditheralgorithm output

Brick Mosaic

print & dither

Typeface · Graduate

Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Brick Mosaic. This image portrays a whale surfacing amidst deep blue waters and splashes of white foam. The subject is rendered through a grid of small plastic building blocks, where each piece uses a flat color to approximate the source tones.
Atlas demonstration: the free source photo and the computed Brick Mosaic. This image portrays a whale surfacing amidst deep blue waters and splashes of white foam. The subject is rendered through a grid of small plastic building blocks, where each piece uses a flat color to approximate the source tones.Image: Igor Ovsyannykov igorovsyannykov · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons), processed for the AtlasView source ↗

Prompt

Transform this image into a Brick Mosaic of colored rectangular tiles arranged in horizontal rows, offsetting every alternate row. Fill each brick with its corresponding averaged photo color and separate tiles with narrow, pale mortar gaps. Use crisp edges and restrained surface texture; keep the original subject and composition.

Paste it into LetzAI with your own image to apply the effect ↗

Identify

The photo becomes a wall of colored rectangular tiles, with staggered rows1 and narrow gaps resembling mortar.

Principle

A typical implementation uses area averaging2 to assign each tile a color from the photo, then offsets alternate rows. Gaps between tiles form the mortar pattern.

Try it out

Vary tile size and gap width to see when fine details disappear.

Classification

Calculated image processing result.

Further examples · 9 images

Brick Mosaic, applied to “Chinese Garden of Friendship - Darling Harbour (Unsplash)”
02 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Chinese Garden of Friendship - Darling Harbour (Unsplash)”The scene displays a collection of tall, slender structures resembling city buildings or poles against a dark night sky. Individual rectangular tiles with central studs are arranged in a staggered pattern to recreate the vertical forms.Annie Spratt anniespratt (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “White library tall windows (Unsplash)”
03 Brick Mosaic, applied to “White library tall windows (Unsplash)”A brightly lit landscape or interior is captured with high-key lighting, featuring large areas of white and pale yellow. The composition is broken down into a uniform array of toy-like bricks, creating a tactile and geometric surface texture.Tu Tram Pham tutrampham (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “Adelaide Airport, Australia (Unsplash)”
04 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Adelaide Airport, Australia (Unsplash)”The photo focuses on a mechanical or architectural detail, showing a sequence of rhythmic, slanted lines. The transformation uses a precise grid of interlocking blocks to suggest the depth and structure of the original image.Mike Wilson mkwlsn (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “Buses is depot at Bishan, Singapore (Unsplash)”
05 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Buses is depot at Bishan, Singapore (Unsplash)”A framed window or a central rectangular object is the focal point, surrounded by a light-colored border. The entire frame is constructed from individual colored bricks, with fine gaps between them defining the mosaic aesthetic.chuttersnap chuttersnap (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “The Anchor Coffee House, Manchester, United Kingdom (Unsplash)”
06 Brick Mosaic, applied to “The Anchor Coffee House, Manchester, United Kingdom (Unsplash)”This work depicts abstract figures or rocks with vibrant splashes of pink and yellow against a grey background. The visual is achieved by mapping the colors to a dense field of plastic studs, providing a playful, modular feel to the scene.Nanda Green nandagreen (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “Motorcycle handlebars (Unsplash)”
07 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Motorcycle handlebars (Unsplash)”The composition depicts a bird perching on a brown branch against a grey background. The entire image is constructed from small, circular-studded blocks arranged in a grid that mimics physical construction toys.Alexa Wirth planetwirth (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “Books in a meeting space (Unsplash)”
08 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Books in a meeting space (Unsplash)”A close-up view shows a face with dark eyes and a grey mouth against a white and tan background. The features are rendered through a distinct plastic block filter, creating a rigid and playful texture.Breather breather (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Brick Mosaic, applied to “Jenny Hill 2017-02-04 (Unsplash qysVTP1OONk)”
09 Brick Mosaic, applied to “Jenny Hill 2017-02-04 (Unsplash qysVTP1OONk)”A dark, heart-shaped silhouette is centered within a mottled field of white, grey, and brown tones. The aesthetic is defined by the uniform application of tiny interlocking tiles across the entire canvas.Jenny Hill jennyhill (photo); processed for the Atlas · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sources