Pixelhobby Mosaics from Photos

How to Create Mosaic Pictures Using your Own Photos or Other Designs

Jun 6, 2008 Helen Krasner

With pixelhobby, a new craft from Holland, a crafter can create beautiful mosaic pictures from her own photos - of animals, people, holiday scenes, etc.

As explained in Pixelhobby – New Mini-Mosaic Craft, Pixelhobby is a new craft from Holland which enables the crafter to create lovely mosaic pictures. She can now learn how to do this from her own photos or designs. An experienced pixelhobbyist explains how to get the best out of this technique.

Getting Started on One's Own Mini-Mosaics

To use her own pictures for pixelhobby mosaics, the first thing the crafter needs is the Pixelhobby software. This can be downloaded for free from the distributor’s website. However, it is all in Dutch, so for anyone who can’t cope with it, CD Roms are available from most pixelhobby suppliers; in the event of difficulty, contact the author of this article.

What Picture to Use?

For a 1-baseplate kit, which is 4” x 5”, the picture must be very simple, with strong, clear images. Less detail will be possible than with larger pictures , so faces of people or animals will not come out well. Using the software, it is possible to see what the finished picture will look like, so the crafter can decide what type of picture will work. Flower or simple designs are very effective. There will be more scope if you wish to create a larger mosaic.

Animals

Many people wish to craft pictures of animals, often of favourite pets. These will work well as 4-baseplates designs, or even better – with more detail – as 6-baseplate or 9-baseplate pictures. It is best to crop the picture, which can be done with the pixelhobby software, and so end up with a close-up of the animal.

Portraits

Pictures of loved ones are very popular subjects, and make excellent presents. But the picture must be carefully chosen. It must be a clear image, taken as close up as possible. A 4-baseplate picture may work, but the crafter will probably need at least a 6-baseplate for good results, or a 9-baseplate is even better. Again, one needs to look at the design on the PC to see how it will come out.

Other Pictures, Art, Design etc

For the artistic person, pixelhobby can present great opportunities. If it possible to turn one’s own paintings, or pictures from books or postcards, into pixelhobby designs, and they can be most effective. However, as with many different craft mediums, some pictures work better than others. The best thing to do is experiment using the software, and find out what type of pictures will produce the best results.

And Then…

Once the crafter has decided on the picture to be used, she simply prints out the charts needed. She will need to make sure she has plenty of paper for a large mosaic with many colours, which may need 100 sheets of charts…or even more! She will also receive a printed list of supplies – baseplates and pixelsquares – which she can email or post to her supplier.

And once her supplies arrive, she can get started on a fascinating project…and possibly a future family heirloom…

If you have any difficulty finding Pixelhobby supplies, contact the author of this article,

The copyright of the article Pixelhobby Mosaics from Photos in Crafts is owned by Helen Krasner. Permission to republish Pixelhobby Mosaics from Photos in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

1-baseplate picture of baby bear

4-baseplate picture of Persian cat

9-baseplate Caribbean scene