How a Domino Artist Makes Intricate Installations

A domino is a flat, thumbsized rectangular tile that bears an arrangement of one to six dots or pips. A domino set consists of 28 such tiles and is used to play various games in which the players try to line up adjacent ends of the pieces in straight or curved lines. The term domino also refers to the game itself and to the way in which the pieces are laid down on a playing surface, usually a wood or concrete table.

When Lily Hevesh was 9 years old, she received a classic 28-piece domino set from her grandparents and became hooked on the game. She enjoyed setting up the tiles in a straight or curved line, flicking them and watching each one fall. Now she’s a professional domino artist, creating intricate setups for movies, TV shows and events—including an album launch for pop star Katy Perry. Hevesh uses YouTube to show how she makes her spectacular creations and has more than 2 million followers.

She begins by testing each section of her installations and filming them in slow motion so she can make precise corrections if the piece doesn’t work. Then she puts the whole installation together, beginning with the largest 3-D sections and then moving on to flat arrangements. She often creates her own custom dominoes and even does custom orders for clients, including restaurants and companies.

Hevesh’s process is similar to the process of writing a novel: She breaks down the task into smaller steps, or “dominoes.” She starts with an overarching goal and then breaks it down into several tasks that will contribute to that goal. Each task requires a certain amount of time and focus to complete, but each will have a ripple effect that affects the larger goal. In the same way, good dominoes are the tasks that will provide a significant benefit to the organization and that are well-suited to the talents of the employees involved.

When play begins, the dominoes are arranged on the table and the player drawing the heaviest hand takes control of the game. If a tie exists, it is broken by drawing additional tiles from the stock until the player has the highest double in his or her hand. Some games require that a player must make a play before another person can, and other games allow the first player to make a play by knocking over any remaining tiles.

If a player cannot make a play, the player should announce it and wait for the opposing player to lay down a tile that the player can match. The player must then take that tile and place it in his or her hand. The resulting chain of played dominoes is called the line of play. Some domino games count the number of pips at each end of a double (called a spinner) as part of the total score for that game.

Some games require that a player jwtogel buy some of the dominoes in the stock with his or her winnings. Other games simply count the total number of pips on the dominoes in the losers’ hands at the end of a hand or the game to determine the winner.