No, your eyes aren’t fooling you! LEGO has just announced a new mosaic, the latest addition to their Art series. 31213 Magic Eye Illusions features four four different designs, each with a hidden picture concealed within. While we only have full-size pictures of one of the four designs from their press release, the box showcases purple, blue, and red versions as well. The hidden image will be revealed by gazing at the completed mosaic with your eyes unfocused (it’s most frequently achieved by holding the picture up to your nose at first and slowly pulling back). This marks the first time LEGO has employed bars and clips in a mosaic set, no doubt to generate the proper lines needed for the illusion. However, like other sets in the Art line, this one includes a specialized soundtrack in keeping with the Magic Eye theme. There’s no official word on the price at this time, but LEGO.com is still accepting pre-orders. Given that the size is a third larger than the standard square pictures, I estimate the set will be north of $100 USD. 31213 Magic Eye Illusions contains 3341 pieces and will be available through LEGO stores or their website on April 31st.
31213 Magic Eye Illusions | Available April 31 | US TBD | CAN TBD | UK TBD
Here’s the press release:
The LEGO Group and Magic Eye have something to show you
LEGO has yet another Art set just begging to hang on your walls. Magic Eye Illusions (31213) will astound and amaze with its four different patterns, each hiding a secret image. And it finally gave us a way to get rid of all those 1×1 eye tiles that have been taking up space in our warehouse.
- This set expands our mosaic techniques into the third dimension with some bars and clips we had lying around. It was either this or throw them up on Pick-A-Brick. It’s even got some teeth in it, but only because one of the designers lost a bet with Fred.
- As with our other Art sets, this 4-in-1 pack includes a soundtrack to listen to while building. With past experiences, we tried to go for something informative or soothing. But with a Magic Eye, what could be more fitting than having the set designers repeatedly ask you if you see the hidden picture yet.
- It’s important to note, because of the rigid LEGO color palette and the subtle gradient shading required to make a hidden image leap off the page, these Magic Eyes are (near) impossible in a standard brick-built medium without modifying the parts.
- How long did you stare at your computer screen with your eyes crossed waiting for a big 2×4 brick or something to leap out? It’s not going to happen, but Happy April Fools’ Day!
Ha Ha
There was a really good Magic Eye mosaic at Brickworld Chicago last year. I was disappointed when I tried to resolve this one, then I read the last line.
You got me! Although now I’m just kind of sad this isn’t real :/
I was hoping that the picture would pop up with some message after crosseyeing. But still, cool fools bros!
There was an actual (“working”) magic eye mosaic at BrickFair VA a year or two ago, so this actually seemed plausible until I read the press release.
Is it a sailboat?
The depth thing actually works, as you can ‘stitch’ the two different images both your eyes see. You won’t see a sailboat tho ????
I could kinda see an image with about 2-3 layers of depth, although no actual motif. Close enough, I guess…
Ha! My eyes are really good at finding magic eye moments with all sorts of repeating patterns. Back in 1998 or so, the AIX computer I was using spaced the icons for running applications such that my eyes would drift and lock. We also have a bathroom floor with a tile pattern that my eyes will drift and lock to. The central pattern here was an easy lock, but as revealed, nothing much to see.
Fun prank.
It’s funny because things are so bad, you can’t tell if this is an April Fools Day joke or not until the last sentence.
LEGO is just that bad now, I expect worse.
I noticed the date this was supposed to come out and presumed it was a gag…and I still squinted at the mosaic, wanting to see if it was a picture anyway.
Exxos, get a life