Want to add some depth and that extra edge to your artwork? See exactly what laser cutting is capable of.
Laser cutting is a way to cut precise patterns in metal, plastic, wood, and pretty much any other material you can think of. A way to avoid human error, more and more designers are turning to laser cutting machines to implement a precise design on a workpiece.
Here we've scoured the web to find these seven awesome examples of laser cutting to inspire you. Which is your favourite?
Computer artist Jared Tarbell began working with the Epilog Mini 24 laser cutter several years ago. He started experiment by cutting out flat cardboard pieces and assembling them into complex geometric shapes.
More recently, Tarbell made the transition to working with oiled walnut wood, which he used for this complex project; each piece of the cube laser cut and then hand assembled.
This beautiful 'Braindrop' piece was developed by sculptor, photographer and designer Kate Raudenbush. Created as a meditation space to honour water, the piece stands 17-foot tall, 10-foot wide and is made entirely from 10 gauge laser-cut steel.
Weighing over 5000-pounds, the enormous water drop is illuminated by LEDs in the evening, which, when looking up into the vortex, creates a beautiful kaleidoscope effect.
Creative director, illustrator and motion designer Roy Alter wanted a buisness card that would grab people's attention. So he developed this cool laser cut design, commenting on his website, "I thought it could be nice to present this interdisciplinary aspect with laser cut cardboard icons. It was a long process because the cardboard was very soft for the laser but I think it proved itself nicely."
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Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou's innovative laser cut dress was made exclusively for lifestyle magazine Wallpaper. Inspired by London's high-end apartment complex Neo Bankside and contemporary furniture pieces, Cut Laser Cut used its high-tech equipment to laser cut pre-made neoprene panels that had been laminated with digitally printed silk.
These beautiful laser cut light towers are another ingenius design from Jared Tarbell. A complex idea, the talented artist comments online, "I wrote an algorithm for the laser that outputs cut and perforation vectors for a folding light tower with almost any dimension.
The starfields require special calculations so that the light finds its way through two folds of paper." You can see even more amazing laser cut designs by Tarbell on his Flickr page.
06. Wedding invitation
Graphic designer Chase Kettl used laser cutting to create beautiful invitations for her wedding
Graphic designer Chase Kettl designed her beautiful wedding invitations in Illustrator before engraved the details via laser cut onto thin wooden boards. The original design also features information printed on luxurious yellow paper. A fan of the discipline, Kettl has created a number of other laser cut projects, all of which can be found in her Behance portfolio.
07. The Riddled Table
Architect Steven Holl and Nick Gelpi used laser cutting to create the table legs for this beautiful table design for online store HORM
This beatiful table design was a collaborative effort between architect Steven Holl and Nick Gelpi. The over-size glass top of the table highlights the two laser cut Canaletto walnut and aluminum legs.
Holl comments on his website, "The table-top seems to hover above the ground as the heavily perforated legs dissolve into an organic pattern of glowing light and transparency." Created back in 2007, Holl and Gelpi produced the stunning design for Italian online store HORM.
