Amazing Artist uses Tens of Thousands of Legos to create Masterpieces

Joseph Kraham, aka “OneBrickAtATimeLego” has used over 1 million Lego pieces to create his unique art.

By Joseph Kraham

I am an engineering artist that combines technology, acrylic lacquer, and thousands of Lego pieces. I create works of art using Lego pieces as my medium.

These works of art take hundreds of hours each to create individually.

In 5 years, I have made approximately 60 works of art, with some of these creations weighing over 125 lbs! My mosaic technique would be closest as being described as pointillism.

The pointillism technique started in the 1880’s. It is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. All my artwork creations use genuine Lego pieces in which the Lego “studs” all face outward. Each Lego stud displays the logo.

My creation / journey into artwork began almost five years ago when our beloved Great Dane (Samson) passed away. I decided to create a portrait of my wife hugging the dog out of Lego pieces.

Encouraged by the positive feedback online and soon afterward, multiple customers / corporations started contacting me for commissions.

My favorite pieces created are probably the private portraits and family pieces.

Most of my creations fall under one of four main categories:
1. Sports memorabilia – Formula One, Baseball, Basketball, Football, etc… (several pieces signed)
2. Fine Art recreations – Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Renoir, Picasso, John Singer Sargent, etc…
3. Pop Art – Iconic movies, Pop, Superheroes, Videogames
4. Family portraits & animal portraits

Currently I have a partnership with Memento Exclusives, who provides Licensed Formula One artwork. I’ve had artwork displayed in multiple art galleries, exhibitions, locations.

My art is stored in a climate-controlled storage facility. As time has progressed, I have developed multiple trade secrets in the unique creation of my artwork.

In fact, there are only about 25 “common” Lego colors available. My technique uses approximately 300 colors and shades. Approximately 50% of my time in each project is consumed in designing the artwork and painting tens of thousands of Lego pieces.

The largest projects have taken over 300 hours to create a single work of art. We have shipped artwork internationally to clients.

Artwork Facts:

• Every Lego piece is painted on the top and the sides.
• Lego pieces are not glued to the baseplate. Pieces are gently tapped in using a small hammer. Tools are required to pull up pieces.
• Lego pieces that are 30+ years old work with new Lego pieces.
• There over 1,400 Lego pieces in one square foot.
• There are ~10 “dots” per square inch, which is why most portraits tend to be large.
• Some of the largest portraits created are 30 square feet (43,320 Lego pieces).
• I have used over 1 million pieces in my artwork and keep over 300,000 pieces in my studio.
• I have spent over 7,500 hours honing my skills and craft

My advice to artists: There is no shortcut to patience and hard work. Be prepared to step on a LOT of Lego pieces. Be prepared to make a LOT of mistakes. Artwork is slow, tedious, and easy to make mistakes.

Due to the number of requests, we do accept commissions, but will become booked out for months at a time. If you are interested in a commission, please reach out below and provide as much information as possible. Due to the extremely tedious and time sensitive nature of the artwork, commissions are first come, first served nature.

For more information visit

• Website: https://www.onebrickatatimelego.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onebrickatatimelego/
  (~43,000+ followers)
• Business Email: josephkraham@onebrickatatimelego.com

*Multiple videos / articles are available through internet search

About the Artist

Joseph Kraham has a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering and worked for 15+ year in engineering. Joseph currently holds multiple professional certifications. He’s lived in multiple countries prior to our artwork journey. Joseph has been married for 10 years with three children. He currently resides in the northern Houston area. He enjoys watching sports, spending time with family, and loves animals (especially dogs).

Header image: Joseph Kraham with Joseph Altuve and Giant Lego Art Piece of Joseph Altuve