The Art of Domino

Domino is a game of chance and strategy. Players set up domino pieces on a surface, then flip one over to begin the process of knocking down the line of ones behind it. The resulting rows can be simple or intricate, and the more complex a domino structure is, the more rewarding it is to watch all the pieces fall in the proper sequence. Dominos come in many different shapes, colors and sizes and can be made from various materials. They are used in games involving blocking and scoring, as well as for teaching basic counting skills.

Dominoes are traditionally twice as long as they are wide and feature a line in the middle to divide them visually into two sides, called ends. Each end has a value, which is usually indicated by the number of dots (known as pips) in it. A domino with more pips is considered heavier than one with fewer, or none, and may be called a higher rank.

In some domino sets, the top half of each piece is made from a white material such as bone or silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl), while the bottom is black and inlaid or painted. The contrast between these two materials gives domino pieces a more unique look, and the contrast in color helps players distinguish between similar-looking tiles. Some sets also use different materials for the domino’s face, such as ivory or a dark hardwood like ebony.

While some Domino fans enjoy playing traditional domino games, others prefer to make artistic displays using the pieces. Known as domino art, this can take the form of straight lines or curved lines, grids that form pictures, stacked walls and 3D structures like pyramids and towers. A skilled builder can create intricate designs that are almost mesmerizing to watch.

Lily Hevesh, for example, is a professional domino builder who has created elaborate effects and reactions in front of live audiences. She uses test versions of each section of a display to ensure that it works, and she films the tests in slow motion to help her refine the design. Once she is satisfied that each part of her display functions correctly, Hevesh puts it together in a careful sequence.

After an insane Scarlet Witch depowered the majority of mutants during M-Day, Domino reformed her Six Pack with Shatterstar and Caliban to liberate mutants sequestered by the government’s Office of National Emergency. Later, she allied with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Danielle Moonstar to infiltrate the clandestine Weapon X facility to prevent the traitorous Weapon X director Donald Pierce and his cyborg Reavers from exposing mutants to a deadly alien Shi’ar weapon known as the Hecatomb. Later, Domino joined Cable’s island paradise Providence and worked with him to thwart John Sublime’s Third Species mutant organ harvesting movement. Afterward, she was recruited by Bridge to serve as an officer on his new S.H.I.E.L.D. incarnation, though she and her old team members Grizzly and Hammer were ostracized by the new squad.