5x5 Flipped DNA

This pattern is a another double-helix like the previous Twisted DNA with a somewhat ore complicated color scheme. In this instance, the colors on each face are flipped onto each adjacent face. For example, the white face shown above has a green stripe and the adjacent green face has a white stripe. The white face also contains a red stripe, and the adjacent red face also contains a white stripe.

This color scheme extends around the entire cube, as shown at right.

Because the colors are flipped from adjacent faces, all six colors are visible when the cube is viewed diagonally. At left the trio of red-green-blue faces contain stripes in white-orange-yellow. Naturally the white-orange-yellow faces must contain red-green-blue stripes.

I used different color groupings from the previous Twisted DNA (which was white-green-orange and red-yellow-blue) because
it provided better color-contrast for this pattern.


Both patterns are best when viewed firsthand because you can trace the double-helix all the way around the cube...

5x5 Twisted DNA

A pair of threads twist over and under each other, wrapping around all six sides. Shown at right, the color scheme is based on two ordinary 3-cycle twists. It's essentially two snake type patterns woven together to depict a DNA-like double-helix.

Because the color scheme is based on a 3-cycle rotation, the cube shows three colors on three sides when viewed diagonally as shown in the picture at left.

4x4 Water and Fire

I named this simple 4x4x4 pattern for the 3-color groupings into cool and warm colors representing water & fire. I stumbled onto this pattern while playing with a big, cheap 4x4x4. It works pretty well, despite the cheap price.

5x5 Dots Cube in Checkerboard Cube

This is a variant of the common Cube In Cube pattern in which the inner cube and outer cube are also depicting common patterns Dots and Checkerboard.

I tried to invert it into a Checkerboard Cube in Dots Cube,
as shown in the smaller picture at right. I don't think it worked as well, but it's still visually interesting . . . and an entertaining challenge to construct.

"Awful" Waffle

This just didn't work.

I worked out how to arrange the colors in a sort of "Waffle Weave" arrangement, but when I tried it out on a 4x4x4 cube it looked horrible. Really, just look at it!

So I tried again on a 5x5x5, hoping the background color between the stripes might make them more visible. It did, but it still looked awful.

Oh well, I've got better ideas...

[Edit] Patrick C noticed the Waffle pattern is somewhat clearer if you concentrate on just one face at a time. Sure enough! From the angle shown below, the pattern is even visible on the 4x4x4. (If you squint.)

5x5 Cube in Cube in Cube in Cube in Cube

Cube pattern expert Per accurately pointed out that my 4x4 Quad-color Boxes pattern is basically a mixture of two common patterns. I decided to push the concept to its maximum extreme, which you can interpret as five nested cubes or five nested rings.