Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

Villains unite – sinister figs of the LEGO multiverse [Minifig Monday]

What’s a hero without a good villain? Or, better yet, a whole rogue’s gallery of baddies in every flavor. This week on Minifig Monday, we celebrate custom LEGO creations of villains – both familiar faces from comics and original characters.

Llano (femmefromtheblock) gets things started with this hot take on Mr. Freeze. It’s just one of the builder’s growing ensemble of #dcllanoverse Bat characters. The pale blue and pearlescent works so well for Gotham’s coolest villain.

Redbirch Bricks is back with this “midi-fig” spin on Bane, from the infamous Knightfall arc. The villain’s minifig legs as arms perfectly sell his venom-fueled muscles as he breaks the Bat.

Click for more villains from the world of comics, Warhammer, and fantasy

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One builder’s weekly exploration of shape and color with Monday mosaics

Since 2021, #MosaicsOnMonday has invited LEGO artists to share mosaic works of any shape and size in a community tradition that starts the week off with a joyful mix of bricks. One regular contributor who specializes in larger-format mosaics is Johanita Kirsten. Each of Jo’s works is an experiment in color and form, ranging from elegant patterns reminiscent of Moorish art to bold modern mosaics like this one, which uses only rectangular tiles in as many colors as possible.

Some of Jo’s mosaics incorporate botanical elements amongst the tiles, which is fitting as they sometimes resemble a garden seen from above with their quadrants and lanes.

Here you can see how two similar color palettes can yield strikingly different patterns – one using curves and textures, the other constrained to almost entirely flat lines.

Or here we see similar geometric patterns with different applications of color. Each weekly mosaic represents hours of work – both the creation and stripping off the elements to a clear baseplate, like sand art. Most LEGO MOCs are ephemeral, but with weekly mosaics, it becomes a ritual – one that builders like Jo share as a community.

If you’re curious about the origins of MosaicsOnMonday, we spoke with the founders of the initiative back in 2022.

A cozy cabin creation to get you through the cold.

We’re always glad when the heat of the summer gives away to autumn…but it isn’t long before the cold and the rain has us longing for springtime. Thankfully, Carter Witz comes to the rescue with their fantastic knack for natural landscapes. This cozy yellow cabin scene puts in just the right mood and reminds us sunshine will come again. The cabin’s realistic paneling and rough stone walkways are expertly constructed. And we love how Carter can take almost any piece cast in a shade of green and make it look like a natural plant.

Mogwai care is not for the faint of heart

I’m old enough to remember a time when Gremlins was one of the more obscure franchises of the 1980s. But nowadays the film is finally getting its due, with official LEGO releases, an animated series, and a third film announced. So, let’s use this fantastic rendition of Gizmo by Calin as an excuse to review the rules, as it seems you’re more likely than ever to encounter a mogwai. Rule number one, never get them wet. Although, I think Calin might have done that already, as those little buds on the plate look like they might be the trademark fuzzballs that result in more mogwai…

Rule number 2, no bright lights. And I’m not sure how Calin got this great pic without bright light. And, most importantly, never, ever, ever feed them after midnight. Although, if your mogwai’s jaw is made from a pie, I’m not sure how can avoid it. I think Calin better be ready to secure his home against a gremlin attack. Good luck.

Am I wobbling because of the ocean…or the beer?

Daniel Church just took us on a cruise across the ocean of the future. But now it’s time to relax with a nautical adventure that’s a little more my speed. Daniel’s latest build, the Tug Pub, is a floating watering hole that’s full of charm. Oh, to be one of those patrons enjoying a pint in the salty sea air. And the clever use of white pieces laid out on a plain blue backdrop creates one of my favorite LEGO waterscapes I’ve seen in a long time.

“Live fast, die young, and leave behind a LEGO corpse, that’s what I always say.”

It seems like Bender has been capturing the imagination of LEGO builders ever since Futurama debuted at the turn of the century. In addition to being a fan favorite character, something about his monochrome, almost human frame makes him a very appealing challenge. And this rendition of Bender by Nick Jensen has to be one of my favorites. The use of the angled 1L bars really capture the character’s fluid movement.

Don’t forget to take a look back at the past of Futurama builds in our archives.

Greg Scherrer’s inspired brick-built characters find big Muppet energy in LEGO

What if Jim Henson had worked with ABS plastic instead of felt when he started creating the Muppets? Maybe they’d look something like the incredible characters of Chicago-based LEGO builder Greg Scherrer. Each model shows an uncanny talent for bringing out personality in bricks, with a cartoonist’s playfulness in form and color and a puppeteer’s playfulness with motion. It makes sense seeing as Greg is a cartoonist and illustrator by trade. We reached out to the builder to learn a bit more about his process.

“For the past couple of years, I’ve gotten pretty into creating improvised brick-built characters. I try to stock up my parts collection with the kinds of pieces that inspire me, lots of bright colors and curved slopes. My approach to building characters is then fully improvised based on my parts inventory. I’ve never built digitally, and I rarely leave a build unfinished to wait on an order of something specific.

The fun of building characters for me is in the improvisation and problem-solving on-the-go. I’ll often start off with just wanting to try out a build idea for eyes, or a mouth that hinges for a potential working puppet. From there, I completely lose track of time and can spend hours figuring out what I’m building and making it work.

A cozy watch tower for fire spotting in microscale

When working life feels like a grind, I daydream about trading office life for a fire lookout tower in remote wilderness. Aside from the allure of having an amazing view and only birds and a ham radio for company, the setting has also inspired some great media, like the amazing Firewatch game and the Tower 4 narrative podcast. Danish builder Benjamin Anderledes also felt the pull of the lookout tower and created a microscale version in LEGO. Brown chain railing keeps the microfigure ranger safe as they take in the spectacular view of microscale trees.

From swans to spoonbills, these brick-built birds are a soaring achievement

Dutch AFOL William Van Beek didn’t set out with a focus on building birds – his MOCs had been grounded more in the architecture of the Netherlands. But as buildings became dioramas, birds became as essential as minifigs to bring the Dutch countryside to life.

This was especially true as William began a project to recreate the historic Efteling Park in LEGO, as the storybook theme park famously features a daily goose parade! Soon William had an army of geese with an adorable and expressive design made from roughly 15 parts, most prominently croissant wings. Friends and AFOLs were taking notice!

But as prominent as geese are in Dutch landscapes, they’re far from the only bird. Swans and pheasants joined the flock! Wings from the D&D Aarakocra Ranger work perfectly for soaring swans, and the pheasant modifies the goose build with a stubbier heads and buttery brown croissant wings.

AFOLs and birdwatchers, come this way for more fantastic fowl

Home never felt so colorful

Who wouldn’t want to live here? This beautifully whimsical build is the latest creation from Iron Builder Bousker, and it’s chock-full of excellent color and parts usage. The shaping on the house is stunning, filled with uneven angles, lopsided window frames and panels, and a door that looks straight out of a storybook. The supporting terrain is also very naturally uneven, but everything fits together so well that it looks perfectly real. Surrounding the house is an equally striking color palette, where we can find plants made out of katanas, pickaxes, and bows. My favorite detail is actually the signpost up front. It’s simple, yet smooth and perfectly executed- and not something I’ve seen before. I’d gladly move here tomorrow.

Johnny Thunder returns to the Amazon and those ruins have never looked better

For those of us who grew up with LEGO playsets, there’s a charm to the mix of accessories, side builds, and play features that could turn a modest number of elements into endless possibilities. Clayton (sunroombricks) is one of a growing wave of builders who are leaning into retro aesthetics, and for this builder, Adventurers is the theme that continues to inspire. Clayton’s latest project is a remake of 5986 Amazon Ancient Ruins. All of the original play features are present, and then some. The build utilizes modern colors and elements while retaining classic LEGO design principles.

Here you can see a hobbled together version of the original set that Clayton dug up to introduce to his kids. That molded base plate brings back memories!

Read on for more pics of Clayton’s update to this Adventurers classic!

Taking on an Empire, one base at a time

Nobody said that taking on an Empire would be easy. As stated in Karis Nemik’s manifesto: “The frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere, and even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.” On an unnamed forest planet, Bolim59 brings this truth to light as Rebel freedom-fighters play their part in slowing down the ever-growing oppressive Imperial regime. This appears to be a two-team sabotage mission, fronted by Rebels obviously dressed in the coolest Star Wars garb (seriously, the Battle-Ready Lucy headgear usage here is perfect), and a lightsaber-wielding Rebel that looks eerily similar to a former Jedi padawan we’ve seen before.

Of course, no one should attempt the perfect heist alone. Bolim’s build is a collaboration with Jonas Gohlke (oblivion_builder) who builds another target, a data center, where Rebels are liberating details about Imperial shipments. Both builders are adept at creating unique Imperial architecture that expands on what’s been depicted on screen but feels right at home in the Star Wars sandbox. The mix of curves and harsh angles on Jonas’ build are especially pleasing.

We wish these Rebels the best of luck, and remember this: “One single thing will break the siege.”