Tag Archives: Alien

Life in the pink

Well now, what is this all about? Bart De Dobbelaer presents us with this striking LEGO scene and, through a mission log, humorously illustrates that space travel can be at times exciting but also mind-numbingly dull. I’m smitten by the overall composition, the greebly space-cube, the pink alien vegetation, even the shadowed planet in the distance. The light from within is a spectacular touch! Bart calls this scene La Vie en Rose.

La Vie en Rose

If you are to do some space travel anytime soon, I advise bringing a soundtrack. Might I suggest Édith Piaf or Lady Gaga? I suppose even this breathtaking image can seem dull if that is all you had to look at for months or even years on end. It might be best that you scroll on and peruse some other stuff before the space-madness settles in. But before you do, check out these articles to make your space journey a bit more interesting.

Creature of an enchanted garden

If you find yourself in a magical land, watch where you step. Amongst the alluring, translucent blue flowers hides a curious creature. Exceptional LEGO builder, Patrick Biggs brings this little character to life in a captivating way. An expressive face paired with a dynamic pose and uniquely contrasted foliage demand a second look. You can build a pretty flower or a cute dragon, but telling a story with the two is what makes this build interesting. I’m particularly fond of the parts usage in the head shaping of the dragon, as well as the Bionicle head elements used for the petals.

A Ghost in the Garden

While you’re here, you can check out a few of Patrick’s other builds, as well as more dragons!

Top Secret: Roswell 1947

Aliens get a bad rap, don’t they? They’re scary, mysterious, and they’re the bane of midwestern farmers and cattle everywhere. They’re also seemingly responsible for a slew of uncanny and sometimes hilarious crop circles and plus they’ve got that whole probing thing which some folks have mixed feelings about. Andreas Lenander calls this LEGO diorama Roswell 1947. The depiction of the UFO scorching the earth does nothing to squelch the alien’s reputation but it is admittedly cool. The large saucer dishes go way back to the X-Pod line from ’04-’05. The light brick built into the landscape gives this piece that extra helping of awesomesauce. You may (ahem) probe deeper into our archives to see just how fascinated we are with Andreas’ stuff and aliens in general.

Roswell 1947...

Exploring the galaxy for fresh vegetation

I’m loving everything about this other-worldly scene by captainsmog! From the satisfyingly shaped spaceship that is reminiscent of the Rocket Boy LEGO Collectable Minifigure, to the cleverly crafted plants. The creative parts usage is rad and makes me want to go dig through my oddball parts. I particularly love the claw elements used to make the wavy red and orange… thingy? Genius!

Setting foot on planet Zaklonis

This builder is not a stranger to TBB. He built one of the first tensegrity builds we featured.

A Saucerful of Secrets

Mysteries abound in this latest creation by Blake Foster. Turning the Tables features a classic UFO scenario turned on its head. Have the cows had enough? Or is this actually a flashback to how the hostilities between the alien and bovine races began? Either way, there’s a lot to unpack in this vignette. On the building front, check out the clever use of on-the-sprue Harry Potter wands in the fence, the cupcake-tipped under-udder-thrusters, and the perfect use of those 1×1 star plates. The Mixel eyes on the cow-pilot just creep me out, though.

Turning the Tables

We’ve featured a number of Blake’s other Spacy Creations in the past. Could this be the beginning of a new theme of “Cow-Space”? One can only hope.

You may feel a slight prick

Have you ever had the feeling that your mind and body has been taken over by time-traveling extraterrestrial beings for the purpose of one day inheriting the Earth? No? Wow, I don’t even know how to respond to that other than you people are a bunch of weirdos! A LEGO builder who surely knows the gentle mind-touch of a Yithian is Ivan Martynov, which definitely isn’t weird so don’t get that idea in your heads. To be clear, this is a computer render as evidenced by a few of these parts in non-production colors but to the likes of Ivan and me, this is instantly recognizable. He tells us that “there lies upon this world of man a mocking and incredible shadow out of time.” Indeed, Ivan. Indeed. Still not attuned to our wavelength? Then just let Ivan and I have our knowing nods. Remember, you people are the weirdos, not us.

Yithian

But if you’re totally jibing with what we’re into, then you may want to submit your delicious minds and check out some of Ivan’s other creations.

Containment breach

There’s been a slew of stunning LEGO builds recently that is based on the work of conceptual artists and I, for one, am thrilled. My case in point; this neat creation by Bart De Dobbelaer is called Containment Breach and is inspired by the work of Francesco Lorenzetti. Here is the specific reference material. Bart makes great use of color and composition to replicate the unsettling feel of Francesco’s piece. The fearsome red creature is nestled in the shadows and stands out in stark contrast against gray, white, and black. As one commenter on his Flickr stream puts it, “This is classic Bart” and well…I have to agree. Here’s another recent creation by Bart to show you what they mean.

Containment breach

If you can’t beat ’em, maybe just eat ’em?

Builder Bart De Dobbelaer gives me the vibe of an artist similar to H.R. Giger, with imaginative creations that are out of this world — alien forms that raise the hair on the back of your neck. This scene seems to be the breeding ground of a mother alien, spawning her offspring and preparing to infest and attack in search of their next meal.

We're gonna need a bigger container!

I’m not sure who’s actually going to be the next meal though, the hunter or the hunted? It seems so awkward, because the tables have been turned and now the egg-filled mother alien is a delicacy on her own.

Grub salad

Another mini LEGO Masters challenge: the exploding alien

If you’ve watched last week’s episode of The LEGO Masters, this little build should look familiar! In the explosive space challenge, Tyler Clites and his wife Amy designed an incredible alien and bomb-toting hero sculpture to be dropped from a balcony. The duo named the creation “The Sacrifice” and the story behind it involved the hero giving up his life to destroy the alien. And in glorious fashion. The ensuing destruction as host Will Arnett launched it over the rail was indeed epic!

The Sacrifice

Tyler and Amy received the highest praise for their build and are top competitors moving into this week. The show airs at 9PM Wednesdays on Fox. Be sure to follow our extensive coverage! Also, check out Tyler’s Funny Farm mini build from the first challenge!

Tyranid Lictor ready to spring into action

When I was in my LEGO dark age, I was a big fan of Warhammer 40,000. The first model I ever saw was a friend’s Tyranid Lictor, so when I saw BardJaskier’s LEGO Lictor, I was immediately hit right in the nostalgias. Everything on this model is perfect; from the arc of the upper talons, to the curve of the base. It must be quite fragile, as many pieces aren’t even fully attached. That fragility however, ensures that all the shapes and angles are just right. On top of that, the details are spot on, from the H. R. Giger-esque biomechanical greebles on the chest to the plant elements on the base. My favourite detail is the Ninjago snake skull helmet as the head and longhorns as tentacles. It is really well done and takes me back to my youth. Now if only my aching back would go back to how it felt when I was a teenager too.

Ready to hunt some bugs – Nope, not even close

If we were ever to encounter alien life, there is every reason to believe that they will look nothing like us. The many conditions required for life as we know it to evolve are entirely based on our own little blue/green world. And if you are going to invent life in the form of LEGO creations, the only limit is your imagination. Take this scene by Djokson, for example. These insect-like creatures and their troop transport would fit right in on many science fiction worlds and the human troops that encounter them would have the fight of their lives.

Ra'Hakk - "Flea"

The troop transport creature is appropriately named the Flea, for its obvious ability to jump clear across the battlefield. Heads-up!

I want to take you to a Space Bar!

Builder Pixel Fox show us that Star Wars isn’t the only place one can find a hive of scum and villainy. We see many scenes of gorgeous buildings and mechanically accurate spaceships, but often they are bereft of minifigs or perhaps just include a few. Personally, I love minifigures and enjoy seeing them put to good use and this action-packed scene hits all the right notes.

The Space Bar

I love the thoughtful architecture in the scene that really serves to be a great background for the many stories happening. The two floors offer multiple levels of action and the large window keeps the scene from becoming too claustrophobic. The table design is simple but effective and transparent orange pieces provide a nice break from the surrounding grays.

Of course, the real stars of this show are the many minifigures. I love a model that tells a story and this one has so many to tell. No matter where you look, there is something going on. A few of my favorites are the robot bartender with his mustache and top hat, the central fight that is breaking out in the middle ground and the space pirate in conversation on the balcony. The pirate hat atop a space helmet is a hilarious touch. I also love that the builder has included all kinds of “aliens” across various franchises from Toy Story to Overwatch. How many can you find?