Arjan Kotte (konajra) is no stranger to building big yet highly detailed ‘things’ out of LEGO. His latest is a beam trawler and packs in the little touches that make a model sing. I’m particularly fond of the way he sets up small vignettes around the boat showing the action on deck.
Those who’ve been around the LEGO community for a while may know I’ve been planning a LEGO version of the Ghost in the Shell tank (from the movie) for quite some time. In fact I posted my first CAD version 5 years ago after starting it nine months before that.
I won’t say it’s finished now (because I doubt I’ll ever consider it finished) but, after nearly six years from starting it, I think it’s ready to share in the brick. It’s close to fully articulated although the middle legs don’t move left/right (to improve strength). The torso is on a ball joint as is the head for maximal poseability.
As most LEGO builders do, I’ve been through several non-building funks over the course of the last 10 years or so. Andrew Lee suggested to me once that a good way to get going again is to try building a little microspace fleet. Fearing I wouldn’t get unblocked before BrickCon in just a few short weeks, I did just that. Turns out Andrew gives very good advice.
My “Expeditionary Strike Group” consists of an Escort Carrier, Destroyer, and Gunboat. I set out to build them with a fairly utilitarian aesthetic, but in retrospect it’s clear I’ve spent quite a bit of time immersed in the BSG / Halo / Star Wars universes. I’ve tried building a space carrier in microscale several times, but this is my first completed vessel.
The carrier was built around the weird engines on the back, while the Destroyer mimics the shape of the Carrier:
More photos on Flickr.
The Ma.K starfighter contest continues to draw out excellent entries. Ted Andes dives in with his “Hammerhead” fighter, which features a cool custom sticker and can indeed fit a fig in its cockpit.
I also really like his “true” Ma.K hardsuit, which uses wrenches/clips as an ammo chain:
I’m told that dwarves are a bit protective of the glittering gold that makes up their vast treasure. Michal Herbolt‘s recent creation, Defending the Mine, seems to prove just that.
I am in awe of the depth this creation seems to have; I fully expect it to go up, and up, as well as down and out and around.
This poor cleric is so emaciated, Rong Yiren obviously needs to feed him better. But I’m sure the little guy is too busy pondering the ways of the cosmos to bother with lunch.
This red-footed dragon, by Mike Nieves is smoking hot. The use of Hero Factory pieces is superb and the articulation really gives it an “alive” look.
If you’re planning on attending BrickCon this year and haven’t registered yet, now would be a good time. In order to guarantee that you get your custom brick badge and bag o’ swag, you have to register by September 15th.
Photo by Adam Hally
There is a lot to look forward to this year. BrickCon has become known for its variety of collaborative layouts, which will include The Brothers Brick’s own layout, Numereji 2421, the Castle layout, Town, Space, Pirate, Pythonscape, Steampunk, Operation Bricklord, the Dragon Fly-In and many more. There is nothing like contributing to a collaborative effort, working with fellow LEGO fans and creating a giant creation that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
There will also be a number of competitions that are tons of fun for those involved and for the spectators. This year will include the 3rd Annual Fig Fling, Wacky Races, the Speed Build, AT-AT races, the Blind Build and more.
On top of all that, there will many different sessions and panels to attend, Lego Gaming, LEGO to purchase or trade, old friends to connect with, new friends to meet and lots and lots of LEGO to look at. Check out the BrickCon website, under the “Event” menu, for a full list of themes, collaborations, events, sessions and activites. The page will continue to be updated as the event draws nearer.
Sean Kenney recently built a 10 feet tall model of the Trump International Hotel and Tower with 65,000 Lego pieces. Different from other skyscraper sculptures I’ve seen, this one simulates the effect of the reflective glass on the actual building. This was achieved by building a pattern of the reflected skyline inside the transparent “glass” bricks. The illusion is simply stunning.
See more details and the techniques used on MOCpages. The model is on permanent display in the Chicago Lego store.
Vimal Patel’s (vmln8r) Lego monster truck does all that a monster truck can do, including jumping the shark, crashing through brick walls, and smashing cars.
This police tank posted recently by Lord Dane on flickr packs all the right angles. It features an unusual arrangement of wheels, some clever details (that gun is so simple, but so nice) and a shape that’s sleek and chunky at the same time. I don’t know if I’d get the same Blade Runner vibe if the creation had a different name, but it’s certainly there for me now.
It seems that I somehow failed to announce this contest here on TBB when it started a month ago. As things stand right now, we’ve reached the deadline with fewer entries than we have prizes! I just received the prizes from LEGO a few days ago, and they’re all great. It looks like we’ll be giving away one each of almost all of the new Alien Conquest sets, not the small ones, though. Our smallest prize seems to be a twenty dollar set!
Just like last year, this contest is all about trying to build something that you think would make a cool set. Mark Stafford is serving as our celebrity judge, and he’ll try to give each entrant some insight into how a real set designer would have their design critiqued. Of course, this is an unofficial contest, and in no way constitutes a job offer from LEGO, or solicitation by LEGO of ideas for actual sets to be produced. It’s all in fun!