Yearly Archives: 2018

Beautiful insects that roam the earth

I can’t remember the last time I saw a butterfly. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I saw a live chicken or cow. Living in the city does have its benefits, but sometimes we forget the beautiful living creatures on mother earth. These three butterflies remind us of how simple things can easily be forgotten in nature and how wonderful LEGO bricks are, how the simplest of things can bring color to remind us of life. Johan Alexanderson didn’t make these random-colored, but instead takes their shape and color from actual butterfly species. The green foliage, though made of seemingly random parts and elements trick my vision into thinking I can almost smell the morning dew.

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Marvelous microscale metropolis

There has been a recent increase in the number of microscale city blocks in the world of LEGO creations, which could be partly a result of our 2017 Creation of the year by Jeff Friesen. Wherever the inspiration is coming from, I am thrilled to see so many builders stepping up to build in this challenging and fun scale. Here we see the 4th micro city district by Marco De Bon which is dominated by a central plaza with a massive three-tower building which would look right at home in any major city. The three separate buildings in the back have the look of luxury apartments, while the skinny shorter buildings on all four sides look like they might be low-income tenements.

See more of Marco’s microscale city districts

2018 LEGO Advent Calendars, Day 13

Welcome to Day 13 of our LEGO Advent Calendar countdown. Each day, we’ll reveal the three mini-builds from the LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends, and LEGO City 2018 advent calendars along with commentary from The Brothers Brick team.

If you’re opening one (or more) of these advent calendars along with us, we’ve made sure the pictures and commentary on each day’s models will be behind a jump so we don’t accidentally ruin the surprise. Will Day 13 be routine? Click to reveal today’s LEGO advent calendar builds!

LEGO Overwatch 75953 D.Va and Reinhardt [Review]

When LEGO first announced the licensing partnership with Blizzard earlier this year to feature sets based on the team-based first-person shooter Overwatch, newsfeeds went through the roof. LEGO and Blizzard released 75987 Omnic Bastion early back in October, and today we take a look at one of six LEGO Overwatch sets that will start to ship January 1. 75953 D.Va & Reinhardt retails for 39.99 USD and includes a total of 455 pieces.

If you want to get them early, some of these LEGO sets are available for pre-order from the LEGO Shop online.

Click to read the full review

Riding the golden dragon

Capturing all the flourishes of traditional Chinese aesthetic style, Space Brick’s Shrine of the Golden Dragon is another effortlessly elegant build. Like his ramen and sushi bar, he’s once again tapped into his subject and adjusted his building techniques to match. The eponymous dragon is a single sweeping curve, detailed with simple gold studs to replicate scales. The base is a thing of beauty too, with a backdrop of wonderfully stylised clouds. It’s not just a great LEGO model it’s a marvellous ornament too.

Monstrously good building

Hot on the heels of LEGO versions of the cartoon cast of Futurama, Palixa and the Bricks now takes on another band of animated characters: Mike, Sully, and Boo from Disney’s Monsters Inc. The studs-out construction style is perfect for the two monsters, somehow managing to effectively evoke both Sully’s fur, and Mike’s leathery hide. I think the modelling of Sully’s face is spot-on, and I particularly like the Tauntaun horns gracing his head. Little Boo is just perfect peeking out from beneath her hard hat — a nice companion to the larger pair, and perfectly scaled for the teddy bear clutched in Sully’s paw. All we need now is Roz: “Watching. Always watching.”

Here’s a cool CAT everyone can dig.

When it comes to earthmoving equipment, the Caterpillar brand stands out as a time-honored tradition. The company’s 320 Hydraulic Excavator packs some serious digging power, and looks amazing as this 1:30 scale LEGO model built by Sheo. It looks accurate to the original, right down to the tracks and hydraulic digging system. The driver’s cab is particularly impressive, expertly formed with rigid tubing, clip, hinge, and bar elements. Other inspired details include black whips for handrails and studs-not-on-top building to form the shape of the CAT logos on the vehicle’s body.

Sheo. even used his tractor to recreate an action-packed scene from the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.

2018 LEGO Advent Calendars, Day 12

Welcome to Day 12 of our LEGO Advent Calendar countdown. Each day, we’ll reveal the three mini-builds from the LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Friends, and LEGO City 2018 advent calendars along with commentary from The Brothers Brick team.

If you’re opening one (or more) of these advent calendars along with us, we’ve made sure the pictures and commentary on each day’s models will be behind a jump so we don’t accidentally ruin the surprise. What did the elves bring on Day 12? Click to reveal today’s LEGO advent calendar builds!

Let’s take a trip through The LEGO Zoo by Jody Padulano [Review & Giveaway]

Who doesn’t love adorable animals? Perhaps there are Scrooges out there that would contend that question, but if you’re reading this, that person probably isn’t you. If you want to learn how to build some animals, The LEGO Zoo by Jody Padulano might just be the book you’re looking for. Whether you clicked that link for your own sake, or you think a special kiddo in your life might love this book, we have the answers regarding what to expect. So grab your safari vest and binoculars, and away we go!

Click here to continue reading our full review!

Bricks that don’t quite fit together

Building challenges come in all shapes and sizes, but constructing a wall from LEGO bricks that resists the system’s innate interlocking functionality is something new. Ralf Langer‘s build, entitled “Tear down the wall,” grasps the nettle and gives us something special. Using balanced combinations of plates, Technic elements and masonry bricks, he’s concocted a Jenga-like tumbledown edifice. Compositionally, it’s cleverly used to frame the model’s second feature, a beautiful medieval house that pokes through the collapsing façade.

Go get ’em Golem

Orcs menacing your castle? Run out of rocks for your trebuchet? No problem. Simply call up your friendly neighbourhood wizard and he’ll turn your castle walls into a living weapon. Chris Perron‘s LEGO “Wall Golem” is a nicely-built model of a great idea. The golem looks suitably architectural, the shoulders and crown immediately evoking a castle brought to life. But it was the torso and its rock “ribcage” which caught my eye — a nice detail that manages to feel like some sort of organic masonry, in other words, exactly how a golem ought to look.

LEGO Koenigsegg is ggggreat

The Koenigsegg Agera is a beast of a supercar — 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and a theoretical top speed of 439 km/h (273 mph). It also looks like a boss. Gerald Cacas manages to do supercar styling at super-small scale with this lovely 7-studs-wide model. The curves and angles of the bonnet are particularly well done, and I love the blue of the interior and the way it contrasts with the black and white of the external livery.

Best of all, the doors and bonnet open, and the boot can pop off to reveal the detailed engine. Nice use of textured pieces like minifigure tools to provide more detail than you might expect in such a tightly-scaled model…