I won’t tell you what came to Matt Goldberg‘s mind first: this tiny adorable crab in white or the way to use a snail shell piece from Belville. The way the shell fits this crab is amazing; I particularly love the piece’s asymmetrical shape, which gives the crab a uniquely natural feel. While the crab itself isn’t extraordinary, I guess it’s more than enough for this build. Clean and neat, I wouldn’t ever agree to take it apart!
There are so many ways to give your LEGO bot a character, and one of them is through the shape of its head. For instance, you can build a very menacing-looking bot with a sphere-shaped head or put a really intimidating one with a triangle on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Andreas Lenander chooses another very terrifying option and designs his bots to carry cube-shaped heads. There’s plenty of ways to make LEGO bricks look scary, but these robots have to be my number one pick. Just look at their creepy laser eyes..!
When building LEGO models I’ve always struggled to effectively combine Bionicle and regular System bricks, so I’m in awe of those builders who regularly do so and make it appear effortless. I’m sure this brilliant model by Patrick Biggs was anything but — it bears the hallmarks of a painstaking attention to detail in the shaping and placing of every piece. The crab alone is a smart piece of building, but the addition of a fantastical castle as the hermit’s home is a well-built stroke of genius. The colour contrasts are excellent too, popping against that grey-blue backdrop. Lovely stuff.
Modeling characters with realistic textures and movements was a difficult task for the animators at Pixar back in the nineties. While making their first short film in 8 years, Geri’s Game, the company utilized a method to make more lifelike skin and even developed a dynamic cloth simulator to emulate clothing better. Not only did it push Pixar technologically, but it also started a tradition of shorts before feature films that continues today. Builder Deo embraced a more blocky form and used their LEGO to create his own Geri, a version with a life all its own. This wonderful idea includes the chairs, table, chess set, and (not pictured) the prized dentures.
Mitch Phillips has built this fascinating creature that integrates organic-looking features into a mechanical design. The slender proportions and the sharpened claws of the model provide the creature with a menacing aesthetic. Curved tube pieces are used to form the piping at the chest while possibly representing robotic organs. The circular piece at the head is actually the invisibility cloak piece from the Harry Potter sets and presents the model with an appearance reminiscent of ancient aliens from science fiction shows. The large number of twisting cables suggests this could be an exoskeleton for an even more terrifying creature. The metallic colour scheme works to great effect under the light, accentuating the curves of the rounded pieces.
It’s a small part of the movie, but my favorite piece of technology introduced in 1999’s The Phantom Menace is the Bloodfin, Darth Maul’s almost orb-shaped speeder bike that is glimpsed briefly on Tatooine. My infatuation with the vehicle might be that it belonged to Darth Maul, who was the coolest part of that movie overall. Or it might just be that I love speeder bikes in all their forms. Whatever the reason, I was delighted to see this Rebel speeder bike by Patrick Boyle that makes use of a similar shape.
The new bowed window element helps give this vehicle its distinctive curves. And, by building the speeder in a typical Rebel color scheme and outfitting it with a place to keep an Astromech droid, Patrick has crafted a vehicle that blends the new and the familiar – a must when creating original Star Wars tech in LEGO form.
In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second week of September 2021.
TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS This was a big week for news, reveals, teasers, and reviews from many LEGO themes, from guitars to video games to holiday scenes. Big names like Fender, Mario, Disney, and Star Wars, along with LEGO Ideas. So let’s jump in.
Read on for more news and reviews
Sometimes LEGO builders draw inspiration from the strangest places. Tobias Goldschalt’s latest creation was inspired by a single LEGO piece. I am talking about the power blast piece that comes with a lot of the Super Heroes sets. It is used as a liquid boiling over the little pot on the built-in Bunsen burner. The use of the bar with 1×1 round plate as a candle holder is very original too. And have you seen the ribbed brick used as a pile of papers? It actually looks like those pieces were designed to be used for this purpose. The best thing about this creation however has to be the shaggy carpet underneath the table. Or maybe it is an elaborately tiled floor. I’m not sure but I like it!
Jan, the Creator is proving once again that LEGO sheep are the new goats. Jan is also proving that they are an absolute pro when it comes to building weathered stone walls, decaying wooden pillars and shingled rooftops that look like pine cone layers. The use of ingots for brickwork and wood carving is a really nice touch. Using different tiles with wood grain makes the stairs and the wood work of the tower look interesting. The wall bethind the foliage deserves some zoomwork so you can fully appreciate the builders work!
It’s time pay another visit to the LEGO Winter Village with this year’s addition 10293 Santa’s Visit set. Designed by Chris McVeigh, the new winter house model is full of holiday symbols and heartwarming moments. The set isn’t particularly big, consisting of 1,445 pieces, but sets a charming scene featuring a family and Santa in his iconic boots. The set will be available to VIP members starting September 16th, and at LEGO stores starting October 1st, for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £79.99, but you can check out our review of 10293 Santa’s Visit today already.
See more pictures and read the full press release
I know it’s hard to believe, but we’re already heading in the tail end of 2021. And that means it’s time for LEGO to unveil their yearly addition to the Winter Village Collection. This year there’s no beating around the bush – we get right to the main event. LEGO Winter Village Collection 10293: Santa’s Visit will be available to VIP members starting September 16th, and at LEGO stores starting October 1st, for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £79.99, and brings that momentous event to life. But will it be a holiday disaster? Come along as we take a close look at this seasonal offering!
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
Click to read the full hands-on review
LEGO spaceships come in all sorts of colors besides light gray and white. Sometimes a color combination just works, like with this smooth-lined ship by Caleb Ricks which combined sand blue with dark red to great effect. The rounded railing parts make a really nice repeated detail along the inside edge of each prong, and the bucket handles set at intervals along the top and bottom of the ship are another nice part usage.
The back of the ship includes a subtle exhaust vent, and another interesting part, a pair of vehicle windscreen frames set between the orange engines. The stand sets the ship at a very dynamic angle, which is a nice touch.
