Yearly Archives: 2023

Come mine the LEGO skies!

Sky islands have been a favorite subject for many a LEGO creation. And it follows from logic that when all the rocks are floating up in the air, then so, too, are all the precious metals and minerals contained therein. Builder John Snyder shows us what a mining operation might look like suspended amongst the clouds with this glorious bit of steampunk-ery. The outpost is abuzz with gears, vents, winches, and pipes. And located right at the center of the whole shebang is the furnace, about to smelt another load of aerially-harvested lode. It was no-doubt uncovered in one of the neighboring rocks using that hot air balloon/drill combo. It’s one of the most ingenious uses of the LEGO ornament bulb I’ve ever seen!

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The terrific LEGO tower of technique

It’s never too late to learn a new way to connect these LEGO bricks! And Maxim Baybakov shows us how it’s done with this North Tower creation. Fully embracing the half-stud measurement (the most important unit of measure in LEGO building, in my opinion), this tower slowly converges into a tight square of 10×10 studs using a brilliant studs-out technique that I’ve never seen put into practice like this. The finished model looks clean, with the only exposed studs included for effect. There’s even room for such great details as that adorable brick-built front door!

Maxim gives us a peek at the interior technique with the graphic below. Such a complex means of generating that half-plate indent while ascending up the fortification, employing SNOT (studs not on top) with bar and clip connections to bring the tower into being. I’m definitely going to give this a try on my own as soon as I can!

A LEGO fire engine that’s rungs above the rest!

Every once in a while, you come across a LEGO creation on Flickr that just makes you stop and say “Wow!” That’s exactly what happened when I spied this exquisite ladder truck by Dan Nguyen. It’s an impossibly-realistic design, from bucket all the way back to to the rear step. I certainly appreciate the array of compartments, typical of a fire truck. And each is filled with the tools of the trade. Vehicles remain one of my (many) weaknesses when it comes to my own designs, so I’m in constant awe of those able to bring real-world transports like this to life.

This LEGO plant eats flies like you for breakfast

Since LEGO launched their Botanical theme, we have seen a number of models inspired by the lineup of realistic-looking plants in LEGO form. This American Pitcher plant by moptoptrev is a well-done recreation of this predatory plant that lures insects into a deep bell-shape lined with sweet-smelling fluid that then traps the poor helpless bug. And if you have wings, flying won’t save you as the lid drops into place to seal your fate.

This LEGO temple to the Minotaur is no bull

While this Minoan temple may seem simple at first glance, there is quite a lot going on in this scene by BrickiboT. Inspired by the architecture of archaeological sites like the Minoan palace at Knossos on Crete, the angled pattern along the roof is made from carefully arranged sideways plates and brackets. A small noodle bowl acts as the perfect accent. The plates and rounded plates in two colors, along with a variety of textured bricks gives the front of the temple a weathered look.

The rocky landscape, dotted with plants and vines is a good blend of straight and curved slopes, and even the small beach is filled with details, like the group of hermit crabs, and the head of an elephant disguised as a rock. The angled sides of the small boat are attached with handlebars fit into the undersides of rounded plates with holes. Well done!

Read on to see more details

I can’t see the trees for the forestman

There have been a couple of official sets that turn the iconic LEGO minifigure into giant, brick-built models. This has, of course, inspired builders to craft their own jumbo versions of their favorite minifigs. And Casey McCoy has hit a bullseye with this take on the classic Forestman Archer. The original figure’s printing has been recreated in amazing detail, from the neck frill to the belt buckle. And the bow and arrow combo and feathered cap take me right back to the LEGO Castle adventures of my youth. The only downside is, this particular forestman won’t have much luck hiding in the woods from the Black Knights. Then again, he might cause the Black Knights to go looking for a hiding spot themselves…

LEGO kicks off Black Friday with release of 76269 Avengers Tower [News]

Timing the launch with Black Friday, LEGO has released 76269 Avengers Tower for purchase through their website. As we previously covered, the set is nearly 3 feet tall (90 cm) and clocks in at 5,201 pieces. Plus, with a count of 31, this is the most minifigures included in a single set ever. If you’re considering picking up this new addition to the Marvel stable and are a LEGO insider, you can also get the 5008076 LEGO® MARVEL TAXI gift-with-purchase if you pick up the Tower between now and November 27th. But if Marvel isn’t your thing, there are still other deals and GWPs available on Black Friday that have carried over from LEGO Insiders Weekend.

Check out the Tower and new GWP below!

A message from a thankful editor

For me, an American in Washington state, today marks Thanksgiving, a day built around good food and counting one’s blessings. I’ve crossed the first off my list with this lovely LEGO turkey, complete with a pair of golden brown drumplates. And normally I would spend the rest of the article gushing about the techniques I used, how I was inspired, or what I plan to use it for. Maybe I’d even make a joke – something about carving it with a brick separator, no doubt.

But instead, I’d much rather focus on the second point I listed above: giving thanks. Five months ago, I took on a heaping helping of responsibility at The Brothers Brick, and I’m so incredibly grateful for the team here and all the help and patience they’ve given me as I’ve adjusted to my new role. I have the honor to work alongside some truly inspiring people, and my admiration of their collective writing ability, IT know-how, graphic design skill, and LEGO artistry knows no bounds! And thank you too, dear reader, for clicking on the link, for reading our posts, for commenting and enjoying this wonderful hobby with us. TBB exists to serve the LEGO fan community with news, reviews, and a spotlight on the best creations we can find. And we would be nowhere without our readership!

All hail the peacock’s plumage

The male peacock is one of the prettiest animals in the entire animal kingdom. Sorry, ladies but that bro is has got it going on! Even the LEGO frogs know it; just look at them, basking in his magnificance and glory. This bit of cross-species love is brought to you by gGh0st who is competing in the Iron Builder competition. The seed part is the watering can and they’ve used twenty-five of them here. I’m sure there’s a watering can pun I could have used here but I’m just too in awe of this pretty peacock to think of it. Let me know in the comments if you have some because otherwise my watering can is dry.

Beware this brilliant biting LEGO botanical

I think this ferocious floral fright by Woomy World is just jealous it didn’t get included in the LEGO Botanical Collection 10329 Tiny Plants set, scheduled for release on December 1st. That would explain the sneer it’s rocking in the shot below, but it could also be the spiky shield pieces from the Hero Factory series crafted into that toothy visage. In fact, the whole creation is brimming with Bionicle and Hero Factory parts, leading to a very natural look and a dark, sinewy stem.

Bringing modern WRC to life in LEGO bricks

As much as we’d love to spend all day writing about LEGO, we at TBB Towers do have day jobs to attend to. Without giving too much away, mine involves working very closely with rally cars like the one Instagram user dak_yuki has built. For those not familiar, this is the – deep breath – Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid. Not the most catchy name, perhaps, but it has just ended a dominant season in the World Rally Championship with a victory in dak_yuki’s native Japan. So what better time to enjoy this fantastic scale model?

Follow the link to see more of this rallying beast!

You can learn a thing or two from a good LEGO model

Seeing a great LEGO build can take you on a real voyage of discovery. Dicken Liu‘s latest creation is a Japanese Tengu mask, which I think we can all agree looks fantastic with its dragon-wing brows and ‘stache. But it got me thinking what these masks were actually for; after all, I’ve seen a lot of them in comics or on TV without really knowing much about them. So I went to Wikipedia to do some research. But two hours have gone by, my tea’s gone cold, and I’m now reading about Japanese architecture in the Heian period. It’s very interesting, but I’m no closer to finding out what these blasted masks mean! Oh well. At least we learned what a good builder Liu is – but then again, we already knew that.