Posts by Ben Dodds

This divine LEGO build is an angelic delight

I’ve been a little busy recently, but when I saw this LEGO angel from Gauntlet. Out beyond that, the wings really help lift this design, and I appreciate the parts used in the wing construction here. They add a significant amount of detail, and are a worthy inclusion by Jerac. Ready to face any evil, this angel wields a crystal sword and I love seeing transparent pieces being utilised in varied and different ways. What gripped me in this build is how the hood completely hides the face, adding an otherwise haunting undertone to the build, and creating a little mystery in this impressive sculpture.

Angelic Inquisitor

This fairground ride needs more than a spring-cleaning

Pan Noda brings us to this derelict fair and its Ferris wheel in this eerie LEGO scene. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Stranger Things, but this build really called out to me! I really like how Pan has shown nature reclaiming this abandoned ride through the use of generous and well-placed vegetation pieces. As age and neglect have taken hold, we see parts of the Ferris wheel’s structure have broken off, adding to the suspense of the build. Around the base of the ride and the gondolas, we see the vestiges of the vibrant colour that once populated the fairground alongside a well placed Crayon costume piece. This serves as now-forgotten signage and I love this call out to a happier time included by Pan.

Forgotten amusement park

And did I mention its haunted? I’ll let you count the ghouls…

The Looney suspects

Sufferin’ succotash! Timofey Tkachev has built two of of the Looney Tunes Rogues’ Gallery, in the form of Sylvester and Taz, capturing all the details of the loveable characters in LEGO form! In the building of these two characters, Timofey has used the wealth of brick types available to craft naturally posed likenesses of the two. The dynamically posed Taz captures the wild and constant movement of the character. I love the facial expression with wild eyes and ruffled hair all beautifully realized using well placed tiles and plates to craft the pose.

Sylvester (Cat) and TAZ

This is again replicated in Sylvester. I love how Timofey has crafted both expressions but the fluffy cheeks and wide eyes of the loveable cat are perfect here! Let’s hope I’m following up on this post soon with more of the Looney Tunes characters!

Go Go Gadget Brick Separator!

Aido K presents a LEGO Brickheadz inspired build celebrating the fantastic Cartoon Classic:  Inspector Gadget! But ‘Gadget hasn’t appeared on his own, the team is here with Penny and Brain along for the ride to ensure the great Inspector doesn’t get into (too much) trouble!

Go go gadget brick separator

Aido captures the stylistic approach of both Brickheadz and Inspector Gadget here along with the necessary appendages befitting the great detective, with each gadget representing key moments from the series.

I love how Inspector Gadget’s quizzical expression and elongated face have been captured perfectly here, too, whilst keeping to the design of a Brickheadz which is then carried on through both Penny and the loveable dog, Brain whose sat-to-attention pose is wonderfully realized in LEGO.

I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring these delightful characters and celebrating some cartoon nostalgia because this post will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3…

And thats Checkmate for Galidor...

In the Dark Days when LEGO was struggling to stay profitable, they tried a new strategy and created a TV Show and its subsequent LEGO tie in series which…well, it came and went. This theme was Galidor, and Matt Rowntree has taken elements from the theme and repurposed in an inspired way in this Chess set build!

CHESS

Whilst one player takes the blue side, made from parts from Nepol, the other takes the red, utilising parts from Ooni!
I love how the parts have been utilised to create Chess Pieces that we all recognise, whilst Matt manages to add uniformity to the bases of all the playing pieces whilst blending traditional LEGO pieces with the Galidor pieces that have limited connections points!

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Master carpentry, realised in Lego

You’d be forgiven for thinking Ted Andes’ latest build looks out of place here on TBB. That is until you study the image further and realise Ted has brought LEGO into the home furnishing arena with this side table and its contents. The table itself is a wonderfully designed build that looks like a realistic Walnut or Mahogany wood with a delicate black finish to the table top. The legs capture a delicate, carved, curve and are then braced to add to the stability of this table with additional subtle detailing along the legs.

End Table Ensemble

I’m in awe of the engineering that has gone into creating the perfect circle of the table’s rim and legs through the use of expertly layered plates and tiles to achieve the correct curvature and strength.

The lamp looks to have found the perfect spot too, placed atop the table, amongst the other items on display. The lamp shade is carefully constructed to capture the round end result too, using a Teepee canopy piece, adding a flourish of Native American detail for decoration on the lampshade. And let’s not ignore the power cord falling over the edge of the table too, constructed from tails and Technic connector pieces.

Prairie Style Table Lamp

You can explore the remaining contents of the table from when we looked at these in an older post here. I’m hoping Ted doesn’t stop here, and that this inspires more builders to come up with ingenious LEGO builds that look perfect in any home.

This Viking build tells its own story

Ross Fisher continues his LEGO Viking tale in his latest build, in which Viking raiders are repelled, leaving the survivors to take stock in the pouring rain. And let’s take a look at that rain; It’s rare to see the clear aerial used to such great effect as it is here, with the heavy rain adding an extra layer to both the landscape and emotion of the scene.

Legacy chapter 3: a soon parting

The minifigures are displayed under the shadow of a giant’s skull, adding a foreboding presence to the build. The giant’s helm is wonderfully constructed too, taking its shape from a hull piece that effortlessly presents the Viking-style helmet we’re all familiar with. The whole build is then presented on a hovercraft base, adding a nice display to this build.

I always enjoy seeing the inventive use of LEGO parts that Ross employs, and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes this adventure next!

This mech packs a real bite

Here at The Brothers Brick, we come across a lot of LEGO mechs, and I’m always looking for something different. Moko definitely delivers something different with this mech built for the inevitable Crocodile Invasion! The crocodile body has limited connection points itself, and to see it so easily integrated into the body displays a fantastic knowledge of how LEGO works. The mech’s body has a wonderfully sculpted structure, with its bulky, angled construction creating an impressive and foreboding appearance. Moko has been able to pack a lot of detail into this mech, from the dynamic colors to the powerful arm cannon making good use of the updated stud shooters. The asymmetrical nature of this build allows for the arm design to be vastly different, with the left arm ending in a powerful claw. I’m not in any rush to see this Crocodiles death roll any time soon…

Armor of Crocodile

Classical Prussian splendour, realised in Lego

Builder Christian Rau has recreated in LEGO the famous Sanssouci Palace in Germany.
Built to the style of the Architecture line, Christian has captured the opulent villa and its magnificent Gardens.  The terraced walkways are recreated well with a half stud offset allowing a shallower curve to the hedges and pathways. Atop the hill, we find the Sanssouci Palace. To capture the facade of the building at this scale, Christian has employed brackets to allow building in multiple directions which has allowed him to add the narrow yet grand windows.

Sanssouci - Potsdam

Moving to the Gardens at the foot of the build, Christian has captured the marble statues at this scale via two nipple pieces using the flower as a decorative flourish before we reach the pool of water with a trans blue candle flame utilised to add an impressive display without distracting from the magnificence of the Palace above.

I’m enjoying studying this build as the smallest detail is realised in LEGO form here, effortlessly looking the part.

Saturday Night’s Alright For...Building?

To celebrate Elton John’s recent 75th birthday, Rickard Stensby has built a LEGO tribute to the Rocket Man himself. I’ve been a fan of Rickard’s for some time, he’s able to really make his characters stand out and this offering is no exception! Rickard has perfectly captured the face and expression of Elton John in this caricature, from the hair, to the glasses, to the smile – and let’s not forget the earring! The construction of the Piano captures the classic shaping of a grand piano flawlessly, whilst the purple with gold accent color choice really compliments Elton’s white tuxedo. It’s a piano perfect for writing Your Song or even Sad Songs.

Sir Elton John

Sailing across the wild blue yonder

Here, Markus Ronge presents a brilliant LEGO series of microscale Steampunk-inspired flying ships based on minifig scale versions he’d previously made. Each one brings something different, but what brought this to my attention was how each build is nearly two-dimensional in design. That can bring its own challenges, but Markus has afforded each build remarkable detail, and the brick-built clouds against the sky blue background really accentuate these builds.

Micro Skytanic

Above we have the Skytanic on a majestic voyage. The gold highlights on this royal yacht add that extravagance you’d expect to see in a luxury liner, as do the white, red and black colours.
There’s something pleasing about the angled smoke stack, too, as the vessel gently charts its journey across the seven skies…

Click to see more these microscale models

A cup of joe to go – at 10,000ft!

I love the nostalgia that surrounds Route 66, and Crises_crs shoots for the sky with this retrofitted reimagining of a Route 66 diner. The trucks parked as they are adds a depth of everyday realism to the build, and the repurposed vehicles really compliment the futuristic design, with hover conversion technology erupting below the trucks’ original frames. The diner itself has a nice amount of detail, with space allowing for the trucks to moor, and for the drivers to sit and rest. The adverts that homage the Route 66 of long ago is the perfect finishing touch.

Route 66 cafe