Posts by David Alexander Smith

Series 62 Cadillac: building an American classic

When you think of the classic American car there’s a good chance you’ll be dreaming about the Series 62 Cadillac. This large scale LEGO version built by Robson M is a brick-perfect rendition of an automobile icon. As in real life it’s all about the lines, which have been perfectly formed here, with special attention being given to the emblematic fins.

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Incorporating full interior, opening doors and trunk, the model is a love letter to vintage Americana, and one of the finest LEGO Cadillacs I’ve seen.

Cadillac Series 62

Birds of a feather that click together

This trio of 1:10 scale avian models by Luis Peña utilise unexpected elements in some unique ways. Take for example the humble LEGO macaroni tube. Here it’s reimagined as the elegant neck of a blushing pink flamingo.

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Check out the other two birds

Do you believe they put a LEGO man on the moon?

With the resurgent interest in the Classic Space theme thanks to The LEGO Movie 2’s new range of retro sets, it only seems fitting that we celebrate these intrepid astronauts’ achievements. Builder Frost’s luminous mosaic is the perfect tribute, capturing the moment the LEGO flag is planted on alien soil.

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However, there’s another side to this build. Take a look at the image from the side and it reveals another world. Continue reading →

Crazy city living

These two beautifully built urban houses appear unassuming at first glance, but don’t be fooled. Builder Koala Yummies has sprinkled them with all manner of imaginative ideas. Let’s take the tour and see what’s hidden behind the façade.

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Around the back there are luscious climbing plants, bee’s nests and a birdhouse attached to the wall. Continue reading →

A planet-sized Classic Space layout that’s overflowing with incredible rovers and spaceships

At 96×168 cm, this sprawling space layout is a phenomenal build. Creator Dale Harris notes on his harrisbricks blog that the display is a personal love note to the Classic Space theme’s limited colour palette and retro tech aesthetic.

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See more details of the super-sized space display

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

That famous opening line from Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities is as good an introduction as any to Paddy Bricksplitter’s microscale diorama of the same name. The juxtaposition of the glistening white utopian towers and the smoke belching grime of the dystopian factory below creates some wonderful drama. There are nods, as he acknowledges, to the cyberpunk anime Battle of Alita as well as science fiction classics such as Things to Come and Metropolis. In the end, its Paddy’s own style that steals the show, relying on clever repeats of simple LEGO elements and atmospheric lighting to show the contradicting sides of his future city.

A Tale of Two Cities

A picture is worth a thousand bricks

Back in 2013 Tyler Clites contributed a fantastic tutorial to the Brothers Brick on how to photograph your LEGO creations; and his latest creation proves once again that not only is he one of the LEGO community’s most talented builders, he’s also a master at presenting his work. Of course the featured spaceship has all the hallmarks you’d expect from Tyler: nice piece usage throughout, wonderfully shaped engines, and appealing splashes of colour for detail. However, as he notes, he wanted more for this craft than a shot of it flying through space. With a repurposed rock base, and the creation of some creepy bug aliens, we now have a story to be told. Hunkered down for repairs in the middle of nowhere, the ship’s auto turrets save the day. Mix in ace lighting effects and a swirling mist, courtesy of a vape pen, and you have what I have previously written about, the perfect marriage between LEGO and photography.

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The perfect LEGO Friends kitchen

I think there’s a little knowing joke going on in Aukbricks digital-LEGO recreation of Monica’s kitchen from classic 90s sitcom Friends. Although it’s a rendered build, the model sticks to available bricks, many of which rely on the colour palette found in the LEGO Friends themed sets. It’s a choice that absolutely works, and captures the idiosyncratic, homely yet prissy look of the room. It also means that if you had the requisite 6,000 pieces needed, you could absolutely build this model yourself. So, if you are a super-fan like Aukbricks, who claims to have watched the shows entire run 15 times, you too could pour over all the familiar details of this wonderfully accurate set in the comfort of your own home.

Friends — Monica’s kitchen

One stop fish shop

This multi-storey LEGO fish market built by Glaz Pimpur is a microcosm of bustling city life. It’s also one of those builds that rewards a top to bottom scan, with each level offering up its own special treat.

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Starting at street level we get to see all manner of produce being brought to market. Is that a shark in the back of that truck! Above the gates there’s some nifty part usage, with trans orange boulders  doubling as lanterns. Carry on up the façade and it’s time to show off some excellent typography work in the form of the brick-built fish Kanji. Just when you think its done, the model reveals a final rooftop surprise: an authentic temple, where you can finish your shopping trip off with some tai chi practice.

Templae at the top of Fish Market

Who’s a pretty boy?

This gorgeous and extremely lifelike yellow-crested cockatoo by Timofey Tkachev shows off some expert sculpting techniques. Building a feathered friend from LEGO bricks isn’t easy, especially when you want to capture the variety of textures in its plumage. Timofey has opted for a clever counterpoint between a patchwork of angled slopes for the breast and smooth Technic panels for the wings. In addition, little highlights have been added through the use of specialist elements: a croissant, banana, dinosaur tail and others pieces are all hidden away in the model, each adding to its crisp detailed finish.

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No one escapes Vader’s wrath

One thing we all learnt from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is that you don’t want to stand between a Sith Lord and his blueprints! NS Brick Designs has done an amazing job of capturing the iconic scene, giving us Darth Vader in full on rage as he storms the gantry corridor toward the fleeing Tantive IV.

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It may only be a small LEGO build, but through the careful placement of the scattered Rebel troops — one being pinned to the ceiling by a force throw — captures the sweeping flow of the sequence. The interior is the other star, overflowing with accurate details. The panelled floor constructed from Technic bars showing just how far things have been taken in the pursuit of the perfect build.

Classic space: upscaled, armed and dangerous

Builder Jacob Sadovich, who is probably best known to the LEGO community for his LEGO Ideas winning ship in a bottle project, has given us a very different, but equally impressive new model. At first glance it looks like a well built if fairly typical Classic Space star fighter, but look again and you’ll see it’s built to a much larger scale — a scale that allows him to pack in the details, from the clutch of wing mounted missiles, to the huge turbine intakes on each thruster.

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Designed around the Technic LEGO figures from the late 1980s, this ship really is huge. Zoom into the front canopy and you can see Jacob’s modified pilot up close, replete with bespoke Classic Space uniform.

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There are more surprises to be discovered when viewed from behind.

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A rear mounted gun turret completes the military feel of this superb spaceship. Beautifully formed form an X pod, it pays homage to iconic World War 2 planes such as the Lancaster Bomber.

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