Posts by Daniel

Castaway’s paradise

By far one of my favorite LEGO builders that I have discovered since becoming a contributor to TBB is Sarah Beyer, who consistently builds well-designed dwellings inside and out, no matter what the size or scale. Even when going in a more whimsical direction, like in her latest creation which she calls a loner’s paradise.

Loner's Paradise MOC. A tropical hide-away.

The level of detail deserves a much closer look, starting with the base. Multiple shades of plates below transparent blue tiles give the sense of hidden depths among the soft sandy shore. I also love how she used an upside-down dry vegetation part below the palm leaves. The different shades of brown used to build the house’s stilts gives it the perfect weathered look.

Loner's Paradise MOC. Behind the palm trees.

The verdant vegetation continues up the backside of the house and the top-most of many porches and balconies includes a winch for reeling in the catch of the day.

And if you want to see more beautiful houses by Sarah Beyer, be sure to check out some of her many models we have featured on TBB over the years.

Get ready to rumble with this riot control mech. Or get ready to run

If you are planning on making trouble for the government in Marco Marozzi‘s world, you better be prepared to face the music. And by the music, I mean this manacing crowd control mech, who if you are unlucky and he runs out of ammo, will instead stomp you to paste without breaking a sweat.

Ma.k 7 Anti Riot Urban Mech

Marco is a mech builder who uses lots of amazing mechanical details in his models that root them in the practical world, with joints that feel like they actually work, and this mech is no exception. The back of the legs use the helicopter ski element to anchor several greebly bits to maximize stompiness.

Another highly detailed section is the head and chest, which use the main torso part from many Nexo Knights power mechs to provide a richly textured look. But one of my favorite parts is half of an old hinged claw used as the back part of the foot.

Ma.k 7 Anti Riot Urban Mech

In space, no one can hear you scream, unless you are in a TIE fighter

Nyeeeeyaw! C’mon, you know what I mean. Any Star Wars fan will have to admit to swooshing their TIE Fighter toy through the living room making that signature screaming sound of the Empire’s mass-produced cheap and disposable one-man flying coffin. This midi-scale replica by Pascal Hetzel has a ton of great parts usage packed into a compact design.

TIE Fighter Midi-scale

Pascal uses some of the newer curved wedges to sculpt the cockpit, and the two solar panels manage to capture the look of its on-screen inspiration without being too bulky for its scale. I have to admit that I would love to see the entire line-up of TIE Fighters in this same scale…

TIE Fighter Midi-scale

The future of space travel is looking good

We have already seen one Tesla launched into space last February when the SpaceX Falcon Heavy blasted off, but it looks like this super-sleek personal spaceship by GolPlaysWithLego just might be a Tesla from the future, that has traveled across time and space from a human colony on Mars. This stylish ship is the perfect blend of form and fashion and is full of great details. One of my favorites is the revolver between the two rounded white accents on the front.

And then Mars!

The model makes excellent use of one of the windscreen parts from the Speed Champions theme. I honestly can’t decide whether I like the slim contours of the body more or the fin-riddled engine assembly. In any case, this is one sleek spaceship.

And then Mars!

Have a drink on me, fellows, for tomorrow, we fight.

Scenes from Star Wars movies and television have been a major source of inspiration for LEGO builders since the first time we were transported to that galaxy far, far away. Some builders take more subtle inspiration from the Star Wars universe to create scenes that we never saw but were there all along, like this model of barracks for Rebel troopers on Hoth by Gabe F, a charming view into the day-to-day life of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to fight the tyranny of the Galactic Empire.

Hoth Barracks (1)

The carved organic snow landscaping is great, and there are lots of little details like portable bunks complete with temperature gauge and power cords, pin-ups on the wall, and cups of caf littered throughout. There’s even a lost sock. Hopefully, the owner has a spare pair to keep their toes warm.

Hoth Barracks (3)

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 01, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the last week of June.

TBB News and reviews:

In other LEGO news:

This monochrome medieval city is anything but bleak

While many LEGO castle builders use at least some shade of gray somewhere in their medieval fortifications, many try to push themselves outside this monochrome palette if possible. On the other hand, sometimes using self-imposed constraints can unlock new levels of creativity. In the case of this microscale village by Aaron Newman, complete with cathedral and an impressive keep, the inspiration came from the task of building a prize for a castle building contest where the use of gray is prohibited. So, whoever wins this prize will still get the benefit of a little gray in an otherwise colorful world.

Medieval City

One of my favorite details about this model are the many angled walls, which reflect a great many real-life castles and ruins around the world. One more missable detail is the sideways bricks that flank the entrance to the cathedral. For the round towers, Aaron borrowed a technique from a previous microscale castle of his featured here on TBB.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for June 23, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of June.

TBB News and reviews:

Continue reading →

Nothing square about this slim spaceship

LEGO Spaceships come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes delicate, sometimes brutal, sometimes massive, sometimes tiny. Frequently featured spaceship builder Shannon Sproule often surprises us with his unique style, and this search and rescue vessel does it again. Most of the repair ship is barely wider than a standard 2 stud brick, but the slender and tall profile is bristling with grappling arms, hangar bays, and lots of sloped parts to add a little flair. One of my favorite parts is the game die used along the underside. If you are a purist though, don’t look too closely at that bent antenna on the top (wink).

Search and Rescue boat

A hull of a pair of pleasure boats

At first glance, it is easy to mistake these two boats by ER0L as wooden or plastic models, rather than LEGO creations. In part, this is due to the impressively constructed curved hulls, which is not the easiest thing to do. However, building a memorable LEGO boat is about more than just smooth curves. The smallest detail can make a big impact. One such detail on the larger Sirius is the white rubber band used as a hatch seal. With the smaller Mona, the use of some older hinge plates to line the inside of the rear compartment is genius.

Two boats

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for June 16, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of June.

This past week’s news was dominated by Star Wars and dinosaurs, from video game announcements to large collectible sets depicting major movie moments. Go back to a galaxy far, far away, hold on to your butts, and read on for more information!


TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS:

OTHER LEGO NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:
Click to read even more LEGO news

Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection

Each installment in the Star Wars cinematic saga has introduced new villains for audiences to obsess over, from Darth Vader’s first rasping breath in A New Hope to Darth Maul’s devil-like countenance in The Phantom Menace. Revenge of the Sith was no exception, although General Grievous first appeared in the 2004 animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Dissatisfied with the official 75112 General Grievous LEGO set, Marcin Otreba has built a stunningly detailed model of the wheezy cyborg commander of the Separatists’ droid army with some truly inspired designs.

General Grievous Lego replica

By far, my favorite features are the arms which, like his on-screen counterpart, can separate into two slender but no less nimble and deadly appendages. I also love the translucent body cavity housing his vital organs. You’ll also want to take a closer look at the fingers, which are built using B-1 battle droid heads, of course.