Posts by Daniel

If you blink, you might miss this tiny LEGO Hogwarts Express

If you thought the famous train from Harry Potter, the Hogwarts Express, couldn’t be built any smaller than the delightful model by David Zambito that we featured a few weeks ago, you’d be wrong. As proven by this even smaller model by Letranger Absurde, the build uses skeleton arms and a curvy horn as the smoke, and roller skates for wheels. One of the best parts usage, though, would have to be the white and dark gray rocky sloped parts used to form snow-covered peaks. Now I have to wonder if we’ll see an even smaller version any time soon.

This LEGO model was built as an entry for TBB’s Microscale Magic contest. Coverage on TBB of an entry will not be taken into consideration during judging, and will have no effect on its ability to win, either positively or negatively.

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A floating LEGO village fit for a king

When you’re building a floating castle, space is limited. The City of Alaylon designed by the legendary architect Sir Alberto Mauriccio (according to the LEGO builder, Brother Steven) is a wonderful example of making the most of limited land. The island in the sky that this fortification and village are perched on is actually made up of two pieces of land connected by a sky bridge.

There is nothing boring or plain about this castle in the sky. The many wall and tower fortification are built using some common elements of various sizes, like radar dishes and 1×1 round plates, and the inclusion of sloped elements at regular intervals along the walls ties the different structures together. The outer walls are gently curved to reinforce the crescent shape of the landscape.

The many upper towers, all in white, are also built to different dimensions using a wide variety of arches and other architectural elements that compliment each other quite nicely.

The smaller shops and building inside the castle walls are the perfect addition to the scene, providing a glimpse into the day to day life of its residents and visitors. I really love the mason perched on a small platform to do some delicate repair work.

LEGO Cloud Strife and his Chocobo ride into the sunset.

When Final Fantasy 7 came out for the PlayStation console in 1997, I spent many, many hours playing it, and one of the most pleasurable aspects, aside from kicking the pixels out of a multi-stage boss in epic 45-minute battles, was riding all over the world on my trusty Chocobo, searching for the elusive Giant Cactuar. This creation by Vincent Kiew captures the game’s protagonist, Cloud Strife, astride his Chocobo in large scale.

Vincent managed to make the Chocobo look very light on his feet, which is exactly how they looked and felt in the game. Also, Cloud is very accurate to his on-screen inspiration, down to the large clunky hands, his giant sword slung across his back, and that signature spiky anime hair.

A charming LEGO dwelling fit for a dwarf

This humble Dwarven home by Isaac Snyder may look like a fairly simple construction, but if you take a closer look, there are quite a few techniques worth mentioning that bring this dwelling to life. The black roof uses small slopes in an asymmetrical pattern which is quite unexpected. Also, the corner pillars blend seamlessly with the walls. The inset alcoves for doors and windows have a very strong castle fortification vibe, and speaking of doors, this one is a gem, made from various brown plates stacked simply, and adorned with hinges made from one of my favorite “new” parts, the modified 1×1 round plate with handle.

But there is one more thing… an interior.

Stranger Things teen line-up

The Netflix original series Stanger Things was an instant cult classic, and has led to a number of LEGO creations inspired by some of its memorable cast of characters, including a tribute to Barb by our own Iain Heath. This latest creation by Casey McCoy features the older teens from the show and they are instantly recognizable versions of their on-screen inspirations.

While fairly simple in construction, the models feature some nice techniques in the shaping of clothing and hair. I thought the purposeful miss-alignment of 1×1 bricks to create textured fabric for the pants was very effective.

Want to see more from Stranger Things? Check out our previously covered full line-up ofBrickHeadz by the same builder.

Surviving the apocalypse is all about a well-provisioned outpost

When it comes to post-apocalyptic LEGO creations, there is a vast selection of sub-genres that builders are inspired by, from cyber-punk, to wasteland survival, to monster/zombie/alien-infested worlds… and so many more. This scene by LegoFin. is set in a world where massive flooding and pollution have forced survivors to carve out a life among the crumbling remains of cities.

Aside from some very well-textured and very broken walls, I especially like the use of black bars throughout the structure for re-bar. This creates an even greater sense of danger and hostility in the environment. One missable detail is that the entire outpost is supported by a few small supports precariously balanced over the water. Then there’s all those utilitarian details like the radio tower, weather vane, and solar panels that complete the scene very nicely.

This survivor of the apocalypse is not clowning around

Creating a street scene with real character is all about the details – big and small. And when it comes to post-apocalyptic scenes, like this street scene by Jan T. the best details are in the destruction and erosion of man-made structures as nature re-claims what is hers. I’m not sure how I feel about the clown. Either it would freak the heck out of me if I were to encounter him on the street, or it would bring a smile to my face, and we would share a laugh as we scrounged for supplies.

There are so many great parts used in this scene and one of my favorites is the use of the twisty stem surrounding the large leaf plant part that most of us just throw away. You can find these used as vines flowing in and out of the buildings. Then there is the mini-fig back brackets used to create a lovely architectural detail above the door on the left building. The broken walls and windows are also quite nice.

LEGO Frozen BrickHeadz 41617: Elsa and 41618: Anna and Olaf [Review]

Disney’s Frozen joins the growing ranks of pop-culture BrickHeadz now available from LEGO. 41617 Elsa is available by herself, along with 41618 Anna and Olaf, who come in a buddy pack. Elsa comes with 130 pieces, and retails for $9.99, while her sister Anna and her childhood friend Olaf come with 201 pieces, and retail for $14.99. They are numbered 52, 53 and 54 in the BrickHeadz series and both sets are available now.

Read on for our full review of these two sets

Just another day on the olive farm

This pastoral farm scene by Jonatan Svenning packs a lot of great details into a small space. One of my favorite features is the simple roof, which uses 2×4 tiles connected on the underside and resting on the sloped wall with no apparent stud connection.

The narrow door and the textured walls provide a cozy vibe, while the low rock wall looks sturdy and weather-worn. I also love the multiple colors for both the landscaping and the path, that go so well together.

Life on the red planet

I’ve often imagined what it might be like to live on Mars. The Red Planet has been the subject of many science fiction movies and novels, one of the most famous of which would have to be The Martian, a novel by Andy Weir that was also made into a movie. These scenes by
Andreas Lenander do a wonderful job depicting life on Mars in the not too distant future.

I love the simple shape of the ship, especially the curved elements on each side, that look fragile and sleek at the same time. The greebly pipes on top feel very functional, and a bit delicate. The rover and fueling station also stand out against the stark landscape.

The post-production lighting and the overall bleak and desaturated colors set a very somber mood, while the use of simple plates and bricks for the surface don’t draw attention away from the vehicles.

Ariel and these other LEGO Disney characters just want to be part of your world!

Ariel and Ursula recently joined the ever-growing ranks of Disney LEGO characters available in Brickhead form… but today we’re talking about a very different version of these two iconic characters from The Little Mermaid. Mike Nieves has built a well-crafted model of Ariel dramatically posed as she expresses her longing to be part of the world outside her beloved ocean. Her flowing red hair looks very much like it’s on-screen inspiration, and the use of several green curved tiles along her lower body creates the perfect scaly look.

Of course, Ariel is just the start of Mike’s Disney character lineup.

See more of Mike’s sculpted Disney characters

Bullfinch in the snow

Sometimes the best designs come from constraints. When it comes to LEGO creations, builders are constrained by the size of their collection or the colors that LEGO elements are available in. In the case of this lovely model of a Bullfinch by Peter Ilmrud, one of the constraints is a glass dome from Ikea to keep his creations dust-free. If this looks familiar, there’s a good reason. We recently featured Peter’s Aladdin vignette also designed to fit under a glass dome. This Bullfinch, based on the LEGO Ideas Birds set 21301 fits perfectly atop a snow-covered branch, looking rather stately. I can almost hear chirping.

The tree is skillfully constructed to fit inside the glass dome, without feeling too cramped, or too minimal. The curved wall at the base provides a nice anchor to the scene and the use of loosely poured ice-cream scoops as freshly fallen snow is perfect.