Posts by Daniel

Build your very own Donald Trump BrickHead [Instructions]

When we set out to plan our April First content, a lot of great ideas were suggested. But when the idea to build BrickHeadz of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was suggested, we knew we had a winner. I was thrilled to build them, having already designed and built custom BrickHeadz of Santa, and recently, a Leprechaun.

My first idea was to really make it a solid caricature, with comb-over blowing in the wind, and a shirtless Putin. But the trick to any good April Fools joke is to have enough realism to make it plausible, to really make people think, the same way that the best lies have a kernel of truth. So we decided that they should have that certain official “LEGO BrickHeadz style.” Luckily for me, the recent release of the LEGO Go Brick Me set that we have recently reviewed included just the parts we needed to give our custom BrickHeadz that kernel of truth.

The article was very successful and even led to some folks contacting LEGO about how they could get a copy of the set (for reals, please don’t do that). Sadly, this set will never be available to purchase (LEGO Education has much more important work to do like helping teach creativity to kids than making satirical products). But we are proud to share the instructions here, and while we don’t have a parts list, most of the parts used are readily available along with the Go Brick Me set, available now in stores.

See full instructions after the jump

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Post-apocalyptic school of hard knocks.

This ain’t no Hogwarts. This broken down school by Jonas Obermaier has been turned into a base of operations for a nefarious gang of survivors of the End. In addition to the well-textured vegetation running wild on the grounds, there are some very nice architectural details not to be missed. Take the Dobby heads on either side of the lion head below the roof, for example. Also, a number of micro-figures in tan are a nice touch along the rooftop.

Plucky scout fighter prepped and ready for action

If an X-wing from Star Wars and a Viper from Battlestar Galactica had a baby, it would look a lot like this long range fighter from tastenmann77. Loaded with engines and carrying a full payload to supply its brave pilot on his deep space scout mission.

Pint-sized castle packed with style

It can be a challenge to find a unique perspective on capturing some of the things that make a good castle work on a small scale. But I think this model by Dwalin Forkbeard really nails it. To begin with, the multi-angled rockwork and landscape is an excellent rendition of techniques more commonly seen on a much larger scale.

Using loosely connected plates curved into an arched bridge is genius, and the wooden window shutter makes the perfect gate door. The fact that each tower is a different size and the combination of stone and wood create a neat effect as well. And did you notice the minifigure helmet as a roof of that interior tower?

Mad Scientist modular laboratory complete with mad interiors!

There has been a wave of custom modular LEGO buildings featured here on The Brothers Brick recently, such as the excellent Guild Hall by O Wingård. But to find a modular building with so much character, and full interior details as well was just too much to pass up. This inventor/mad scientist lab by Filip Olin has a ton of great details, so let’s jump in!

One of my favorite exterior details is the use of skeleton legs — in both black, for the railing, and tan for architectural accents on the wall. No workshop would be complete without pipes, and this model features a number of black and grey pipeworks, including one with sludge pouring on the landscaped ground level.

See more detailed pics after the jump

A somber Guild Hall for somber Victorian gentlemen

This amazing modular building by O Wingård strikes a unique mood. The builder’s minimal use of color, those imposing pillars, and tall windows give this model a distinctive Victorian feel. Not to mention the double chimneys. The real hero of this model is the elaborate statue over the door, and the distinguished gentleman keeping watch on the porch. You can almost hear the gaslights sputtering and flickering. The only thing this building needs is some London fog to really set the stage.

While the building and the lone minifigure strike a somber mood, a LEGO French bulldog lends a touch of whimsy to the scene.

Classic Space gets a facelift

The classic space theme is always near and dear to my heart, as my very first LEGO set with a minifig was 487 Space Cruiser. There have been many LEGO creations paying tribute to this theme, from scaled up versions of classic sets to microscale. This long-range scout ship by Alec Hole represents a significant reboot.

The classic division of light gray wing/underside and blue fuselage pays homage to the theme while prolific greebling and other details throughout the model give it a very modern feel. There are a number of elements from the classic sets used here to connect this modern vessel to its historic roots, from the overall blue and gray color scheme to the little “bumblebee” stripes.

Sweet modular Dentist office

This wonderfully detailed corner modular by o0ger features a dentist’s office as well as a sweet shop, so you can get your ice cream and get your teeth cleaned all in one stop. There are so many great design choices to call out here. Each building has a well-integrated color scheme, from the lime green plus yellow-green stripes on the sweet shop to the brown and rust-red of the dentist’s office.

Both buildings also feature some excellent architectural details, especially around the windows and doors. The details of the dentist office roof window are particularly interesting.

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Build your very own BrickHeadz Leprechaun [Intructions]

Looking for a bit of Irish luck? Now you can build your very own BrickHeadz Leprechaun this St. Patrick’s Day. Sorry, no wishes granted by this LEGO fellow, but maybe a little luck will rub off on you.

Instructions to build your own BrickHeadz Leprechaun after the jump

Long live the Queen... of nightmares.

There are few monsters in the history of movies that strike more terror in audiences and fans than the Queen Xenomorph imagined by James Cameron in the movie Aliens. Here at TBB we have featured many LEGO xenomorphs in the past, but in my opinion, this Queen by Manufactura Jarema is one of the best, most detailed queen models I have ever seen.

There are so many details that are worth mentioning. For one, the use of two black clip elements used to create the tapering barbs on the flexible tail. Also, the hinge piece on the arms is the perfect part for making thin yet posable limbs. Besides the many wonderful details in the Queen herself, the stand which contains great environmental structure also features another hero of this model, the Facehugger!

My, what big fins you have.

Sometimes the simple details on a LEGO model are the most interesting. Take this spiffy spaceship by Jme Wheeler, for example. Those smoothly curving fins are the centerpiece of this stylish creation. In addition to all the curvy bits in all directions, the gold details on the engine, and that macaroni pipe around the cockpit are great details.

Flying submarine – top gun of the sea

When it comes to building a great LEGO narrative, the right signature element can really set the scene. Take this delightful flying submarine scene by Yang Wang for example. The tall, skinny, chibi-style fuselage with that perfectly rounded canopy creates a unique and fun vehicle. The working tilt rotors make this airship/submersible complete.

See more detailed pics of this submersible after the jump