Posts by Kyle Keller

The Maestro is ready to drop some ‘bows

While I haven’t been plotting any LEGO villainy in the opening round of this year’s Bio-Cup, I have been working with brown Bionicle bits as of late for my own malicious machinations. So let me tell you, Ted Andes was employing quite the limited part palette when he took on a violin-themed evil-doer, Il Maestro Di Violino. The shape he’s managed here is excellent, and the incorporation of the Kakama Kanohi mask is perfect. For a “last minute entry,” this feels like a well-planned symphony of parts. It immediately conveys “violin” and “villain” with just one glance.

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LEGO inn-sights and inn-ovations

If there’s one thing that stands out most in this terrific LEGO inn by builder Tomasz Bartoszek, it’s the repeated creation of curved surfaces without using curved bricks. Both the sloped roof of tiles and rounded wall of the tower generate their curves through the use of 1×2 tiles, set at appropriately-varied angles. The result is a beautiful, clean look that perfectly captures a stop just off the roadway, in settings both real and fantastic. On top of that, I love the blobs of vegetation dotting the roof. But it’s the incorporation of Harry Potter wands into the eaves that adds the perfect finishing touch to those concave slopes of shingles.

A villain who’s darkest when alight

Each year, the Bio-Cup competition brings forth some of them most inspired LEGO character creations in the business. Case in point, check out the Ghostlight Sovereign by Eann (Miscellanabuilds). Looking like some kind of Lumiere from the Mirror Universe, this waxen wight elicits some superb spookiness from the eerie blue glow of its candles. The real work done in this build doesn’t come from any part made of plastic, though. The use of LEGO-official cloth pieces, whether in the cape adding volume to the figure or the tattered rags in place of legs, somehow simultaneously add and subtract “weight” from the Sovereign, showing it to be of two worlds.

And if you’d like to see more from Bio-Cups of yesteryear, you can check them out in our archives.

Birds of a feather save Sam and Frodo together!

With all the winged beasts transformed into sets for the LEGO Harry Potter line, let’s hope that the creatures of Lord of the Rings can get the same treatment soon. And the place to start would certainly be with a minifig-scale Great Eagle, just like this one built by Shaun Sheepa. The texturing here is a real treat! quarter-round tiles, rock textures, and even this fairly awkward wing piece all come together to give the Eagle quite the plethora of plumage. And the magmatically-colored base pops nicely underneath the brown bird, while reminding the viewer of the “peak” of the tale’s drama around Mount Doom. Just hold on, Gandalf. Frodo and Sam have got to be there somewhere….

Camera shopping in dystopian District 7

Clad in the octagonal LEGO bricks from the Aquazone theme, the Nakano Camera Corner by Ids de Jong is a beautiful bit of cyberpunk cityscape. The seamless integration of such an awkward part is very well done here, as are all the little details accompanying the famous “NCC.” All the essential pieces of cyberpunk are present. Stripes of tiled kanji adorn the agglomeration of shops, each one created in its own style. Technological tubing and futuristic adverts are peppered throughout. Even the minifigs are tricked out for the depicted dystopic future!

While the view from the corner is quite impressive in all its yellow glory, I appreciate this alternate angle of the model even more. It really showcases all the fine details Ids crammed into this urban chunk-ola. The gutter pipe that snakes down this side of the structure is absolute genius! Color changes showcase the haphazard wear on the conduit, and the elbow that’s now supporting some plant life feels so natural amid the jumble of this decaying metropolis.

The Tarakava and its rider

Originally depicted by LEGO as a “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot”-esque Bionicle creature, the Tarakava gets a serious overhaul here by alex_mocs. Losing the treads and bopping arms, the creature now sports a raptor-like design, while maintaining the startling lizard visage. I love how the builder leaned into some of the printed parts and stickers from the Jungle Dragon Ninjago set, as well as the seamless integration of Technic and System LEGO parts, both in the mount and rider. But the details in the reins and saddle are what really set this build apart.

This one-color cottage is a real “passion project”

In an effort to improve my LEGO building game while I continue my endless sort, I’ve been doing some deep dives recently into color. And right on the heels of finishing The Secret Lives of Color (by Kassia St. Clair and a very good read), I spy this beautiful cottage scene by the one and only Ralf Langar. The build speaks to the importance of the color red, and how we interpret it in our lives. While it can be the color of leaves, as in his darling ruby tree here, it also can symbolize such energizing things as life, heat, and love. Of course, as Ralf knows, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing: what once was love can quickly turn into passion, danger, war, and even blood. And a cottage with red-splattered windows doesn’t bode well for its occupants….

The very merriest of un-birthdays to you!

Hats off to LEGO builder Julius von Brunk for showcasing some mad skills with this Alice in Wonderland creation. The expression here conveys the perfect level of “manic,” thanks in large part to a liberal use of curved slopes and round tiles. But of course the best feature of any madcap milliner has got to be his hat, and Julius comes through with an exquisite chartreuse chapeau! The seamless integration of the 4×6 curved double-wedge is enviable, and the trademark “10/6” on its price sticker includes the ingenious use of some minifigure accessories to replicate the black numbers.

Presenting Min-diana Jones and the vignettes of the lost ark

He may only stand six LEGO plates tall, but the Indiana Jones in this series of “8-Bit Indy” vignettes by TBB alum Rod Gillies is still an archaeologist of action. And leading off the series is this fantastic bit of title lettering, showcasing the font associated with the franchise. I like the 3-D aspects here, helping the gradient letters pop out of the background even more. And don’t miss the tiny titular character sitting atop the 8-bit signage.

Check out some of the micro-highlights below!

A ruin of cubes amid the jungle

The dynamic duo of Jake Hansen and Eli Willsea have combined their LEGO talents to construct a glorious jungle scene based around a very boxy temple. The contrasts here are brilliant! The natural chaos of the jungle, replete with bladed vegetation, juxtaposes the right angles and clean lines of the temple. I love the choice of non-transparent blue for the water, adding to the feel of consistent color patches throughout the scene. But the real star here is the consistent architectural style throughout the temple’s ruin. Re-use of common patterns makes the build feel whole, while subtle variations on those modules gives the viewer an idea of the site’s state of decay. The consistency is so impressive that I was shocked it was made by two builders.

Does a checkered flag even wave in space?

This LEGO Speed Champions space-ification by EricTheSkeleton is giving me some serious “2013” vibes. For it was a decade ago that we were introduced to GARC, or the Galactic Asteroid Rally Circuit. And while Eric’s terrific speedsters are more “circuit” than “rally,” they still leave me pining for the golden age of LEGO space racing. With all the recent Speed Champions options out there now, maybe it’s time for a comeback…

A castle creation that’s great from all angles

If you couldn’t tell from the title, this LEGO castle masterpiece by Ben Hauger has got angles going every which way! The rockwork is terrific – a base of dark gray slopes conveying all kinds of craggy goodness. Yet the twisty vines laid out atop all those slopes are the real treat. Using chains of dark brown droid arms and assorted verdant bits in olive green, Ben laces his build’s foundation with a glorious bit of greenery. But for a more man-made angle, check out the beams supporting the right jetty. Those thick logs of LEGO lumber add a level of architectural realism to the creation, while showcasing a brilliant technique that I’m going to have to try myself.

Finally, taking a look at the build from a different angle, the full design of the main tower comes into view. Instead of relying on the simple, 45° look common to brick built turrets, Ben has bent his walls in a more custom fashion, relying on the rounded 1×2 plate and cheese slopes to marry the pieces together. Continuing the walls’ cobbling over those corners obscures the seam, but also creates a wonderful texture on the façade.