Posts by Kyle Keller

Assassinanny 9-12?

Beware, mild Mandalorian S3E7 spoilers ahead. Please forgive the title, but it’s not every day that I get to make an obscure Venture Brothers reference while I write about a LEGO Star Wars build. Believe me, I’m enjoying the moment! From the penultimate season 3 episode of The Mandalorian, Dread Pirate Wesley has channeled his inner Anzellan and created the best IG-12 I’ve seen thus far. Grogu’s new mech is looking extra sharp with spindly, Technic-heavy extremities. I especially like the use of the Constraction fig lightsaber hilts in the robot’s forearms, providing the perfect amount of texture with the glint of pearl silver. IG’s head is well-formed, especially with two pulley pieces. They critically allow stud connections for texturing/coloring while still maintaining a 3-wide cylinder. But there’s really nothing more eye-catching than that lime-colored pilot, complete with an adorable custom face print.

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A-tisket, a-tasket, a flower-filled LEGO basket

One of my LEGO building goals that I’m perpetually chasing is the creation of natural forms like plants in the blocky medium. And picea74 really shows me how to do it with this darling basket of flowers. First focusing on the wicker container, the weave has the perfect alternation of curved slopes to evoke the dry rustling of reed and cane. I particularly like how the builder handled the corners, adding to the structural integrity of the work by breaking the pattern, but doing so in a manner that still feels basket-like. The organics in this vessel are quite impressive, with the blue and pink carnations acting as paragons of “floral architecture.” And the use of sprues from the old tri-leaf part add a glorious bit of vine-ery to the vessel’s contents.

The Roger-est of Rogers!

For me, there is so much nostalgia pouring out of this beautiful battle droid LEGO build by Dylan Mievis. Appearing in this scale, I’m instantly reminded of the Battle Droid Technic set from 2000. While near-completely (and appropriately) monochrome in tan, Dylan’s clanker makes excellent use of the 1×1 round plate with bar to create all that Separatist jointery. It’s quite impressive that a build with so many minimal connections is capable of standing unsupported. The blaster is a real triumph on its own, perfectly matching the droid’s scale and intricate as all get out! This guy’s ready to help conquer Naboo, for sure.

Where’s a Strider when you need one?!

We’ve had a glorious wealth of LEGO Lord of the Rings builds lately, thanks in large part to a contest going on right now over on the LEGO Ideas site. As a result, we can see builder Faëbricks ply their expert rock technique in this beautiful recreation of the Weathertop scene. Faëbricks does an excellent job of distinguishing between two types of weathered stone. There’s the ruins of the watchtower, built in light gray and retaining evidence of man-made features: crumbling arches, a few ruined statues, and so many clean lines intentionally broken with a crack or crevice tell the history of this place. Juxtapose that feel with the rocky terrain in dark gray, dark green, and brown. The weathered earth appears in larger “chunks” and involves far more slopes and natural shapes than the construction atop it. And yet both sides of this metaphorical coin coexist wonderfully in this exceptional recreation from the movie.

Bringing back the classic Boba bust

While the LEGO Star Wars helmet series has been terrific, I also enjoy builds of a smaller scale accomplishing the same thing. Builder George Panteleon provides an excellent example of this scale with his classic take on Boba Fett. The dark green coloration stands out here, especially next to the bits of white and red trim. And I love the shaping, utilizing an array of slopes and curves to get the Mandalorian helmet just right. But the best detail for me has got to be the perfect use of handlebars to create the hexagonal pattern on Boba’s chest. It’s the perfect part for the job.

The age of men is over, the time of the Mecha-Orc has come!

Well, now I’ve seen everything! Direct from the imagination of Illia Zubashev comes this hearty band of LEGO orcs armed with a mech suit, a rocket pack, and one huge rocket launcher. I absolutely love the colors here! The greens of the orcish skin and dark tan of the terrain provide wonderful contrast with the safety yellow and of this troop’s equipment. Unorganized and organic patters interplay with neat black-and-white checkerboards and safety striping. It instantly signals that these devices are out of place in this setting. And yet, the hints of rust and a few haphazard patch jobs apparent on the modern equipment still anchors this scene in reality (or at least a reality where fantasy has been gut-checked by sci-fi). May this platoon have much success in its raid of the nearby kingdom of Cyber-Elves.

This Pikachu-wannabe just wants a hug!

I can’t think of a creepier Pokémon than Mimikyu, even in LEGO form. While some may mistake it for a sickly-looking Pikachu, the clever disguise hides a malicious Fairy/Ghost type underneath. Builder Brickmill has created a wonderful likeness of this spooky creature, complete with two shadowy arms emerging from underneath its costume. Cheese slopes are doing quite a bit of work in this creation, from the tattered end of the ‘Mon’s sheet to its zig-zaggy mouth attempting a smile. And while a simple solution, its menacing claws are spot-on for the specter underneath.

A thick’un of a chicken!

LEGO or not, nothing screams Easter like baby chicks and ovoid objects. Andreas Lenander smashes the two together to create an avian friend that’s an absolute unit! The sculpting of its yellow egg of a body is spot-on, deftly applying all kinds of curved slopes to emulate a tangle of feathers. Two comically small wings stick out to either side, tipped with leaf parts in orange. And I love the pop of feathers sticking out the top of the bird’s head. But most notably, I just can’t get over that derpy face that would feel right at home in the Angry Birds franchise. It’s a great use of one of my favorite parts for character creation: the white technic ball with an eye print. Happy Easter, everyone!

Never have the Middle Ages been so colorful

The city of Cedrica welcomes you with a veritable rainbow of LEGO color, all thanks to builder Dan O’Connor. Amid a central tower sporting some excellent stonework, we have a bustling block of the Medieval metropolis. Minifigures are hard at work under awnings of red, against a background of blue, or proximate to a purple roof. Each construction has its own style here, not only showcasing a full palette of color, but also one brimming with different parts. Even the gold trim in the canoe, while not a route I would typically go, looks brilliant in this vibrant setting.

Spinning the model 180 degrees shows off even more action. The construction of the violet-topped Tudor can be fully appreciated from this vantage, those small patches of tan breaking up the white of the wattle and daub. And the small tree next to it fits into the scene perfectly without drawing the eye away from all the bustling action nearby. And don’t miss that nefarious-looking fellow tucked back in the alleyway.

This LEGO Wednesday Addams doesn’t care what day of the week it is!

Thanks to her recent series, Wednesday Addams has become the latest “It Girl” – or rather “Itt Girl.” And her gothic style is perfectly captured here in LEGO by builder Saird15. The character design is immediately recognizable, with brilliant shaping of the uniform. The pair of wedge plates for the lapels makes for quite the nice touch. Dark gray stripes help to break up Wednesday’s dress, as do the hints of white poking through her uniform. I absolutely love the technique used here for her braids – a simple solution to a complex problem in character emulation. But her parasol absolutely takes the cake! Utilizing a network of cloth bat wings, Saird15 is able to create a proper umbrella in the right scale for their brick-build Addams. Such an impressive design!

Quite the capricious Capreolus capreolus

Oh deer! I absolutely adore this latest LEGO construction by builder Stefan Johansson, from the top of the antlers down to its cheese-sloped hooves. The shaping is excellent, as are the textures created by the use of various tiles along the neck and haunches. Working in dark orange can be difficult, but Stefan navigates the part limitations with ease. And no place is this better emphasized than the head of this beast. The ears and antlers are in perfect proportion to the rest of the head, and the contrast with the tan coloration around the eyes and chin is excellent. Add on the nice bit of flora that our woodland creature is placed in, and this is a terrifically well-balanced creation.

Your tub is prepped. Time to relax!

After a day spent running errands in the rain, this warm LEGO bath built by Isaac W. looks so inviting. I love all the great techniques employed here. The upside-down sloped panel for the sink is wonderful! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that part used in such a perfect way. The design on the cabinet to the right is beautiful, managing to use window inserts without the associated frame thanks to a great connection. And, while it may be simple, the bottle of shampoo is the exact splash of lavender this build needed.