About Luka

Luka is a Slovenian LEGO builder and a member of Kocke Klub. He is most well known for building dragons, but does not shy away from other themes when time is right. In the community he goes by Deus "Big D." Otiosus (D. stands for "Destiny") and has been around for quite a few years. He is one of those builders who went through their life without a dark age. Besides LEGO he is a biology student that wastes a lot of time in the local forest or in interesting urban areas. MOC Pages Flickr Bricksafe Youtube

Posts by Luka

There is no force in the world that can rival the Roman war machine

The Roman war machine was an impressive force in its time and to this day inspires many people, for better or for worse. This time it is for the better, as the Russian LEGO building duo Dmitriy and Anna have created an extremely expressive legionnaire using a relatively limited selection of bricks. There are many simple solutions for complex shapes, like exposed studs as the kneecaps and chin, as well as curved slopes that capture the shape of lorica segmentata perfectly.

The warrior’s weapons should not go unnoticed either: while the gladius in its scabbard is not quite perfect, I do not see how it could be done much better, but the pilum and scutum are basically flawless.

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A bloom opens, as the storm begins

One of the most prestigious contests in the LEGO community, the Iron Builder challenge, is once again underway. Grant Davis kicks off this round with a serene scene featuring a cute little bee and a lotus flower. The leaves are near perfect, but the flower looks more like Leontopodium alpinum than a lotus. Grant has apropriately titled his creation The Calm Before The Storm, and I cannot wait to see said storm bringing us more amazing creations to see.

Home is where the hearthstone is

Actually a more exact title would be that home is where one’s hearthstone is set to, but I digress. For those not in the know, the hearthstone is an item in World of Warcraft that returns its user to their home. It’s also the icon of the digital card game Hearthstone. I be planning to build this iconic little pebble for a few years now, but it was always at the bottom of the list, until I decided to make it as a concept build for my LUG.

There should be instructions available at one point, though I can’t say when. Any purists bothered by the sticky tape over the light-up spiral can be at ease, as it is only meant for support in transport and handling by less than careful hands. Oh, and it also lights up!

The wanderer’s part is to ride alone

After a few months of a hiatus, Brick Surgeon returns with a bang. His newest creation is a western nomad’s cart, packed full of character. From the wonky wheels to the traveler’s belongings piled up on the top of the cart, everywhere you look there is something to love. The best part is undoubtedly the technique used for the roof: tan bars are connected with official LEGO stickers from the inside. One word: genius! Additionally, the base should not be ignored; the plant life is excellently done, with multitudes of angles to keep a natural and flowing appearance.

Is Danish cuisine just LEGO food?

Actually, this amazing recreation of a gourmet dinner is made by a Russian builder (and cook!) Timofey Tkachev, but the “Danish influence” is unmistakable. All the food is very realistic, with many subtle detailing that reveals Timofey’s professional background. His favourite drink is also obvious from the amount of effort put into the beer bottle and glass. Although the concave shaping of a dinner plate is infamously hard to build in LEGO, but the builder cleverly solved the problem by making the plates “fancy”.

There is a subtle detail in this creation, because when viewed from above, the scene spells the abbreviation of the Russian LUG (although in Cyrillic and very subtle, so not many casual viewers are likely to catch it).

The kingdom has changed... And so has the throne room

While this throne room by Henjin_Quilones looks great, knowing it is a redesign of another builder’s creation puts it into a whole new perspective. The creations are linked both in style and storyline, as Henjin stays true to the original while improving on it with modern pieces and techniques. On the other hand, there is a significant difference in theme, with the first version being menacing and evil looking, while the redesign has more of a normal castle interior appearance. The focal point of both builds is a central mosaic, which is especially intricate on Henjin’s version.

Mad, bad, and dangerous to drive

Mad Max: Fury Road was home to some incredible vehicle designs. We’ve seen a couple of great LEGO renditions previously, including the mighty Doof Wagon and the Gigahorse. Jonas Kramm takes inspiration from the movie with an instantly recognizable model. The build captures the look perfectly — a rusty run-down hot rod, bedecked with over-the-top spikes of questionable practical value. The best part? The front wheels’ shock absorbers, made from springs taken from official LEGO pens.

Ugly is the new cute

Sometimes things can be so cute they become ugly. And it works the other way too — “The Ugliest Thing Ever” by Unijob Lindo looks so wrong in all the ways it can, that I can’t take my eyes off of it. The uninterested expression on its face and the balance between edges and curves is just so imperfectly perfect. I should point out the ingenious use of the street sweeper brushes as eyebrows and the retro castle cloak piece as the tongue.

The builder’s photostream is worth taking a look if you like this little monster, as Unijob has many more crazy and whacky creations posted there. One of my favourites would have to be this Moai statue with Super Mario’s hat and moustache.

The parrot is a pirate’s best friend

Master animal builder (and possibly pirate?) Felix Jaensch strikes again with this incredibly accurate Alexandrine parakeet. Exposed studs add a feather-like texture and the parrot’s shape is pretty much perfect. The best part has to be its characteristic beak with a rubber band used as the border. Now we need to see this bird on the builder’s shoulder!

Everything you need to be happy is right there, in your heart

Delving deeper into the artistic aspect of LEGO building, Timofey Tkachev follows up his previous build of a blood fountain with a strong image of spring rain, which has a very impressionist feel to it. The composition makes for a very powerful image, with contrast between colours and textures drawing the eye to the man holding his umbrella over the kneeling girl. The best part has to be the difference between the rain drops above and below the stone platform, which makes the rainfall look very dynamic. While the rockwork could be less repetitive, I think it blends in with the textured background well, making for a very consistent creation.

LEGO Resistance Skimmer from Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The recent Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi teaser trailer has sparked a lot of dicussion amongst fans, but the visuals are undoubtedly breathtaking. The most impressive of all would be the speeder scene from the planet Crait, which has already inspired many LEGO builders to make their version. One of the earliest is this one by Grant Davis, and I am sure it will remain one of the best for a long time. Grant does an incredible job recreating the speeder with the already iconic red dust trail, inspired by a mere six seconds of blurry video. The speeder has excellent shaping and Grant’s signature greebling (which ironicaly he most often uses on pirate-themed builds), but the highlight would have to be the coloured lines, some of which he achieved with rubber bands.

Judging from this build, The Last Jedi will bring a lot of inspiration to LEGO builders, and I can’t wait to see what we see next.

I want to discover the secret path a bird delivered into my heart

We’ve recently featured a sci-fi diorama sporting some nice portals, but this diorama by I Scream Clone places portals in a very different theme indeed. Both of these were built for a loosely connected collaborative project named “Portals” presented during the Sydney Brick Show. The builder brings an oldschool castle diorama to the table, with some very good structures, but mostly simple landscaping that helps the portals stand out even better. I wonder, are these dioramas really connected…