Hong Kong’s bustling urban atmosphere is exciting, but sometimes it’s nice to take some time out to relax and enjoy nature. It’s worth hopping on the MTR bound for Lantau Island, where you can visit the quaint fishing village of Tai O. Alanboar Cheung has captured the spirit of Tai O in LEGO-form, right down to the green mountainous landscape behind it. He has included the town’s famous stilted homes, a dragon boat, and the squat-looking sampan boats. One of the sampan even features a traditional Tai O water wedding.
This head-on shot of the display is great for honing in on all the tiny details. Techniques like forced perspective and layering also help maintain the illusion of depth. Take me to Tai O!
Posts by Matt Hocker
“Fatality!” Scorpion breathes fire into this LEGO character
“Get over here!” for one of the most iconic one-on-one fighting games. Julius von Brunk brings us a LEGO rendition of Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion, complete with the character’s signature fire-breathing fatality move. Back in the 1990s, imagery like this freaked out parents and helped contribute to the development of the modern ESRB rating system. However, we think even Joe Lieberman would have to agree that Julius’ scene is spine-chillingly good. When we learned he used practical effects in rendering this scene, it left us screaming, “finish him!”
Snow’s up, dude!
“Dashing through the snow, on a rocket powered board. O’er the slopes he’ll go, with his elven horde. Jingle build! Jingle build! Jingle all the way! LEGO 7‘s clever Santa makes us shout ‘Hooray!'”
With the singing out of the way, I love this unconventional portrayal of old Saint Nick. Santa’s pose captures the spirit of snowboarding, right down to the jumper plate representing his mouth shouting “woo!” His white beard flowing in the wind conveys a sense of speed.
See more of this radical Saint Nicholas
When you shoot a bow and arrow, you aim at the clouds....
When Eero Okkonen set out to build a female archer, he found inspiration in nomadic cultures and the character of Lyndis from Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series. Eero has built a reputation for building impressive-looking characters out of LEGO bricks, and his archer is no exception. In this model, bright, bold colors and earth tones play off of one another to great effect. In terms of form, the figure’s pose is realistic, from the stretch of the bow to the flow of the dress.
Eero makes excellent use of certain elements, such as barrels used to form a quiver and a balloon tire for the hair bun.
Ride the roads in a really radical rat rod
In American car culture, the rat rod has come to symbolize rugged individualism. You might think of it as the automotive equivalent of a cowboy. Over the course of seven months, Manuel Nascimento built a LEGO Ford Model A rat rod. Manuel’s Model A oozes personality, with its “rust brown” patina, chrome trim and chopped, lowriding body. His model captures the subtle curves and angles of the real car. I’m particularly impressed with how the sides slightly slant upward.
Manuel’s rat rod is as impressive mechanically as it is visually. The car is equipped with power functions motors for moving, steering, and the ability to raise and lower the rear. Because the engine is exposed, you can also see it in action. Manuel chose to highlight these features in the following video.
See this gorgeous Model A rat rod in action
The name’s Jack...Union Jack
Back in 1941, World War II inspired ceramic manufacturer Royal Doulton to release a patriotic bulldog figure. Royal Doulton re-released the bulldog in 2012 to coincide with its appearance in the film, Skyfall. Since LEGO Ideas is currently running a James Bond contest, Victor decided to build a nearly 1:1 scale LEGO version of the bulldog. Victor’s model looks adorable, and the smooth curves of the dog and studs-out sculpting of the flag on his back make for an eye-pleasing juxtaposition.
From restoration shop to the toy box, this ’57 Bel Air is a cruising classic
When it comes to 1950s cars, the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is especially popular. Plenty of LEGO fans have made examples of this classic car, but few come with a personal story. Builder 1saac W. decided to build the 1957 Bel Air that his girlfriend’s father has owned since high school. The real car is being restored, so 1saac W. decided to build the car in its current state. By his own account, this is why his LEGO car lacks whitewall tires. The minfigure-scale Chevy looks superb, with curves in all the right places and some intricate-looking geometry forming the fins.
The gas pump makes for a nice prop and was inspired by an example built by Norton74. Finishing off the car is the grille’s beaming “smile.”
F is for Ford fitted with a fantastic folding top
Pixeljunkie continues to delight with his series of LEGO cars. This time, he turned to the Brass Era with a tiny 1915 Ford Model T roadster pickup. The Model T was the car that made driving more accessible to the general public, and Pixeljunkie’s model is a sharp-looking replica that conceals an amazing feature.
The thing that makes his car especially impressive is the incorporation of a working folding top. A stop-motion video showcases how smooth this feature is.
Just like his 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, Pixeljunkie documents his Model T as if it were a restoration. Over the past few weeks, he has teased us with images leading up to the finished product. It all started with this group of mechanics carefully looking over a set of plans. Look carefully, and you’ll notice the one minifigure has a Ford tattoo on his arm. You might say it is a “FORDshadowing” of things to come!
Click to see the amazing photos documenting this car’s build in a brick-built mechanic’s shop
A fantastical fairy to leave you breathless
If you are a fan of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you are probably familiar with Titania, queen of the fairies. Loosely influenced by the bard’s play, Ben Cossy whipped up this lovely LEGO fairy stretching out on the curled leaf of a flowering plant. Ben’s fairy is well-built, with a calm-looking pose and skirt flowing to the side. While the fairy herself is visually stunning, she is made all the more impressive thanks to some detailed landscaping. The sculpting of the flower is breathtaking, including an excellent use of the natural flex of 1×2 plates and 1×1 round plates to form curves in the leaves. It completes the scene in such a way that feels bright and magical.
Ride about in this regal Royale
2018 has been a big year for the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron. While the Chiron represents modern elegance, the Bugatti name has been associated with opulent luxury since 1909. One of the most coveted Bugatti automobiles is the Type 41 Royale, with only seven examples having been built between 1927 and 1933. ER0L has taken the Royale, shrinking it down into an adorable LEGO model. Erol has successfully captured the incredible length of the real vehicle, along with the iconic two-tone Bugatti color scheme. This particular version is the Coupe Deville with coachwork by Binder. During World War II, it was hidden in the sewers of Paris to escape confiscation by Nazi Germany.
Beware the gaze of BrickHeadz Medusa
In Greek mythology, Medusa is a slithering monster with a stone-cold gaze. The tables have now turned for the Greek gorgon, with Koen Zwanenburg having transformed her into a static LEGO BrickHeadz character. Though often portrayed as a hideous monster, Koen’s version is adorable. The sculpting of the body is particularly nice, with the tail from Jabba the Hutt being used to great effect. Her hair is comprised of several snake head elements, which look practically made for the character. It would be great to see other mythological creatures receive a BrickHeadz treatment this nice!
To felinity and beyond!
Cats are curious creatures and sometimes like to “help” with LEGO building projects. The results can be devastatingly cute, such as this photograph of a tiny kitten ready to take flight in a LEGO model built by MiniGray. The build itself is a nice example of futuristic aircraft with a large cockpit for special pilots of the furry kind. If you plan on sharing this image with your friends, brace yourself for a barrage of “AWW!”
