Posts by Steve Barker

He built the red one

Sybrin Hendrikx is known primarily as a builder of incredible LEGO race cars, and his latest LEGO build is arguably still a hot ride but of a much less terrestrial variety. With this beautiful rendition of the stolen Police Cruiser from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch Sybrin has somehow captured the organic, almost fluid lines of the craft’s elegant yet powerful design, which seems to draw inspiration from sources as diverse as the classic Jaguar E-type roadster and tropical fish. Another thing that Sybrin is know for is the judicious use of custom decals in his creations, used here to great effect.

The Police Cruiser’s design is for me a brilliant highlight in the now classic original 2002 animated Disney film, which had a look and feel completely unlike anything from the studio then to-date. So far, the 2025 live-action Lilo and Stitch film looks to be a virtual shot-for-shot remake, meaning no additional screen time for this too-briefly depicted beauty. I guess I will just have to scratch that itch by admiring Sybrin’s “remake” instead.

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Small victory on the LEGO shores of Dunkirk

Remembered as one of the great turning points of World War II, the evacuation of allied forces from the beaches of Dunkirk would not have been possible without a flotilla of small private craft. In this dynamic LEGO diorama by Nicholas Goodman we see one of the hundreds such civilian craft lending a hand, plucking waiting Tommies out of the tumults of the North Atlantic and the European Theatre. The wooden pleasure-craft model is lovely by itself, evoking the period’s brightwork and elegant lines. I can almost feel it bobbing on waves of varying size and shape that capture the Channel’s distinct color and character. A standout detail of the somber scene is the way Nicholas beautifully contours the sand, slumping rough-to-smooth into the surf.

A look through the history of Nicholas’ featured builds is like a look through history itself. (Or into a galaxy far far away. If it was “a long time ago” that counts as history, right?) Click here to see more of Nicholas’ work, and watch this builder with an eye for detail go from strength to strength with each installation.

Lord of the Wings

Sometimes the inception of an original creation comes from a single LEGO part, whether by looking at it in a new way or, as doubtless was the case for this Lord of the Rings tribute by builder Stefan Johansson, by making the absolute most of an apparently natural application. Stefan sets the bar sky high (and crosses fantasy franchises) with this use of the Thunderbird head element from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, fleshing it out into a perfectly proportioned Great Eagle of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The texture achieved by combining a wide variety of tiles across the wingspan really elevates this creation (beautiful plumage, innit?) and the restrained lighting both hides the model’s single transparent support and captures the mood of one of the film’s memorable scenes where Frodo and Sam hail a lift home after an epic guys’ night out. (What happens in Mordor stays in Mordor, am I right?)

The Great Eagle follows Stefan’s majestic dragon Smaug. Can we expect an oliphant next?

Growing as a builder

It’s been said that the purposes of bonsai are “primarily contemplation for the viewer, and the pleasant exercise of effort and ingenuity for the grower”, and when done properly results in an “artful miniature replica”. Remind you of any other hobby? In that context, the diminutive zen-influenced art form seems like a natural (though challenging) subject for a LEGO model, and a browse through The Brothers Bricks archives reveals that builder Louis of Nutwood was not alone in making the connection. Some builders would rather not repeat themselves, but I think building and improving on a subject is where true growth lies, and Louis has certainly cultivated better and better results with each revisit. Louis shares that “it stands in my living room, only to remind me to breathe and cherish the beauty in every moment.” Not to knock the official LEGO Bonsai set(s), but I would choose Louis’ rendition for my own mantle any day.

A Batmobile for the ages

This original LEGO Batmobile by Oshi is firing on all cylinders. From the stance, to the sleek yet incisive lines, to the visual suggestion that its chassis includes some kind of hardened fire-proof safe room, Oshi’s offering fits the bat-bill perfectly. It’s fascinating how through countless reimaginings reinventions and reboots, every new Batmobile always reads as a Batmobile. What are the traits that make this possible? What do they all have in common? Beyond the obvious – powerful, pointy in parts, and pitch black (sometimes very very dark grey) – there is one essential trait that may not immediately leap to everyone’s mind. A Batmobile is handmade. Unmistakable as a whole, yet more than the sum of its untraceable parts.Speaking of parts, Oshi’s inception for this one-day build came from dusting off a previously abandoned idea to use trans-light blue wing elements from a series 15 collectible Minifigure for the headlights. Inspired!

One more reliable bat-trait just occurred to me. I’m betting this latest incarnation of the caped crusader’s signature ride doesn’t have much of rear view! Who needs it though when you’re the fastest ride on Gotham’s mean streets.

What color do you dream in?

Inspired by the incredible sci-fi art of Pascal Blanché, builder Luka presents a stylized LEGO scene that looks equally at home in a Love Death & Robots segment or an Eiffel 65 video. When it comes to LEGO elements, basic blue is not exactly a difficult color to come by so Luka had plenty to choose from, but achieving this build’s biomechanical look saw the application of elements as diverse as an Aircraft Fuselage Aft Section, a Playground Slide, and 3×3 Elbow Bricks (so far only found in LEGO Dreamzzz sets – appropriate!) Of the build process, Luka describes wanting “to play around with brick built shadows and color contrast,” which I think was executed beautifully, though Luka also mentions feeling a lack of a violet color that would have added to the already impressive gradients and light-play.

Luka joined The LEGO Group as an official model designer at the end of 2024. We can’t wait to see what sets he’ll have a hand in. Congratulations, Luka!

Doorway to the imagination

Home to “a civilization spoken of in legend and lore”, Gareth Gidman’s recent LEGO creation “The Door to the Hidden City” presents a scene that conjures more questions than answers. Drawing inspiration from the OG masters of fantasy, Gareth started this build “without having a specific purpose in mind, which made the build process much more relaxing and free flowing.”

Perhaps being in the zone is how he achieved such natural-looking stone and snow forms. Though there are certainly some deliberate details of note, like the subtle color variation giving depth to the icy water, and, given the choice between four different verdant shades that the 3×4 Plant Leaves LEGO element has come in, the use of Sand Green reinforces the chilly tone. I also love how the tooled parts of the rock face – the light bluish gray stairs, arch, and columns – are differentiated from the natural stone. Gareth says he’s “really pleased with how the texturing and the composition of the model turned out”… and for good reason!

Decapo-dacious

Adding to an already impressive biomechanical menagerie, this cracking-good Coconut Crab creation by Mitsuru Nikaido bears all this talented LEGO builder’s hallmarks. Chiefly, their signature monochrome style, and absolutely nailing the character of the subject.

This latest offering takes full advantage of a variety of new-ish angled and wedge shaped LEGO tile elements, used to great effect by a talented builder with an unfailing eye for proportion and detail.
If carcinization (look it up) really is the ultimate destiny for life on earth, let’s all hope at least it comes with this much style.

This LEGO castle’s a keep(er)

No stranger to The Brothers Brick, prolific Australian LEGO builder Ben Cossy seems to dabble in just about every building theme, turning out a string of quality creations both large and small. Of his latest, Ben says it “might actually be my favorite castle creation that I have made.” Understandably so! A closer look at his striking and retro-inspired Black Falcon’s Keep reveals why.

See more of Ben’s great castle below!

This LEGO Edward Scissorhands model is a cut above

Like the film that inspired it, Roland Grace’s LEGO model of Edward Scissorhands is an instant-classic. Every one of Edward’s characteristic traits is captured perfectly, from his wild hair and wary stare, to his ill-fitting borrowed clothes that betray just a glimpse of his “monstrous” true self. The build is exceptional, but the way Roldan has posed the impressive 20″+ figure is what really brings this iconic and misunderstood character to life.

It’s rare today that such a well-loved and enduring piece of 90’s pop culture has not been serialized, sequel-ized, rebooted or otherwise rehashed, and I for one hope to see this film stay that way. But speaking as Roldan’s newest fan, I will be eagerly waiting his next release.

Knight bricks and chill

This crisp mountain scene by LEGO builder Nicholas Goodman is a lesson in atmosphere. The visuals are engaging – strong and clean, conveying depth and detail with terrific balance in both color and texture (studded and smooth) – but also evoke the other senses. As my eye is drawn in, I can practically smell the frozen air and hear the slushy hoof-thumps. The scene itself is deceptively simple, leaving much room for imaginative interpretation. Will the “Guardian of the Pass” and his faithful companion warmly welcome this traveler? Has he come with the thaw to relieve their solitary duty? Or is this chilling moment a prelude to mounting conflict between two nations…

Nothing but praise for this LEGO church

Capturing the spirit of the subject, conveying detail at scale, and cleverly using parts are the holy trinity of a LEGO microscale builder’s goals. Builder Christian Rau scores the trifecta with this remarkably faithful LEGO model of the Jesuit Church in Lucerne, Switzerland. While the actual church took over a decade to construct, Christian finished much quicker, using parts from across many decades of LEGO history – notably the 1x1x2 windows introduced in 1956, and the versatile 1×2 inverted arch which are less than three years old. Offset building techniques throughout the model are especially effective in illuminating the towers’ shapely onion-tops (which are also square in real life!) and spot-on color choices harken the building’s characteristic façade.

The building I work in started life as a Romanesque Revival style church, and I frequently imagine modeling it in LEGO. Perhaps I will take a page or two from the book of Christian’s techniques…