Jon Hall has done it again – diving out of the sun to hit us with yet another fantastic sky-fi plane.
This ticks all the boxes on my “Jon Hall Building Checklist” – unusual shaping, strong color schemes, custom stickers, and cracking photo editing. There’s also some nice parts usage with binoculars in the engine, and black windscreen pieces used to create the cowling.
I want to hold this in my hand and run round the house making screaming attack dive and pew-pew noises. Great stuff.
Gregory St doesn’t post Flickr images often, but this Batman mech caught my eye. I think it does well at being chunky and slightly menacing, but still fun and comic-book like. I could see this leaping off the page of a classic-era Batman comic, rather than stalking the gloomy streets of the po-faced movie version of Gotham. This is what Batman should be about – a sense of menace and impending violence, accompanied by a faint whiff of camp ridiculousness…
Looking back through their Flickr stream, I’ve enjoyed seeing how the builder has posted different designs all based on the same mech frame. It’s interesting to see how color choices and changes in little details can create a totally different feel from the same base structure. In particular, I liked their interpretation of Lord Business from the LEGO Movie a while back…
I’d like to see more of these builds. Maybe some other comic book heroes?
I was determined to stay away from the Star Wars stuff for a while following the glut of excellent models prompted by the release of The Force Awakens. Yet these figures from Luc Byard are simply too cool not to post…
Immediately recognizable, the Princess and her beau have never looked cuter. The shaping is excellent, avoiding some of the blockiness which can come with chibi builds, and the attention to detail is impressive whilst staying with the chibi-aesthetic – those blasters in particular are spot-on.
Luc has also had a crack at Darth Vader in this building style. It’s good, but for me it hasn’t quite hit the sweet spot between recognisable, fun, and cute which really set the Han and Leia figures apart. I hope Luc keeps going though, more figures in this style would make me very happy indeed.
Jimmy Fortel has built a beautiful microscale model of the Pantheon in Paris. The color scheme makes this look like part of the official LEGO Architecture series – and I’m sure this great little build wouldn’t be out of place in the line-up.
I really like the clean lines and deceptive simplicity of this creation, in particular the use of round 1×1 plates beneath the roof line, adding a nice touch of texture. The pillars at the main entrance are very good, and it took me a while to work out how they were built – the bottom of the pillars are round 1×1 bricks set into the model’s base. This is one of those models which surprises you with how long it can hold your attention, despite its small size.
This build was inspired by a small child asking how Santa managed to get all over the world in one evening. I figured he’d need something a bit beefier than a team of flying ungulates…
I build a Christmas-themed LEGO creation every year as part of our decorations, but am generally too busy to get it photographed and posted during the run up, and it never feels appropriate after the day itself. However, I managed to grab some time today to get a photo and I thought I’d post it here to wish you all a happy holiday season.
Relax, eat too much, have a few drinks, and maybe build some stuff. That’s what I’ll be doing.
James Cherry has posted images of his beautiful F-4J Phantom II which I highlighted as my “Best In Show” in the roundup of BRICK2015 in London.
The model is 1.2m long, contains around 6,000 pieces, and took James nearly 5 months to design and build. But beyond the impressive scale and the lovely custom stickering, it’s the smooth curves and the shaping of the various sections which make this creation stand out for me. I also really like the handful of studs left exposed, creating a feel of riveted panels around the intakes.
James managed to squeeze no less than 5 Power Functions motors inside the model, allowing the rudder and various flaps to be operated using a remote control. It was very cool to see these features “in the brick” in London last weekend, and I wasn’t alone in thinking it was a highlight of the show. Carl Greatrix – one of the best LEGO plane modelers around – spent ages examining this creation and pronounced it “Bloody good”. High praise indeed.
I’d heartily recommend a visit to James’ Flickr photostream to check out all the details of this amazing model in the close-up images, as well as photos of his beautiful custom-chrome P-51 Mustang model.
Last weekend saw thousands of LEGO fans descend upon London’s Docklands to visit BRICK 2015, the UK’s largest LEGO show, now in its second year. The Brothers Brick were there, and here’s a roundup of some of the coolest models we saw.
Builders from across the UK and Europe brought some amazing displays, including a number of models previously featured here. The enormous Hadrian’s Wall layout, the stunning recreation of Her Majesty’s Theatre, and Lasse Vestergard’s little gem History of the World. It was a genuine pleasure to see these all “in the brick”.
But onto other things, like the Brick Abyss from a trio of Swiss builders. A huge magical steampunk island archipelago with motorised elements, lighting, and smoke machines, the Abyss display was mobbed by kids and adults alike for the entire weekend…
More great models from the show after the jump
Following on from Clinton’s recent post on the Mecha-Dinosaur, here’s some more Classic Space Dinosaur goodness in the form of David Alexander Smith‘s latest creation. The SpaceOSaurus-REX nails the nostalgic look with its spot-on color scheme and detailing. I’m loving the trans-yellow canopy and the radar antenna tail in particular.
This impressive beastie is just the latest in David’s series of space dinosaurs. I’d recommend you check out this excellent TrispaceOTops, along with a rather fetching SpaceODactyl.
It’s great when one of the classic LEGO themes is treated like this – inspiration rather than a slavish ruleset to follow. I really enjoy seeing the immediately identifiable and evocative Classic Space colors applied to imaginative creations beyond spaceships and moonbases. I cannot wait to see these models “in the brick” at BRICK2015 in London later this week.
This microscale spaceship by Emperor Lugdonious has a nice chunky retro feel to it. However, it was the composition of the photography which really caught my attention. The red and grey starship floats in the darkness of space, holding station above a distant blue planet as a shuttle craft prepares to dock.
The whole thing reminds me of classic sci-fi TV from the 70s and 80s – in a good way. The color choices are smart, and there’s a real sense of depth and scale. But overall I think it’s the tiny shuttle which makes the scene. I can’t help creating stories in my head when I look at it: Who’s on board the shuttle? Where did they come from? Where are they going?
There’s enough detail here to create a sense of reality, of activity both within and beyond the still image. For me, the prompting of these kinds of thoughts is the mark of a good model. I like this a lot.
I’m loving this neat microspace build by Chris Perron. The careful selection of pearl gold parts adds some excellent texture and detail at this scale, and the light blue cockpit sets it off brilliantly. All in all this is just a classy little build.
This microscale cathedral by David Hensel is a lovely piece of work. A handsome splash of dark green in the roofing breaks up the light grey, as do the various pieces David has used to add texture. The corrugated tubes and telescopes are nice touches, but it’s the use of Mixel joints as flying buttresses that’s attracting all the attention over on Flickr.
I’m less convinced by the loose tiles David has employed for the ground around the building. It’s making me think of those photographs of lonely churches standing amidst the ruins of bombed-out towns during WW2. Unless that was the look David was aiming for, I think I’d have preferred some kind of “properly built” surroundings.
Never trust a model you can’t pick up and turn upside-down – that’s my motto. However, the rest of this is so well put together I’m going to let it slide. Nice work.
This pair of figures and room by Simon Pickard is a cracking piece of work. The scale was initially unclear on my first look, requiring a zoom in at the details for me to understand this model is actually pretty big…
The figures are good (although this “no-eyes” style always gives me the heebie-jeebies), and the floor is well executed, but as ever it’s the details which make a creation pop: the use of a minifig for a photograph, the fishbowl in the corner, and best of all, those plug sockets. All of these show creative parts-use and a good eye for what works at this scale. Nicely done Simon.