Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO blog like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

Put down on the ice for essential maintenance

Most LEGO builders would look at the snowflakes printed across the Christmas Ornament piece and think “useless part”. Not Tammo S. who took inspiration from the snow-spattered dome and turned it into a vehicle windscreen in this appropriately chilly scene. The red-to-yellow colour gradient on this baby really makes it pop against the backdrop.

moebius 1

I like the curve of the vehicle’s nose, and the iceberg setting is nicely-done, but it’s the use of the two red canoes at the rear which caught my eye. Never seen that before. It lends a cool 50s car vibe to the model — there’s more than a little Greased Lightning going on here.

moebius 6

And don’t miss the cockpit. Always nice to see this level of attention to detail…

moebius 7

London’s Portobello Road in LEGO

London’s Portobello Road is home to the world’s largest antiques market. Weekends see visitors and bargain hunters descend upon the area in their droves to browse the collectables (and junk) on display. Ben Spector has created an impressive LEGO diorama of the neighbourhood…

Antiquing on Mushroom Row - Overview

The attention to detail is fantastic, I particularly liked the mural on the side of the Nautical Shop, and the Victorian-era painted wall advertisement in the background…

Antiquing on Mushroom Row - Nautical Shop

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TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 20, 2017 [News]

In addition to the best LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick also brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of August 2017.

From left, Senior Editor Chris Malloy and Founder and Editor-in-Chief Andrew Becraft

TBB NEWS: We have two reviews for you: the third-largest LEGO set ever, and the newest Ideas project. Sand green sure seems to be popular this year!

OTHER LEGO NEWS: This week had a few other interesting LEGO-related news articles. Here are the best of the rest.

A picturesque house with a noble goal

This looks like a very pretty house in a warm climate, but as builder Ayrlego explains, there is more to it than quaint architecture. Built for the Brethren of the Brick Seas role-playing game on Eurobricks, this house is a medical research centre where the doctor is trying his best to defeat one of the Imperial soldiers’ greatest enemies: scurvy.

Naval Medicine Research Centre, Port Woodhouse

There is a lot to love in the research centre, from the texture of the walls and quite realistic tile roof design (based on round 1×1 bricks) to the more subtle details like slightly tilted tiles above the windows. The terrace, vines and two minifigs taking a walk give the creation a great sense of atmosphere.

Grandma gets comfy whilst the mechanic tunes her bike

LEGO’s Collectable Minifigures lines have brought us all manner of fantasy and sci-fi creatures, but some of the most useful for builders have been the new “regular folks”. Cecilie Fritzvold has built a lovely little vignette for the Grandma figure from Series 11. She looks very comfortable in her reclining chair, and the little sitting room is packed with sweet details — the flower basket on the shelf, the biscuits in the bowl, and the nicely-striped wallpaper.

06 - Grandma

Cecilie has been building a range of these vignettes, each for a different Collectable Minifig character. I particularly liked the scene for the Mechanic from Series 10. The walls and racked tools look great, and that brick-built bike is a fine piece of work. I couldn’t help but imagine the bike belongs to Grandma, and she’s taking a load off whilst the Mechanic checks it over for her.

04 - Motorcycle Mechanic

A one-two punch of pure mecha

Sometimes LEGO mecha designs are based on existing concept art, but occasionally they feel like their inspiration came from a particular piece or a certain idea for a shape. These two mechs by Khairul Nizam seem to fall into the latter category. The dome-shaped heads and stout limbs are key elements in the design, with the body widening towards the top to emphasise the curve of the cockpit cover.

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The mecha are nearly identical in the design of their structural frame, but despite their similarity, each has interesting parts that make them unique. This gives them each an individual character, but also a sense of belonging in the same universe.

Yeah, uh huh, you know what it is... Black and yellow, black and yellow

Serbian builder Milan Sekiz recently unveiled this amazing collection of vehicles inspired by the classic range of LEGO space sets known as Blacktron. Each one is a stylish example of stud-free “neo classic” design, wrapped in that gorgeous Blacktron color palette that just screams “I’m more dangerous than a wasp with a migraine!”.

Click here for more Blacktron porn

Giving new life to an old image

Not content with recreating his parent’s wedding photograph as a conventional LEGO wall mosaic, Caleb I decided to commemorate their 25th wedding anniversary in this ambitious two-and-a-half-dimensional non-rectangular format. After spending 100 hours digitally designing the piece, Caleb then set about the arduous task of not only acquiring the 2400 odd bricks needed to build it, but also addressing physical demands on the model that aren’t apparent until a design actually gets assembled “in the flesh”.

I hope this is still hanging on their wall when they get to commemorate their 50th! At which time, Caleb can no doubt recreate it using 5-dimensional LEGO holocubes.

Last rest stop before Tatooine

Spaceport’s hollowed from the cores of asteroids are a staple of science fiction, but Spaceport Sphaera-Petram Iota by Casey McCoy is the first time I’ve seen one created in LEGO. Despite being microscale, the build packs plenty of detail thanks to some interesting parts usage and just the right amount of stickering.

And while the busy and colorful front side of this model succeeds in conveying the sense of an inviting waystation for weary space travelers, the rear – which represents the leftover shell of the asteroid – is also worth pointing out, being constructed from three sides of a Bram sphere:

All hail Megatron, leader of the Decepticons!

Builder Sam Cheng is back with his Chibi-Transformers, this time, however, defecting to the side of the Decepticons. The leader of all things against good and hoarder of Energon-cubes, Megatron is beautifully sculpted with over 40 points of articulation, and is fully transformable to its weapon form. Sometimes a good amount of tinkering is required to get things right to personal satisfaction. Sam has been at this since April and tried a dozen different methods to achieve the look he wanted. The headpiece is inspired by Moko‘s Megatron. Standing at an estimated 500 elements, the toughest part of the build is making sure that the alternate ‘gun mode’ is totally asymmetrical and in proportion.

1. I am Megatron!

Click to see alternate mode

What is my purpose?

When creating sentient life forms out of LEGO, it’s generally a good idea to give your creations the means and ability to live a long, fulfilling life. Kodiak Sanders has done just that. Ooh wee! Thanks to his handy tire treads, this little robot can zip from one end of a dining table to the other and he’s even strong enough to lift an entire stick of butter. What else could a butter-passing-robot possibly need?

"What is my purpose?"

A monument to all your sins

Smart parts and color usage unite in a LEGO totem pole pieced together by Jonas Kramm. The reversed dark red horse armor on the head of the symbolic structure is my favorite parts usage here. Though the focus of the scene is the pole itself, the base of the pole and skeleton setting the scene are notable additions.

Totem Pole