Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

Return of the Return of the Jedi movie poster- in LEGO

They don’t make movie posters the way they used to. Star Wars and cinema fans of a certain age may have fond memories for Drew Struzan’s hand-painted works of art depicting our favorite characters in breathtaking action sequences. LEGO Jedi Master Builders Les Foutch team up to bring the nostalgic feels to life with their rendition of the original Return of the Jedi poster. The side-by-side composition highlights their talent for the brick. Leia, Wicket the Ewok, Lando, Han, and Luke are all brick-built and nicely replicated within the composition. Darth Vader, flanked by TIE Fighters and X-Wings looms large and blended into the dark background; behind him resides the Death Star under construction. My favorite detail is the large four or five piece Jabba figure familiar to those of us who may own the Jabba’s Palace set. It gives us a feel for how large the poster actually is.

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Compact KTM X-Bow promises to get your heart racing

If you are unfamiliar with the Austrian auto manufacturer KTM, it may be because they primarily produce motorcycles. The KTM X-Bow (pronounced “crossbow”), expertly built here in LEGO by Nard Verbong, marks their entry into the road car market. The sporty little X-Bow GT2 has found its fans among connoisseurs, and was even invited to participate in the Bathurst 12-Hour endurance race, starting in 2022. This is one of those models where you aren’t sure how it’s holding together. This is Nard’s second iteration of the ultra-light sportscar. Extra credit to the builder for pressing to remove any studs in this updated version.

Making Primo builds from the most unlikely components [Building Techniques]

From Galidor to Clikits, LEGO has released products over the years that defy use in standard models due to a lack of connection points, unconventional materials, or bespoke colors. While most builders ignore these misfit toys, some, like Nathan Don (Woomy World) take it as a challenge to make even the most oddball LEGO piece shine. Case in point, this Hard-shelled Hen, which is an unusually large creation for using only 96 parts. That head? It comes from LEGO’s Primo line for the littlest “builders.” The beast’s shell is an upscaled hard hat, another pre-school toy never intended for actual construction. The neck and legs are DUPLO tubes, which we’ve definitely seen in some sophisticated MOCs lately. Only two studs are visible in this most unLEGOlike creation on the red arch around the neck. So how does this beast come together? As Nathan shares on his blog, there’s a skeleton of ball joints, Technic axles, flex tubes, and Vidyo straps, with rubber tires for fiction. When life give’s you LEGO hen’s teeth, make a hen monstrosity!

Pirate the galaxy in style with the Typhoon and Tarantula starships

Official Star Wars media runs the gamut from abysmal to sublime, but the best Star Wars stories will always be the ones that exist in our heads. Perhaps no other fictional universe has spawned as many fan works where foundational canon serves as a launchpad for creativity. In the LEGO community, RPGs like Star Wars: Factions are collaborative playgrounds for stories told with visual accompaniment in the form of original builds. Sentinel_Brix is one of the more prolific members of that community, leaning heavily into the “opera” side of space opera with a complex serial story with a sprawling cast. One of the builder’s latest arcs features pirates and includes original designs for a galleon and starfighter.

Per the builder’s lore, the DY-76 “Typhoon” is a starfighter from the Clone Wars era built by Koensayr Manufacturing. If the vessel’s cockpit looks familiar, it’s because it comes from the same company the made the Y-Wing. I especially like the biplane wing design and the color details in sand red and light blue.

Read on to learn more about Sentinel_Brix’s Star Wars pirate faction

Check out this superb sculpture of Star Wars’ modern-day superstar

Ahsoka seems to be in everything these days. She first appeared in the Clone Wars, and has since popped up in Rebels, the Mandalorian, the Book of Boba Fett, her eponymous live-action series… And now, thanks to Daniel Jackson, she’s in our LEGO feeds! It’s certainly a welcome appearance, as this bust is wonderfully sculpted. There’s great use of texture (the studs of her cloak contrasting with the smooth texture of her skin), and some choice part use (the dark blue cones are the perfect part for the tip of the montrals). But the star of the show is surely the patterns on the Togruta’s face. It’s deceptively simple, being achieved mostly thanks to layers of wedge plates. But man, it looks so good!

“No... Your father, I am”

Now, my memory is not what it used to be. Heck, only last week I found a LEGO set I forgot that I stashed in the bathroom (don’t ask). And although I recall Yoda, Dagobah, and “I am your father” from The Empire Strikes Back, I’m not sure Grogu was there… But ABrickDreamer (whom you may recognize from our This Week in Bricks features) has recreated this scene from the movie, and there Grogu is, so I must be misremembering. How did no-one pick up on that at the time? He’s even called Baby Yoda! Come to think of it, wasn’t there a Mandalorian in that movie, too…?

Pieter Post’s Prussian prisoner on the lam again

Back in 2021, historical LEGO train builder Pieter Post introduced Werner the Wegelagerer, the notorious highwayman who no prison train car could hold. Werner’s back for his next big break, this time escaping above a scenic canal where an unsuspecting boater is about to get a new passenger. Pieter made a few adjustments to the prison car for the latest build, adding new barred windows, swapping some stacked plates for SNOT tiles, and reworking the top. The bridge and barge are lovely, as are the brick-built swan and stork.

The Prussian police will no doubt capture Werner as they did before. Pieter captured that moment back in 2021 and it’s packed with fun sub-builds. Here, we see Pieter’s Grüne Minna paddy wagon pulled by a pair of horses, with some wonderfully intricate tack inspired by this design from the sorely missed karwik.

An all-digital pop star in two dimensions

Hatsune Miku is an interesting mascot – a virtual Japanese character with an entirely digital singing voice produced by the Yamaha Vocaloid line. And such an interesting, unique bit of pop culture deserves an equally-unique LEGO build of her likeness. Enter Mason Martin, with this gorgeous mosaic of Miku in hot pink and electric blue bricks. While this particular bit of art actually lacks the actual character, so much of her iconic style makes it instantly recognizable, from the light azure hair to the boxy headset. But Mason’s LEGO prowess reaches a crescendo with that glorious kanji above the mascot. It spells out her name, which translates to “First Sound Future,” a nod to the unprecedented nature of such a pop star.

This LEGO raccoon will steal your garbage and your heart

I’ve gone on record several times about my love of giving LEGO, especially when it’s a design of my own making for a specific friend or peer. And Dominique Boeynaems knows exactly what I’m taking about, with this brilliant raccoon construction that went to a friend of theirs. It’s such a tight, contained character with no part going to waste. I adore the pink hearts for its hind paws, and that ingeniously-fuzzy LEGO tail made of Technic gears.

An owl that’ll make you say hoo-boy!

When building for the RogueOlympics, an online LEGO building contest with a strict part limit of 100 pieces, working in silhouette can be your friend – if you can master the shape of your subject, that is. Thankfully, builder FS Leinad has got their shapes down with this great image of an owl hunting at twilight. I’m a big fan of the wing-work here, utilizing partial connections between black plate to fan those “feathers” out, while letting a little of the yellow Duplo in the background bleed through. The mouse is also great, standing upright with an outstretched minifigure spoon for a paw.

Drac’s pack is back in bricks

The Hotel Transylvania films are a masterclass in physical comedy thanks to the stewardship of animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky. Monster bodies ooze, bend, and emote with a freedom of movement Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks rarely approach. Elias Hübner captures this madcap energy in LEGO with a tribute to the second film featuring Drac and pals piled on an entirely too-small scooter. Oversized Frank and pudgy mummy Murray are standout builds, their cartoony curves perfectly captured in bricks, and their faces so expressive from minimal parts. Hotel Transylvania could have made for some fun sets as a successor to Monster Fighters. While the animated franchise is on ice, it’s only a matter of time before it gets a live-action remake, so maybe LEGO could spook up an official set someday.

Winging it with a LEGO Sopwith Camel

No one else builds and photographs vintage vehicles in LEGO like Calin Bors. His designs are compact and efficient, distilling the essence of the inspiration into toy-like proportions. Calin’s latest build is a fresh take on the Sopwith Camel, the WWI biplane beloved by flying Aces, both human and beagle. Always on the lookout for new parts to integrate into antique inspirations, Calin incorporates the new Mario Kart wheel as an engine cover. The build comes alive with custom stickers for the livery and a bath of warm light. Red Baron beware!