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.

A real Mini-ature marvel

As the owner of a classic Mini, any LEGO model of the world’s favourite small car (shush, VW Beetle fans!) is likely to pique my interest. So how do you top that? Well, as pixeljunkie demonstrates, you build the Mini’s revolutionary interior as well!

This exploded view actually reminds me of a cutaway Mini that currently resides in the London Science Museum, originally made for the Mini’s launch in 1959. Much of the promotional material for the Mini focussed on the tiny size that its innovative packaging allowed, and that pixeljunkie shows off so well here. The construction is faithful to the real car: front and rear subframes, seating with floor pan, and the bodyshell. And of course, a superbly detailed A-series engine in the front!

Much like the real thing, it’s amazing how much you can squeeze into such a small space!

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It’s worth removing your helmet for a better look at this 17,000-piece Mandalorian Cruiser

Gankona is Japanese for “stubborn” or “headstrong.” It’s also the name of this ship, and we’re sure it took a little stubbornness on the part of the Jorstad Designs team to complete it. Inspired by the work of concept artist Ansel Hsiao, this Teroch-class Mandalorian Cruiser took more than two years and 17,000 bricks to see completion. With its gorgeous dark blue and orange highlights, this Knights of the Old Republic-era starship is light years ahead of the craft we’re used to seeing modern Mandalorians piloting.

Click here to come aboard.

A painting of a painter painting a painting

Starry Night is arguably one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works (so much so that it’s going to be getting a LEGO set soon). lego_nuts, however, has chosen the painter’s Bedroom in Arles work as the setting for their latest masterpiece. Not content with simply recreating the artwork, front and center is a super facsimile of Van Gogh himself, hard at work on his easel. The sculpting of the whole scene is terrific, but the most striking aspect is the fascinating textures that are everywhere you look. The builder says this was a deliberate decision to replicate the signature post-impressionism look, and the result is a true work of art!

Tudoring the neighborhood in excellence

LEGO builder AfroEngineer enjoys 21325 Medieval Blacksmith Ideas set so much he created this lovely Tudor House as a companion piece. The bright color palette draws the eye into the build, particularly the blues. The light blue of the house’s second story is a great choice! It contrasts nicely with the brown detailing and the gold windows. The roof tiles are created with the help of overlapping minifigure seats. The overhanging vines and the gaps in the roof tiles lend a weathered, lived-in feeling to the home.

The interiors of the house are just as amazing as the outside, too. They feature great brick-built furniture and homey decorations that speak to the lives of the residents. I like to imagine they’re mapmakers and end up on all sorts of wild adventures! They probably have the blacksmith watch the house while they’re away.

Animal: a hurricane of rhythm

Using only 101 parts, Mark van der Maarel has produced his version of everyone’s favorite drummer, and it absolutely rocks! I don’t know if I’ve seen someone evoke Muppet fur with so few LEGO pieces before. And his part usage skills go well beyond the feather plumes. The sausages as fingers, the elastic bands on Animal’s wrists, even the choice of the bulbous eye pieces are spot-on. Contrasting that with the clean lines of a black T-shirt, it definitely evokes the controlled chaos that is Animal playing his drums.

A fairytale takes root! Magic beans not required

Once upon a time there was a builder named Andreas Lenander who created a magical book whose story came to life through LEGO. This Jack and the beanstalk build is truly a sight to behold! The story spills over the pages, starting with the micro-scale farm grounding the build. The stalk stretches skyward from the heart of the book, its internal structure concealed within the beautiful foliage. The stalk’s zenith reveals a kingdom adorned in silver and gold that promises fortune and adventure. The dragon hidden at the beanstalk’s top crowns the parts usage, adding its scales to the vegetation’s textures. A mythical detail that inspires the imagination the way fairytales often do!

A lionfish build that’s good enough to eat

With all the LEGO turkey legs and croissants adorning his denizen of the deep, Ryan Van Duzor makes a good case for eating more lionfish, an invasive species in the Western Atlantic Ocean. I love the use of Ninjago Dragon Master wings to replicate the fish’s delicate fins. And the minifigure weapons adding their points to the many spines is some inspired part usage! I can only imagine what the interior of the model looks like to support the arching pieces making up the face of this beautiful Pterois. This model is a real catch!

These two aliens are quite the pair

Based on artwork from Burzok’s Mercenary Handbook, Djokson has built two strange looking models. The use of unusual parts from the Ben 10 figures, specifically the chest and thighs, contributes to the odd portrayal of the more humanoid of the two. The ears of the critter on the shoulder are represented by small angled pieces and are held on clips. Piercing pink mono eyes of both aliens appear to be icon parts from the Clikits line. Hopefully, the duo is friendly, although they may like to stare at you for a while…

I am not a cookie, I am a super-genius

When it comes to super-genius inventors with secret labs under their bedrooms plagued by the stupidity of siblings, parents and contemporaries, Dexter’s Laboratory is one of the best. And judging by this comically detailed model, GolPlaysWithLego agrees. I can almost hear his unlikely Russian accent (inspired by creator Genndy Tartakovsky) shouting Dee dee’s name.

There are so many picture-perfect details, like his large glasses, poofs of red hair, pointy shoes, and his side-buttoned lab coat, complete with a splash of green slime. And check out this alternate expression, which uses upside-down tooth parts for angry brows. Dee dee better hope he doesn’t press that shiny red button.

Who says entomology is all about creepy-crawlies?

Here’s a theory: animals and sci-fi make for a perfect mix. Don’t believe me? Check out this trio of LEGO vehicles courtesy of Devid VII! They are all named after animals, all feature relatively limited colour palettes, and all look amazing. First up is the Froggy, whose ball-jointed feet remind of the Tachikoma that have inspired so many brilliant LEGO creations:

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We’re pumped to see this soap dispenser

I don’t know about you, but soap and hand sanitizer have become a huge part of my world over the last two years. Which makes this creation by Woomy World even more impressive, because I have gotten to know pump-action dispenser bottles better than I ever wanted to. And this one is barely recognizable as LEGO.

Obviously the setting for the photo helps, but the details here are immaculate. The inverted hot air balloon shape replicates the kind of decorative bottles you can find for sale in almost any big box store. And the real accomplishment here is the dispenser itself. An old Gallidor shield makes for a spot-on nozzle, and Woomy World has even engineered a near-perfect spring-action pump. Check it out in action. (To make sure you watch the gif long enough, sing “Happy Birthday” twice.)

Onwards, to the Sierras

Evancelt Lego has captured a little piece of the Wild West in a beautiful LEGO colour palette in this snapshot of the Westward Expansion. Theres some nice takeaways here from the construction of the carts and the autumnal trees using horn pieces to the clouds made from ice cream.
And as they rode off into the sunset, the wagon train was last heard humming Wandering Star…