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.

Lightyear’s cool new toy

Pixar and Disney may have put the toys down to tell us the story of the real Buzz Lightyear, but when builders like Peter Zieske see a ship in a teaser trailer, it becomes a call to arms. We may not know much about the film yet, but it has certainly created a…buzz amongst fans. While we wait to see how it fits into the Pixar Theory, we can have our fun. Peter based the Star Command XL-15 on the few images of the sleek starship seen in the Lightyear trailers. Toy or person, Buzz always gets the coolest ships.

To more images and beyond!

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Classic Aerosmith album Just Push Play cover in LEGO

LEGO builder Adnan Lotia is a self-described Rumpelstiltskin who “converts music into LEGO.” Specifically, he takes classic album covers that we have spent hours zoning out to as our favorite songs play and somehow breathes new life into them as truly inspired 28 x 28 mosaics. Squint your eyes and they look like the real thing! Take this recreation of Aerosmith’s 2001 album “Just Push Play” featuring the fembot artwork of Hajime Sorayama (don’t image search him if you are at work). The dazzling chrome of the original is achieved with the most subtle combination of blues. Eagle-eyed viewers will note the edge of the dress features the brand new yellow 3 x 3 macaroni tile that I have only seen in 43202: The Madrigal House.

What I love so much about his work is that he could have just done a lazy pixel to 1×1 round-tile conversion like in the Beatles mosaics. Instead, he uses unique parts to do this amazing optical mixing trick that totally destroys my brain. Look closely at each mosaic and you will see they are full of tiny visual puns: the orange bars that somehow reproduce neon on a Dave Matthews Band cover, the 2×3 plant leaf that turns into Prince’s chest hair, the blur logo that looks like it has always been represented in LEGO tiles.

Why another mosaic? It’s a mystery (science theater).

The Brothers Brick contributor Chris Doyle is back with another large-scale LEGO mosaic. This time he leaves the superheroes behind to celebrate a recent highlight of live-performance pop culture.

I’m a big fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and have spent a lot of time recreating the robots and scenes from the show in LEGO. Last December I was lucky enough to be treated to VIP passes to the MST3k Time Bubble Live Show, and was really taken with the new host, Emily Marsh. So much so, that I wanted to immortalize her role with a big ol’ mosaic. Read on after the jump for more about the process, and just what that stuff along the bottom edge is…

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A tiny tyrannosaur terrorizes these tourists in a fan’s recreation of Jurassic World 76956 T-Rex Breakout

Just yesterday, LEGO released news of some new sets based on the Jurassic Park/World franchise. Inspired by the largest of the new sets, 76956 T-Rex Breakout, Nick Sweetman gave himself just 30 minutes to recreate it as best he could with the parts he had on hand, complete with a tiny T. rex. The result is a fabulous microscale recreation of a scene that should be recognizable to any fan of the original Jurassic Park film. Do you remember that scene where Hammond and Dr. Sattler are eating ice cream, and he talks about that flea circus he opened? That probably resulted in a similar scene about this size. Seriously, I bet everything that guy touches ends up in chaos…

Cruising the Star Wars galaxy with my homie, Grogu

If you haven’t seen the season finale of The Book of Boba Fett then give this LEGO ship by Alex Jones a like or a heart and move on without reading ahead. But be sure to catch it when you can. If you have seen it then oh boy! A couple of episodes back when Peli revealed the refurbished N-1 Starfighter she was working on for Mando we got just a little taste of foreshadowing. Seeing the pre-Empire ship was cool enough in itself. It was admittedly not the replacement for the Razorcrest Mando had hoped for at first but with it being souped-up and off-the-grid like a refurbished one-of-a-kind classic hot rod, he warmed up to it. However, the bubble dome in place of where an Astromech would go… clued us in that someday Grogu would sit there. Fast forward to the last scene of the final episode and we were served a heaping albeit adorable helping of fan service!

If you’ve seen the show, then join in on all the excitement to see what other builders have done in The Book of Boba Fett archives.

If termites lived on Mars

Maybe it’s the choice of dark orange and nougat that made me think of Mars when I saw this microscale build by Jake Hansen, and maybe the tall chunky shape reminded me of termites, but whatever the inspiration behind this model, the part usage is off the charts. One of my favorites is the older wheel axle holder attached to the upside-down steering wheel. The chrome cylinders, as well as the many stacked gears, create interesting textures when combined with multiple sizes of wheel rims.

Grogu’s Force lessons

I don’t think it’s any secret that most people’s favorite The Book of Boba Fett episodes were largely Fett-less. Jonas Kramm has paid tribute to the show’s identity crisis with his latest build based on Episode 6. In this scene, the child Grogu faces off against a Jedi Training Droid on the planet where Luke is establishing his new school. Jonas has packed a lot of accurate detail into this 14×14 vignette, from the bamboo forest to the flintlock weapons used as twigs in the water. I appreciate the round quarter 1×1 tile in Ahsoka’s hand, acting as the small package that the Mandalorian left for his foundling. But, perhaps the most accurate detail of all is that this scene also contains an entirely artificial recreation of Mark Hamill. Special effects jokes aside, if you dig this build, make sure to check out Jonas’s other vignettes of the show here and here.

An elegant tracery of lines and curves

Some LEGO builds inspire moments of quiet contemplation. This elegant inked fan by Dad’s Bricks evokes that feeling for me. The life-sized shaping is excellent, and the delicate line work created by rods and slightly curved tubing offsets the the bright red of the flowers. Take a closer look and you can spot 1×1 heart tiles in pink, creating a tiny clovers of brightness to contrast to the rich colors. The pen, stand, and brush are almost afterthoughts – but they blend seamlessly into the full image and add real-world context to this piece of art.

Be sure to check our archives for even more artistic expressions in plastic.

This Zaku model from Gundam has some great proportions

LEGO builder Mingki_5729 has built this classic enemy grunt unit, featured across multiple Mobile Suit Gundam series. The chunky rounded form of the Zaku is accurately recreated in this build, from the wide calves to its broad shoulders. The model also looks to be poseable thanks to ball and socket joints. That sand green horn which looks perfect on the shoulder is fairly rare, having currently only appeared in four sets in that particular colour. Fun fact, the design of the actual Zaku took inspiration from a standard business suit—it’s amazing where designers get their ideas from!

This Martian Botanical Unit is like, far-out, man!

We’ve seen plenty of LEGO space rovers lately but Isaac Wilder clearly has a good sense of humor about his. With its 3D-printed custom rims, it’s more of a psychedelic VW T2 campervan than a Mars rover. However, should we ever explore Mars, there is some good reasoning for having a mobile botanical unit to either analyze and collect the plant life that may be discovered there or to seed our own once we terraform the Red Planet. Along with it, you would certainly need a gentle, laidback botanical enthusiast with a knack for making plants grow. Do we know anyone like that? This dude definitely doesn’t harsh my mellow! If you’re hip to it, why not discover other reasons why we think Isaac Wilder is, like, one with the universe. While you’re at it, don’t bogart the love. Be sure to check out these space rovers built by others, brah.

Intricate and mysterious LEGO cathedral

I am totally impressed by the architectural skills of Lego builder Hobo Sapien and his digital creation titled Cathedral of the Great Visage. This is a fictional cathedral but it’s actually a fairly accurate layout for an Early Gothic-era Cathedral. Who would have thought my art history would come in handy one day? So get ready: I am going to lay down some knowledge like a lintel on a post (sorry). First off, the silhouette of the building is pretty good. You have your giant rose window centered right above the front entrance. Beautiful! The buttresses are flying (as they should be). The designer used ingots and Microfigures in a clever way to recreate the archivolt over the main entrance. The peak at the top is a traditional-styled gable, but you don’t often see them filled with a wizard in handcuffs (though that is some cool creative license).

The interior is pretty neat too! Looking across the transept you have a nice view of the altar with the ambulatory wrapping around behind it. The Ionic—actually, I think they’re Corinthian—columns draw the eyes up to the vaulted ceilings. It is all lit by mysteriously glowing candles which provide this really mystical vibe. Man! LEGO bricks are cool.

This 5,000+ piece, 6+ pound Slave-1 is worth risking a disintegration for.

As Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett comes to a close, it’s a fitting time to stop and take a look back to our first introduction of the bounty hunter who began our love affair with the Mandalorians – The Empire Strikes Back*. And who better to be our guide than Hannes “Marshal Banana” Tscharner? Hannes has previously brought us amazing renditions of other Star Wars vehicles like the Millennium Falcon and the Jawa Sandcrawler. But this time, Hannes teamed up with builder Kevin J. Walter aka Skywalter with the goal of creating the most accurate Slave-1 model ever built in LEGO. Kevin is no stranger to IP spaceship builds himself, and has previously wowed us with his Stargate and Star Trek work. The Slave 1 took the pair a year and a half to complete. But, like any bounty hunter worth the price, they delivered on their goal with stunning results. So, without further ado, let’s take a tour of this Empire-era Firespray-31.

*Yes, I know that Boba technically first appeared in the Holiday Special. But that’s not canon. Just click here to see the ship. Geez.