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.

This hippo is hungry for unusual LEGO parts

First and foremost, LEGO is a toy, and sometimes, you use it to build…other toys? filbrick (Loïc Brun) has made us the namesake of the classic boardgame, Hungry Hungry Hippos. As a part of the current round of Iron Builders, Loïc has made the blue hippo, but in the shade of Dark Azure, per the round’s seed part, Technic Rotation Joint Cylinder (1994), specifically in Dark Azure. While the color of the hippo was pre-determined from the seed part, the supporting colors lock in on the classic boardgame design.

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No man is an island, but some secret hideouts are

German builder Gerrit Gottschalk’s latest LEGO creation titled Ronin’s Refuge depicts the struggles of a solitary life, in another time and on another continent. In feudal Japan, a “ronin” was a masterless samurai who had either lost their lord through death, disgrace, or had left their service. The term is often literally translated to “drifter”, making Gerrit’s choice of a watery location for this reclusive warrior’s hideout almost poetic. A muted colour palette draws the viewer’s eye, revealing some clever parts usage (minifigure skirt as a dish, and chain links as an architectural element? – “ii desu ne!“)

This is just one of the many 2025 Summer Joust builds featured here on The Brothers Brick. The online contest closes on August 1st and there are some striking entries, so put the final touches on your castle-themed works in progress and join the fray!

LEGO Catbus from My Neighbour Totoro puts a massive grin on our faces!

If you’ve been following Joss Ivanwood over on Instagram, you’ll know he’s been hard at work building a bus out of LEGO. That might sound a bit odd – Joss is better known for making fantastic creatures than vehicles, as our archives will attest. But it all becomes clear once you realise it’s the famous Catbus, from Studio Ghibli favourite My Neighbour Totoro! It’s been several months in the making, and now it’s debuted, we can see what a magnificent creation it is. We’ve even got the movie’s other protagonists too!

I absolutely love Totoro; it’s probably my favourite Ghibli film. So indulge me, and let’s take a closer look at Joss’ cracking Catbus!

All aboard…

Who says LEGO bricks have to connect?

As Melchar the Mage looks deeply into his scrying pool, you’ll want to stare closer at this scene by Joel Short. That’s because the most eye-catching elements of this scene don’t use bricks that connect in the usual way. The floor is made of cheese slopes turned on their sides and crammed together to create a flawless impression of stone. And the srcying pool itself is largely just some arches, likewise sideways and tucked in on each other. A simple, but magical effect.

A humble scene delivers an epic sense of time and place

When it comes to an eye for detail there are few LEGO builders that measure up to Gerrit Gottschalk, who seems to consistently and effortlessly achieve the outcomes I always hope (and sometimes struggle) to include in my creations. This scene, titled Signs of Ageing, is superbly balanced and packed with texture and great parts usage. I love the look of those brown weed pieces with their stems buried deep in the blocky terrain. And the rooftop TV antenna and fur collar element used as a bird nest are amazing details. Another highlight is the very tidy little wheelie bin build, though it’s also giving me an ick-factor since where I live any black and orange refuse bin is going to be full of stuff you really don’t want to run afoul of!

This LEGO medieval house has a private dock, view of the sea, and a rather alarming angle to it...

Now that we all have cars and bikes, it can be hard to imagine just how important a method of transport boats once were. Sailing was the best way to transport a decent volume of cargo a long way at relative speed (well, unless you were landlocked, of course). Peter (forestArcher) is building up quite the repertoire of rickety LEGO medieval buildings, and for the Summer Joust castle competition, he’s tackled a seaside residence! This one is receiving some vital supplies by boat. And although it’s brilliantly built by Peter – the different angles at work are great, particularly that yellow house – I can’t help but think whoever lives there might need them, lest this precarious pad falls into the sea!

There are plenty of other Summer Joust builds trickling in – take a look at some of the ones we’ve featured in our archives, and be sure to keep checking back for more!

Shiny hunting for a massive LEGO Pokemon

LEGO phenom Zane Houston has been on something of a Pokemon kick of late. First Pikachu, then Haunter both left big impressions on us (although we’ve seen some equally good smaller ‘mons, too). But after two Pokemon from the first generation of games, Zane has brought a touch of Gen-2 epicness to the majestic Gyarados. It’s in these games that we first encounter shiny Pokemon, with a red Gyarados popping up at the Lake of Rage. Zane has captured the moment in all its studly goodness; we make a lot of builds that hide their studs, but I like how all these statues are really embracing their studs!

The framing here is superb. The shot from below, combined with the brick-built splashes of water, really make you feel the ferocity of this powerful water Pokemon! Make sure you check out Zane’s photostream to see some fascinating insights into the build process, too.

The low-rider you live in

At first glance, I didn’t realize this was a LEGO build, primarily due to the wonderful scaling. But I was also caught off guard by Tim Inman’s choice of model. I have seen low-rider trucks, and I have seen campers. But I have never seen a low-rider camper. While the exterior design, from running lights to the paint scheme, is great, don’t skip out on a peak at the interior.

The engine and cab fit the time period perfectly…space to jump around in both!

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A dawn of translucent dark pink

Bart De Dobbelaer uses a stunning mix of only four colors to provide a powerful piece. Illtranor, Tree of Dawn provides us with a story of creation, civilization, and pride. Bart has a wonderful poem to accompany this beautiful build. With only four colors used, they are used very well. Sitting on a dark grey base, a deep back tree trunk provides a strong depth behind the white and translucent dark pink blossoms and branches. And the city that has grown up around the tree so perfectly matches the tree’s color.

Castles in a modular forest

We recently shared a round-up of LEGO castles by master mason Ben Hauger, but we turned around for a minute and not only did he make a few more castles, he changed the foundation. Yes, these two new castles have all the great features of his previous ones, but now, we get a modular base.

See more of Ben’s latest castle

A John Deere built as well as the original

In recent years, LEGO has released some new, modern farm tractors, but Christoph Ellermann has delivered us a classic from the 1950’s. While the design is simple and elegant, it is the part usage that cements the look. First, we have a technic gear from the 1970’s standing in for the iconic red wheels.

Next, yellow rubber bands provide the detailed paint job, and finally simple minifigure hands give us the cutting blade.