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.

The ancient relics of space

It’s nearing the end of September, and for many in the LEGO fan community that means spaceships. Big spaceships. Dubbed Shiptember, this month features the annual informal fan challenge to build a space SHIP (that’s a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts). This SHIP by Sheo is certainly a unique take with an unusual color scheme and design. The builder envisions it as an ancient relic drifting through the cosmos, a shrine for space pilgrims, and it certainly feels otherworldly.

Although the shape is predominantly a few large grey columns, Sheo hasn’t slacked on the detailing, as there’s plenty of interesting techniques inlaid into the beams. There are lots of bits I could point out, but one of the best to me are the tiny white 1×1 plates inserted upside-down as diamonds between four grey slopes, seen below on the lower right image inset. It’s a beautifully simple technique that works perfectly to add visual interest, and I could see it being applied on everything from spaceships like this to castle walls.

And I can’t help but admit that I also see a little bit of a giant egg-beater in the ship’s design. Or maybe I’m just hungry…

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This sleek racer has it all, speed, power and charm

It might not be November yet, but it’s never too early to start building Vipers, and while this little ship by Alvaro Gunawan may not have all of the necessary details to qualify as a viper, a specific type of ship inspired by the video game Gradius it does have plenty of charm. With a pair of prongs flanking a sloped central cockpit with a chunky engine and two thin but deadly guns. The only thing missing is a fin.

Don’t get stung by this hornet!

The CF-18 Hornet is an essential fixture of the fighting capabilities of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It’s seen here depicted in LEGO form by builder Ryan Harriswho is well-known for his realistic LEGO portrayals of aircraft and trains.

Wow! So much light blue! Most jet aircraft are depicted in grey, so props to Ryan for going the extra mile and getting so much of another color in there. I also admire the angle of the tail fins and the thinness of every wing in general. He’s also nailed the landing gear, giving it the full structure you’d expect to see on the F-18 in real life.

That cockpit really shines in this build. The use of a backward canopy combined with the transparent sloped wedges helps get the correct dimensions for the cockpit. I like that there’s an actual LEGO minifigure flying the jet!

Thanks for sharing this beautifully designed aircraft with us, Ryan!

Massive LEGO Taj Mahal goes above and beyond the official sets

The Taj Mahal, the world-famous mausoleum built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan, has seen three official LEGO versions — one in 2008, re-released in 2017, with a new Taj Mahal set unveiled in 2021. Although the newest set is smaller, the original and its re-release are famous for being amongst the largest LEGO sets ever produced. So it should give some idea of the complexity and scale of Rocco Buttliere‘s latest architectural creation when you understand the piece count of around 17.5k parts is considerably higher than all 3 of the official sets combined. Rocco is no stranger to being featured on The Brothers Brick, being an undisputed master of microscale LEGO building. However, this model is something special, depicting not just the famous mausoleum building itself, but also the surrounding gardens and compound.

Click to see more pictures of this stunning model

What if Optimus Prime had samurai armour? Here’s your answer.

Psyro TtunTomato has constructed this inventive reimagined version of Optimus Prime presented in a samurai-inspired form. The build retains mechanical details, such as piping and exhausts, while wedge pattern pieces, at the arms and shoulders, creates an aesthetic reminiscent of real-life samurai armour. Receiving a kick from this model looks like it would be painful as the legs have sharp, aggressive angles and are portrayed in a similar style to the Barbatos’ legs from the Gundam Universe. Armed with two long blades, this version of Optimus is ready to slice up some Decepticons. The model has the ability to look different from the original Optimus design, while still being recognizable through its colour scheme.

THIS IS SPAAAAAARTA!!!!!!!!

I’m normally a stickler for proper grammar and punctuation but as anyone giving away a box of old shoes on Craiglist can attest, sometimes you really gotta yell to get your point across. That means all-caps and lots of exclaimation points. You can forgive my yelling when it comes to this LEGO Leonidas of Sparta bust built by George Panteleon. Any mention of Leonidas or Sparta pretty much brings out the wrestling voice in everyone. George’s LEGO building skills are worthy of all the excitement anyway. Click here to see what I mean. If after that you’re not climbing to the top of Mt. Olypmus and yelling the praises of George’s skills then maybe, just maybe, you don’t have a pulse.

We’re digging the gold on this retro register

While the modern world hurtles inexorably towards a cashless society, Mehdi Rustamov offers us a glimpse of the glorious past of retail payments with this wonderful vintage cash register built out of LEGO bricks. I love that Mehdi has used digital rendering to depict such an unashamed celebration of the design styles of the past. This model is spot-on with its detailing — the wooden till drawer with its golden inlays, the buttons, the ornate detailing, and that crank handle. Lovely stuff.

Got weird grody space-milk?

I’m no slouch when it comes to writing my own jokes. But sometimes you just want to seek out low-hanging fruit and let someone else do all the heavy lifting and joke writing for you. Thankfully, I found The Brothers Brick alumni Iain Heath to be both low-hanging and fruit. The Last Jedi answered a dubious question that no one wanted to know; how does Luke sustain himself on the remote, rocky, wind-blown planet of southern Ireland? It turns out he gets it right from the tap as illustrated with this creation that Iain made to look like an official LEGO set. (Don’t let that fool you, space travelers!) It features a Thala-siren, a weird marine mammal-creature with her huge rediculous udders flopping out there in front of God and everybody to see.

The title “Crazy Space Wizard Breakfast Assault” is hilarious. The milk on Luke’s face, Rey’s last name are all also pretty damned hilarious. Even the piece count of 420 may offer up a clue as to where Iain gets all his crazy ideas. See what I mean? The jokes just write themselves!

Minidoll parts you just have to have

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am an absolute fan of LEGO minidoll related themes. And yes, sometimes the sets are a bit too brightly coloured to blend in with your LEGO City. And yes, having minidolls next to minifigures in one creation can look a little bit odd. But the minidoll themes come with such interesting parts and most of them are minifigure compatible. In Hannah’s latest creation she used a couple of minidoll hair and headpieces that work perfectly for fantasy-themed minifigures.

The build itself ain’t too shabby either, it looks massive. But that might just be thanks to a little bit of photoshopping. The best part about the build has to be the gold arched gate door. LEGO has released a prefab gate door but that one simply doesn’t compare next to this brick build design by Hannah.

A cargo SHIP that really delivers.

SHIPtember is coming to a close and we’re beginning to see the results of everyone’s hard work. My Flickr feed has been full of really amazing WIP shots for the last several weeks, but the Bay of Biscay by Pascal is the first of the final builds that I’ve seen. And it’s an incredibly impressive way to start.

The ship has a unique profile, thanks to the use of crane supports to build its outer frame. Nestled within that frame are up to 60 shipping containers, carrying essential supplies for the interplanetary colonies. These containers are delivered down to the surface thanks to a fleet of tug drones, which can dock on the main ship for the long journey between colonies. It’s always great to see the functionality of a build like this thought through to that degree. I’d call it a massive achievement in microscale construction.

This Agat-4 sure is a brick

Personally, I’m a bit of a caveman when it comes to technology. Working with computers sometimes feels like interacting with a magic tablet controlled by a temperamental spirit that doesn’t like me. While I shudder at the idea of diving into code, I have friends that program games on old computers for fun. Understanding the finer details of the process might not be my strong suit but it’s easy to appreciate the process and results of their efforts. Especially when those friends often build their own computers as well. So I can’t help but think of them when I see a model like this. Builder David Strenzler, otherwise known as Force of Bricks, has built a LEGO version of a Soviet computer from the era of the Apple II and the Commodore 64. Let’s take a look at this beautiful model of the Agat 4 8-bit computer.

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Celebrating Paralympian Gold

Sporting the Netherlands’ colors in honor of their gold and bronze medals this August, this Miniland-style figure wonderfully captures the motion of a record-setting athlete. Clever building techniques allow builder James Zhan to construct the jersey and shorts into the figure’s body. Nice parts usage in the elements for the hair partner with the positioning of the arms to help sell the feeling that the figure is falling. The figure’s prostheses are posed for the furthest distance while their entire body is suspended with a clear stand.

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