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.

Beachfront property worth building

Aloha, maybe? Wherever this is, I want to go there right now and forget that there are travel restrictions in place. The Beach Resort from builder Luis Peña is everything I could want in a tropical getaway.

Not only is this clearly an oceanside resort, but it’s also a really fancy one at that. The light blue transparent bricks are a crisp, clean contrast to the white on the buildings, giving them a very expensive look. The choice to make each structure different was a good one, with the triangle building and the curvy building having a five-star hotel vibe. The beach huts are just fantastic. They’re made with few pieces but you still know exactly what they are!

I could see myself lying under the tiny palm trees, but there’s a pandemic going on so I’ll have to wait until next year.

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Mushroom man makin’ his way

Of course, an enchanted forest is filled with strange mushrooms of varying sorts, maybe even some mushrooms that get up and take a hike. Steven Erickson builds up a magical little LEGO mushroom guy he lovingly named “Shroomkin,” and he is as he should be, hanging out in a mystical little forest that is partially brick-built.

Shroomkin’s brilliant blue cap is composed of many 1×1 blue plates with some white 1×1 round tiles rendering spots. This fun guy’s stalk is a whole-body sporting a neat red and yellow brick-built tunic made up of tiles, bricks, and cheese slopes. One arm with a 1×1 tile with clip piece can hold a staff, while the other arm sports a 1×1 round tile printed as a compass – useful for excursions in the woods. Shroomkin stands tall and looks out at his station – a brick-built patch of greenery comprised of many small green elements along with some different flower pieces in popping colors. What a wonderful build for the spring season.

A small guardian of the forest with a big heart

You don’t have to be big to have a big job, as this epic 101 part model of a forest guardian by Markus Rollbühler proves. The flower at the heart of the model is just one of many perfectly placed flower and leaf elements, but there are also some great “building” tricks, like the curved brown sloped parts used for the lower arms, which are gently wedged into the undersides of those wonderfully bulbous sleeves. And the hands and ankles, which use clip plates tucked into the underside of the arms and feet. A soft glow added to the staff give the finished figure a magical finish.

Adorable mushroom girl collecting flowers in the woods

Some mushrooms are for eating, some are deadly, but this mushroom girl by Miscellanabuilds will warm your heart like no other fungus can. This model of a mushroom girl picking wildflowers in the forest is adorable, from her spotted skirt to her mushroom hat/head. Even those ridged round bricks used for her legs look just like the stems of the Amanita muscaria, which was the inspiration for this fun fungus.

Not so hermit, hermit crabs

You’ve probably heard the term “hermit” describing someone who lives alone and avoids others. Hermit crabs get their name from the fact that they protect themselves by living and hiding inside abandoned mollusk shells. But what you might be surprised to discover is that these guys aren’t shut-ins. Like the two featured in this excellent LEGO build by Djokson, they enjoy some company! While they do prefer to have their own shell, they’ll even gather together in large colonies. In regard to this creation, it’s a fantastic use of the Duplo pipe elements. I’m also a fan of the large figure armor for the shells!

Another interesting fact: hermit crabs will graduate shells as they get bigger. When they outgrow a shell, they’ll hunt for a larger one to slip into, just like we do with clothes. And just like us, their choice of attire can sometimes be odd or questionable. Even LEGO! The unfortunate part is that this usually involves human trash.

While you’re here, definitely take a moment to check out some of Djokson’s other work!

Forget dragons. Imagine wagons.

There are LEGO builds that hit that sweet spot of nostalgia and realism, and this little red wagon from Ted Andes is one of the great ones. The highlight has to be those great wheels – 3×3 dishes rimmed with a rubber tire, complete with a 1×1 round plate cap. The thin rods for the axles and handle are also perfectly scaled, making this look like a product shot from a retro-toy catalog.

Ted is an expert at creative part usage and unusual builds, as you can see if you take a trip through our archives.

Up, up and away, in a rocket to the moon

If you’re looking for a masterclass in clever parts usage, LEGO designer Markus Rollbühler might be one of the best professors out there. This rocket, which uses 101 parts, is a prime example. Besides the fact that it’s very cute and looks neat as heck, it’s more than that. With such few parts, you have to make an impact. The best details include a fencing foil to cap off the nose, a trophy for the nozzle, and a beard and carrot combo for the flames. Let’s also not forget the clamshells, helmets, and chef’s hat playing peekaboo in the exhaust cloud.

If you need another example of Markus’s talent, look no further than 71741 Ninjago City Gardens. That’s right! He designed that too! But while you’re here, why not also check out more of Markus’ awesome “non-work-related” builds, in addition to some more cool rockets and spaceships?

Some perspectives don’t feel forced at all

What’s that off in the distance? Cecilie Fritzvold has created a beautiful view of a distant bridge, or maybe a nearby view of a model train set. It’s hard to say for sure, but this stellar mix of textures and techniques is certainly satisfying to look at. I love how the fence along the left side of the scene, and that second lamp post, drop down to create the illusion of a hill leading down to the bay. The bridge itself also merits a closer look, being constructed from the rather unusual Large Figure Part Shield Holder with Axle. (That choice of part was no accident, as this is one of Cecile’s entries into the latest Iron Builder contest, which focuses on creative use of that very element.)

Making bridges out LEGO can be a challenging task. Check our our archives to see how other builders solved that problem.

There once was an impatient caterpillar

This adorable LEGO caterpillar built by Jens Ohrndorf is the perfect illustration for a children’s storybook. Just the critter alone is cute, from his paint-roller antennae to his “fuzzy” body and flower-stem spines. But when you add those balloons, it’s magic. It really does give the illusion of this fellow’s body being lifted up. He didn’t quite use enough, though! Don’t worry little buddy! Be patient and someday soon you’ll be a beautiful butterfly!

Jens is great at giving his builds life and that spark of character. Just check out this fun cactus!

Tigger’s treehouse

I love it when an official LEGO set or theme inspires fans to build their own creation within the theme. But sometimes the inspiration is not a theme or a set but just a single minifigure. According to Kristel, it was the Tigger minifigure from 21326 Winnie the Pooh that inspired her to build this creation. She set her mind to making the minifigure bounce, just like the character does in the movies. In order to make this happen, she built Tigger’s treehouse to hide the jumping mechanism.

This build is awesome for a couple of reasons. Although I love Winnie the Pooh, it has been quite some time since I watched a Pooh movie, so my memories about the show have faded a bit. I had to look Tigger’s treehouse up, and I have to say this is an almost exact match for the source material. Secondly, it blends in perfectly with the official LEGO set because Kristel used the same technique on the roof and a similar technique on the foliage. And last but not least, this creation actually allows Tigger to move and jump.

Curious for more Winnie the Pooh articles? Check them out here!

An artistic stretch of buildings dedicated to the arts

Microscale buildings can be a challenge to design, but Luis Peña knows just how to make them sizzle. Inspired by the architectural work of Santiago Calatrava and Oscar Niemeyer, the custom buildings in Opera and Museum are filled with unusual elements and a ton of class. My favorite touches are the Mysterio Helmet orb/sculpture, and the Web-effect railings on the bridge. The curves from the balloon panels create a great sense of motion for the scene, too.

If tiny buildings are your thing, take a stroll through our archives for even more compact goodness.

Colorful Medieval Market

Yet again, Brickleas draws inspiration from the blue large figure shield holder. This time the result is a lovely medieval market. There are a lot of LEGO parts used in interesting ways in this creation, including many used as decorative woodwork — the wand, bucket handle and the ninja helmet horn elaborate to name a few. Over the years LEGO has released quite a few ‘wooden’ containers. Brickleas uses quite a few of them in their market stalls. We can spot the crate, box, half, small and large barrel and the flowerpot. Their uses aren’t notably creative — they are, after all, containers used as containers — but the diversity helps to create a disheveled atmosphere I associate with markets. The best thing about this creation has to be the depth the picture has due to the framing, thanks to the tunnel/gate walls on the left and right of the picture. The buildings overlap, and the addition of a microscale castle in the background adds further depth. The flooring deserves a quick mention, and you can tell this is a rich city/town thanks to the abundance of goats.