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.

Springtime in Weydale Valley

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have four distinct seasons. We have a rainy winter and also a rainy spring. We have summer, which this year fell on a Tuesday and we have Spider Season. With that said, I may consider moving to Weydale Valley. Kevin Wu makes the place seem absolutely enchanting with this stunning LEGO layout. Everything from the bubbling brook to the Tudor-style mill just screams peace and serenity. Or rather it whispers peace and serenity. You can forgive the mix-up as spider season is coming upon us here in the Pacific Northwest and there’s a lot of screaming involved, as you can imagine. Anyway, I love the techniques used on the bridge and the roof of the mill. The deer, the chicken, even the little pig is chock full of charm and tranquility.

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This rover has got us pumped.

In 2007, LEGO released the Mars Mission sub-theme for their Space line. One of the major gimmicks for that line was a series of pneumatic tubes that minifigures could travel through. This was accomplished by propelling them with a blast of air provided by a sub-theme-specific giant pump. Those pumps must now be sitting unused in collections around the world. Surely it’s too specific an item to make use of when you’re not constructing a tube-based travel system. “Not so fast,” says lokiloki29. This is the EOS-BA Discovery Rover, and it makes use of four of those pumps to create a set of over-sized wheels that look ready to tackle numerous alien terrains.

Considering the limited connection points that the pumps provide, this vehicle is an out of this world accomplishment. The vehicle contains a fully functioning interior, and even includes a mini vehicle that can deploy to travel through those smaller spaces the larger rover can’t quite handle. And, although it is crewed by a more traditional team of astronauts, I respect that the rover homages the Mars Mission sets with its pops of orange against the largely white color scheme.

The Era of the new Castle Bros has begun....

When you put a title like Castle Bros on the line, you better be ready to back it up eventually with some epic, medieval models. After he and his brother succeeded in securing the victory, LEGO Masters contestant Caleb Schilling was well aware of this obligation. Compelled to revive the build that won the bet, Caleb did so with style. The Joust of Sir Bob and Sir Leon takes place high on the bridge above the castle gates, surrounded by colorful citizens celebrating the competition. Red and blue banners wave above their heads for their favorite knights as they look on from various levels of this towering castle. The molding of the bridge is brilliantly detailed, emulating carved stone with gold inlets. Honestly, the parapets of each tower and turret are beautifully designed with wonderfully textured walls and arrowslits dotting them. My absolute favorite portion is the entryway. This design is honestly gorgeous. The use of sand green and dark orange contrasts nicely with the highlight of white and peek of yellow from above. The plants adorning the windowsills, the ivy climbing the left turret, and the bright tree atop the entryway add an organic element to the stone and mortar.

Caleb Schilling, and Jacob for that matter, have impressed me so far in their tenure as the Castle Bros. Their use of bright colors to contrast the greys and browns common in castle designs breathes life into the concept. This model and that from the show seem almost animated with how the characters and buildings complement each other. I can’t wait to see Caleb’s next castle.

Iron Man’s muscular mech suit, Igor, is here to save the day

First featured in Iron Man 3, the Mark 38 (as known as Igor), is the predecessor to the Hulkbuster. Ransom Fern has constructed this accurate interpretation of the original design with the ability to pose. By building in this scale, Ransom has been able to portray the muscular proportions in great detail. The bend at the torso is particularly effective in terms of suggesting the upper strength of the suit. Wedge pieces represent the eyes and ridged tiles create the angled cheek bones. At the shoulders, slide plates act as segmented sections of armour. Even the striped patterns at the arms and legs have been replicated. It’s great to see some love for the suit as Igor, especially in this intricate form.

A LEGO spider that is clearly terrifying

Spiders are are terrifying at the best of times and builder @brickybricks82 ups the ante with this transparent monster reminiscent of the crystal spider from the movie Krull. The gold hinges on the leg joints make a great (and necessary) accent that is repeated in the feet and fangs. The red transparent eyes add an additional look of menace and I’m particularly fond of the egg shaped spaceship windscreen for the abdomen. If you run into this beast in the basement, you better hope you see it before it sees you.

There’s a snake in my boot (and an alien in my mouth)

Toy Story Mania! is an interactive ride based on Pixar’s classic film franchise that you can experience at three of Disney’s parks around the world. But you can only enter the attraction through the gaping maw of a giant Woody head at DisneySea in Tokyo; an experience that has been replicated in LEGO form by builder nobu_tary.

This build does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the location. The white, tan, and azure color scheme is a spot-on match for the park’s American Waterfront land. Park details like the lamps and roof spires are properly represented. The ride’s logo is effectively built into Woody’s hat. And Woody’s head is pleasantly detailed, from the cattle horns used as his eyebrows, to the row of teeth set just behind his upper lip. I am surprised to see that Buzz has to wait in line, though. You’d think he’d have some sort of VIP Fast Pass.

An off-the-wall take on a futuristic city

If you stay in the LEGO game long enough, you’re bound to run into the problem shelf space. Specifically, the problem of not enough of it. Andrew Lee is combating that issue with Scumbag City, a multi-storied metropolis that ingeniously hangs on Andrew’s wall.

To achieve this gravity-defying effect, Andrew has built the bottom-most layer around an already existing wooden shelf. The upper layers are secured with screws placed into the wall through Technic brick holes. From there, Andrew has installed a central elevator shaft that allows the citizens to move between levels. Each level was then outfitted with storefronts and restaurants, each equipped with front facades that can be easily removed so you can see the action within.

I particularly like the way this build so clearly tells the story of life in Scumbag City. The top-level, with its large windows and gold fencing, is clearly the home of the city’s elite. The next three levels feature large railings and brightly colored shops and restaurants. The lowest levels have smaller railings, industrial areas, and businesses like a gentleman’s club. No doubt life on the lower levels is a little harder, if for no other reason than it’s probably pretty noisy living right above the engines the keep Scumbag City aloft.

The most adorable eyes on the whole beach

I won’t tell you what came to Matt Goldberg‘s mind first: this tiny adorable crab in white or the way to use a snail shell piece from Belville. The way the shell fits this crab is amazing; I particularly love the piece’s asymmetrical shape, which gives the crab a uniquely natural feel. While the crab itself isn’t extraordinary, I guess it’s more than enough for this build. Clean and neat, I wouldn’t ever agree to take it apart!

Never trust a cube-shaped bot

There are so many ways to give your LEGO bot a character, and one of them is through the shape of its head. For instance, you can build a very menacing-looking bot with a sphere-shaped head or put a really intimidating one with a triangle on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Andreas Lenander chooses another very terrifying option and designs his bots to carry cube-shaped heads. There’s plenty of ways to make LEGO bricks look scary, but these robots have to be my number one pick. Just look at their creepy laser eyes..!

Build a mobile home, and make it snappy

When building LEGO models I’ve always struggled to effectively combine Bionicle and regular System bricks, so I’m in awe of those builders who regularly do so and make it appear effortless. I’m sure this brilliant model by Patrick Biggs was anything but — it bears the hallmarks of a painstaking attention to detail in the shaping and placing of every piece. The crab alone is a smart piece of building, but the addition of a fantastical castle as the hermit’s home is a well-built stroke of genius. The colour contrasts are excellent too, popping against that grey-blue backdrop. Lovely stuff.

Did you know Geri changed the game?

Modeling characters with realistic textures and movements was a difficult task for the animators at Pixar back in the nineties. While making their first short film in 8 years, Geri’s Game, the company utilized a method to make more lifelike skin and even developed a dynamic cloth simulator to emulate clothing better. Not only did it push Pixar technologically, but it also started a tradition of shorts before feature films that continues today. Builder Deo embraced a more blocky form and used their LEGO to create his own Geri, a version with a life all its own. This wonderful idea includes the chairs, table, chess set, and (not pictured) the prized dentures.

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You wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of this looming creature!

Mitch Phillips has built this fascinating creature that integrates organic-looking features into a mechanical design. The slender proportions and the sharpened claws of the model provide the creature with a menacing aesthetic. Curved tube pieces are used to form the piping at the chest while possibly representing robotic organs. The circular piece at the head is actually the invisibility cloak piece from the Harry Potter sets and presents the model with an appearance reminiscent of ancient aliens from science fiction shows. The large number of twisting cables suggests this could be an exoskeleton for an even more terrifying creature. The metallic colour scheme works to great effect under the light, accentuating the curves of the rounded pieces.