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.

You light up my life. You know, because you’re a lamp.

There’s something extra cool when LEGO crosses paths with Art Nouveau. This amazing wasp-winged table lamp, designed by Ted Andes, was inspired by antique Tiffany lamps. And as cool as that lampshade “glass” is, I admire the twisting metalwork accents the most. Although the small details like the gracefully curving wall plug and period-accurate light-switch are also in the running.

Taking off the top, you can better see the brick-built vintage lightbulb and the complex construction that went into the shade’s base. Seen out of context, that lampshade could easily double for a Matrix-inspired robotic vehicle. Amazing work, there.

Built as part of the Bio-Cup contest, Ted was limited to using 100% LEGO elements. That means that this lamp doesn’t light up…yet. Ted says that he plans to add that “non standard” functionality in the future, with an eye on displaying it at an in-person LEGO convention. You know, when those are a regular thing again.

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The Tachyomatic Combine combines complex angles and interstellar build techniques

Well, I’m pretty sure Nick Trotta is from outer space or he’s been sent from the future to kill us all. How else could you explain LEGO build techniques of this caliber? This Tachyomatic Combine combines (how do you explain word association that good?) complex angles, futuristic aerodynamics, and interesting colors and textures. The end result is so cohesive you’d be convinced Nick visited the future. Actually, he’s taken inspiration from artist Weiyi Qin whom I’m pretty sure is also from outer space.

Care to see other angles and the inner workings of this mind-blowing model? I’m pretty much going to speak for you here and say that you do. Go on, click the link! You know you want to!

No seriously, click it. You won’t be disappointed!

Survival separates the LEGO dodos from the beasts!

The whimsical R 194 is back with a LEGO build titled “DDD (DODO Delivery)” that belongs in the world of Mary Poppins. From the brown hat to the multicolored socks to the blue and white umbrella, this dodo clearly has style. There are a lot of fun details to enjoy, like the glasses perched on the dodo’s beak and red messenger back hung around its beck.

This shot focuses more on the individual items, including a small suitcase and wagon filled with even more tidbits.

Matthias of Redwall is ready for battle

LEGO builder Matt Goldberg presents us with this impressive build of Matthias from the Redwall books, written by Brian Jacques. The model is an entry in the Bio Cup competition and portrays the protagonist of the first Redwall novel. Matt has captured the rodent-like features, even the bulbous eyes, of the young mouse. Rounded plates at the face and knees assist in creating the anthropomorphic form of the body. Ready to hear enemies nearby, the large ears of the model are created using the reverse side of armour pieces. It’s nice to see some Knights’ Kingdom pieces make an appearance such as the sword and the pauldron armour at the shoulders. Let’s hope there’s a grand feast awaiting the young hero at Redwall Abbey.

Everything is melting! Also everyone!

The new Everyone is Awesome set is, well, awesome. But inclusivity and cool monochrome minifigures aren’t exactly new ideas. Just ask Andreas Lenander – they’ve been building in those themes for a while now. Andreas has combined earlier builds into a stellar group display that showcases the full range of melty creative possibilities. Out of the group, my favorites are still the black and white builds, even if the stark contrast there doesn’t lean into the more colorful…hold up. Is that Batman I see hiding behind the red waterfall?

Don’t think that Andreas is limited to one thematic style, though. Check out a full range of great builds that we’ve featured in the past!

This flight’s been grounded…except on the water.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about getting whisked away somewhere on a plane. But hopefully not a plane that uses an actual whisk to hold its propellers on, like this one does. But I suppose the whisk is the least of this pilot’s worries, as Grant Davis has constructed quite the impressive belch of black smoke coming from the engine of this seaplane. The texture of the smoke is quite impressive, and I particularly like the black smoke near the engine, made from what I think are a couple of TIE Fighter pilot helmets. The use of the small ship in the background to create a forced perspective horizon really makes it feel like this pilot is isolated, which adds a wonderful additional element of drama to the scene. I don’t imagine making engine repairs while rocking on the open ocean is an easy task. Hopefully his radio still works.

Clone troopers vs. battle droids in landscape-focused LEGO Star Wars build

Noah (h2brick) is back with another Star Wars build, this time focused on the planet of Utapau featured in Revenge of the Sith. The colors of the bricks are great and mesh well together, separating the different areas. The mini-story that’s playing out between the customer clone troopers and the battle droids is a fun touch; maybe we’ll see General Kenobi falling into the water soon. While I lot of LEGO creations are framed with tiles, Noah chose to have the water and rocks continue down and away from the build, keeping it more organic.

This time-lapse is a great look at how Noah’s build came together. If you’re interested in learning more about how to make your own LEGO creations (especially for landscaping), you need to watch this.

Building an Iron Man Gauntlet? It’s a snap! (maybe)

Building large-scale movie prop replicas actually isn’t easy at all, but Flickr builder Claudio Tavella makes it look like a snap. This 702-piece, Infinity-Gem-laden Iron Man gauntlet looks every bit as impressive as the real thing. There’s even a great video of it, showing off the full “in the round” view. My favorite details are the curve at the wrist and the transparent cheese slopes as the gems. And, of course, that movie-accurate “snapping” pose. Getting human shaping like that to read correctly is another tricky thing to reproduce well.

It feels like this would be a great companion set to the upcoming 7619 Infinity Gauntlet. We can only hope that when and if LEGO takes its own stab at this, the results are equally stellar.

Built for the fearless adventurer

Spaceship! I will always react that way to any swooshable model starcraft. Builders love to show off their knowledge of the LEGO system by the way they mold and craft the shapes of their starships. In addition, the eye-catching detail, or greeble, they add shows off some of their brick collection as well as their ingenuity in representing the elements of a spaceship. In this wonderful model, Starfighter Intrepid, builder seb71 shows off some of their skill.

Having a history of well-crafted spaceships, seb71 has brought us an eye-catching, sand-green design highlighted with white plates and tiles built cleverly into the wings and body. If you look at the structure of the Intrepid closely, you can see the various orientations the builder used to achieve their desired design. The stickers seb71 used add just the right amount of extra detail. I love the large white slopes in the wings, often used in the Imperial Shuttle sets. They work perfectly with the structure as well as the color-blocking.

Read on to see more views of this fantastic spaceship

Who’s that guy with the big, big head?

M.O.D.O.K. — Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing. Easily one of the most distinctive Marvel villains out there. And boy is he out there. Anyway, this uniquely shaped baddie is given his just due in LEGO thanks to Big Easy Bricks. I’m particularly fond of the nested arch/curved slopes to form his signature grimace, as well as the range of motion provided by those Mixel ball joints in the arms. The clouds of jet exhaust are also smartly rendered, with some nice use of 1×1 dome tile to create interesting texture.

M.O.D.O.K. also looks great “in the round”. The rear-facing engine and the ridges of his chair are both very nice, and the use of Hero Factory armor for the shoulder pads scales up perfectly.

One of the best things about the popularity of Marvel characters is all the great LEGO creations that are inspired by them. Check out our archives for more stellar builds!

“Deploy the sentinels!” in this Matrix LEGO build

This Matrix-themed LEGO build from Claudio Tavella is a solid, energetic build. The sentinel (aka “Squiddy”) is feared in The Matrix, and it comes across here in the flexible tenticles and red eyes in the center of the body. With the way it’s built, you can pose the tenticles however you want.

“A Sentinel for every man, woman, and child in Zion. That sounds *exactly* like the thinking of a machine to me.” – Morpheus

I appreciate a good display stand, and Claudio knocks it out of the park. The black base is sleek, features a custom sticker, and has a transparent pillar to connect the model. The atypical top of the base is a nice touch, giving it some more visual interest without drawing too much attention.

Bag Tag Dice Lad

The LEGO Dots line has introduced some fun printed studs and colorful pieces to play around with. This year they introduced bag tag sets with a new cube element. In the past, they’ve had 2×2 stud cubes used in games as the dice, but this newer cube is 3×3 studs, allowing for more detail. Though the beveled, angular edges of the element can provide some challenges to integrating it into a model, builder nobu_tary shows us the character it can lend to a brick-built figure.

This little guy’s colorful head is detailed with tiles and modified studs while the body is built upside down, attaching to the studs on the bottom of the bag tag cube. Simple use of a slope and a curved top stud attached to bricks with studs on the side help give the impression of an arm. The same side-studded bricks are used to attach the Macaroni Technic tubes and 1×2 plates that make up the cute little legs. The angle nobu_tary shot this photo at helps conceal the attachment for the bag tag ring clip, which could either make or break a model because of the asymmetry it adds to the cube element. Nonetheless, creative positioning, as well as color blocking between the figure and the seat help nobu_tary, build an adorable little character that reminds me of the Wood Man from Netflix’s Hilda. Something about the character’s expression just reminds me of the Wood Man bursting in unannounced to peoples’ homes. Maybe this is Dice Lad, a relative of sorts, that appears to moderate board games, whether you like it or not.

Find more of nobu_tary’s builds on Flickr or Instagram (@nobu_tary) or check out some more characters by other builders!