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.

Rescue from the Merpeople

Rescue from the Merpeople was released in 2005, that’s right, 15 years ago! It was a small build but it contained 5 unique figures. It was the first set, and still one of the only sets, containing sleepy faced minifigurs. On top of that LEGO gave us their first mermaid minifigure. Whether or not you think the mermaid is pretty is a matter of taste. In 15 years a lot has changed in the world of LEGO and Caleb Schilling shows us a peek of what the set might look like if LEGO would ever decide to redesign it. I am really fond of the demure use of colour in this creation. The only vibrant colour comes from the vegetation and some of the characters’ outfits. The base is especially well made, showing little to no studs. The skirts on Hermoine and Cho further add to the flowing underwater feel of this creation.

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The guardian spirit of the woodlands

The ancient woods have even older guardians, and this one does not seem like one to be trifled with. Named Tyto, the mighty beast is part owl and part lion, with the antlers of a stag. LEGO builder Joss Woodyard has expertly sculpted the chimera to achieve an organic, regal shape. The furry chest is made of Hero Factor armor pieces layered together, but it’s the wings that really sell the beast for me. The feathers are created with many different kinds of wing elements, but primarily several dozen white stylized wings from the Legends of Chima theme. They’re strung together with clips over a spine of flex tube to create the wings’ shapely curves.

Oh, and that name? Tyto is the Latin name for the genus containing owls. This magnificent beast will watch over all his feathered friends.

Not a very “chicken” walker

Known to fans as the “chicken walker”, this LEGO All Terrain-Scout Transport (AT-ST) model by builder Lewis Kiwi is anything but a wimpy chicken. I’d use this beast to stand up to rebel scum any day of the week.

This has to be the most well-built AT-ST I’ve ever seen. From the top of the highly-detailed roof to the bottom of the articulated feet, this AT-ST outshines even the Ultimate Collector’s Series AT-ST set. Just look at the joints! The blasters! The engine work!

Some of the best LEGO creations have a level of detail that implies more detail beneath it. Notice how simple pieces like tubing and fans draw your eyes into the walker’s interior, making you wonder where those tubes connect to and how the walker is powered.

Where Lewis shines the most, however, is in his color schemes. This AT-ST uses light gray as the main armor layer, while underlying dark gray form the walker’s structure. This effect establishes the battle-readiness and is a detail not seen in many of the AT-ST models built over the years.

Herbology class is in session

Since 2018 the LEGO wizarding world has been expanding via collectible minifigure series as well as sets based on the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. All of the newly available minifigures and elements have really stirred up the imaginations of Potterheads and have inspired some great work. One of these exemplary builders is Kale Frost who invites us to sit in on a lesson at Hogwarts with his build of a Herbology classroom.

Kale’s brick-built greenhouse is a truly magical creation, the stars of the scene I would say are some of the newer elements he included as well as the latest Professor Pomona Sprout minifigure. Also from the second Harry Potter collectible minifigures series, is the potions book featured in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He incorporates elements from other themes such as the geode from LEGO City Space and the teal headphones from Monkie Kid, both pieces also being fairly new. This vignette certainly makes me wish I was a minifigure, I could throw on those teal headphones and cultivate some mandrakes to whip up various restorative potions.

King Louie, the biggest ape of all

This orangutang made by Lestrange Absurde is giving me very strong The Jungle Book vibes. King Louie was added to Rudyard Kiplings original story. King Louie has been portrayed as an orangutang in the 1967 version, and a gigantopithecus in the 2016 remake. This creation by Lestrange Absurde looks soo sweet and gentle. There is a rediculous amount of brilliant modified plate use. Just look at the fur, bottom lip, nose, fingers & toes and last but not least that cute as a button belly button.

What’s this? What’s this?

You may have noticed that there’s been a lot of Christmas set news lately. But personally, I think we should be focusing more on Halloween. Luckily, delayice finds the middle ground with these great LEGO character builds from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Both Jack Skellington and his pet ghost-dog Zero are very recognizable. They’re also very cute, with big round tile eyes that are reminiscent of POP figures. I like how both Zero’s ears and Jack’s eyebrows (eye sockets?) sit at unconventional angles, making this build feel less static. The gravestone behind Jack is a nice touch, too, expanding this into a micro-scene, rather than just a character build.

If you’re like me and want to fend off the incoming elf hordes for a few more minutes, why not peruse our Nightmare Before Christmas archives? I promise nothing there is that scary.

A plucky bot to make you smile

The moment I saw this ski-footed bot, I smiled. Markus Rollbühler has created a perfect blend of retro-vintage sci-fi and modern aesthetic. And one of the best parts usage in those handbags as knee joints. I also love the slight curve of the arms that reminds me of that classic robot from Lost in Space.

Time for a swim

Here’s the thing, my LEGO collection is seriously outdated. I haven’t kept up with the newest sets for a few years, and I’m not familiar with the latest parts. Plus, all the teal that I own date back to pre-2006, so… you get the idea. But sometimes these limitations can push a builder to create something more interesting. When I see this Seahorse and Moorish Idol build by Ben Cossy, I can immediately appreciate every brick that has gone into it (and name each one on the top of my head). Using just a few standard, classic parts, Ben captures the essence of the two sea creatures quite effortlessly. The exposed studs on these creatures resemble textured scales of their real-life counterparts. The layered plate construction on the Moorish Idol and flexible hose spine on the seahorse add to the realism. This marine life build is genuinely calming and even reassuring to look at. It’s like they’re telling me, “Hey, it’s ok. You don’t need the latest parts to build something cool.”

Take a deep dive into our archives to see some more ocean-inspired builds!

Buckle up, this car is a real winner

Okay, so the BMW M8 GTE didn’t actually perform well in the 2018 Le Mans endurance event, nonetheless this vehicle translated into LEGO by builder Lasse Deleuran is still a winner in my eyes.

The custom decals, the gold rims, and the racing colors on this brick-built racecar make me want to speed away, luckily for everyone on the roads in New York that actually won’t happen. Deleuran’s choice in rendering this sportscar’s windshield using black LEGO tiles instead of a trans-clear piece is an interesting, albeit effective one. I also thought his use of the clipped 1×2 plate along with the black bar was a clever way to build windshield wipers. While the actual BMW M8 GTE isn’t exactly a winner, its brick-built counterpart has surely won my heart.

Storage just overflowing with bricks

Recently LEGO announced a collaboration with IKEA to produce some new storage solutions. They won’t be available to the masses until October 1st, but Brothers Brick contributor and LEGO Masters US competitor Flynn DeMarco and his partner Richard Board, collectively known as TrickyBricks, had a chance to try them out early. Using the largest box as a base, they’ve built a breathtaking palace of white and transparent light blues. I’m particularly fond of the crests formed from Legends of Chima Wings and Nexo Knight shields, and the repeated use of trophy statues help create a sense of vast scale. Also, check out that “studs to the side” inlaid mosaic in the central archway. The varied shades of blue and clear plate really unify the color choices of the whole creation.

But what really caught my eye was the way they didn’t just use the box lid as a base. By adding waterfalls of blue brick to the lower section, they created a great visual pun of “overflowing LEGO storage bins” – a common lament in my household. I’m not sure things are actually useful as a storage solution at this point…but I don’t think anyone will be complaining about that.

The other famous blonde elf with a bow.

I can almost hear the collective eye-roll of Nintendo fans everywhere when they read this title. While there can be no argument about who came first, Legolas is not the only blonde elf archer with a big fan base. This model by Brixter Productions shows Link, the daring hero of The Legend of Zelda video game franchise first released in 1986, stands ready to defend the Princess Zelda.

This version of Link is from 2017 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and he’s fully armed and ready for anything. The tunic is very well-crafted with a minimum of parts, and his wind-blown hair is a nice touch.

Jumping for joy on the moon

For some, the month of April in the year 1972 may not be memorable but for astronaut John W. Young this date marks the journey of a lifetime – he became the ninth person to walk on the moon. Young’s iconic jumping salute which has been captured both in photography and video is recreated in LEGO bricks by spacemanship123.

This brick-built astronaut seems to make use of a lot of tile type pieces as well as some slopes and a few LEGO Technic elements. A spacesuit does seem like it would be a tough model to design because of its bulky nature and also its requirement for articulation seeing as it is a figural build striking a pose. Designer spacemanship123 was able to make it happen by using various clip pieces in addition to some ball and joint elements. Overall I would say the idea behind this build is unique, perhaps even out of this world! It’s not an everyday occasion that a human lands on the moon, or that an astronaut is built out of bricks.