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.

Say, “Cheese slope!”

It is an almost surreal experience for me to see a picture of a camera. My brain thinks, “But how did they take the picture if the camera is in the picture?” Of course, I eventually realize there is more than one camera in the world, but it takes my brain longer than it should to get to that conclusion. It’s a bit slow. To make matters worse, sometimes talented builders like Sheo. craft a detailed camera lookalike out of LEGO bricks. Then my brain has the extra step of realizing that it is not even a picture of a camera taken with another camera and that only one camera was involved in the production of the image. It’s hard being a brain sometimes. This Canon EOS 5D is a spot-on replica, lovingly crafted in 1:1 scale, complete with the image of the LEGO build that the camera just photographed on the screen on the back.

It’s got everything a camera could need, from a removable battery to the various SD cards, as well as the ports for your remote and the cable to upload pictures to your computer (it doesn’t include the remote or cables, sadly, but you can get those on Amazon, I’m sure). The only thing that is not LEGO is the strap, and I’m not sure how that could have been done in purist LEGO style short of braiding countless official strings together. And who has time for that? Custom stickers do wonders here, giving it the authentic Canon feel. Don’t miss the tire embedded in the back for some controls, and some rubber bits for tracks are perfect buttons. All things considered, it’s an amazing reproduction of a camera. Now I want to see a full-size picture of the MOC on the camera’s screen. I bet it’s cool, too. And less confusing for my brain.

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The beauty that lies beneath the plank

This gorgeous LEGO diorama by Stephan Gofers shows us the ocean’s full depth, from the vivid coral reefs below the waves, to the sleek 3-master sailing on its surface. The pirate crew has captured a hapless guard, forcing him to walk the plank. In no short order, he’ll be admiring the fantastic marine life from a much closer vantage point, and since he’s not wearing handcuffs, we can assume he’ll swim safely to shore to become a new castaway.

While the colorful reef draws the eye first, the ship itself is a lovely model, eschewing LEGO’s pre-made ship hull elements and instead opting for a planked-look made of brown tiles and curved slopes. The furled sails made of curved white slopes also look excellent. Continue reading →

The S-37 “Berkut” is big, bad and black

The Sukhoi S-37/ Su-47, also known as the “Berkut” (“Беркут” or “Golden Eagle”), may look like something from Japanese anime or Ace Combat, but it was very much a real-world aircraft. A little less than twenty years ago, the Sukhoi design bureau (ОКБ Сухого) proposed this sinister-looking jet as the next-generation air superiority fighter for the Russian Air Force. It was a big black beast, with forward-swept wings for added agility and an internal weapons bay. Sukhoi also planned to add thrust-vectoring engines and an aft-looking radar. Although the design seemed promising, eventually things didn’t quite work out. The advanced features were never finished and only a single prototype ever flew.

In 2018 and 2019 I was part of a group of LEGO builders in Vietnam War and Cold War collaborations, for BrickFair Virginia. For the 2020 event, we’re planning another collaboration. We’ve themed it: “eXperimental Military”. It’s all about X-planes, prototypes and technology demonstrators. S-37 is my first contribution. To fit the styles of the other builders involved, I’ve once again adopted a slightly different aesthetic from my usual studded look. The model is almost completely studless. Rather than using plates and wedge plates for the wings, I built them using bricks mounted on their sides. Hinged sections at the leading and trailing edges hold slopes, to make them less blunt. Minifig scale is quite small and minifigs are a bit awkward. Nonetheless and despite the undercarriage bay underneath, the cockpit can house a minifig pilot, with the canopy closed. The real aircraft was not a success, but it sure makes for a badass looking LEGO model.

Wheel need some bigger tires

I love vehicles with big, knobby tires. Just love ’em. My dream ride is a tricked out, super-lifted Jeep Rubicon, ready to crawl the ruggedest rocks on the planet. But that’s not all big wheels are good for. They are also useful for getting your massive military machine from point A to point B, through all weather and terrain. Brick Ninja demonstrates this ably with this LEGO artillery truck. The olive green looks appropriately military, and the splash of orange gives a nice pop of contrast, adding some sci-fi flair. It says, “Camouflage? We don’t need no stinking camouflage!” The greebles are not overdone, which makes sense since it is an armored vehicle (who would leave a bunch of important stuff on the outside to get blasted off?). And I love the crew, complementing the colors of the vehicle while giving life to the scene.

New LEGO Star Wars busts revealed: 75276 Stormtrooper and 75277 Boba Fett [News]

LEGO continues to pursue the adult market with its range of Star Wars sets, and today we’re getting a look at two more unique display pieces, 75276 Stormtrooper and 75277 Boba Fett. The pair of busts was revealed by retailer Toysanta earlier today, and each features upscale box art in a style that’s new to the LEGO Star Wars lineup, with the character’s name displayed prominently across the top. Both sets celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, which was released in 1980, and feature the anniversary logo on the box.

There’s no word yet on when to expect these to hit stores or their official pricing, though Toysanta’s prices seem to indicate they’ll retail for around $70-$80 USD. Of course, this isn’t the first time LEGO has produced character busts from Star Wars. Recently the company has launched two similar (though smaller) sets, each available in a limited market. The 75227 Darth Vader Bust was available only to Target Red Card holders, while 77901 Sith Trooper Bust was only given away to randomly selected attendees at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. We don’t know yet what the availability for these sets will be, but we hope that LEGO does the right thing and makes them widely available. Going way back, the much larger 10018 Darth Maul bust from 2001 was among the first LEGO Star Wars sets targeted at adult fans.

Continue reading →

The Good, the Lad, and the Ugly

Amidst all the detailed and complex LEGO models of our lord and savior Baby Yoda, it’s easy to overlook some of the more subtle renditions of our yiddle messiah. In these trying times though, we still have much to be thankful for, as JS_Ninjnerd has made sure to depict all 8 pounds, 6 ounces of our dear baby Yoda with only a handful of pieces. And though it’s easy to hone in on him, the Child isn’t really the focus of this model. While yes, the scene playing out does depict the good Mandalorian protecting the wee lad baby Yoda from the ugly Trandoshans, the setting built up around them is breathtakingly sculpted. I’m a sucker for good rock work, and this one sucked me right in. While the technique isn’t anything new, it’s executed well here, and the colour combination of dark tan and medium nougat is refreshing.

Can a sparkly vampire also be a brooding billionaire Batman?

We’ve seen Robert Pattinson nail his role as a glittery vampire in the Twilight series. But will a sparkly vampire who is perpetually in high school and whose true love appears to be just one Jell-O Shooter away from vomiting translate well for the role of a brooding, emotionally-stunted billionaire orphan with bat issues? No matter where you stand on that debate you have to admit that the new Batmobile for the upcoming The Batman movie looks intriguing. Builder u/ZeRadman is probably the first to render up a LEGO version and it looks like good old Detroit muscle with a few Mad Max-style customizations. This might have been the first but if I know LEGO builders (and it seems I do) this won’t be the last. As for Pattinson as Batman I say give him a chance. All the fanboys were up in arms over Affleck and look how…um…yeah. Anyway, cool Batmobile!

This knight shines on

Knights in shining armour are rarely as shiny as this LEGO creation. Moko’s knight mech is the shiniest knight I’ve seen. On top of the pure shiny factor, this guy is incredibly ornate to boot. The elegance is easily noticed in the halberd; the axe head and spike are eye catching focal points. The helmet is also distinct: while it might look a little large for the dwarf it’s intended for, it fits appropriately here. What’s truly amazing is how well the builder was able to sculpt the form using the limited palette of silver and gold pieces. The cleverest parts usage are the Hero Factory masks as thighs and knees.

Connect the dots

The best LEGO builds are the ones that look the easiest. Sure, this ladybug by Pistash seems straightforward. There’s “generic” nice part usage like Maleficent hair for the mandibles, and balloon panels for the body. Very nice, but not particularly tricky. And then you notice those spots. Are they glued on? That doesn’t seem like a legal connection method… No, wait. Is that a little bit of exposed string? Those radar dishes are tied on! That’s the sort of lateral thinking that really highlights a creative build.

Waterlogged and battle-ready

Have you ever had that dream where you’re a shirtless ginger merman riding a seahorse into Atlantean battle? You haven’t? Then I feel sorry for you because you have not lived. That is probably my second most recurring dream beside the one where I’m thrown out a casino for winning too much…and for also being a shirtless merman. Builder MS Industries surely knows what I’m talking about as they have recreated my dream in LEGO. I’m seeing some excellent use of Samurai swords in the seahorse’s fins and lime green flippers gives a bright little fish some great personality. Your inciteful interpretations of my dreams are most welcome in the comments.

A twist on deepfake images

More and more these days, I worry about the truth of what I see online. From deepfakes to bot accounts, it feels like nothing can really be trusted anymore. And then…and then…people like Joe Klang make me start doubting reality itself. I mean, look at this Leica M camera. Except it’s not a camera at all, is it? Of course not. It’s made out of LEGO bricks.

It’s the creative part usage that makes this model so realistic. Minifigure weapons connect a length of chain serving as a perfect camera strap, with small rubber tires cinching things up nicely. An X-Pod lid doubles as a lens cap, and a variety of 1×1 tiles mimic the camera housing with just the right level of texture.

At least I know I can take a break from this madness and go and play some classic Atari games. (Or maybe not…)

YEEEEHAAAAW!

Boy, LEGO builder Yuri Badiner sure makes lunar exploration look like fun, doesn’t he? I was under the impression that space travel involves following strict procedures and abiding by careful measures and counter-measures. But this photo makes me want to switch careers to become an astronaut. These two are having a blast on their Apollo rover. While the build techniques are fairly basic you’ve got to give props to his excellent photography. In fact, excellent LEGO photography seems to be Yuri’s thing. With photos this engaging, we’ll be sure to be on the lookout for whatever other hijinks he gets his LEGO minifigs into.