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.

Tarakava, terror of the shores

The earliest LEGO Bionicle sets were drastically different from much later sets in the series, along with the constraction (constructible action) figures of today. The classic Rahi set Tarakava that inspired this revamp by [Jack Frost] uses barely any ball joints or specialized weapon elements from the Bionicle theme. Despite this, I feel it embodies the spirit of Bionicle more than the theme’s later releases. This build is part of a series of Rahi set re-imaginings, of which we recently featured Muaka and a Colony Drone.

I love how the builder kept all the iconic pieces of the original set (or rather half of the set, as there were two creatures in the original), such as the dark turquoise Kanohi mask and claw weapon used to form the creature’s huge fangs. Then there are the older-style Technic panels on the face, which keep the model as silly-looking as the set from 2001. The repetitive use of other teal elements also adds a lot of spiny character to this amphibious predator.

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Legend of Zelda’s Poe is hauntingly cool

Legend of Zelda fans are sure to enjoy this Poe Soul by Julius von Brunk. With its customary lantern and mischievous gaze, Hyrule’s favorite apparition looks no less troublesome recreated in LEGO-form. The outstretched hands and flowing, smoke-like base of this hooded wraith conveys a sense of movement, as if this Poe has been plucked straight from the TV screen. Poe’s torn hood is even represented here, and it features just the right amount of detail. While they might be one of the game’s more annoying enemies, this LEGO version of Poe is a delight to see.

This mech packs a big blue punch

A few days ago, every second post on the Brothers Brick was a mech, robot or cyborg – from classic mecha to four legged robots and Bionicle set remakes. Now that things have cooled off and we all regained some mecha sensitivity, we have a big blue mech with gorilla-like proportions by Jason Corlett to show off. The mech is called Big Blue and the name says it all. Its size is complimented by the bulky proportions, namely huge fists and shoulders.

There is a lot to love in this build, from all sorts of technical details (my favourite being the stacked dark gray Technic pulley wheels on the legs) to part use like the Kaukau Nuva Kanohi mask in the mech’s chest. Jason says he was inspired by LEGO power functions LED lights. The picture below has a better view of the light-up features.

Not your father’s moon rover

Despite the “classic” in classic space, LEGO creators love to build snazzy new models inspired by this original and recently re-vitalized (thanks to The LEGO Movie 2 sets) theme. This moon rover by Uspez is a great example of giving the classic theme a fresh perspective, a take which is sometimes called Neo-Classic Space. While keeping consistent with the blue and light gray color scheme and yellow accents, this rover’s beefed up wheels and suspension, not to mention that big rear mounted cannon, are completely unique.

And judging by the yellow rubber bands behind the cockpit, I’m guessing this rover even has some killer suspension.

The sands of Jakku

The great desert of Jakku conceals the remnants of the Empire’s defeat, the great hulk that used to be the Imperial Star Destroyer Inflictor. We’ve seen this setting in LEGO before, but this new take by kofi looks magnificent. The smooth sand dunes created with tan tiles and curved slopes give the Inflictor heft, making you feel as though it really buried itself into the ground as it crashed.

Be sure to check out these other interpretations of the crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku, including the amazing model that won our LEGO Creation of the Year award for 2018.

Dark red spaceship in the darkness of space

I feel like a little technical backstory will give you a deeper understanding and hopefully respect for Jonathan Walker‘s huge red spaceship. LEGO bricks are moulded with an accuracy in the range of micrometers, but they do not fit together air-tight – that would make construction and deconstruction difficult and even impossible at hot summer temperatures. At a very close look, two basic bricks have a little seam between them when connected to adjacent studs. Many readers may ask themselves what this has to do with this article, and the answer is – everything! This seam between bricks allows for a chain of 1×2 bricks connected in a staggered line to bend and form a very smooth and large circle – a technique quite popular among space builders for large creations.

A few years ago the LEGO part of the internet was flooded with angular spaceships built in gray with a line of colour here and there, and even though the theme of space is more diverse now, ships with this many curves still surprise. And about the gray with strips of colour – Jonathan has completely inverted this, creating a dark red beauty that will make an impression on everyone. Obviously this ship is not the first Jonathan has made. Seeing his latest build made me explore his Flickr photostream and you should do so too. Nearly all of his creations are humongous spaceships with beautiful designs, often including rounded shapes like the Instrument of Sgorbulon featured here. Sadly the builder only shared one clean photo of the build, but zooming into the image might still have you hooked for quite a while.

Doing a lot with a little: big LEGO creatures done small

You don’t need a huge pile of pieces or a deep wallet to be able to create something beautiful with LEGO. This bottlenose dolphin by Ken Ito (暁工房) is a perfect example of how just a few pieces can bring a scene to life. The dolphin consists of fewer than 20 pieces, and the base employs only simple, common elements. But there’s more motion evoked with them than you’ll find in many models that are much larger.

Ken’s gorilla is another perfect specimen, utilizing simple pieces to craft the animal’s shape. The head and face are particularly impressive, which really consist of only three slopes, but there’s no mistaking this noble creature’s gaze.

USCSS Nostromo and ore refinery from Alien built from 3500 LEGO pieces

While most LEGO sci-fi builders inspired by the Alien franchise tend to build the military hardware from James Cameron’s Aliens, some builders go for the industrial aesthetic of Ridley Scott’s original movie. TBB’s own Daniel Fortine has not only built the Weyland-Yutani corporation’s cargo ship Nostromo, he’s built the massive ore refinery that Ripley and her crew are hauling when they make an ill-fated stopover on LV-426.

We asked Daniel to share his huge model with our readers first, along with a bit more info you won’t find anywhere else.

See more of Nostromo and the ore refinery

Danish materials make a painterly masterpiece

There’s little doubt that LEGO building is an art form all of its own. But sometimes it’s nice to see a LEGO builder produce a composition which echoes the subjects and styles of the classic arts. That’s exactly what Birgitte Jonsgard has done with this stunning still life of a vase of flowers — the subject could not be more traditional, and the style and colour scheme evokes a painterly feel. However, those brick-built flowers are beautiful LEGO creations, challenging assumptions around what can be realistically modelled in our favourite bricks. The sheer variety of shapes on display here is impressive, and the fallen pink petal is a final delicious touch of detail on a beautiful creation.

Fair far worlds

This charming scene of interplanetary science is brought to us by Sad Brick. It’s a simple LEGO scene of an astronaut placing a sensor on a newly discovered world, but it’s charming as can be. The greebly goodness of the sensor encased in a clear canister, with a wire strung to an outboard relay is perfect brick-built technobabble, while the arrays of flora in three colors makes the scene come to life. The use of the Collectible Minifigure Plant Monster helmet for large leaves is something I actually haven’t seen often.

Assembled: The Battle of New York in LEGO bricks

The Battle of New York is the super-powered punch-up finale of 2012 movie The Avengers, which saw Asgardian trickster Loki attack the city with a borrowed army of bio-mechanical reptilian Chitauri soldiers. Such an epic confrontation might be an intimidating prospect for a LEGO model, but builder Ben Cossy has accepted the challenge, and this impressive diorama is the result. All the Avengers can be found amidst the city streets or on the rooftops, engaging the wall-scampering Chitauri and attempting to protect fleeing civilians and overwhelmed cops. Don’t miss the different styles of buildings on display, all featuring varying levels of battle damage alongside the architectural detailing.

You can see more of the action in this multi-angle montage, with our heroes engaged in various punch-ups and shoot-outs with the Chitauri. Check out the cracked pavement and enemies sent flying as Thor smacks Mjolnir into the ground…

A bit of the southwest with a charming LEGO adobe home

TBB alumn Nannan Zhang wanted to do something different from not only his usual fantasy stylings, but also unique from most LEGO architectural models. That led him to try his hand at this modern adobe home, inspired by a mix of streamline art deco and the southwestern United States. The home’s smoothly plastered walls and curved lines may look simple, but don’t be fooled because this takes some real skill.

The back looks just as good as Nannan utilizes a wide variety of curved elements to mold the tan trim lines around the windows and make the iconic rounded wall corners. There’s plenty of great details to take in, too. My personal favorite is the chile ristras which hang next to the doors. They’re instantly recognizable, and something I’ve never seen done with LEGO before. The potted cacti made with green gears are just perfect, too.