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.

This LEGO Pingu is just too adorable

If you grew up in the 90s watching European television, there’s a good chance you love Pingu. The stop-motion animated adventures of the adorable little penguin ran for over 15 years starting in 1990. Builder Johan Alexanderson has made four tiny LEGO scenes of an ordinary day in the life of Pingu as he putters about his nicely furnished Antarctic igloo. The penguins are an adorable mix of minifigure elements and bricks with a little customization for the eyes. Noot noot!

Pingu has appeared on TBB a few times in the past, including a previous scene by Johan where Pingu meets a walrus. We also highlighted a cute larger-scale Pingu.

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Mighty mech strikes fear in the hearts of its enemies

In recent weeks we have seen quite a few worthy LEGO mechs, almost as if creators around the world have received special orders (or inspiration) to focus their creativity towards building a mecha horde to fight a common foe. This armed and armored mech by Lu Sim is one of my favorites. Built using mostly light gray, it looks grounded in modern technology, particularly the shield, with its small window looking right out of Call of Duty.

Another thoughtful design is the missile racks on each shoulder, complete with access panels that close, to conceal this extra armament. From the back, we see an ammo feed for the Gatling gun, and a number of thruster jets to help this bad boy gain the higher ground.

This LEGO version of Chief Hopper’s cabin from Stranger Things looks perfect

Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things may be an unlikely candidate for a LEGO model, but builder Andrea Lattanzio is making it look amazing. This secluded cabin is the perfect safehouse for Eleven, and the shack’s dilapidated homeliness comes shining through in this recreation, which features perfect architectural details like uneven shingles and board siding (in some places made of sideways masonry bricks).

Of course, it wouldn’t truly be complete without Chief Hopper and his 1980 Chevrolet Blazer. Andrea is a master of realistic LEGO vehicles, and the classic truck’s boxy style works perfectly in LEGO, and tan and dark tan give an authentic paint job for the small-town police department.

Unlikely though it may be, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Stranger Things LEGO creations. We’ve previously featured the various heroes in three different scales: minifigures, BrickHeadz, and miniland-scale characters.

Poor unfortunate soul, if insects had souls

The tables have been turned, and our alien overlords are getting a taste of their own thorax salve.
This wonderfully detailed insect prisoner by Poor Disadvantaged is more than just a great LEGO creation. It is part of a collaborative project to re-imagine early Bionicle-themed sets with a fresh perspective. The chunky wheel part makes a perfectly unpleasant shackle. Another awesome detail is the multiple robot arms used to create a very detailed mouth complete with feeding mandibles.

Inside-out car tires and those rocky parts used for the manacles are another fun detail. If the prisoner didn’t look so deadly I might even feel sorry for him.

Digital Dodge monster truck grabs life by the horns!

Digital model builder Alice Dee recently showed off a monster evolution of their skills as a builder and how far rendering software has come in 7 years. In fact, things have gotten so good that TBB contributors (myself included) are sometimes fooled at first glance! Alice rendered this model using Mecabricks.

Although the original digital model designed 7 years ago in LEGO Digital Designer was not based on any particular truck, the latest version by Alice Dee is described as Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab with monster features. With tough tires and suspension for the rocky terrain included in the model, this beast of a truck will certainly “Grab Life.” I really like the small details like the truck leaving muddy tread marks behind it.

Heavy Ma.k will squash you like the human bug you are.

Some LEGO creations have a much greater presence than the sum of their parts. From the camera angle to the lighting, this mech in the Maschinen Krieger style by veteran ma.k builder Marco Marozzi is quite intimidating, and even though the guns may not look that deadly, the strength and weight of its legs and feet prove that even once it fires its last armor-piercing round, it is still a major threat.

Not only are the Bionicle feet the perfect part for the lower legs, but the visible joints also have a very mechanical and functional look. From the back, it is even more ominous, with several well-placed pneumatic hose and whip elements adding to the industrial aspect.

Smoothly keeping dissidents at bay

This slick robotic four-legged police unit, dubbed KA-9 by LEGO builder Red Spacecat, has such a polished aesthetic to it that I could almost see it called the “iProtect” in our dystopian future. The ultra-grippy toes made of rubber Technic axle connectors is a genius design, and the subtle detail of eschewing larger tiles for a series of 1×1 tiles on the upper legs gives the perfect impression of heavy armor plates.

This kitty is no matoran’s pet

A small group of Bionicle builders have been reworking sets and themes from the early years of the Bionicle theme. They have just recently released pictures of another collaboration in my favourite Bionicle subtheme – Rahi (basically “animals”) from 2001. This build is Muaka from the 8538-1 Muaka & Kane-Ra set, reimagined by Red.

There is so much to love in the set’s reinterpretation. The builder stays faithful to the original with hoses on front legs and treads on the hind ones, but integrates them perfectly to achieve a smooth flow. And speaking of smooth flow, the tail is quite organic, made out of a 3mm flex tube element going through yellow 2×2 dish pieces and small tyres. My favourite part is the use of giant arms on the mouth, giving it the feline look that the original set lacked (which always looked more like two T-rexes…).

Searching for light in a dark world

Presentation can make all the difference in evaluating a LEGO model. Sometimes the photography is just as impressive as the build itself. Revan New brings us a moody post-apocalyptic scene full of mystery and unique parts usage. The picture is more than just a study on lighting, using a fog machine, or image composition. Instead, it is more about combining multiple camera tricks in order to provide visual context for compelling storytelling.

The build uses minifig lantern pieces to form much of the mecha’s structure. It was created as a study in parts for the LEGO blog, New Elementary, but the unique parts usage does not end with lanterns. For example, there is the wheel cover piece used as the ship’s engine and all the fun bits piled atop the roof. However, my favorite aspect of the scene would have to be the realistic rocks. Most of the surfaces are well-textured with angles between larger pieces achieving much of the sculpting. , of course done very carefully and not at all random. There are several other photos of this build on Revan New’s Flickr photostream and his article on New Elementary. With the article, you can see how some parts were done but, for me, this single photo makes the greatest impact.

Timbers will be shivered

The trading of cannon broadsides was surely the bluntest form of projectile warfare. Huge ships, passing within yards, blasted cannons into each other’s sides as quickly as the sailors could reload. Simon Pickard brings the fury of battle under sail to vivid life in this LEGO creation — a frigate and a galleon all set to pound one another into matchwood. The tightly-cropped image creates a real sense of action and drama — you’re just waiting for the splinters and blood to start flying. The brick-built ship hulls are impressively shaped, and the sails are beautifully done. This is a close-up view from a large-scale pirate-themed LEGO layout we featured previously, put together by British building collaborators Brick To The Past.

LEGO my EGGO waffles!

Back in December, we shared ExeSandbox’s LEGO waffles. LEGO waffles are back again, this time having been built by -LittleJohn. This is a wonderfully photographed scene, blending together LEGO models with real-life objects. The entire dish looks delectable, complete with brick-built blueberries, strawberries, and a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Plastic never looked so delicious.

Breakfast must be the builder’s favorite food, as they have also made a delectable yogurt parfait.

They are even cooking up some eggs, tomatoes, and greens. Freshly built avocado slices sit to the side.

This Bioni-frog is one wild amphibian

LEGO constraction (construction action figure) themes like Bionicle have introduced a broad range of parts, which many builders have leveraged to create organic-looking creatures. Such is the case with this lovely Ghekula Frog built by Djokson, which they describe as “an amphibious swamp-dwelling Rahi.” I suspect the red-eyed tree frog inspired the build, as is evident in the lime green body, white underbelly, and red eyes. Of particular interest are the feet, which utilize blue robot arms and minifigure arms as toes. The end result is one lively amphibian.