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.

Fill your tank up at this 1960s Italian gas station

What has six legs, barks, and has a lot of gas? The answer, of course, is this lovely 1960s AGIP gas station built by Norton74. AGIP was founded in Italy back in 1926, and the company’s mascot is an unusual looking six-legged fire-breathing dog. For this model, Norton74 drew inspiration from his childhood memories of classic AGIP gas stations, and the results are spectacular. The structure’s rounded walls and sloping roof are not only characteristic of the period being represented; they also add a visual interest that really makes this model “pop.” Other fun details include a pair of slick looking gas pumps, utility poles, and even a cute dealer display for Pirelli tires. Finishing off the entire scene is a sharp looking yellow AGIP tanker truck.

But wait; there’s more. Flipping the gas station around reveals a fun backyard junkyard, which is something you would almost expect to see behind the real deal. Someone had better lift that oil drum upright, though!

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Bite-Sized Defender of the Universe

While the 2,300-piece LEGO Ideas Voltron takes the big stage with its recent reveal, we couldn’t help but also notice this tiny little BrickHeadz version by curtydc. With emphasis on the signature headpiece and the primary colors for the rest of the body parts, they make it instantly recognisable. The introduction of the Round 1×1 Quarter Tiles back in 2016 has given a smaller builds like these more detailing.

Full steam ahead on the farm!

Steam traction engines first appeared on farms in the 1850s, and they were massive vehicles used for everything from hauling implements to powering belt-driven equipment. Use of these vehicles declined with the rise of the internal combustion engine, but their legacy lives on in the form of modern farm tractors. Thanks to builders like Bricked1980, their legacy also lives on in LEGO form! Bricked1980 does a really good job of capturing the look and feel of the vehicle, along with providing a rendered background that feels like an agricultural field. The color scheme is pleasing to the eye, consisting of a black boiler, green body and brass accents. Bright red wheels add a splash excitement. It’s worth noting that Bricked1980’s model is a digital render and, as such, it features some parts in non-production colors. However, it presents a sharp looking image with an equally great looking model.

Float away from Sam Sinister in this adventurously colorful hot air balloon.

From 1998 through 2003, the LEGO Group’s Adventurer’s theme offered kids an exciting play-theme that also introduced some great new colors and parts. Orient Expedition was the final subtheme in the series, and it gave us a yeti, elephants, and even an anthropomorphic tiger. German fan site Rogue Bricks recently ran a contest based on re-imagining the Orient Expedition subtheme, which resulted in this excellent collaboration between builders Markus Rollbühler and Grant Davis. Markus built the colorful hot air balloon, while Grant created the biplane piloted by none other than the villainous Sam Sinister!

Markus’ hot air balloon pays homage to set 7415, Aero Nomad, right down to its inclusion of Johnny Thunder and Dr. Kilroy. It is downright gorgeous to look at, and I especially love the way Markus used a mixture of curved slopes, dishes, tiles, and Technic parts to create the rounded shape of the balloon. The use of hot dog and turban pin elements for the balloon’s ornamentation is also particularly inspiring. To finish things off, the rendered background does a great job of bringing the entire scene to life!

From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend...

It’s been a few days since we announced the upcoming Voltron LEGO Ideas set, and we are counting down the days until its July 23rd release. To help tide things over, Grantmasters has made cute microscale versions of Voltron and the lion-shaped robots. It’s amazing how just a few parts can go a long way toward making something that is instantly recognizable. Voltron looks especially cool, thanks to a pose that is suggestive of preparing for battle. If you would like to build your own, you are in luck because most of these parts are fairly easy to find. The exception to this is the red binoculars, which was only available in the Series 12 collectible minifigure lifeguard. It will make you want to shout, “Let’s go, Voltron Force!”

Journey to Timbuktu with Mansa Musa of the Malian Empire

A UNESCO World Heritage Site full of wonderful architecture like the University of Sankore, the city of Timbuktu in the West African country of Mali has been a center of trade and learning for nearly a thousand years. Hardly an inaccessible or mythical place, the very real, not at all mythical or inaccessible city has thrived on modern tourism for decades. Sadly, the last several years have seen strife overtake the city, with jihadist rebels occupying the city for about 8 months in 2012 and 2013. Nathan takes us back to a happier time in the city, when it was the capital of the Malian Empire. Nathan adds to his collection of world architecture creations by depicting the royal palace in the Sudano-Sahelian architecture style as it might have existed during the reign of Musa the First (r. 1312–1337).

Nathan has accurately captured the iconic architectural style, built from adobe or mud-brick, with supporting wood beams or logs that jut from the walls. He’s also given us a view into a scene described by a medieval Arab historian, showing the ruler on his throne holding an audience with his people. The large, raised throne is wonderfully detailed, and every group of people — soldiers, supplicants, royalty, and even musicians — has a unique look. From the people to the architecture, Nathan’s research into the material shows in his LEGO build.

Evil George seals the fate of a family of innocent mice

I ain’t gonna lie, I’m calling it as I see it. I see a character with a side profile eerily similar to George Lucas. And it seems like he’s trapped a family of mice in the crawlspaces behind the wall by not only cutting off their food supply but sealing their fate to starve, behind an inescapable wall. I guess George is just bored these days with little to look forward to since he sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney. If you’re wondering where builder Nick Sweetman got those sand-green wall patterned bricks, they’re pretty rare, since the piece only appeared in a single LEGO set, 76062 Batman Classic TV Series Batcave.

My, what big eyes you have Grandma

Built around BrickHeadz style figures, this lovely sketch of Red Riding Hood by Cindy Su features an adorably ferocious wolf and a strikingly vibrant granddaughter. The little scene is mostly a setup for the characters, who have some great techniques, and thankfully Cindy has some pictures of the characters on their own, too.

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A forgotten Aztec temple emerges from a Mesoamerican jungle...

The Summer Joust contest is generating some amazing LEGO builds in a variety of categories. Talented multi-theme builder David Zambito‘s entry in the “Mesoamerican Setting” category depicts an Aztec-style temple overgrown with foliage. While the well-built temple is the center of the scene, the landscaping also deserves your attention. The plants are built not just from actual LEGO foliage pieces like bushes, bamboo, and flowers, but also from the plastic sprues that three-leaf plants come in, as well as street sweeper brushes.

If you like this Aztec-style pyramid, you might also like the Maya-style LEGO pyramid we featured previously.

Driving with Donald Duck in a fiery red roadster

Disney’s Donald Duck first graced the silver screen back in 1934, and he looks pretty good for being 84 years old! Donald’s claim to fame is his really short temper, but he is also known for cruising down the streets in his small curvy red car. Oliver Becker decided to build this car for his Donald minifigure, and the two look practically made for each other. In particular, Oliver’s model does a great job of capturing the exaggerated curves of the animated car.

He has also packed a lot of detail into such a small space, including flared headlights, interior upholstery, and even the iconic rear rumble seat (also known as a dickey). The white tires feel authentic to the source material, and they were only ever available in a single Spongebob Squarepants set from 2008.

Sand green tank conquers the sands

The release of the new 21042 LEGO Statue of Liberty set has seen a whole bunch of parts become available in Sand Green for the first time. Peter Reid takes advantage of the new range to put together this cool futuristic tank. The shaping is excellent, and the level of detail and texture crammed into such a small creation is impressive. The backdrop is simple, but provides a nice setting for the central model, and the addition of track marks in the sand behind the vehicle is a lovely touch.

You can read more about the creation of this model over at parts-focused blog New Elementary here.

A day building with LEGO bricks is time well spent!

What may seem like an ordinary LEGO build of a clock face is more than meets the eye. I’m extremely impressed with the tessellation of bricks to form an almost perfect circle for the clock face on a flat surface. LEGO bricks are inherently blocky and angular, and it’s pretty tough to form a round plate. I’m not sure how long it took Jason Pyett to figure this out, but it’s surely time well spent with the outcome achieved!

Here’s another look at the construction techniques, showing the detailing of the clockface with the hands and numbers removed.

Jason has even created a video demonstrating how he accomplished some of the techniques.