Every now and again we see a realistic civilian minifig-scale LEGO boat, and they keep getting better. The latest is this steam-powered tugboat by Koffiemoc. It is actually a recreation of the last steam tug in Germany, the Saturn. The builder was inspired by this photo and I think he has captured it almost perfectly.
Click to see more details on the Saturn
Building a microsocale landmark is a fine art of choosing the right miniature detail that makes your model instantly recognizable. Some landmarks are so iconic that it might seem like this would be too easy. Not so! Finding the perfect detail part can be challenging. In this model of the Taj Mahal by Jay B, several recently introduced parts provide great details, but might not be the first thing that a builder would think of.
This model reminds me of one of the very first models that I posted on Flickr over 5 years ago, using a much more limited supply of parts.
While we can all gaze in wonder at a huge LEGO diorama, there’s also a lot of joy that comes from building fun little models with interesting techniques. GolPlaysWithLEGO has built this fun little tank that has 61 parts and a lot of character.
Click to see the parts and instructions
Builder Berthil van Beek takes the easy and makes it complex, simply because he can! What you see here is a LEGO ball counter. Yes, you have that right. It’s a ball counter that actually displays a moving tally as the balls pass through.
Dropping the balls at one end of the contraption allows the LEGO balls to run through a Technic turnstile and end up in the container at the far end.
Continue reading to see the LEGO ball counter in action
Medieval houses are a popular motif in LEGO fan creations, but that comes at a price – even though the quality is generally very high among these builds, there is less and less room for originality. Obviously, this build by César Soares is something more.
The Green Fish Inn does not look like a place where most people would want to spend their time in real life if presented with a choice, but it does look cool. The textures and exotic colours look great, most notably the recently returned legendary dark turquoise used as some strange mold all across the building. The roof is great, with a few patched holes and a nice mix of tiles and slopes that make for some subtle details. Both the island and trans-black lake add a great deal to the atmosphere of the scene.
The National Gallery of Art itself is a wonderful piece of architecture all on its own. Builder wrtyler constructed a brick-built replica of the West Building that’s more than worthy of an official LEGO Architecture set and then some. It’s amazing what a little lighting can do to bring life into a simple structure.
The actual West Building has at least 3 acres of skylights covering its roof. According to wrtyler, it was a challenge to replicate that roof with LEGO transparent tiles while having the right structure in place to hold it up. At least 500 transparent cheese wedge pieces were used in total for both wings to give the intended effect.
Amongst all the LEGO Castle sets, 6074-1 Black Falcon’s Fortress is a firm fan favourite. Originally released in 1986, it saw a re-release in 2002. If you missed out on those versions, why not take inspiration from Mark of Falworth and build your own take on this classic fortification? Of course, Mark’s castle is significantly larger and more complex than the official set, featuring lots of sideways-building techniques to create arrow slits and wall texturing.
Click to see more pictures of this fabulous Castle, including its detailed interior
While I do love me some Speed Champions, I do really enjoy seeing fan creations using techniques that trim off most of the visible studs to give a car a sleek and smooth look. This Lamborghini Countach by Simon Przepiorka is one of those tiny wonders that make my jaw drop. I’ve always been a fan of the Countach and this is one of the best representations that I’ve seen at this scale thus far.
Click to see more details of Simon’s LEGO Countach
Studio Ghibli’s animated movies are a constant source of inspiration to LEGO builders, and Kiki’s Delivery Service is no exception. Here’s the film’s feline duo, Jiji and Lily, re-created in the brick by car_mp. The curves of the cats’ bodies are nicely done, particularly the studs-out section depicting Lily’s neck fur. But as with other cartoon-themed creations, it’s the addition of the large Mixel eye tiles which injects a bunch of character and fun.
You never know what you’re going to get when you ask the right questions. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Douglas Khoo about his work. Douglas is a talented builder who seldom showcases his builds online, but does what he does for the love of it. If the builder’s name rings a bell, that’s because he was part of the crew that was invited to create and build an exhibit for the UNESCO’s Piece of Peace exhibition that will travel the world.
Douglas created this magnificent collage of LEGO Star Wars ships with a silent tribute to the Dark Side. This montage only took Douglas about two hours to complete, and if you did not already notice, it’s inspired by a similar piece by artist Louis C. Hébert from the Bleublancrouge advertising agency from the Star Wars Identities Exhibition over at the Montreal Science Centre, back in 2012. The difference though is Douglas makes use of the negative space a lot more to give the Star Wars ships a showcase of their own and individuality. If you still don’t see Vader there, squint your eyes, take a step back and look again!
When asked about how big a fan he was, Douglas’s answer was – you’ve got to be kidding me. That’s when we were introduced to a showcase of his other masterpieces which all center around the beloved Star Wars theme. With each of these builds, Douglas adds his own twists of interpretation and re-imagination to the scene.
Continue reading to see Douglas’s re-imagined LEGO Star Wars creations
The new LEGO House in Billund, Denmark is designed to look as if it has been built from giant LEGO pieces. Aside from the official set 21037 – LEGO House, we’ve not seen many actual brick-built versions. Lasse Vestergård is out to change all that with this wonderful 1:100 scale re-creation of the Danish original. The model does a great job of capturing the distinctive shapes and colours of the structure, and has an impressive level of detail…
Click to see more pictures of this great model
Repulsive fascination is a strange feeling, but it is exactly how I feel about this alien creature creation by Moko. Right upon seeing it, I wondered who was it that used the armor pieces from the 8918 Carapar set in such an ingenious way. But I was not surprised to learn this LEGO alien is the work of a builder who has consistently amazed us for over a decade.
The organic shapes are achieved by combining spider leg parts, click hinge connectors, and the aforementioned armor pieces. The huge head, which is more complex than it may appear, really adds a lot to the alien impression. It might be terrifying, and yet, I can not force myself to look away – but with a creation this impressive, I take that as a good thing.
