Well, okay, strictly-speaking it’s an Exo-Suit, but I’m sure Benny the Spaceman would still love this Neo Classic Space-styled exoskeleton by Devid VII. There’s an obvious nod to the Pete Reid’s original LEGO Ideas Exo-Suit set, but the frame is much tighter and more compact, and the mechanical-looking greebley detailing is altogether different. Normally I’m not a fan of models set against broader backdrops of the same colour, however the photography and image processing here is excellent, using depth of focus to ensure the central model doesn’t get lost. And all that work allows the use of the detailed space hangar backdrop — lovely sci-fi goodness.
Category Archives: Models
Log houses never looked this good
In the LEGO creations of today, it seems as though technique is being emphasized more than ever before, especially within the castle genre. It seems as though not a day goes by when I don’t see an innovative way of making an everyday texture. This build by alego alego features a wonderfully designed blacksmith shop, primarily made using various Technic connector parts as individual logs. While I have used one or two of these parts as a single log in my own builds, I never would have conceived of making a whole building out of them, and the result is fantastic.
Check out these posts below for more amazing landscaping techniques:
Maserati’s first mid-engined road car, the Bora
If there’s one thing Jonathan Elliott is good at, it’s replicating beautifully detailed, lifelike versions of real-life cars. You may remember his Renault 5 or Volkswagen Westfalia and noticed his incredible eye for detail. This time he has created a 1971 Maserati Bora in LEGO. With a top speed of 171 miles per hour, this was an important build for Jonathan as the Bora is his favourite mid-engined supercar so he wanted this to be perfect.
The Bora combines jaw-droppingly elegant style with both technology and power. I love how he has recreated the distinct stainless steel roof and Giorgetto Giugiaro’s beautiful hubcaps.
Welcome to the deadliest entertainment of the Outer rim
Definitely there are not many reasons to visit Tatooine, but watching a beautiful podracer like this one by Inthert in action is totally worth booking a seat at Mos Espa Grand Arena. My favorite piece of the pod’s design would be multiple use of yellow minifig snowshoes, which are used to create front winglets. And, of course, a very simple piece of Tatooine’s landscape beneath the pod is an amazing way to make a still model look very dynamic.
Cloud dragon rules the skies
Dragons are the quintessential fantastical creature, common in myths from cultures around the globe, and a muse for artists and sculptors for centuries. LEGO builders are no exception — and here it’s John Cheng who has succumbed to the dragon’s call. This striking dragon bust is lovingly assembled from a well-chosen selection of curved and sloped parts, creating a great impression of musculature beneath scaled skin. Further, the blue and purple colour scheme is bold without being garish, and allows the lightning-flavoured horns on the dragon’s head to really pop from the image. The cloud-styled base of the model works nicely too.
TIE’d for first place
The iconic Star Wars TIE Fighter is a frequent subject for LEGO creations — both in official sets and fan-built models. Each iteration and interpretation is unique, but this TIE by Jerac may be one of the most detailed renditions I’ve seen. Familiar with the craft from countless hours of enjoying Star Wars films and games, it appears to me that no detail on Jerac’s model is out of place. Even little touches weren’t overlooked, such as the red dots and hexagonal hole in the rear of the cockpit.
Jerac also presents an equally stunning, screen-accurate model of the TIE Interceptor…
Little church perfect for your little ant friends
LEGO builders can sometimes overcomplicate things, perhaps ignoring simple techniques because they feel obvious, regardless of how effective they might be. However, this microscale Lego church by Jens Ohrndorf goes to show you don’t need a thousand pieces and complex techniques to create something excellent. We’ve seen it before, but the minifigure hairpieces make for perfect treetops, and then there’s the use of the 1×2 brick with groove as the side windows — a simple yet effective parts choice.
Stand back or you’ll get burned
The creation of LEGO Mech models is in intricate process whose complexity is often under-appreciated. While most LEGO creations are static and fixed in place, a well-built mech often has multiple points of articulation, and requires sufficient balance along with flexible poseability. The play factor is something that you can’t really feel from a photo, but only appreciate its looks from a design perspective. I’ve been lucky enough to hold this creation by Benjamin Cheh in my own two hands, allowing me to see in detail how the parts provide maximum articulation of shoulders, arms, and wrists, and how it all fits into place in a modular fashion.
Hit more to have a closer look at this fire beast in detail
Livin’ in the wild
A LEGO creation doesn’t have to be themed around the post-apocalypse to feature individuals surviving in the wild using repurposed scrap and salvage. Travis Brickle presents a vignette featuring a makeshift shelter made from the hull of an old bus. There are outstanding details that rewards those who zoom in on the photo for a closer look. Can you find the custom built gramophone, easel, and rake? For a dwelling so removed from civilization, there’s certainly no shortage of household items to live comfortably!
A fireteam needs a Guardian to lead the pack
Destiny 2’s equal parts science fiction and fantasy allowed its artists to imagine some unique designs for its exotic gear. One such design is the sidearm Rat King, which has a relief of a pack of rats on the slide and a rat skull surrounding the hammer. Bryce Dempsey replicated this exotic pistol in LEGO, creating its slide and grip texture without sacrificing function.
Bryce’s Rat King features a moving slide, spring-loaded trigger, and removable magazine, all demonstrated in this video.
The empire strikes back to the 1980s
The Empire Strikes Back was released back in 1980 and is still one of the most popular Star Wars films to date. Josephine Monterosso has captured the likeness of two of the main characters from the movie, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, as BrickHeadz. Each character has some great little details to enjoy that are a step beyond the official Brickheadz style, but there are no rules when it comes to building your own characters. Luke’s flak vest with its tubing is a lovely touch and, along with the helmet and visor, really makes this character recognisable.
Han Solo’s fur-lined hood works well with simply some studs on show to give texture. I love the use of a palisade brick to give the clinched-in appearance to his parka waist — it really adds some flair.
See more 1980s movie characters built in this style
Al-Danah, a fortress above the clouds
John Snyder takes a fantasy spin on Islamic architecture with Al-Danah, a fantasy fortress. His fabled fortress is exceptional in several aspects: lovely choices of color, simplified cartoony textures, and a unique cloud technique that makes its elevated location convincing.