I’m not exactly sure what Anthony Wilson was going for with this undeniably expressive piece of LEGO art, but if his plan was to instill terror, I’d say he nailed it. Just look at those eyes. The self-removed heart, exhibited neatly in a glass case, doesn’t comfort me at all about this fellow’s intentions. He looks like he’s in a bad mood and wants to tell you all about it. No doubt Pale Man will fit in nicely with my other nightmares about giant spiders and man-eating bears.
A collaboration between LEGO and the fan community in Malaysia has inspired brick-built versions of cultural icons representing everyday things that locals can identify and appreciate as something to remind them of home. The four builds come packaged very much like standard LEGO sets with instructions and a box, and are offered as part of a Gift With Purchase promotion in Malaysia for the month of June.
As part of the community engagement process, candidate fan designs were first shortlisted by LEGO, then the chosen builds received design input from Nicholas Foo, a LEGO Certified Professional based in Singapore, before finally going into production. Continue reading
(1) Keep your Gizmo away from bright lights, (2) don’t let him get wet, and of course (3) never feed him after midnight …no matter how much he begs. If you can stick to these rules, then you might be ready to build your very own 1980’s furball. Or it might just be safer to admire John Toulouse‘s adorable LEGO Mogwai (complete with a stylish wooden box). Yeah, that’s probably your safest bet.
There seems to be a persisting presence of bird builds in the LEGO community, more so than other animals. Now Paul Lee joins the fun with his recreation of a Hyacinth Macaw. It is one of my favourite kinds of parrots personally, but I never expected it to be the bird of choice for nearly anyone else. While the legs are simplistic (still realistic), the facial detail and feather texture more than make up for it.
Considering how successful LEGO’s Ninjago line is – with sets, cartoons and soon even a feature film – there is a surprising lack of fan creations under this theme. James Zhan defies this stereotype with his latest build of a roadside battle. The temple walker is a very interesting build, with great technical, robotic details at the bottom, and just as carefully chosen pieces for the temple’s architectural decoration. But this is so much more than just a walker on a road, the excellent minifig action makes the scene look alive.
It’s great to see how collaboration between LEGO and the AFOL community can bear fruit. In conjunction with the Hong Kong LEGO User Group (HKLUG), LEGO has produced an instruction booklet and promotional giveaway models to coincide with the launch of the 21309 NASA Saturn V. Buyers of the Saturn V will receive the limited edition booklet and bricks to build of one of five designs contained within it.
See all of the Hong Kong mini-builds after the jump
The struggle of man and beast against nature is depicted movingly in this captivating scene by Australian builder aido k. The imagery here is sublime thanks to the exquisite posing: the man, desperately clutching his cloak to provide some relief from the biting wind, pulls his reluctant steed through the blizzard in hopes of reaching warmth and comfort before his dwindling supplies are finally exhausted. The scene is full of subtle details (such as the grass bending in the wind) which enhance its sense of realism, no doubt felt by all who look upon these two weary travellers.
I can almost hear the ponies roaring inside this painstakingly detailed LEGO rendition of a 1970 Challenger R/T by Senator Chinchilla. Where to begin on this exquisitely detailed model? Well, for starters, the subtle shaping around the front wheel fenders and engine cowl are both clever and delightful. The back end is quite lovely too and uses a wide assortment of SNOT techniques to accurately recreate the Challenger’s lines.
The use of an antenna part for the “Challenger” logo on the front grill is nothing short of genius:
The doors and engine compartment also open to reveal lots of little details like A/C vents, a complete set of foot pedals, and even a working glovebox:
If you liked this beautiful model, then make sure to check out another eye-catching LEGO Challenger we featured a short time ago.
If you haven’t seen Disney’s charming Moana, you may not recognize Hei Hei, the Pacific Island princess’s dim-witted and comical but seaworthy companion. I love how LEGO 7 has captured the quizzical head tilt of the foolhardy rooster. The colorful design staged against the pale blue looks exquisite. Take note of the minifig flippers for the plucky poultry’s wattle and the dark green round corner elements as tender chicken wings, although I am sure Maui would probably still say he needs fattening up.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a theater on the Acropolis in Athens, which still hosts concerts, plays, and other events today. George Panteleon has recreated this ancient Greek structure in LEGO, with a central stage, a ring of seating, and the original backdrop against which both modern and ancient artists wowed the crowd.
The technique George used for the sloped seating is quite interesting, and worth a closer look. Clips connect slopes set on their side to achieve the classic bowl shape of theaters.
Though never seen in any Star Wars movie, white speeder bikes always seemed appropriate for Scout Troopers, perfectly matching their armor. One could almost imagine them patrolling a cold, icy planet like Hoth. This build by James Shields gives us a visual delight as it seems quite simply a natural color for them to be in.
A tiny build at only 44 parts, yet with amazing detail, if you like them as much as I do, get your bricks out and start building because instructions and parts can be found over at Rebrickable (also available as a PDF for non LDraw users).
A kampung is the definition of a village in parts of Southeast Asia. Malaysian builder Ng Wen Yeh recreates an astounding and accurate dwelling frequently seen in rural communities, with some inspiration from life and memories of yesteryears. This beautiful build shares a typical day around a family and community life in simpler times.
Click to see more of this wonderful build