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.

Exploring the Depths: An Underwater Diorama by Thomas Jenkins

Looking at this custom creation, you may find it hard to believe that it’s made entirely out of LEGO pieces. Frequently showcased on Brothers Brick, builder Thomas Jenkins has crafted an underwater diorama that transports us to another world. Do we see a hint of ancient Roman pillars being overtaken by nature? Or perhaps this is a playful interpretation of the legendary tale of Atlantis. At first glance, you cannot help but have this build evoke thoughts of an underwater realm, blending elements from both reality and imagination. The builder mentions a desire to build with and incorporate a newly introduced, in 2023, trans-clear curved element as part of the arguably main focus, the jellyfish. I am impressed by the creator’s ability to repurpose clown hair, pom-poms, and even Thanos’ arms! Explore our Thomas Jenkins archives and discover some of his other creations.

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Mid-century Modern Megapalooza

Here at TBB we’ve long admired Paul Hetherington‘s vivid, vivacious LEGO celebrations of pop culture and Americana. Following his “Bricktacular West Coast Modern Show” at the Vancouver Art Museum, Paul has been sharing out more detailed pics of his architectural series on Mid-century Modern buildings from the Vancouver area. Each model is a faithful recreation, capturing the minimalist design, sleek lines, multiple levels, and seamless blending with the environment associated with the movement. Paul said he was inspired to take this deep dive into Mid-century Modern during the pandemic, a style more modest in scale and perfectly suited for LEGO bricks.

Click to see more from this collection!

Cast off to 1996 with the Space Pirates

Captain Redbeard sails again on this LEGO model by Okay Yaramanoglu! This whole build is a love letter to the classic Pirates set Red Beard Runner from 1996, with everything from the masts and crane to the fast-flying escort and hyper-cannons mirroring the details of the original set. The pair of rowboats used as “air” intakes is an inspired decision, and Yaramanoglu has added some great greebling around the deck using various small and textured parts. That said, those sailors on the prow are starting to turn blue. Maybe someone should get them a spare oxygen tank?

Miniature architecture for the discerning multi-millionaire

Are you the owner of a successful tech conglomerate looking for somewhere to live? Do you have a penchant for being a superhero in your spare time? And are you barely more than a LEGO plate in height? Then ABrickDreamer has just built exactly what you may be looking for! It’s a stylish architectural piece, featuring excellent use of flex cables to accentuate the Avengers’ tower’s curves. Everything the discerning millionaire – nay, billionaire – superhero could need is there, from city views from the penthouse to parking for your tiny Quinjet. And all it costs is a few LEGO pieces!

Prefer something a little less ‘only-exists-in-comic-books’? Then lucky you, this builder has you sorted there too! This is a microscale rendition of the Interlace condo in Singapore. Check out those trees! I doff my cap to you, ABrickDreamer, and then I can put it on one of your trees.

Ye olde classic gets a fancy modern update

If you remember having 6703 Knight’s Castle in your LEGO collection as a kid, there’s a good chance you’re nursing some back pain, clipping your phone to your belt, and wishing these words were a little bigger and easier to read. Still, you’re never too old to appreciate ZCerberus‘s take on the classic set, just in time for its 40th anniversary. The update stays true to the aesthetics and architectural footprint of the original while showcasing just how far LEGO bricks and their builders have come. The red stone of the gatehouse hasn’t changed, but the castle walls are beautifully textured with tiles, while the wild foliage at the base adds an air of rugged mystery.

Can you best this chest in your tabletop battles?

It’s a good time to be a fan of LEGO, Dungeons, and Dragons (not necessarily in that order). Partly, that’s down to the release of the epic LEGO Ideas 21348 Dungeons and Dragons: Red Dragon’s Tale, as recently reviewed by our resident Dungeon Master Kyle. But equally, its release inspires talented builders like Dicken Liu to build their own creatures of fantasy! The humble mimic is a staple of D&D campaigns, and this one seems a little more dangerous than most. Normally you just need to watch your hands when diving in for treasure – but with its hatchet and shield, you’ll have a hard enough time just getting near this particular chest!

Belle and Beast star in beautiful LEGO minifigure habitats

Disney 100 might be over, but for LEGO builders like legonano(tama), the animation celebration never stops. Her latest tribute is a collection of minifig habitats based on Beauty and the Beast. Each scene is packed with fun details, my favorite definitely the being the “Be Our Guest” dining room scene with dancing plates and Cogsworth encased in gelatin. The builder plays with two scales here: traditional 8x8s on top of larger 12×12 habitats that allow for more complex scenes.

Minifig habitats are 8×8 vignettes that can and stacked and rearranged in pleasing geometric configurations. During COVID lockdown, it was a pretty big trend! So much so that even LEGO released some “official minifig habitats.” Its’s such a fun format for building that doesn’t demand a huge collection of parts to make something delightful. We’re warmed to see builders like legonano keeping the habitat trend going strong.

A hidden outpost with hidden treasure

In the forest, beside the waterfall, the forest folk maintain an outpost to keep an eye out for the local villages – as depicted in this LEGO model by Sandro Damiano. There’s plenty to love in this model: the birds are out in force, along with a squirrel, a bunny, and even a hidden spider! There’s a huge variety of parts that went into making the characteristic black trees of the local forest, while the waterfall mostly consist of windscreens in two sizes.

From the back of the model, you can see the details of the hidden outpost. Beyond the bunk beds, dining hall, and armory, there’s a hidden path behind a moveable dresser that leads to a tunnel below the waterfall to where the secret treasure is hidden! Are these forest folk friend or foe to the local villagers? Do they even realize they are there?

You’ll be Spirited Away

You don’t have to be an anime fan to appreciate this pair of incredible and contrasting LEGO builds, each one an astonishingly well rendered recreation of a memorable moment from Spirited Away. (Though if you haven’t already, do yourself the favour and watch this anime instant classic ASAP!) First up, this marvelously detailed microscale Bathhouse made by Marius Herrmann looks amazingly close to the source material when shot from this low angle

And next up, Joss Woodyard (Jayfa) treats us with this deliciously detailed and kinetic scene from the film’s emotional climax.

There’s even more to love about both creations. Read on below!

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Powerful princess of the Saphire Sword

Fantasy-flavored minifigs might be all the buzz right now thanks to LEGO’s new D&D partnership, but prolific Finnish builder (and TBB regular) Eero Okkonen is here to take the crown with his latest swords and sorcery inspired brick-built character. Eero makes clever use of the latest plant elements, like the lavender breastplates sourced from a new mold in LEGO Friends 42620 Olly and Paisley’s Family Houses. One of my favorite elements of the creation is how perfectly the opalescent sword pieces work as both hair and skirt. There are so many details to admire, like the Prince of Persia dagger of time as a brooch, Gungan shields on the belt, and alien cocoon thighs. Like most of his characters, this one is highly-poseable, so be sure to dive into Eero’s Flickr page for a full gallery and build insights.

Looking for more of his great character creations? We’ve got plenty of Eero Okkonen’s LEGO builds in our archives.

Terribly Terrorizing Tiny Dragon

The word “dragon” should naturally conjure an image of a fire-breathing, terrorizing great lizard, its eyes filled with the promise of impending doom. Now, envision that same image but on a much smaller scale. The dragon crafted by creator Bart Marable, though diminutive, manages to capture the essence of this mythical beast. It depicts a dark creature exhaling flames upon what appears to be a tranquil island village, where residents live out their days in peace. In this compact creation, the creator has paid meticulous attention to detail, from the water supporting the island to the tip of the cathedral’s cross, leaving nothing to be desired.

Shai-Hulud? More like Shai-hello there!

Few sci-fi creatures have presented a perennial challenge to LEGO builders like Dune‘s sandworm. We’ve already covered a few LEGO sandworms over the years, but given the number of techniques that can be used to represent these otherworldly lifeforms, we’ll probably be covering them well into the year 10,191. In hachiroku24‘s version, the worm’s body is mostly overlapping 1×2 rectangular and round tiles, a simple yet effective solution. It’s a scene that probably just got cut from the recent movie — lovers Paul Atreides and Chani enjoy the ultimate date night: Preparing to ride the mighty Shai-Hulud together. We’re sure nothing could ever drive them apart, right?