Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

Designer interior with feature brick wall

There are so many lovely details in Heikki Mattila‘s latest LEGO interior. The exposed brick wall and the painting provide a smart and stylish backdrop, and the glass tables look very classy. However, closer attention is rewarded with some lovely touches — a golden spaceman visor as a designer bowl, Gollum/Frodo’s precious ring adding lustre to the lamp, and Technic half-pins for the little round legs of the IKEA-style sofa. The best detail of all is perhaps a little lost, slightly washed-out in this image — don’t miss the use of grille bricks, partially inset into the floor, to create the effect of the white rug at the room’s centre.

Here are some more examples of stylish modern LEGO interiors by this Finnish builder that we have featured previously here on The Brothers Brick:

Living the high life
Join the famous 800 feet club
Come warm yourself by the LEGO fire
Modern spaces for modern living
Chill out in this beautfully serene LEGO spa

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Durable flying machine sweeps the skies

Gerald Cacas brings us a well-shaped LEGO version of the turboprop Fokker 50. There’s a lot of grey going on, but that’s because the build is modelled on the Royal Singapore Air Force version. This old warhorse of an aircraft is still in service with the RSAF in a Utility Transport and Maritime Patrol role. Aside from its realism, the muted tones of the model create an uncluttered feel, really showcasing the builder’s skill.

Nice innovative parts use with the claw element forming the six-bladed propeller on each side. Aviation fans will also notice the attempt to shape the cockpit window as close as possible to the real McCoy.

One tiny leap for mankind

Our first look at the forthcoming LEGO Ideas Saturn V model prompted a bit of discussion amongst the staffers here at The Brothers Brick. A comparison of the portion of the set revealed thus far with schematics of the original rocket suggests the model is going to stand 3 feet tall. That set me thinking — what size would the astronauts be at this scale? Well, once you have a thought like that in your head, what else can you do but get building?

This started with the little figures and went on from there. Once the Saturn V set is released, I plan on building a launch tower to stand alongside it, with these little guys trooping across the gantry to board their ride. We choose to go to the teensy-weensy moon.

Gotta get back, back to the past

After a 12 year hiatus, the 5th and final season of Samurai Jack is finally here! (…though Cartoon Network has now moved it to their night-time adult swim segment). Based on these stunning LEGO busts, I’d guess Yu Chris has a soft spot for the time-traveling samurai and his diabolical shape-shifting foe Aku.

From their angry expressions to Yu’s color choices, these models capture the cartoon’s unique artistic style. In particular, I love how Yu nailed Jack’s massive square jaw and top knot, and Aku’s iconic silhouette.

Neo-Tokyo from Akira in LEGO microscale

A few years ago, I built a microscale version of Tokyo, complete with rampaging kaiju. While Marco Gan‘s microscale Tokyo is considerably less colorful, it accurately captures the view of Neo-Tokyo seen in the 1988 Japanese animated movie Akira (and Katsuhiro Otomo’s original manga version that ran between 1982 and 1990). The monochrome cityscape is built on a simple blue baseplate, but includes a density of detail, from the bridge spanning the two halves of the city to a proliferation of landscape fragments.

To tie his build to its inspiration, Marco also included a small backdrop with brick-built lettering spelling “AKIRA” with pops of red reminiscent of Kaneda’s bike. But it’s not until you view the diorama from a higher angle that you discover Marco has also recreated the distinctive outline of the bay from the original comic, representing a screaming human head.

A well-built stick hut as sturdy as stone

It’s a bit strange when a LEGO creation is sturdier than the subject it represents. Such is the case with this weathered hut by Grant Davis, which looks like a bunch of bricks were thrown together without proper connections and then collapsed immediately after being photographed.

That is most definetely not the case, as Grant shows in his very informative video, where he even turns the build upside-down — and it remains intact! The ground texture and colours should also be pointed out, as the builder achieves a very realistic effect by using closely related colours in natural looking patterns.

An elegant 1930s scene complete with tailor shop and tarot readings

There is a lot going on in this modular-style street scene by Agata Pakita. Apparently we are back in the 1930s, judging by the outfits and car on show. The lower floors of the buildings house an arts and crafts store, a tailor, and a mysterious woman who reads tarot cards and predicts your fate. The colourful architecture is a lovely combination of LEGO’s more muted palette of medium dark flesh, light grey, dark red, and tan. I love the curvaceous greenhouse on the roof of the building, where an older lady and her cat relax away from the bustling street.

See more photos of this beautiful modular building

A charming performance from a girl who loves to sing

Builder vir-a-cocha takes the phrase “life inspires art” to a new level with a beautiful, charming, colorful and cute representation of their daughter in LEGO form. The details of the little girl in a polka-dot dress, her mom’s oversized heels, shades and a beach hat nicely captures the essence of a child growing up!

And yet it does not end there, as it’s complemented playfully with a loudspeaker to amplify the microphone. And to save the best for last, a LEGO rock piece which has so few alternate uses in official sets is used for the torso of a huggable teddy bear that’s irresistible. If LEGO had an Oscar for me to recognise a great build and excellent execution, this would be in my list of nominations to win!

To infinite creativity and beyond!

I understand that this somewhat technically and conceptually simple sculpture of Toy Story‘s Buzz Lightyear may not appear terribly innovative, especially having been built by one of the most renowned LEGO builders in the community, Tyler Clites. But context is the key here, as this was made as a live build at a festival, in 10 hours with no planning. I have rushed builds myself before, but never at this level. I think it’s safe to say that not many people are capable of making a creation this impressive in so little time, at least not at the scale of Tyler’s Buzz Lightyear.

It’s game over for Player 1 in this game of Duck Hunt

Duck Hunt brought new game dynamics to the Nintendo Entertainment System with light guns that players could aim at the television screen to shoot ducks as they popped up from the bushes. While brick-built LEGO consoles like this LEGO NES (including a light gun) are popular subjects, faithful recreations of early console games are more rare. Eero Okkonen does Duck Hunt justice with this “Game Over” screen featuring the laughing hound, score, the number of ducks hit, and more.

As the final entry in his month-long Iron Builder challenge using the Duplo grass part in every build, “Game Over” seems an appropriate conclusion.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for April 9, 2017 [News]

The Brothers Brick gives you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our Weekly Brick Report for the second week of April 2017.

TBB NEWS & REVIEWS: What a week for news! We learned about four new sets and reviewed three other sets for your LEGO enjoyment.

Review of LEGO 71018 Collectible Minifigures Series 17 – A rocket ship, corn on the cob and a mystery fig, oh my! Your first look at Series 17 is here.
Star Wars Celebration exclusive set revealed: Detention Block Rescue – LEGO has revealed an exclusive set, Detention Block Rescue, which will be available for purchase by some lucky attendees at the annual Star Wars Celebration next week in Orlando, Florida.
LEGO Rebrick reveals upcoming sets from The LEGO Ninjago Movie – Take a peek at a nifty red mecha and an awesome green dragon set, courtesy of LEGO Rebrick.
Review of LEGO Architecture 21035 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum – Frank Lloyd Wright’s museum gets a second go at the LEGO Architecture line, but is it better than the first?
Review of LEGO Technic 40th Anniversary Car Chassis – To celebrate 40 years of Technic sets, LEGO created up-to-date instructions for the legendary 8860 Car Chassis set from 1980.
Review of LEGO Star Wars 75172 Y-wing Starfighter from Rogue One – This is the fifth minifig-scale Y-wing that LEGO has released since 1999 and the largest at 691 pieces.
Amazon Sales include deals on Batman, Spider-Man, Frozen, and City sets – This week Amazon has discounts on many sets, but the highlights include a Frozen set at a great price, five Super Hero sets, and two LEGO City fire sets!

TBB INTERVIEWS & INSTRUCTIONS: Buildable droids and a Star Wars interview! What a time to be alive.

Instructions to build a GONK droid from Star Wars – French builder Eric Druon recreates a classic Star Wars GONK power droid and shows us how he did it.
An interview with builder Amado Canlas Pinlac – Arms outstretched as always, we chat with the builder of all things Star Wars.

Build your own city of tomorrow

Who hasn’t taken LEGO to school in their lunchbox before? Simon Liu received a cool Build your city of Tomorrow lunchbox as part of LEGO Canada’s celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday. Simon was then inspired to build his futuristic version of Toronto inside the lunchbox! I love that future microscale Toronto features plenty of greenery throughout the city, including on the roofs of skyscrapers, but the highlight for me is the little tube transportation system. However, I don’t know how much luck Simon’s going to have transporting his miniature city in the lunchbox without losing the top of the CN Tower.