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.

Now THIS is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween

We are fast approaching the spooky season, and there have been plenty of LEGO builds coming out to mark the occasion. One of my favorites has got to be this excellent The Nightmare Before Christmas construction by Martin Harris. Jack and Zero are both expertly crafted, the former looking wiry as all get out with skinny limbs and an oversized skeleton noggin. His prized pooch has got some ghoulishly good shaping, relying heavily on curved slopes in white to provide a proper flow to its form. But the star of the show for me has got to be the detail Martin put into those gravestones. Consisting of some gorgeous stonework textures, the slight eschew of these tombstones feels ever so Burton-esque! And the “1993” chiseled into the one on the right is an excellent Easter egg for fans of the Disney classic, which came out that year.

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LEGO Ideas first 2022 review results [News]

Today, LEGO Ideas revealed the results of the first review of 2022. Not one, not two, but four projects got approved, promising a stunning lineup of sets later in 2023 and 2024.

Watch your fingies while handling this LEGO D&D chest mimic

It seems that we’ve seen a veritable dragon’s hoard of Dungeons and Dragons-themed builds lately, thanks in large part to the challenge on LEGO Ideas celebrating the 50th anniversary of the game. And I guess it’s time I toss one of my own onto the pile: this ferocious chest mimic. It’s mouth is brimming with treasure, including a necklace, ring, gold ingot, and lots of coins (2×2 round tile) and gems (1×2 transparent brick). These goodies are on display thanks to a false bottom built into the mimic’s mouth, upon which it’s tongue rests. If I had to pick a specific design piece that I was most proud of here, I would say it’s the use of exposed studs along the lid to emulate rivets in the dark gray metal. When faced with the challenge of using brackets to form the arch of the lid, I decided to lean into it and use the design byproduct to my advantage.

It’s funny to think that this build started out as a generic treasure chest construction, complete with lighting to highlight the gems inside. And while those lights haven’t made it to this final version, the original frame remains largely intact. However, from this initial version through the handful of shows where the chest mimic has been on display, the model has broken on me three times. That’s not just into pieces, but countless fractured LEGO plates! I guess that’s the cost of working with so much reddish brown and not being overly careful when packing. The first major break was when prepping for the picture below. I dropped the chest’s lid on the concrete of my back patio and was forced to delay the photo shoot until the next night while I made repairs.

Time to take a tour of Tortuga

LEGO construction styles collide in the pirate town of Tortuga by builder Faëbricks. First, there’s the excellent rock work creating the cliffs of this craggy isle at sea. So many large slopes in shades of gray positioned at just the right angle such that they blend perfectly into an organic wall. Second, we have the ramshackle houses built into these cliffs. Set at odd angles and built with uneven or off-colored shingles, this is clearly a town that sprung up from whatever was available, not the finest building supplies. Then finally we have the expert use of minifigures. This tiny town is full of stories, told by figures in action poses. One posse is on lookout and manning the cannon, another works to raise a chest with a crane. My favorite is the man aboard the beautiful sailboat coming around the island. The whole scene is given agency by their individual stories, and Tortuga’s buildings and crags come alive as a result.

A trophy that deserves a trophy

If you are a fan of big building competitions enjoyed by the global LEGO community, you don’t want to miss Brickscalibur starting next week. And if the very idea of competing side by side with the best LEGO builders isn’t enough, just look at what Markus Rollbühler has to offer! This cute orc is a custom-built trophy promised to one of the winners, and it’s such a neat build. I wonder why Markus sent it to some icy territories, but with these fancy boots and pants this orc is a star on the battlefield.

A glimpse of the future in the palm of your hand

Hyundai’s N Vision 74 concept car caused a real stir when it was unveiled earlier this year, with petrolheads immediately falling in love. The G Brix has allowed us to fall head over heels all over again with this superb LEGO rendition of the car. Just like the real thing, it absolutely looks the business! The concept’s awesome styling was inspired by another Hyundai concept from 1974, itself used as a basis for the DMC Delorean. And while it can’t time-travel, this is still a pretty futuristic car. It’s powered by electric motors and a hydrogen fuel cell, details which G Brix has included. The angular bodywork is expertly recreated around it, while the grille tiles are a great idea to represent the headlights.

New arrivals in the steampunk insectarium

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Caleb Flutur‘s collection of insect automatons, so let’s see what he’s been up to! First up is this amazing butterfly, which is absolutely chock-a-block with inventive parts use. Two sizes of whip are used as antennae, with barrels and golden flowers forming the thorax. What really completes the look are the wings. These are made from canvas pieces from 75148 Encounter on Jakku and really look the part.

Step into the insectarium for more new creepy-crawlies!

Summers at grandma’s house

This LEGO build from Qian Yj awakens warm feelings from my childhood, of summer visits to my grandma’s house. From spending time with grandma, to watching TV together, and even having some sweets–this build hits all the memories! Not only does the build feature nostalgia, but check out the textures around the scene too. It’s rich in diverse textures and colors, such as the tile work of the patio floor. I really enjoy the plant life around the place, particularly the vines and lattice with a cute cat perched atop it. Of course, one of the most delightful parts usage I appreciate about the build is the use of the modified plate with double bearings as the roof tiles. Check out the rest of the build’s details and see what cool things you can find.

Need a hell-ping hand?

This five-fingered demon by Nathan Hake is an unconventional monster that makes for a suitably spooky way to celebrate Halloween. Inspired by cover art from an album by the Dead Pirates, Nathan has crafted plenty of character into this gruesome glove. The use of curved slopes and hinges creates a surprisingly anatomically accurate hand shape that feels like it could grab hold of anything. And a fortuitous lighting mishap gave the final pic a classic horror movie feel.

An RPG tribute that will make you say OMG.

This digital creation by Dale Harris pits a trio of unfortunate adventurers against some skeleton warriors and a massive dracolich. (For those of you not familiar with Dungeons & Dragons – and I count myself among you – all you need to know is that a dracolich is sort of an undead dragon thing. Although Dale’s work makes that pretty clear.) The massive skeletal dragon is obviously the immediate eye catcher in this build, but I’m particularly drawn to the work on the curved stone staircase on which our heroes find themselves trapped. Hopefully the die rolls their way.

A keetchee-a buoild zeet vill meke-a yuou sey ‘Bork Bork Bork!’

We recently covered an impressive Muppet Labs build by martin.with.bricks. And now it’s time to light the lights on the Swedish Chef’s kitchen. Poor Camilla is about to get turned into a serving of “Chickie in the Basket” unless something in that kitchen eats the Chef first. Martin’s perfectly captured the set from the original The Muppet Show, with lots of round tiles replicating the unique wall paper, and all the shelving and kitchenware that the Chef used to cause his culinary mayhem.

We’ve fallen in love with this Tumbler variation.

In the movie Batman Begins, the Batmobile is a prototype military vehicle that never made it into full production. But, had the Tumbler been put into military use, there’d probably be all kinds of variations on it in pop culture, like this Mass Effect 2 inspired version by Slick_Brick. The Tumbler’s trademark wheels and back fins make the vehicle instantly recognizable. But the details like rooftop lights and four minifigure seating give it an identity all its own.

And as a nice bonus detail, the display base has a clever set of tire tracks built into it. And check out that jet booster.