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.

A LEGO builder in his element

If there’s anyone I trust to build a spirit consisting of the five elemental forces, it’s got to be Eero Okkonen. I mean, after all, the dude writes for a LEGO blog called New Elementary, so he’s got to be an expert! And, in typical “Eero” fashion, earth, wind, fire, water, and void aren’t the only elements excellently displayed here. That bending trunk of Bionicle bits looks so organic, especially in contrast to the stone corners of the nearby lantern. And I absolutely love the plating used for the warrior’s kusazuri, as well as the shaping of their hair. It seems very similar to the design for “Wind” within the kami, strands snaking down onto armored shoulders. The largely grayscale nature of the build helps to make all the colors pop out, even more, drawing the eye to the orange of the spirit, the pink flowers of the tree, and the gold worn by the warrior.

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Happy Bat Day to you

The best part about being friends with us Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) is the custom gifts. To celebrate a friend’s birthday, Dan Ko crafted this tribute to The Dark Knight, and what a gift it is. This stunning statue depicts Batman leaping from a Gotham City gargoyle and into action. The Caped Crusader is perfectly captured here, with an impressively effective cowl construction and a video game controller ingeniously repurposed for his chest emblem. And the gargoyle head itself has so much character that I almost want to see a mad scientist bring it to life. (As if Batman didn’t have enough to worry about…)

These Gundam builds would make for great sets

Based on designs from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, Rokan Cheung has built the main Gundam mech head and a BrickHeadz version of its pilot, Amuro Rey. A variety of slope and angled pieces have been used to create the complex shapes of the head. Corner panels are stacked together to form the vent sections on the sides of the helmet. The BrickHeadz build has some great features, such as croissants representing curls in the fringe and tooth pieces portraying sharp-pointed boots. With official LEGO set releases such as Voltron and Optimus Prime in recent years, maybe there’s potential that something like Rokan’s models might appear in the future.

I only paint in black... Or very, very, dark grey

Confession time. I know Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones is one of the most well-known rock anthems ever, but… I prefer the cover that pop singer Vanessa Carlton did. (She’s just an incredible artist, OK?) Before you accuse me of blasphemy, let’s take a look at this creation by another incredible artist, Woomy World. This build is inspired by the lyrics from the song (“I see a red door and I want it painted black”), with the black rose rising from the door forming the title of the piece. The rose looks fantastic, using everything from macaroni tubes to a dragon wing to give an ethereal, almost other-worldly feel to it.

It sits in contrast with the other everyday elements of the build, but they are no less impressive for it. I love the umbrellas representing drips of paint from the bucket. The painter would also be worthy of a feature on his own! The suit jacket uses Technic panel pieces which are an inspired choice and look fantastic. The hair is where I keep getting drawn to though: there are so many different pieces but they all seem so carefully placed. I can see flintlock pistols, a minifigure satchel and at least one minifigure arm. The Rolling Stones might be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but this creation surely belongs in an art gallery!

A Bathynomus giganteus mech for all your Bathynomus giganteus needs

By a show of hands, who here demanded to see a Bathynomus giganteus mech made with LEGO? Really, am I the only one? Well, frankly I didn’t ask for it either but now that I see this fantastic creation by Mitsuru Nikaido I’m compelled to share it with you all. The real-life counterpart is not some extinct dinosaur, but rather a living, breathing deep-sea creature common in cold waters. While they typically reach a length between 7.5 and 14.2 inches, some can grow up to 20 inches long. With that segmented complex carapace, compound eyes and seven sets of pereiopods what’s not to love, really? I am not doubting your intelligence (heck, I barely get by with the help of Google) but it is possible that just a moment ago you knew nothing of such a creature and now its likeness is forever burned into your posterior parietal cortex. You’re welcome, I guess? Nituru has a distinct style and a knack for building some very interesting creatures both familiar and bizarre.

Sometimes you leave to find adventure, and sometimes the adventure comes to port

A swashbuckling LEGO adventure from Robert4168/Garmadon and Kai/Geneva plays out in front of us like a movie scene! A stranger appears and challenges the lord to a duel for their treacheries. Onlookers take in the clashing of swords on the Port Royal wharf, some working and some drinking tea. Even the wildlife takes in the sight–is it me or does that toucan look a little nervous? I would be too with a sword fight that close, but no one else is bothered by it. I guess this sort of thing happens a lot in a pirate’s life! This build demonstrates the beauty of collaboration between builders. The wonderful Tudor buildings, back docks, and landscaping are thanks to Kai, and everything else is thanks to Robert. There’s a plethora of awesome detailing, from the buildings and trees to the clutter dotting the docks. Sometimes I forget LEGO pieces comprise these amazing builds!

Majisto must have brewed a shrinking potion.

The microscale throwbacks just keep coming. This time, John Tooker has created a miniature version of set 6048 Majisto’s Magical Workshop. John has captured all the details I remember from childhood – the ladder leading upstairs, the pot brewing something over the fire, and he’s even included a tiny Majisto and a Dragon Knight. It’s abra-kadorable.

A room built for concocting

No one sets a LEGO scene quite like Victor van den Berg! I mean, check out the old-school laboratory he’s brewed up! Each flask and beaker are carefully placed on the table, drawers overflowing with ingredients, and a wall of shelves loaded with tinctures and concentrates adorn this gorgeous room. Brown arches and pillars carve paths through the dark tan bricks, above a floor tiled to complement the multicolored bottled spread throughout the lab. Add all that to the lived-in touches of the workspace like the armchair in the corner or the cord of wood in a crate next to the wrought iron fireplace, and the space radiates a homey charm.

But nothing adds warmth to this workspace like Victor’s excellent use of light. From the fireplace, the hanging lanterns, and especially the windows to the rear of the space, light illuminates the build in an uneven and realistic manner. But the focal point has got to be the sunlight pouring in through the skylight. It highlights all the detailed instruments and vials on the central table, best viewed in the photo below. As someone who’s put in a couple of years standing at the lab bench and read a few too many books on the history of science, the equipment here is spot-on for that of the age. Nothing like determining the index of refraction the old-fashioned way!

Celebrate independence in the heart of Philadelphia

Independence Day has already passed here in the US but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smitten by Rocco Buttliere’s stunning new LEGO creation. Independence Hall played a crucial role in the founding of the United States, as its storied assembly rooms witnessed the signing of both the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787. I’m loving the trees and the impressive Colonial Georgian Architecture. Rocco’s signature on the handsome, well-appointed base is a nice touch indeed. While microscale, this smallish (for Rocco) creation doesn’t diminish the grand setting of Philadelphia’s old city center. That is this builder’s specialty, really; building absolutely grand things on a small scale. Please check out our Rocco Buttliere archives to see what I mean.

What happens when a Kaiju joins the human side?

The answer to the question posed in the title is demonstrated in this fascinating creation, built by Ryan Z. The model has an elongated form and is adapted for human use by having a carrier section on its back. The face has an interesting design with two large angled slopes placed together sideways with a green snowboard representing the tongue of the creature. The carrier section features a control tower overlooking a short runway where fighters can launch from. It could be quite the bumpy ride for those in the tower section, especially if this beast moves in a lizard like motion.

The biggest little set in LEGO’s Wild Wee-st theme

I’m going to be completely honest with you: the noises that came out of my mouth when I first saw Nannan Zhang‘s LEGO microscale Fort Legoredo were mostly unintelligible. I mean, it’s just so flippin’ CUTE! I love the horse designs in this scale, as well as the care put into the microfig design. Even with only a few bricks, it’s unreal how I can clearly identify each of the three bandits from this theme. The use of grill pieces to emulate the log profile bricks from the original is inspired, and Nannan has effectively recreated the big rock pieces using light-gray plates and tile embedded in the walls.

Here’s a peek at the interior of the fort’s back wall. The printed tiles chosen to replicate the original model’s shutters are spot-on, as is the teensy jail cell below. There’s even a pair of binoculars subbed in for the fort’s chimney from the original set. And don’t forget the fort’s iconic blue sign, held by a pair of clips to the red roof. The whole thing is a welcome bit of nostalgia for me!

Who needs a sleek starship when you have an enormous engine?

Everyone builds at their own pace. Some builders crank out builds every day, others will go months or sometimes years between creations – which, to be clear, is completely fine! In the case of Drew Hamilton (Wami Delthorn), it’s been over a year since he last posted one of his spectacular spaceship designs. It’s been worth the wait though, as he has reinvented one of his older Classic Space designs into this LL-528 Rapier MkII. It has all the hallmarks of what is now known as Neo Classic Space: clean lines of blue and light grey, with plenty of texturing and the signature black-and-yellow bumblebee stripes.

The design itself is very cool. With starships, it’s often tempting to make them sleek, speedy-looking machines. And with a name like Rapier, you’d be forgiven for thinking this would look the same. But I love how bulky it is! The rear of the vessel is dominated by that great hulking thruster, which blends nicely into the stubby wings thanks to some neat use of angles. It’s all broken up with subtle asymmetric panel detailing to give it quite a realistic feel.

The only thing I would question is the choice of co-pilot. Surely a control panel full of flashing lights is a poor mix with a space-going cat…