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.

Toying around with a gumball machine

This LEGO minifigure gumball machine build by Rob Vangansewinkel gives a wonderful sense of nostalgia! Modeled after a classic gumball machine, this creation reminds me of those toy vending machines outside of grocery stores. I always loved seeing those prizes as a kid, wondering which one I’d get! This clever contraption is no exception to that experience. At the turn of the dial, it offers a variety of figures to collect, from a pirate captain to Mr. T. Want to see it in action? Rob has a cool video showing it off. The best part of this toy machine? No money needed! It’s every kid’s dream–just give it a spin and see what prize comes out!

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A real Mini-ature marvel

As the owner of a classic Mini, any LEGO model of the world’s favourite small car (shush, VW Beetle fans!) is likely to pique my interest. So how do you top that? Well, as pixeljunkie demonstrates, you build the Mini’s revolutionary interior as well!

This exploded view actually reminds me of a cutaway Mini that currently resides in the London Science Museum, originally made for the Mini’s launch in 1959. Much of the promotional material for the Mini focussed on the tiny size that its innovative packaging allowed, and that pixeljunkie shows off so well here. The construction is faithful to the real car: front and rear subframes, seating with floor pan, and the bodyshell. And of course, a superbly detailed A-series engine in the front!

Much like the real thing, it’s amazing how much you can squeeze into such a small space!

It’s worth removing your helmet for a better look at this 17,000-piece Mandalorian Cruiser

Gankona is Japanese for “stubborn” or “headstrong.” It’s also the name of this ship, and we’re sure it took a little stubbornness on the part of the Jorstad Designs team to complete it. Inspired by the work of concept artist Ansel Hsiao, this Teroch-class Mandalorian Cruiser took more than two years and 17,000 bricks to see completion. With its gorgeous dark blue and orange highlights, this Knights of the Old Republic-era starship is light years ahead of the craft we’re used to seeing modern Mandalorians piloting.

Click here to come aboard.

A painting of a painter painting a painting

Starry Night is arguably one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works (so much so that it’s going to be getting a LEGO set soon). lego_nuts, however, has chosen the painter’s Bedroom in Arles work as the setting for their latest masterpiece. Not content with simply recreating the artwork, front and center is a super facsimile of Van Gogh himself, hard at work on his easel. The sculpting of the whole scene is terrific, but the most striking aspect is the fascinating textures that are everywhere you look. The builder says this was a deliberate decision to replicate the signature post-impressionism look, and the result is a true work of art!

Tudoring the neighborhood in excellence

LEGO builder AfroEngineer enjoys 21325 Medieval Blacksmith Ideas set so much he created this lovely Tudor House as a companion piece. The bright color palette draws the eye into the build, particularly the blues. The light blue of the house’s second story is a great choice! It contrasts nicely with the brown detailing and the gold windows. The roof tiles are created with the help of overlapping minifigure seats. The overhanging vines and the gaps in the roof tiles lend a weathered, lived-in feeling to the home.

The interiors of the house are just as amazing as the outside, too. They feature great brick-built furniture and homey decorations that speak to the lives of the residents. I like to imagine they’re mapmakers and end up on all sorts of wild adventures! They probably have the blacksmith watch the house while they’re away.

LEGO 41950 Lots of DOTS: Lettering – Just your type(face) [Review]

We’ve been taking a look at the new sets from the DOTS theme for Spring 2022, and found some serious ups and downs in the 41951 and 41952 Bulletin Board offerings. Now we turn our collective eyes towards a set designed to bring those two sets up a notch. LEGO 41950 Lots of DOTS: Lettering is available now for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99 | EUR €19.99. Making legible text out of LEGO is a bit of a challenge – will this new DOTS accessory pack help put the “fun” into “font”? (If so, how would you even pronounce that?)

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Animal: a hurricane of rhythm

Using only 101 parts, Mark van der Maarel has produced his version of everyone’s favorite drummer, and it absolutely rocks! I don’t know if I’ve seen someone evoke Muppet fur with so few LEGO pieces before. And his part usage skills go well beyond the feather plumes. The sausages as fingers, the elastic bands on Animal’s wrists, even the choice of the bulbous eye pieces are spot-on. Contrasting that with the clean lines of a black T-shirt, it definitely evokes the controlled chaos that is Animal playing his drums.

A fairytale takes root! Magic beans not required

Once upon a time there was a builder named Andreas Lenander who created a magical book whose story came to life through LEGO. This Jack and the beanstalk build is truly a sight to behold! The story spills over the pages, starting with the micro-scale farm grounding the build. The stalk stretches skyward from the heart of the book, its internal structure concealed within the beautiful foliage. The stalk’s zenith reveals a kingdom adorned in silver and gold that promises fortune and adventure. The dragon hidden at the beanstalk’s top crowns the parts usage, adding its scales to the vegetation’s textures. A mythical detail that inspires the imagination the way fairytales often do!

A lionfish build that’s good enough to eat

With all the LEGO turkey legs and croissants adorning his denizen of the deep, Ryan Van Duzor makes a good case for eating more lionfish, an invasive species in the Western Atlantic Ocean. I love the use of Ninjago Dragon Master wings to replicate the fish’s delicate fins. And the minifigure weapons adding their points to the many spines is some inspired part usage! I can only imagine what the interior of the model looks like to support the arching pieces making up the face of this beautiful Pterois. This model is a real catch!

These two aliens are quite the pair

Based on artwork from Burzok’s Mercenary Handbook, Djokson has built two strange looking models. The use of unusual parts from the Ben 10 figures, specifically the chest and thighs, contributes to the odd portrayal of the more humanoid of the two. The ears of the critter on the shoulder are represented by small angled pieces and are held on clips. Piercing pink mono eyes of both aliens appear to be icon parts from the Clikits line. Hopefully, the duo is friendly, although they may like to stare at you for a while…

I am not a cookie, I am a super-genius

When it comes to super-genius inventors with secret labs under their bedrooms plagued by the stupidity of siblings, parents and contemporaries, Dexter’s Laboratory is one of the best. And judging by this comically detailed model, GolPlaysWithLego agrees. I can almost hear his unlikely Russian accent (inspired by creator Genndy Tartakovsky) shouting Dee dee’s name.

There are so many picture-perfect details, like his large glasses, poofs of red hair, pointy shoes, and his side-buttoned lab coat, complete with a splash of green slime. And check out this alternate expression, which uses upside-down tooth parts for angry brows. Dee dee better hope he doesn’t press that shiny red button.

Who says entomology is all about creepy-crawlies?

Here’s a theory: animals and sci-fi make for a perfect mix. Don’t believe me? Check out this trio of LEGO vehicles courtesy of Devid VII! They are all named after animals, all feature relatively limited colour palettes, and all look amazing. First up is the Froggy, whose ball-jointed feet remind of the Tachikoma that have inspired so many brilliant LEGO creations:

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