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.

The cicada has one crazy summer

Cicadas are interesting in the sense that they spend most of their lives buried underground then emerge as horny, loud, unruly teenagers. Kinda like all those summer camp movies from the 80s. The sound these insects make is unmistakable and to LEGO builder Thomas Jenkins that distinctive sound means summer. This creature is chock full of nice parts usage including an inside-out tire comprising the thorax and a Constraction figure torso used as the abdomen. With the signature red eyes, the wings, and the stance, the end result bears an uncanny resemblance to the real thing.

While their legendary mating calls may be loud and their parties wild and unruly, the cicada lives its life above ground for only a couple of weeks, a month at most. Then they all end up looking quite like this. Fast times indeed.

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When it comes to armored mechs, two is better than one

If one pilot is good, then two must be better, according to Alvaro Gunawan, or maybe this mech is so hard to control, it requires two pilots, like the Jaegers from Pacific Rim. In any case, this hulking black mech sports a heavy-hitting rifle, and two shoulder-mounted rail guns. The model looks like it is fairly pose-able, as well.

Seen from the back, there are some nice details, like two thruster engines, two fuel pods, and those two little thruster flaps above each knee.

The Antibody Intercept Craft

When invasive celestial bodies threaten the galaxy, a swarm of Antibody Intercept Craft is the perfect antidote. Duel auto-targeting laser batteries help these speedy ships clear infected skies with ease. Builder Inthert has spent two years slowly refining and perfecting this build, and the effort really shows.

Not only does the ship makes use of some impressive angling, but the overall design strikes a great balance between looking clean and sleek while still having tons of small details to take in.

There are the obvious big punches that catch your eye, like the swiveling laser cannons or the front tech detail above and below the cockpit. (Which reminds me a bit of the Ghostbuster’s Proton Packs.) But what I really get lost in are details like the asymmetrical set of three red lines about halfway up on each “arm” of the ship, or the yellow dots that pop against the black on the sides of the rear engines (made by sliding bars into backward-facing headlight bricks). It’s these kinds of choices that make the model feel like something that’s been really thought through and refined. Like the best starships of pop culture, this feels like a craft that belongs in a world with deep lore. And I’d love to visit it sometime.

Inspiration comes from many places

In the case of this outpost among the crumbling ruins of a much older structure by Khang Huynh that inspiration came from a Duplo baseplate. The choice of colors for the fort walls and the twisting tree trunk are very well matched to the style of the base, and that pillar in front is the perfect spot for a grand statue. Down at the water’s edge, a dilapidated dock looks like it needs repairing, but with so few trees around, that might have to wait until another day.

They see me rolling, and they be laughing

The Clown Prince of Crime has his own distinctive colour scheme, and it’s used to great effect by Tony Bovkoon in this striking LEGO hot rod. This would be a cracking car model in its own right, but the colours and the fun additions like the bugle-hooters make it the perfect drive for everyone’s favourite villain. I can just imagine Joker and Harley rolling down the boulevards of Gotham in this bad boy, on their way to create some mayhem.

And you’ve got to love that Joker ponied-up for the zebra-skin seats and the custom gear stick…

This isn’t just your average cube, it’s a mech!

It’s incredible to think that Moko has built 10 of these fantastic cube mechs. This model marks the way as number 10, even using the celebration tile from Lego minifigures series 20. Built in a metallic colour scheme, it’s fascinating to see the static cube mode transform into a sleek looking mech. Angled tiles are put to great use in the box mode as they meet at just the right positions to create the square faces of the cube. The purple pentagonal part acts as a visor and snuggles in comfortably in the box mode.

The robot’s ability to transform is ultimately down to ball joints and clips. In the transformation, sections of the cube are stretched out and often twisted round to create the mech form. The long legs and disproportionate form of the robot mode are reminiscent of designs from mecha shows.

Check out a video showing how the mech is posed!

A modern-day Great Wonder recreated in 9,000 LEGO bricks

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt is a contemporary complex of museums and archives, a planetarium, and of course, a library. This modern tribute to the Great Library of antiquity has been recreated from over 9,000 LEGO bricks by that master of microscale LEGO architecture Rocco Buttliere. Measuring nearly 2′ square, the model took around 60 hours to design, and 30 more to build. All Rocco’s effort was definitely worthwhile, as this creation captures the complex shapes of its inspiration perfectly. And it’s not just the central subject which provides a showcase of building skill — don’t miss the beautiful sweeping curve of that seafront road.

As with all of Rocco’s amazing LEGO microscale models it’s worth zooming in for a closer look at the detailing and depth of texture he manages to cram into a tight footprint. I spy some printed window panels from Dr Who’s Tardis deployed as solar panels…

Roll out the barrel with this medieval cooper’s workshop

Back in “the olden days”, if a town had a brewery or distillery, chances are it also had its own cooperage. The craft of barrel-making is now much less prevalent — even in a place like Scotland, which boasts hundreds of whisky distilleries, there are only a small handful of cooperages left. seb71‘s LEGO version of a medieval cooper’s workshop was always going to capture my attention for its subject matter, but the building techniques and styling mean it’s also a lovely model. The wooden beams are nicely done, and the jagged stonework of the walls and arched doorway create an eye-catching depth of texture. However it’s the smaller touches of additional detail which make all the difference — don’t miss the weathered effect created by the dark tan plates used for the wall under the eaves, and the wonderful shaping of the base.

Even better, this medieval model includes a detailed interior, visible from the open-sided rear. The ground floor is the cooper’s workshop, including the scorching of a barrel, and the family’s accommodation above…

This build is an absolute banger.

They say you never want to see how the sausage is made, but I am curious about how that table is constructed. This small, but effective build by LegoLyman grabs your attention with the red sausages and the crank driven meat grinder; but I’m impressed with the extra attention given to the table. The bottom ends of two minifigure suitcases impart a little extra detail that helps the table feel real. It’s a wonderful bit of complexity in a something that seems pretty straight forward at first. Like the perfect blend of spices in a sausage.

This may smell bad, kid...but it’ll keep you warm...

The tenacious smuggler turned burgeoning rebel general, Han Solo, really saved the galaxy by cutting open that poor Tauntaun. Thankfully, his quick thinking made good use of the dead creature’s lingering heat. Before you start wondering if that residual heat would really keep Luke alive through a night on Hoth, just remember that Han says he’s putting up a shelter. The real tragedy is that Han knew he’d be sacrificing that, er, magnificent creature when he left Echo base. He was warned! Still, I’m sure Luke was grateful, both for being saved and for being unconscious during his nap in a Tauntaun carcass. Mostly. Anyway, this playful Miniland-scale Star Wars model by Ochre Jelly hits me right in the nostalgia.

The Miniland building style allows for playful details in brick-built figures. Ochre Jelly is fond of this style and has built some iconic scenes and memes in the past. Here he’s done a wonderful job with the Hoth versions of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker from the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. Their respective outfits translate well to bricks and plates with proper color blocking. Han’s fuzzy hood achieved with exposed studs is pretty neat and his stance captures his mood perfectly.

The scale of the figures definitely allowed for more detail and curves in the Tauntaun. Big, thick legs and distinctive claws, along with a saddle and amazing horns, match well with the source material. Those Minifigure arms used as guts are a real clincher, though. A mess of blue clips and plates seem like blood pooling under the multi-colored assortment of Minifigure body parts with hotdogs thrown in for good measure. Delusional Luke probably appreciates that warm goo a little bit, right?

I’m just glad that the LEGO Group hasn’t made scented bricks because we do not need to know the actual difference between the outside and inside smells of a Tauntaun.

Beneath the waves of 4546B

Have you ever been chilling in space, floating in your ship one second, only to wake up on a water world as the sole survivor of your crew? We’ve all been there, but thankfully the Alterra Corporation has you covered in the event of such a mistake. Those familiar with the Subnautica game series will surely sympathize, having swum in the suit of Ryley Robinson themselves. Builder Lysander Chau was inspired by their time in the oceans of 4546B to build this scene of a crab-squid chasing after the Seamoth.

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Leaving LEGO Masters S2: We sit down with the seventh team to leave [Feature]

The eighth episode of LEGO Masters Season 2 has aired. A new episode means another winning build and unfortunately, another team elimination. After each episode, we’ll be meeting these teams as they continue on their LEGO journey with the show behind them. This week the contestants were tasked with building a puppet out of LEGO and performing a short show with another team.

We sat down for a talk with the seventh team to leave this season along with our friends from Brickset, BZPower and True North Bricks. We chatted about childhood memories, building with siblings and the importance of storytelling.

Read on, but beware… Spoilers lie ahead!