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.

We eat ham and jam and Spam a lot

Camelot — it is a silly place. At least it is if you pay any attention to Monty Python. But there’s nothing daft about TheRoyalBrick‘s LEGO microscale version of Arthur’s mythical castle. This creation accomplishes the magic trick of all the best microscale — providing enough structure and detail for the viewer’s imagination to fill in the rest, making the model initially appear much larger than it really is. Those two tone grey walls offer a smart contrast to the chilly winter landscaping and the tower roofs provide a wonderful pop of colour.

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A Technic(al) advancement in speeder bikes

Speeder bikes are a futuristic concept, but David Doci has tapped into the past to build this one. Classic Technic elements combine to show that retro-cool is still very much a thing. The use of a Technic minifigure allows for a larger bike with more human-esque proportions compared to a “standard” LEGO minifigure. And that means elements from the long-lost Throwbot theme can return in new ways, along with some rare teal-hued Bionicle elements from 8549 Tarakava. Throw in a dash of Hero-factory flame elements for the exhaust and some transparent light blue ribbed hose and you can rocket back into more modern times. Or should that be into the future? Either way, it’s a sweet ride.

If you’re a fan of speeder bikes, check out some other creations from our archives!

Block out the monsters with music

This eerie scene by Djorkson, is one thought-provoking build. The menacing apparition, looming over a humanoid monkey, possibly represents the inner turmoil of the swaggering primate. The piercing red eyes and pointed claws of the creature provide the build with a threatening aura. The tongue of the creature appears to be an old Rahkshi worm piece. Stalked by the monster, the monkey blocks it out with large headphones made from wheel rims. The addition of the musical note pieces, from the Trolls sets, is also a nice touch emphasizing music playing from the headphones. One of the most inventive techniques of the build has to be the upside-down bread bun used to represent the monkey’s mouth. Let’s hope the chilled-out primate can ignore out the stalking darkness.

A new way to do layered shadowboxes

I have to be honest, I’m pretty jealous I hadn’t thought of this myself. Whenever I go to a comic-con, I always spend a bit of time ogling over the booths with lighted, layered-paper shadowboxes. How did I never think to make one with LEGO?! Well, it looks like filbrick beat me to it! First up is a shadowbox classic: a stag in the woods. I love that the builder chose to go with this color gradient. It does appear that he may have been inspired by the work of talented LEGO artist Grantmasters to complete the top portion of the stag itself.

Next up is an astronaut floating in space. The colors and shapes are both awesome and trippy at the same time! The extra window on the side is a cool touch too. While both builds are renders, and I’m not sure if real-life replicas in these specific colors would be possible, they sure are fascinating!

I’m going to have to test this concept out with some of my own designs! How about you? What images would you create?

Not your thing? That’s okay – we have tons of other art builds for you to check out! We also have all sorts of cool builds by Grantmasters that you won’t want to miss!

A bridge too fantastic

Bridges are primarily about function. Whether it’s rope, or wood, or stone, or steel; it needs to connect point A to point B and hold your weight. If it does that, it’s a pretty great bridge, no matter how ugly it is. But Andreas Lenander doesn’t settle for anything so basic. The bridge at the centerpiece of his latest build is about function and form.

By building up two towers of 1×1 plates with vertical clips, connecting them with bars, and then bending the resulting structure, Andreas has devised a bridge that looks right at home in the serene wilderness surrounding it. And there’s some pretty clever technique in that wilderness, as well. In particular, the minifigure whips twisted together make for realistically gnarled tree trunks. All in all, it’s the kind of locale you’d want to stroll slowly through, holding a loved one’s hand. Or trek through on your way to a mystic temple. Whichever is more your speed.

Imagine how a mechanical cicada would sound...

As you may already know, cicadas are the loudest insect on the planet. When they “sing” together (more like radio static, clicking, and rattling) they are one of the most deafening animals in the world in general. Pretty cool for such a small creature! But what would a giant mecha cicada, like this LEGO one by Mitsuru Nikaido, sound like? I’m guessing a helicopter mixed with a chainsaw. But enough about that. Just look at this awesome build!

It’s all sorts of awesome in terms of techniques and body shaping. The segmentation is excellent, and I’m particularly fond of the batarang shields on the abdomen. The eyes, wings, and legs are spot-on too!

Fun fact: cicadas are basically living musical instruments (even if we don’t think of it the same way). Yep, that’s right! They use muscles in their sides to squeeze and accordion “ribs” surrounding two membranes known as tymbals to create different chirps. And their abdomens are hollow so that they can amplify those sounds. Why? That’s how they find a lady-friend! Ahhh, the song of love.

Another fun fact: Mitsuru Nikaido is the epic master of mecha animals. You’re not going to want to miss some of his other incredible works of art. My favorite might be the mecha snail!

As solid as a lone wolf

Did you know that real lone wolves (the four-legged kind) are actually essential for wolf survival? The ones who choose to go their own way as a juvenile do so to find new territory and start their own pack. They are brave and resourceful and keep the genes strong by preventing inbreeding. This LEGO wolf by Mike Nieves is strong in more ways than one. Its stoic, determined expression makes way for solid body-shaping techniques and overall structure. From nose to tail, shoulder to paw, the body-in-motion pose is on-point.

While you’re here, take a look at a couple more of Mike’s builds, as well as tons of other animal-related LEGO creations.

LEGO Harry Potter 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition: best exclusive set for a beginner? [Review]

Gone are the days when typical LEGO sets were all about buildings and vehicles. Today, the nearest toy store welcomes you with either an iconic soccer stadium, a sitcom studio, or even a 1:1 Adidas sneaker. Joining the company this fall is yet another unconventional building concept — a magic owl on top of books surrounded by a bunch of accessories from the Wizarding world. If this sounds good to you, you should definitely take a closer look at the new LEGO Harry Potter 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition, which is available September 2, for US $249.99 | UK £249.99. As the set is aimed at a broad group of new-to-hobby customers, let’s see if Hogwarts Icons can be a great start for someone at the beginning of their collection of massive LEGO exclusives.

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 here to read the review…

A lonely retreat from battle

As the black knight remorsefully crosses the river, the pale light of the Moon casts a shadow across his reflection. His horse, head bowed as in mutual loneliness, carries him onward as they both trudge towards whatever fate awaits them. Such are the emotions so vibrantly shown in the fantastic LEGO creation by builder Robert4168/Garmadon.

No one knows who the lone knight is or why his countenance is so down-spirited. Yet it’s clear that this LEGO build is meant to show everything about who the knight is feeling. His emotions are not just manifest in the minifigure itself, but also in the night sky, the bright moon, and the fact that there’s almost nothing else that draws your eyes away from the knight’s walk across the water. Emotions can be difficult to pull off in a LEGO creation, so seeing it managed so well in this build is a testament to Garmadon’s skill.

A few other mentions: the waterfall is spot on. The way the pieces change color and transparency to give off the appearance of cascading water is very advanced. I also like that the Moon is a full sphere and not just a flat brick circle. Finally, the variations of green in the plant life were a nice touch. It’s clear that nothing was done by shortcut when building this.

Forget flying pigs, this one is interstellar.

This hulking beast of a starship is the T-37 Spayspigg by builder InterBrick. Inspired by the intense models created by Noblebun, Interbrick set out on an ambitious journey to create this greebly digital monster. Creative parts usage stands out at this scale with repetition being the name of the game. The nacelles to the side and bottom all share the same design with tubes, dishes, hoses, and minifigure legs creating the mechanical details of exposed engines sections. My eyes are drawn all over this model, noticing the various different techniques InterBrick used, but my favorite little detail of the nacelles has to be the white cowboy hats.

Riddled with super detailed engines, this ship could be a formidable racer or a frightening bomber. Either way, you’re sure to be left in the dust. The power of having hundreds of minifigure accessories is exemplified in these engines. Three styles of nozzles adorn the nacelles and main body of the ship. They share some interesting parts such as flippers, telephones, and snowshoes while more tubes, bars, and scuba tanks are used as part of the propulsion systems. The large central engines are a bit bulkier with ice skates lining the interior of the nozzles.

A truly monumental feat from InterBrick, the T-37 Spayspigg is an amazing build worthy of praise. It was great seeing that Noblebun even helped with the renders for this digital model. I love seeing the community work together!

In the lap of LEGO luxury

Sometimes owning a mega-yacht just isn’t enough. It turns out the owners of this particular M/Y Dytan also wanted a LEGO model of their luxurious ocean cruiser. Thankfully, Arjan Oude Kotte has a certain set of skills that make jetsetters dreams even more dreamy than they already are. This 1/68 scale model is 110cm long and 27 cm wide.
Arjan tells us the original 74m Dytan yacht was built in 2012 by Nobiskrug. She features an exterior design by Reymond Langton and an interior by Reymond Langton and Mark Berryman. She cruises at 12 knots and reaches a top speed of 14.0 knots. She can sleep up to 12 guests taken care of by a crew of 21.

The main image looks a bit render-ish, which it is, but here is a secondary shot of the impressive brick-built model within the context of a real-life LEGO workspace.

If being on a boat is your jam, then navigate on over to see another large oceangoing vessel by the same builder.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 13, 2021

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second full week of August 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS After a massive flurry of reviews and news last week things we featured more MOCs than news this week. However, there was still BIONICLE and a new episode of LEGO Masters (US) to enjoy!

[NEWS] Celebrate Bionicle’s 20th anniversary with a map of Mata Nui island — LEGO designer Nicolas Vás used 31203 World Map to create Mata Nui island
[FEATURE] Leaving LEGO Masters S2: We sit down with the fifth team to leave — We chat with the fifth pair eliminated from LEGO Masters Season 2

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world