We’ve covered the work of LEGO builder Ayrlego many times; Ayrlego has been developing vertical builds, some of which are connected to the fictional East Terran Trade Company (ETTC). The latest in this theme is focused around a guarded mill with a waterwheel inspired by Isaac Snyder. A lot of detail was put into the brickwork and vegetation, adding good visual interest to the tall scene.
Ominous beings turn their gaze upon the last city as it is swallowed by the rising sands, the rubble of ancient roads leading to and from nothingness. Otherworldly figures and a crumbling metropolis created by the laudable Tino Poutiainen inspire plenty of stories to tease our minds. Titled Trio, this mysterious group of dark figures with lantern-like heads tower over the ruins of a great city as it fades into the dunes. The construction of this scene transcends its components. This microscale model almost doesn’t even look like LEGO! Bars and bar clips attach to 2×2 plates with holes that give the figures their long legs and rounded bodies. Their lamplight heads use radar dishes with white studs or a rounded bottom plate for contrast. The tan plates and cheese wedges lead into a block of light bluish grey plates and tiles in various orientations, accented with grill tiles whose exposed sides make up the windows of the city. A fantastic model reminiscent of the post-apocalyptic world of Nausicaä and the Valley of the Wind.
Discworld fans will love this creative LEGO build from Eero Okkonen of the character Rincewind. A lot of LEGO builds are lauded for their smooth stud-free look, but Okkonen achieves a wonderful combination of both, giving the character an appropriately haggard appearance. The pieces used to create Rincewind’s facial hair, eyebrows, and sideburns are unique choices that work really well together, and I love how he uses Space Arms for the hands.
LEGO just shared a video of the lovable minions fully animated with LEGO bricks showcasing their silly antics and their journey in learning kung fu. The next instalment of the LEGO Minions movie was slated for 2020 but will not hit the big screens until July 2022 due to the current pandemic affecting the production and timelines.
Fans of a galaxy far, far away should instantly recognize this planet as seen in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Depicted here in LEGO by builder Simulterious is one of the last battles of the Clone Wars.
With its cabling arches and splashes of colored vegetation, Felucia instantly grabbed the attention of moviegoers back in 2005. It was again featured in the 2006 game Star Wars: Battlefront II, where clone troopers fought back waves of droids and monsters. I still get those vibes just by looking at the incredible attention to detail that Simulterious has built into this creation.
The flora of Felucia is always a challenge for any builder. Simulterious manages to combine unique parts and colors to establish a strong alien look, with towering plants and deadly bushes harboring even more lethal foes for the clone troopers and Aayla Secura, their Jedi commander. I really like the overgrowth on the Republic tank. As anyone who has visited the tropics know, it only takes a day or two for Nature to take over anything that isn’t natural.
A warning to the Jedi waging war on this planet: watch your back!
Netflix is about to debut a brand-new “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” cartoon, and the Rejectz are here to commemorate the occasion. Builder Iain Heath’s Rejectz are a “so ugly they’re adorable” alternative to LEGO’s official Brickheadz. The heroes and villains of Eternia have definitely fallen under Iain’s spell, as Man-At-Arms, He-Man, Orko, and Skeletor are replaced by Arms Guy, Heh-Man, Urhg, and Boner.
Earlier in 2021, LEGO released five Brickheadz Pets sets, German Shepherds, Shorthair Cats, Goldfish, Budgies and Dalmatians. There will be three additions to them, Ginger Tabby, Cockatiel and Hamster. The sets are now listed on LEGO.com and will be available on August 1.
This is the type of diagram I’d like to see in a doctor’s office. LEGO can be used to make life fun and free for many of us but there are plenty of stories of our favorite plastic parts being used in the professional world for one purpose or another. This display by Nannan Zhang is a marriage of science and art that helps bring light to the inner workings of a disease that plagues millions of people every year. This model of a neuron being attacked by the immune system represents how Multiple Sclerosis affects the central nervous system resulting in the myriad of symptoms that patients experience. White droid arm dendrites connect to a spider web representing the nucleus. A flex hose functions as the axion running through myelin sheaths made with domes and bottom domes that become progressively more broken down by the various colorful immune cells that surround it. Set against that smooth, black background, this piece is fit for display and would surely engage those that saw it in trying to understand more about this disease.
Check out some more designs inspired by the medical field or find more by Nannan Zhang on Flickr or Instagram (@nannanz_creations).
It’s a science fiction trope most of us are familiar with – the rumblings under the ground subside for just a moment. Then, suddenly, there’s an eruption and not only do you have have to deal with a an outflow of lava, but also the emergence of some truly terrifying underworld creatures. Bart De Dobbelaer captures just such an event in this stunning creation, aptly named Emergence. The beasts include some unusual part choices, including one of my absolute favorites elements – the X-Pod container. But obviously they’re just part of the scene. The spewing lava is captured by a wealth of transparent orange elements, including Dimensions base discs. The techno-organic vent provides a great contrast to the mayhem elsewhere, while still adding a great deal of mechanical texture. And then Bart had to go and add lighting effects. Because if you’re going to build at this scale, you might as well go all in.
If you want some great contrasting color to this build, check out another of Bart’s creations: Trace Initiated. Or maybe just peruse some great Sci-Fi builds from creators from around the globe.
LEGO Builder’s Journey – once upon a time as an exclusive on Apple Arcade (iOS and macOS) released in December 2019, the LEGO Builders Journey has a new breath of life in 2021 with a release on the PC and Nintendo platforms. Advertised as having “many new levels” and “fresh mechanics”, does it live up to the high reviews and praise when it was first released? With the caveat that our review is based on the Nintendo Switch console, read on to find out whether it’s worth spending your hard-earned dollars on this game.
This floating rock has been a recurring theme when it comes to LEGO fan creations. They have been part of the community for as long as I can remember. I am actually quite astounded that LEGO never tried their hand at it. To me building rocks is scary. I love how some builders manage to build these big rocky mountains made out of big wedge pieces that appear to stay together magically. Roanoke Handybuck managed to build a rock like this.
I could just look at it for hours trying to figure out how it is constructed. The rock is not the only pretty thing about this build. This build appears to be lacking in studs. The only place I can actually see them are in the foliage of the paddle tree. Adding the pyramid tile to the Tudor wood beams looks like a lovely finish of wooden beams. Although there are a lot of pop colors in this build, to me the focal point of this creation is the bright light orange door. The use of the dragon head sword hilt as ornate door hinges is stunning.
It hasn’t been long since Luca premiered and already we have a fantastic model to behold. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t worry, there aren’t any spoilers to be had here, just a beautiful scene based on the town of Portorosso. Builder Thomas Carlier is fond of creating vignettes of Disney and Pixar films, making beautiful models of iconic scenes from each movie. Scrolling through his feed is a rollercoaster of nostalgia, each creation beautifully crafted to capture the spirit and feeling of the movie being celebrated. Pixar’s dreamy stylizations and Miyazaki-inspired visual flow are full of lush details that make for intense models when translated into brick form and this rendered model of Portorosso is bright and eye-catching, the textures and proportions matching well with their film counterparts. Let’s take a closer look at how Thomas tackled this perfect summer flick.
Those roofs definitely draw the eye but moving down we can appreciate the texture and structure of the buildings. Various techniques were used to emulate the masonry of the shops and homes from the movie. I love the slanted shutters and the use of flat clips lining the gutters. Minifigure versions of each of the main characters make an appearance with Luca and Alberto enjoying some ice cream while Giulia makes deliveries on her bike and Ercole stands near his precious Vespa waiting for someone to bully. The slight bit of water lapping up against the dock really set the scene, allowing us to imagine what might come out of those calm waves while the people of the town enjoy the sun and community of the fountain in the square.
