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 mini Hitachi wheel loader

There are a handful of builders out there that are experts at recreating vehicles in LEGO form. We’re talking highly detailed, true-to-life replicas. One of those experts is Damian Z. and his most recent build is this Hitachi ZW180PL. I have to be honest, I recognize Hitachi, but that nomenclature doesn’t ring a single bell. But what I do know is that I’m positive I’ve seen this exact piece of machinery before. And when you look at the real thing, this little guy is spot on.

Who knew you could pack so much detail into such a small frame? But just wait until you see some other angles. Replica or not, this wheel loader is expertly crafted.

Click to see the other angles

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

And we’re off to the races...

I don’t know a lot about the Aerogee 3000 built by Tino Poutianen, but I suspect it’s fast. Very fast. And also made out of LEGO brick. A rare combo! Part of the unique look comes from the fact that this is larger than minifigure-scaled. That helmet is from the classic Technic racer figures, the larger size making the curved panels and other elements feel just a bit more compact than you’d get with a traditional minifigure. Those curves and the three in-line wheels remind me of vehicles from the Thunderbirds show crossed with Speed Racer – certainly nothing to complain about. Yes indeed, this is one sweet ride.

If you’re looking for other speedy concepts, check out our racers tag!

That’s one brightly-lit skyline

Spaceships are great, castles are fun, mechs are neato. But sometimes I like to stop and appreciate the LEGO builds that lean more heavily into traditional “artistic” themes. legoapprentice has created a fun neon-lit skyline that just seems cheerful and fun. I like the subtle techniques in play like the varied widths of the windows, and how quarter arch tiles are used in several orientations to create a fluid feel for the skyscrapers. So take a moment and rest here with me, and enjoy the sights.

Once you’ve caught your breath, take a stroll down our Art tag for even more creative goodness.

Eat your heart out, NASA

One small step for a minifigure, one giant leap for minifigure-kind. Builder Centuri Chan has created a fantastic spaceship to get the first two minifigures to Mars by 2028. Nostalgia certainly is a powerful force and the new buildable figures provided a perfect template for Centuri Chan to project their love for the Classic Space theme. This Minifigure Launch System, as dubbed by the builder, is a playful spin on the brick-built mega-figures that LEGO has begun to release. Littered with astronauts and robots, this crawler is on its way to the launch pad for further testing of this minifigure-inspired spacecraft. Two yellow pilots sit in the helmet, just above a wonderful, brick-built Classic Space logo while the rest of the crew tends their various assignments. I love the nod to Classic City sets and Octan with the white, red, and green tanks.

Checking out the back lets us see the boosters that Centuri Chan attached to the spaceman-spacecraft while also making us wonder what exactly the elusive orange spaceman is doing up there.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 24, 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 third full week of July 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS The LEGO Iconic lineup saw two new holiday entries this week and we reviewed both 40493 Halloween Owl and 40497 Spider and Haunted House Ornaments. We were on hand to interview the latest departing contestants from LEGO Masters Season 2 (US), reviewed MORE DOTS, and showed you how to build your own teeny tiny Razorcrest.

[REVIEW] LEGO Iconic 40493 Halloween Owl and 40497 Spider & Haunted House ornaments — An owl and a spider walked into a haunted house and…we decided we liked them!
[FEATURE] Leaving LEGO Masters S2: We sit down with the fourth team to leave — Brent Waller conceived a Seinfeld set for LEGO Ideas, yadda yadda yadda, now the official set is here.
[REVIEW] LEGO DOTS 41932 Extra DOTS – Series 5: A glowing new assortment — Can you believe we’re up to Series 5 of Dots? How does the latest wave fare?!
[INSTRUCTIONS] LEGO microscale Razor Crest from Star Wars: The Mandalorian — Our very own Daniel Fortine shared a set of instructions for a microscale fan favorite.

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

LEGO clarifies the future of VIDIYO in a official statement [News]

Yesterday, a number of LEGO fan blogs reported the cancelation of the LEGO VIDIYO theme. To avoid a lack of understanding, the LEGO Group immediately shared an official statement regarding the future of its latest product lines. According to the statement, the new sets will see the light no earlier than 2023, with some new ideas and concepts to test in 2022.

Click here to read the full statement about the future of LEGO VIDIYO

Mobile Suit Gundam: Cardboard’s Counterattack

It’s the day before a convention and you’ve got no costume. What do you do? All that’s in your room is cardboard boxes, filled with this year’s wave of new LEGO sets. Hmmm, if only there was some way to utilise the cardboard to make a costume…

Perhaps you need some inspiration from the Cardboard Gundam! This fun build by Tino Poutiainen is presented in a tan colour scheme that works perfectly for the model. The eyes are represented by Technic hole bricks and provides the model with a gormless expression. Even the floppy shield is great as the bend represents a fold in the cardboard. The application of stickers prevents the build from looking too plain and with an interesting selection used, see if you can recognise what sets the stickers are from. Armed with what appears to be a NERF gun and cardboard tube beam saber on its back, this must truly be the most powerful Gundam.

So, there you have it. How’s your costume looking now? What’s that? You spent all night building those LEGO sets instead? Good choice.

There once was a little macaw

The smooth body of this little LEGO scarlet macaw, built by Nikita Filatov, contrasts perfectly with the texture of the branch she sits on. Speaking of which, the organic texturing and overall structure/shaping are nicely done in both pieces. The core of the branch has to be pretty strong to support the bird! The only thing missing is a few more tail feathers, but soon this youngster will be taking flight!

We’ve got what you need if you’re interested in seeing more builds of colorful birds! And if you’re looking for a menagerie, we have a whole zoo’s worth of awesome animal builds too!

How can you say no to that face?

Timofey Tkachev has created this adorable build of an innocent-looking puppy. The dynamic pose of the model provides a sense of the puppy’s jovial personality, with its cute head tilt and raised paw. Wedge pieces form much of the face, cradling the lower part of the eyes and surrounding the eyebrows which are portrayed by arch pieces. A number of claw pieces have been placed across the build, representing strands of puppy’s fur. It’s a little tricky to tell what type of dog this model is actually based on, possibly something mixed with a poodle or a shih tzu at a guess. With those loving eyes, it feels as though this pup could get away with anything.

Peace and tranquility and some forced perspective

When I stumbled upon this creation by W.Navarre I had to look twice to confirm it is made out of LEGO. I recognize the minifigure and the cow as LEGO parts but the total shot looks like it’s straight from National Geographic. W.Navarre created mountains as a backdrop. For the mountains, they used different shades of blue which creates the forced perspective in this picture. The dark blue mountains represent the nearest mountains. The further away the mountains are, the lighter the shade of blue of the mountains appear to be. Just like in real life. Using a mirror as a surface to place the build on creates a reflection of the mountains and mimics water perfectly. The total shot of this creation is so realistic it is absolutely stunning! My guess is there are a lot of parts not connected in this build and that gravity plays a huge part in keeping this together which is perfectly fine!

And then the camera pulled back...

When this image of a forgotten temple came to my attention, I knew I wanted to feature it here. Nathan Hake has created an immersive scene that ticks a lot of my favorite boxes. There’s lovely organic building in the trees and vines. There’s interesting part usage in the idol made primarily of golden weapons. And I’ve just got a thing for ruined architecture. Add a dollop of the depth of field from the minifigure in the foreground, and you have something pretty special. But when I visited Nathan’s photostream to learn more, I found that this is only a detail shot of a much larger build. Keep reading to find out just how much bigger!

Continue reading →

A brick-built feline friend for you

There’s nothing that can replace a real, cuddly feline friend, but this adorable life-size LEGO cat by Felix Jaensch is a pretty good contender, at least as far as the realm of inanimate objects goes. While the majority of the build employs the classic studs-up style using mostly basic bricks that’s familiar to LEGOLAND visitors the world over, the result is excellent shaping of the cat’s smooth curves. The grey tuxedo coloring also adds a lot of interest to the build, breaking up the shape. Plus, I’m just a sucker for life-size builds. I’d totally have this in my office—wouldn’t you?