The Microsoft Flight Simulator new free update featuring the Nordic region has added details from the home of LEGO in Denmark. The update according to Microsoft includes detailed landscapes, regional architectures and 78 carefully selected points of interest. A treat for LEGO fans, we’re glad that the LEGO House made it into this update.
Click for a video showcasing a flight above the LEGO House
Grant Davis never ceases to inspire with his exceptional LEGO creations. This adorable cottage is far from some craggy shack. The color combos and shape set the stage for visions of a quaint ocean hideaway. But it’s tough to decide if the best details come from the sand blue spoilers used for clapboard siding, or the magnificent rocky outcropping upon which it sits. The seamless transition from the smooth boulder foundation to the building is excellent. One can also appreciate the conical hat used as a barrel lid, and skates used as door handles.
While you’re here you should check out some of Grant’s other work. Also, take a peek at some other excellent cottages and all sorts of landscape techniques.
It’s such a simple technique, but I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever seen anyone mix dark bluish gray and light bluish gray to produce the illusion of wet and dry stone before. I certainly haven’t seen it done as well as Hubba Blöoba accomplishes it here. The details of this ancient pillar are replicated as perfect mirrors of each other above and below the surface of the water. It makes it easy to imagine how hot to the touch the light bluish gray stone is, after baking in the coastal sunshine. Or how slippery the dark bluish gray stone would prove to be for any treasure hunters exploring these ruins on the search for lost swords or rings of power.
When the recent Everyone is Awesome set was released celebrating diversity and inclusion, it was a huge moment. While it certainly had its detractors, a large swath of LEGO fans, particularly those in LGBTQIA+ community were thrilled. A set that celebrates Pride Month coming from the largest toy company in the world was quite a statement. The fact that it was created by the openly gay Senior VP of Design at LEGO, Matthew Ashton, made it even more meaningful. Taking the set as inspiration, my husband and LEGO Masters partner Richard and I began a month-long build challenge on Instagram using the hashtag #rainbowbuildchallenge. As of the writing of this article there have been over 500 individual builds focusing on the joyful message the set represents.
For our contribution, we decided to forge some new territory for us: the greebled mosaic. It’s something we’ve wanted to tackle for a while and this seemed the perfect opportunity. It was quite an interesting challenge and pointed to the fact that some colors just don’t have a huge variety of interesting parts. The bright light blue section was quite difficult to complete and oddly, so was brown (at least in our collection). We still managed to fill a 48×48 baseplate with enough objects to provide some interesting texture and a sort of “I spy” game. In keeping with the original messaging of the Everyone is Awesome set, we used the monochrome figures from it, laying head to head around a central focused heart. We imagined them all lying down together, staring at the sky and thinking of a world where everyone feels included and represented.
If you would like to participate in the Rainbow Build Challenge, you can find a post about it on our Instagram page.
LEGO sets usually accompany new movies right before they hit the theaters, but the Minions theme has been the exception, in part due to the pandemic disrupting the film’s normal theater release, having been pushed back all the way to July of 2022. In the meantime, we’ve been getting various LEGO sets since early 2020, and now yet another will be making their way to store shelves. Today we are able to get a first look at 40511: Kung Fu Training (54 pieces). The price is not yet confirmed, but we expect it to retail for US $12.99 | CAN $16.99 | UK £11.99 when it’s available starting July 1.
Even though Minions 2: The Rise of Gru won’t be arriving on the silver screen until Summer 2022, you can still enjoy all of the dastardly villain fun with LEGO Minions sets. Several have already been released, such as 75546 Minions in Gru’s Lab, 75547 Minion Pilot in Training, and 75550 Minions Kung Fu Battle. This new accessory set adds to the chaos with a young Gru minifigure, the new Belle Bottoms minifigure, and two Minions.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
When I was a kid I was a sucker for toys, t-shirts, candy or books with a lenticular printing. Lenticular printing is a technology in which lenticular lenses are used to produce printed images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles. Back in the 90’s it was everywhere! Okay Yaramanoglu used a whole lot of LEGO cheese slopes in their latest creation to achieve this effect.
From one side we can see everyone’s favorite neighborhood hero, Spider-Man. But shift it a bit and his nemesis Venom is pictured. This pairing of good vs evil makes a perfect subject to use the lenticular technique on. And best yet, the build is not made to look like a framed picture or a poster, but rather it’s built to look like an actual comic book, complete with binding, book cover, differently colored pages on the inside and a barcode on the cover.
Grant Davis must know I am partial to a good brick-built insect. It is my dream to one day have framed Entomology display made entirely out of LEGO bricks. Now all I have to do is convince my partner that this is suitable decoration for a living room. These wonderful bugs by Grant might help me convince him. The body of the beetle is build using the vehicle spoiler for the antennas Grant used minifigure whips. There is an interesting mixture of brown parts used in the making of the branch. The flower on the branch must be some sort of parasitic plant species because it looks like it is not part of the branch itself. The eggs used for flowers petals is a very lovely touch and the presentation of this creation is simply sublime.
I’ve been following Goth Bricks 2000 for some time, and the LEGO mechs they create are nothing short of stunning, both in size and in posture. Recently they started to add lights into their mech models, and the effect is fantastic, adding the perfect touch of menace to take these mechanical monsters to the next level. This latest pair look like they could put the hurt on just about any foe.
LEGO 10292 Creator Expert Friends: The Apartments was revealed on May 11th, released for VIPs on May 19th, and worldwide on June 1st. With over 2,000 pieces and 7 minifigures, the set has many Easter eggs that reference various episodes from various seasons.
Watch the Designer Video here!
A new LEGO City subtheme named Stuntz is slated to be released later this year in October 2021. We take a first look at the assortment of bikes retrofitted with the push forward (friction motor based) featured dubbed the Stuntz Flywheel with a number of new and fun looking minifigures.
Click to see more of the Stuntz team in action
The title is a quote, recited by our favourite coughing cyborg from Star Wars. This brilliant LEGO build by Marcin Otreba captures the essence of General Grievous’ grim looking form. The skull-like features of the helmet are well defined and detailed while still staying true to the thin alien style of the head. But the best part has to be the piercing eyes of the model. Created simply by a tooth plate over a gold circular piece, this technique captures the animalistic nature in Grievous’ eyes. The use of dark red as flesh around the eyes suggests that there might be something even worse under this menacing mask.
The LEGO Ideas 21327 Typewriter is now available for purchase for LEGO Shop Online for US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99 today. It will be available for non-members and regular purchase from July 1st onwards.
