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.

Some alone time in the Herbology Lab

Neville Longbottom is working overtime for that extra credit in this lovely scene by architeclego. A quick scroll through their Instagram feed shows architeclego’s skills at creating great models and a mastery over lighting and effects that really elevate their photos to the next level. This beautiful little Harry Potter themed creation is no exception!

While everyone else is out practicing their broom skills and spell casting, Neville is hard at work on his Herbology homework. His wand is at the ready and earmuffs firmly in place for working with the screaming mandrake root.The lab has a lived-in look with the many jars and plants scattered around the room and the two levels give the whole thing a nice sense of vertical scale. Ron’s rat Scabbers even makes an appearance, peeking out from behind the pots. It takes a deft hand to seamlessly use non-LEGO objects in a model, but architeclego does so here with great results. The real plants blend in quite nicely with their plastic counterparts and the spray of water in the greenhouse is a perfect dash of realism.

While the whole scene is fantastic, it’s the lighting and effects work that really make this scene shine. The daylight coming in through the windows looks authentic, but it’s the light beams coming from the greenhouse that provide the most impact. We all love seeing a nicely photographed LEGO model, but as this set up demonstrates, a little attention to lighting effects can really transcend the art form.

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Sauron looks pleased with his creation

Sauron, the evil creator of the One Ring at the center of the Lord of the Rings books and movies spends the majority of his screen time as nothing more than a giant flaming eye at the top of his dark tower of Barad-dûr, he does make a brief appearance at the beginning of the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring, in the physical form of a towering spike-armored figure with a mighty mace, which he uses to lay waste to countless enemies. Aaron Newman has built an amazing model of Sauron poised at the edge of a lava flow, holding up his creation, perhaps just after pouring his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life into the One Ring.

The distinct helmet and armor feature some of the new blades found in many of the Ninjago sets released last year, as well as a very nice ragged cape made from a couple of large capes. I am especially glad that Aaron chose to build his model in gray rather than black, as it would have been much more difficult to see all those great details.

A collection of Cambrian creatures

The Cambrian Period was the first geological period of the Paleozoic era, lasting from 541 million to 485.4 million years ago. This time in earth’s history witnessed an explosion in the appearance of multicellular organisms like those represented by these LEGO sea creatures built by Luis Peña. Each one is a prehistoric work of art worthy of display in a museum.

Have a closer look at these sea creature’s from earth’s distant past.

Attack of the Giant Man [Instructions]

If you’re a fan of the Marvel Superheroes theme, you might remember the only official Giant-Man LEGO figure was found in set 76051 Super Hero Airport Battle. It was built and designed to look like an upscaled minifigure, but the sharp angles made it feel a bit boxy. Personally, I prefer what hachiroku24 has done by using various parts typically found in LEGO’s constraction (buildable action) figures like the Elite Praetorian Guard. I think it gives the figure a more life-like appearance and, if you fancy it, you can build one of your own using this video instruction guide.

Breaking News: deadbeat dad ruins kid’s life, hand

A Tatooine man known as Darth Vader has ruined his son Luke’s life and chopped off his hand, sources told our reporters last Monday. This creation by Joffre Zheng depicted the scene immediately after the lightsaber duel on Bespin where Vader and Skywalker took the kerfuffle onto a dangerous overhang. After slicing off Luke’s hand, a portion of guardrail and some other mechanical doodads, the two exchanged heated words. Vader had reportedly goaded Skywalker about the power of the Dark Side before revealing that he was his father.

Unbelieving that such a deadbeat could be his dad, Luke jumped hundreds of feet then slid down what might have been a garbage shoot. He later emerged, clinging to a radio antenna beneath Bespin’s superstructure. Skywalker was later rescued on board the Millennium Falcon by his friends Chewbacca, Princess Leia Organa, and Lando Calrissian. “The kid was bummed”, Calrissian told our reporters. “Like, totally bummed, man.” Authorities were not called to the scene of the incident, and it was reported that alcohol was not involved. At press time Skywalker had also learned that Leia Organa was his sister, making the passionate kiss they shared earlier quite awkward indeed.

Where to eat in Ninjago City

Feeling hungry while touring Ninjago City? Be sure to visit one of MyOwnLegoCreations‘ six fantastic food carts! Come with me as we visit the wide variety of tasty treats on offer. Our tour begins at a sushi cart in a red and gold theme brimming with maki. The look is completed by two lanterns sporting gold tassels and the menu tile from the Ninjago City Set. Don’t forget the wasabi!

Click through to see the rest of the delicious offerings!

Slyme wins the internet

The internet is a fun, stress-free place to live, work, and play where everyone is civil to one another. Why just today I received a courteous email from a Canadian pharmaceutical company who would like to help me gain valuable length and girth (whatever that means) and another email from a super-polite Nigerian prince who offered to share his fortune with me. Do I want to click to see a photo of the fattest pussycat I would ever see? You bet I do! I literally can’t think of any way that could go horribly wrong. Among all of this internet surfing, I had stumbled upon this charming creation by Fedde Barendrecht.

It is most parts LEGO, some parts painted Blu-tac, and all parts slimy goodness. Andrew says this could go viral, which is The Brothers-Brick technical internet speak for-its super cool. You should click on all of Fedde’s content because he is no stranger to building a menagerie of little weirdos just like this one. Later today I might get into a dignified political debate with someone Josh says is probably a Russian troll. I’d sure like to meet a Russian troll! I bet they’re as cute as this little guy here. What a delightful day on the internet this has been!

Do all droids speak the same language?

Something I’ve always wondered is if both BB-8 and R2-D2 converse in the same droid language. As it turns out, based on the Data Files from Star Wars, it seems that BB-8 speaks a 27th-generation droidspeak — I assume a newer form of communication. This means that BB-8 could be spewing out vulgarities at poor old Artoo and he’d be none the wiser. These two builds by Rui Miguel Anacleto of the two famous droids are some of the best-looking LEGO-built droids that I’ve seen at this scale.

Granted, the dome of R2-D2’s headpiece isn’t quite round, but I like how the detailing is captured by utilising printed parts from the official versions in their individual polybags.

May the force be with you, Peter Mayhew

May the 4th can be an exciting time for Star Wars fans, thanks in part to sales and promotions going on. Unfortunately, this year’s festivities have taken on a somber note because, on April 30th, the 7’3″ (2.21m) Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew died at age 74. With only barks, grunts and growls, the occasionally belligerent but always lovable Chewbacca became a pop culture icon. Kale Frost built this heartfelt tribute to Chewbacca and the towering British-born actor who donned the iconic fur costume to play him. With tools in hand, his back to the viewer and facing a bright light, this composition conveys the message nicely.

Peter Mayhew had a form of gigantism that can cause crippling joint pain and poor blood circulation. In 2011 he and his wife Angie started the Peter Mayhew Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to the alleviation of disease, pain, suffering, and the financial toll brought on by life’s traumatic events. Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, said that Mr. Mayhew was “a kind and gentle man, possessed of great dignity and noble character.” In a statement, George Lucas said of him, “He was the closest any human being could be to a Wookiee: big heart, gentle nature.”

Hannes Tscharner’s quest for a movie-accurate LEGO Millennium Falcon results in a 12,000-piece upgrade

Swiss builder Hannes “Marshal Banana” Tscharner has been in pursuit of a movie-accurate Millennium Falcon ever since he first shared his 7,500-piece custom LEGO Millennium Falcon back at the end of 2015. He’s recently overhauled his 2015 model thanks to some new parts that were released in the official Ultimate Collectors Series (UCS) 75192 Millennium Falcon in 2017.

His journey started when he was inspired by images and teaser trailers from The Force Awakens in November 2014. Back then, the largest official Millennium Falcon available was the 10179 UCS version with a part count of 5179 pieces. We learned from our interview with Hannes that his 2015 version stood at 7,500 pieces and wasn’t built in reference to any existing LEGO sets and was scaled to the cockpit referenced from the System-scale 75105 released for The Force Awakens earlier in the fall of 2015.

Click to see more stunning details of the 12000 piece Millennium Falcon

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for May 5, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the first week of May 2019.

Star Wars mania has been in full swing in the lead up to May 4th weekend. Read on to see some new product announcements and even more LEGO news of the week.

TBB REVIEWS & FEATURES: We dig deep for the new LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71024 Disney Series 2 and have a chat with our own Rod Gillies about his upcoming LEGO Star Wars Build Your Own Adventure book.

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71024 Disney Series 2 Feel Guide – The new Disney Series 2 Minifigs have dropped and we have your feel guide to finding your favorite characters in the crowd.
New LEGO Star Wars Build Your Own Adventure book — exclusive first look and interview – We take an early peek at the New LEGO Star Wars Build Your Own Adventure book and talk with author, builder, and TBB Senior Contributor Rod Gillies.
Exclusive interview with LEGO Star Wars head of design Jens Kronveld Frederiksen – TBB Editor-in-Chief Andrew Becraft sits down with the head of design for the LEGO Star Wars theme.

MORE TBB NEWS: From the LEGO BOOST Droid Commander reveal to three new Summer 2019 Harry Potter sets, we have your other LEGO news of the week including a look behind the scenes of the new Tantive VI with its designers.

Build and program your own Star Wars droid with this LEGO BOOST Droid Commander set – LEGO announced a new Star Wars themed set for the BOOST that allows you to program one of three droids including R2-D2.
LEGO Star Wars Tantive IV now available with Battle of Hoth freebie, double VIP points and more – The Tantive IV arrives in stores in time for May 4th.
LEGO Star Wars set designers share some secrets of the upcoming 75244 Tantive IV – LEGO set designer César Soares and graphic designer Maddy O’Neil give us a look behind the scenes of the new Tantive VI.
Six LEGO Harry Potter sets officially revealed including Knight Bus, Triwizard Tournament and Advent Calendar – LEGO officially announces the remaining three Harry Potter sets for Summer 2019 along with a holiday Advent Calendar

Exclusive interview with LEGO Star Wars head of design Jens Kronveld Frederiksen [Feature]

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, I recently sat down with Jens Kronveld Frederiksen, the Director of Design for the LEGO Star Wars line. Jens has been with LEGO for more than 20 years, and shares his insights on how he joined the company, what lessons he’s learned over the years, and how LEGO balances input from both kids and adults. Read through to the end to learn a really cool detail about the movie Millennium Falcon Jens saw during a visit to Pinewood Studios during the filming of The Force Awakens!

The Brothers Brick: Just about every LEGO builder’s dream is to become a set designer. How did your career as a designer begin?

Jens Kronveld Frederiksen: A little bit of a weird story and coincidence. LEGO has been a great part of my life for as long as I remember. I really, really loved LEGO but I was never thinking of it as a profession or a career to be honest. In 1998 I was participating in a model building exhibition. I have a hobby building plastic model kits, which mainly is of World War II stuff. At that event in Copenhagen, there were some LEGO people there, and they were looking to hire designers not for model builders but for making new prototypes for new elements, and well I was of course interested in that. And then before I started on that, I saw a job application for a permanent position as model builder and I got the job. That’s how I got into it.

Read our exclusive interview with LEGO’s head of design for Star Wars