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.

How much bricks would Lewa chuck?

We know and love Anthony Wilson for his charismatic and vibrant brick-built characters. Some of them are utterly cute, while others are inspired by some very challenging video games. But this time Anthony draws inspiration from the very first generation of LEGO Bionicle sets, and in this particular case — from 8535 Lewa. His lumberjack Lewa scene is a stunning combination of smart building solutions and tiny references. The highlight of the scene is, of course, Lewa’s plaid shirt, which suits the hero surprisingly well! But can you spy the rest of symbols and smart use of pieces?

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When an obsession becomes a liability

No doubt, any LEGO fan with a passion for building can relate to this humorous scene by Ralf Langer. LEGO Star Wars 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon burst on to the scene in 2017 with a whopping 7541 pieces and a price tag to match. Star Wars fans flocked to the store to bring their large prize home, often to the chagrin of their partners, families and bank accounts.

I love a model that tells a story and this one employs some great details that serve to add to the narrative. The inclusion of dead plants is a funny little gem and the expressions on all the minifig’s faces tell us everything we need to know about what they are thinking. The mom’s rolling suitcase and the daughter’s teddy bear are a nice touch as well as the many open boxes of parts spread around the room. The Millennium Falcon itself is also a terrific little build all on its own. My favorite bit is the LEGO storage shelves which are all organized by part. The bucket handles add a nice splash of color and detail and the use of single parts in the shelves represent the organization system perfectly. A true homage to the LEGO obsessed.

LEGO Star Wars Tantive IV now available with Battle of Hoth freebie, double VIP points and more [News]

LEGO is celebrating May the Fourth a day early by making Star Wars 75244 Tantive IV available for purchase for VIP members. The set comes with 1,768 pieces and six minifigures including Princess Leia and Bail Organa, and sells for US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99. The set will be available generally starting tomorrow.

In addition to the Tantive IV, LEGO is offering quite a few freebies including the exclusive 195-piece 40333 Battle of Hoth with LEGO Star Wars purchases of $75 US / £75 UK, double VIP points on all LEGO Star Wars purchases and other sales that vary by store and region.

Additionally, the elusive 70842 Emmet’s Triple-Decker Couch Mech from The LEGO Movie 2 is now available for US $29.99 | CAN $3.99 | UK £24.99 as well as the new Disney Collectible Minifigure Series 2 for US $3.99 | CAN $4.99 | UK £2.99 each (read our feel guide here to help find your favorite characters).

Add that to the 21 sets launched late last month from Toy Story 4, Spider-Man, and The LEGO Movie 2 and we have ourselves the beginning of a very promising summer in terms of new LEGO sets.

A tear can either carry pain, or hope

We featured an emotionally packed creation by Malin Kylinger a few months ago, and the builder returns to the theme with another scene in a similar style.

The build has a very authentic LEGO style, using some prominent elements, like official dragons and an eagle, in their intended way. The same impression is facilitated by the brick and slope design of the translucent outer shell of the tear, reminiscent of brick sculptures one can see in Legoland parks, LEGO stores and other promotions around the world. Many LEGO artists choose serious themes for their creations, but Malin’s very loyal approach to the brick as a child’s toy makes the contrast between the message and the medium even more pronounced. The builder says the creation is open to interpretation, and mine is “contrasts everywhere!”

Space elephant shines in silver brick

All hail the mighty space elephant! Created by Demetrius Gaouette, this sci-fi war beast is decked out in dazzling silver armor. The use of silver elements is what sets this elephant apart as something from the future. I’m a big fan of the lack of curvature to the elephant’s ears and legs, allowing the viewer to focus on other design aspects like the armor and troops. Next time Blacktron goes to war, they’d definitely want a dozen of these in battle.

Demetrius’ model is a digital render, with some parts not yet commercially available in certain colors illustrated.

Harry and Draco duel it out as stars of the show

When it comes to creations shared on The Brothers Brick, it may seem like the brick-built models are the stars of the show while minifigures stand in as accessories. This is not always the case, though. For example, in Hugo’s model of Draco Malfoy casting Serpensortia, the architecture acts as a frame or backdrop while the minifigures take center stage.

Don’t get me wrong, this backdrop is built amazingly well – from the stained glass window, to the arch over the window, and the mixed brickwork – but I’m a sucker for well-integrated minifigures. While there are some stock characters mixed in, such as Filch, Snape, Draco and Harry, my favourites are the other characters that fill out the scene. There’s a subtle art to choosing the right facial expressions and hair pieces to bring a character to life, and then you need to position them in a dynamic way to ensure they’re reacting appropriately and not all standing parallel or perpendicular to each other. Hugo has nailed all of that in this scene. The full range of expected emotions is visible, with characters upset, scared, or angry depending on their house. Yet this ignores the most cleverly placed minifigure of them all…the one that’s included in the building itself as a moving painting.

Super spiffy speeder bike and rider

The hovering speeder bike is a subject that has inspired many LEGO fan creators over the years, with many science fiction movies, comic books, and anime providing plenty of inspiration. Examples from popular culture often combine real-world mechanical bike features like windscreens, stickers, pedals and thrumming engines with fantastical fins, guns, and even bigger jet engines. Minifig scale versions are fairly common, but Djokson has opted to build a larger scale speeder bike complete with a sleek and racy rider.

Among the key details that get my heart racing are twisting flexible tubing running the length of the bike, connecting the front and rear engines to the fuel supply. Rubber tires turned inside out give the rider’s hips a smooth transition, and those boots made from just a few parts are a great visual focal point.

Be the belle of your next Beltane

Next on The Brothers Brick runway is the fabulous Ayfoal, who is a druid from Brickenshire. Her fashion designer is none other than builder Letranger Absurde. She is adorned with a sassy buckskin midriff-baring two-piece number that is all the rage in the druid community right now. The ragged green trim of her ankle-length skirt brings her closer to nature while her gloves protect her from getting a little too in-touch with the elements.

Leafy ornaments tastefully accent her armbands and choker, while her low-slung belt holds just the right secret manna potions for a night on the glen. The hip pouch is just a bit wood sprite, just a tad forest elf and oh-so-impishly dazzling! A daring little cow skull adorns her belt, which is trending among the Celtic set at the moment. Her buckskin boots were quite literally made for sashaying along the countryside. While her charmed staff lets us all know who is in charge around here, her little smile exudes confidence and says, I’m willing to play, but only if you’re nice. What a ravishing build!

An Assassin’s Creed

One of the things I enjoy about the LEGO community is seeing how certain people grow as builders. NS Brick Designs has created some fantastic models, but I loved looking at the comparison of his most recent Assassin’s Creed creation to the original built three years ago. His attention to detail has really come a long way.

The Assassin’s Creed game franchise is known for its wide ranging locations and times in history. While this scene isn’t based on one particular game, it captures the spirit of the series perfectly with one of the titular assassins on top of the building ready to leap down and take out the enemy. Various techniques are used here to create a wonderful look. The use of the gears and mechanical arms as decor give great detail to the building along with upside down ice cream cones and Battle Droid legs to create a nice treatment over the windows. The tree made from the 3 leaf pieces and in particular the bird made from a plume, minifigure hands and the base of a lever really caught my eye. I also like the use of the sideways profile bricks that make up the paved ground and the connected clips that lend a nice look to the stairway railing.

There is a lot to appreciate in this LEGO model, so be sure to take the time to take a closer look and be inspired.

All orange, all the time

If you have been even a marginal LEGO buyer these past few years, you might be familiar with the ubiquitous Brick Separator. I have dozens of them myself. They come with nearly every set nowadays, mostly in orange, however they have made some rare appearances in green and now in dark turquoise. But what can you use them for besides prying up that pesky 1×4 plate? If you answered “build Torrac’s Race Bike with them”, then you might be a builder who goes by the name Inthert.

Every angle of this futuristic hover bike is expertly crafted, proving that with a bit of imagination, you can find inspiration beyond an obvious purpose. Even with the humble Brick Separator.

Apocalypse build makes use of “shattered” bricks

“The End” clearly isn’t the end of fantastic LEGO creations in this post-apocalyptic build by SweStar. Using more than 50 round tiles as roadway, dozens of clear slopes and a random assortment of brick debris, SweStar is able to pull of the look of mankind’s dreary future. I found the use of slopes as broken windows to be very insightful and realistic. The red truck frame also stuck out due to it being one of the oldest LEGO accessories in this build, a literal relic from another time.

Safety, practicality, and dignified luxury mean nothing when raising hell

Many prefer the safety, practicality and reliability of a Toyota while driving to work. Others find that the versatile design and all-wheel drive of a Subaru speaks to their rugged sensibilities while exploring the great outdoors. Some, with greater means, may enjoy the sense of dignified luxury that a Lexus can provide. Chris Perron’s Gyrobike, on the other hand, is none of these.

Because when your name is Buzzsaw and you’re sporting a post-apocalyptic mohawk, you ain’t got time for dignified luxury, Jack! You’re all about rippin’ the road and raisin’ hell! Based on the wild concept designs of artist Calum Alexander Watt, this beast, like the Subaru, is also all-wheel drive. Meaning…it is all wheel and not much else. Can it pick up the kiddos from school? Sorry, rugrats, get your own damn ride! Can it get groceries at the local supermarket? Heck no! This Gyrobike is designed for crushing groceries! And heads, probably.