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.

To stand divided, we will surely fall

The Super Deformed (SD) aesthetic, sometimes better known as Chibi designs, has a unique appeal when representing characters, emphasizing cuteness and innocence. I think it works well with LEGO as a medium, especially when filled with details. Though this pair may not transform into their vehicle forms, these two best buddies Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, are built by Choi Dam Baek (최담백).

Posed in their robot mode, not only do they look great, but they do have enough articulation to bring them to life in a wonderful example of the Chibi aesthetic applied to unusual characters.

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Building it old school: PlayStation’s Spyro in LEGO

We see a lot of LEGO dragons, but they’re rarely as cute as Marius Herrmann‘s version of digital superstar Spyro. This winged beastie, familiar to PlayStation (and N64 and Xbox One) owners, is a delight, perfectly capturing the cute styling of the character. It’s worth taking a close look at this model to check out some of the details. Don’t miss the smart segmenting of Spyro’s underbelly, the subtle ridges down the tail, and the use of dismantled minifigure legs to provide the dragon’s nostrils! The base is a nice touch, adding more visual interest than simply displaying the model alone, and I love the inclusion of Sparx, Spyro’s flying insect pal.

Taking tilt to the next level [Video]

If you don’t know already, I’m a little obsessed with pinball. I’m also a little obsessed with mechanical LEGO builds, kinetic sculptures, and automaton. So naturally, I was overly excited when I saw that one of my favorite builders, Teun de Wijs, has married a couple of my favorite things together! This legendary pinball game turned LEGO automaton is incredible.

The way Teun uses gearing and switches to make the lights blink and the pot-bellied man tilt the machine makes me jealous at his ingenuity. I do have to say that the hip thrusting is a little intense though…

If you like this build, you’ll love Teun’s other magical LEGO creations. They are a step above anything else I’ve seen! Also, if you like pinball and haven’t checked out my own 100% LEGO machine, Benny’s Spaceship Adventure, you should take a look!

Move over Blacktron; Pinktron P6R is the new rover in town

For LEGO space enthusiasts, February means one thing – no, not flowers or romantic getaways, but space exploration rovers! It’s Febrovery once again, which means we’re seeing a ton of space-themed vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Although we’ve featured a few already, I’ve found a new personal favorite with this stylish and adorable rover by Frost.

The heavy-duty axles, all-terrain tires and bulky frame give this rover a seriously rugged and capable look. The coloration is unique and looks surprisingly good. But don’t let the pink trim fool you – this six-wheeled rig is ready to rock and roll!

I’ll bring her back in one piece... mostly

The original Death Star was designed with a fatal flaw — that tiny exhaust port right below the main port. With the second Death Star, the Empire corrected this flaw by making the exhaust port…bigger? Indeed, it was big enough for Lando to fly the Millennium Falcon right to the main reactor, and this stunning re-creation of the second Death Star’s final moments from Return of the Jedi by Didier Burtin closely resembles its on-screen inspiration. From the varied shades of gray and splashes of red that pull off the partially constructed look, to those red scaffolding pipes circling the opening, this scene makes us want to fly into the Death Star ourselves!

This is the second in a series of models by Didier featuring a microscale version of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, the first being a stunning shot of the Falcon attached to the back of a Star Destroyer from the Empire Strikes Back.

Wake up and smell the coffee

Nothing starts the day off better than a good cup of joe, and where better to get your caffeine hit than at Andy’s Café. Built by Norton 74, this coffee stand boasts a beautiful retro modernist design, with an elegant curved façade, bustling terrace and funky coffee cup signage. The iconic ‘we’re here’ arrow makes sure you don’t pass this one by.

The interior is a barista’s paradise, overflowing with coffee grinders, an espresso machine, sprinkles, syrups and pastries. In amongst it all are some lovely LEGO techniques: simple touches like the placement of white cones on single studs to suggest stacked cups. Continue reading →

AR-31 Swordfish cuts though air and enemies alike

No stranger to building wonderful and totally imaginative aircraft, Jon Hall brings us a gull-wing fighter plane that looks like a cross between a Corsair from World War II and a Star Wars TIE fighter. Like so many of his other aerial creations, Jon’s latest flyer – dubbed the AR-31 “Swordfish” – is exquisitely designed and presented. From the inverted gull wings and functional-looking pontoons to the bright color scheme and exposed engine components, this torpedo-armed seaplane has so much to love.

The wings and twin boom give the aircraft an undeniably sleek look, despite the bulbous fuselage. This plane and others by the builder are reminiscent of the Second World War and even interwar periods. Back then, aircraft designers went wild with all types of unique and downright crazy prototypes (see the French Breguet 410 or the USSR’s weird but intrepid Zveno Project). Jon’s planes, however, are completely and 100 percent original. In fact, one of his nicest touches is also developing the world in which they exist. It’s a fun addition that always leaves me wanting more.

These backstories and cinematic photos help bring these awesome creations to life. When it comes to this style of building – called “Sky-Fi” in the LEGO community – Jon is no doubt an ace. Check out many other great creations on his Flickr.

That’s some mighty fine blood you have there...

Mosquitos aren’t good for much, if you ask me. Except, perhaps, one thing–being turned into excellent LEGO models, like this one by Omar Ovalle. A rework of an old model, Omar has given it new life with giant ant wings and a proboscis fittingly made of a harpoon. The creature’s silver sheen makes me wonder if this is, in fact, a creature at all, or if it’s perhaps a drone-squito, AKA my newest nightmare.

Massive Star Wars Resistance Bomber built from over 5,000 LEGO pieces is ready to unload on the First Order Dreadnaught

One of the best things about highlighting the best fan-built LEGO creations is the numerous occasions to watch and re-watch the most spectacular movie scenes. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi treated us to a whole bunch of fascinating battle scenes and visual effects, but I’ve totally forgotten how good the opening scene is. A great thank you to Mirko Soppelsa for giving us an unscheduled reason to enjoy the heroic deeds of Poe and Rose with this jaw-dropping model of an MG-100 StarFortress bomber. The build counts almost 5200 LEGO pieces and stands over 25 in/64 cm high. What a monster!

See more details of this amazing LEGO Star Wars masterpiece

Cadet Thrawn outwits his opponents in the metallurgy lab

While many stories and characters passed into so-called “Legends” status when Disney acquired Lucasfilm, some fan-favorites have been incorporated into the new canon, and I can’t think of any character more deserving than Mitth’raw’nuruodo — or Thrawn, as he is more commonly known in Galactic Basic. The Chiss Grand Admiral had a more humble introduction to Imperial life as a cadet at the military academy on Coruscant in the first book of Timothy Zahn‘s new trilogy. In this jam-packed scene by CRCT Productions built as a RebelLUG collaboration, there are so many great details, not the least of which is the light gray angled walkway bordered by the two-color spring-loaded shooter brick.

See more of Thrawn’s early victory after the jump

The LEGO Movie 2’s sewer babies just got bigger

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part officially opens today (be sure to read our LEGO Movie 2 review), and to mark the occasion, “Big Daddy” Nelson has taken a few of the movie’s smallest characters and given them a huge makeover. Built in the style of the classic 3723 Creator Minifigure set, these giant sewer babies look just like their miniature counterparts from the TLM2 Accessory Set.

They have even more range than the toddler elements they’re based on, featuring double-sided heads and movable hands. They’re also more complex than you might think, with some clever mosaic work needed to translate the prints on the torsos and heads into bricks.

Color and light blend beautifully in this Medieval city

Fantasy castle building often leans towards the creation of dark, gloomy and foreboding places in which one would not lightly tread. Master castle builder Jonas Wide usually takes a different route, however, using cheerful splashes of color to create incredibly warm and welcoming scenes. This style is definitely evident in his latest creation, the Houses of Barqa:

The buildings are elegantly designed and laid out, but the real star of this show is the use of color. If there’s been a better use of sand red, I haven’t seen it. The pastel palette blends so well with the more subtle tan/dark tan foundations and street. Taken together, it’s a gorgeous and eye-catching scene. Clever use of lighting also makes for some atmospheric and quite realistic looking images.

If Jonas’ city leaves you wishing for more, definitely check out his amazing Streets of Barqa from several years ago or last year’s Aslanic Temple in Barqa.