Tag Archives: Andreas Lenander

That is one smooth SHIP you have there sir

September is quickly coming to an end, and you know what that means… pumpkin spice (the spice must flow). But it also means an end to one of the most challenging and rewarding LEGO monthly build contests. That epic challenge known to many as SHIPtember. SHIP in this case stands for seriously huge investment in parts, as demonstrated by this tall boy by Andreas Lenander. One of the hallmarks of a great ship is its greebles, those seemingly random bits and bobs. Andreas uses them sparingly to spice up the large top section.

There are lots of subtle curves throughout the build like the small repeated section on the lower sides, and the long smoothed out front section. I also like the tangle of black pipes leading to the main thruster, but I think my favorite part is the large eye-like orange ring on the side. Another nice part usage is the bit of straight roller coaster track used to attach an assortment of sensors.

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A long journey arrives at a most tranquil place

They say that the journey is what matters more than the destination, and that is certainly true for this weary traveler who has reached a gate in his long journey towards a distant temple in this tranquil scene by Andreas Lenander. The walls have a slightly weather-worn look using a few tan plates and even a few ingot pieces mixed in with white. The many black roof areas are accented with several angled black tiles. Two tall trees made with flexible brown tubes are a very nice touch.

Cubes used to make cubist art. Seems legit to me

Art may be a very subjective topic, but Andreas Lenander knows the subject quite well. In a delightfully meta take on “Cubism”, they have incorporated LEGO DOTS cubes into the walls of a swanky art museum. The designs in the framed art are also quite lovely, showing the versatility of both Andreas and the DOTS tiles themselves. And that great bench and plant don’t exactly hurt the realism, either. This seems like a great place to stop and contemplate perspective issues and maybe enjoy a pricy beverage from the cafe. (Hey, the arts need to fund themselves sometimes.)

This build was inspired by design by Ryan Howerter, showing once again that great artists can build on each other’s successes. If you’re looking for your own sources of inspiration, might I suggest a stroll through our art tag?

Never trust a cube-shaped bot

There are so many ways to give your LEGO bot a character, and one of them is through the shape of its head. For instance, you can build a very menacing-looking bot with a sphere-shaped head or put a really intimidating one with a triangle on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Andreas Lenander chooses another very terrifying option and designs his bots to carry cube-shaped heads. There’s plenty of ways to make LEGO bricks look scary, but these robots have to be my number one pick. Just look at their creepy laser eyes..!

A bridge too fantastic

Bridges are primarily about function. Whether it’s rope, or wood, or stone, or steel; it needs to connect point A to point B and hold your weight. If it does that, it’s a pretty great bridge, no matter how ugly it is. But Andreas Lenander doesn’t settle for anything so basic. The bridge at the centerpiece of his latest build is about function and form.

By building up two towers of 1×1 plates with vertical clips, connecting them with bars, and then bending the resulting structure, Andreas has devised a bridge that looks right at home in the serene wilderness surrounding it. And there’s some pretty clever technique in that wilderness, as well. In particular, the minifigure whips twisted together make for realistically gnarled tree trunks. All in all, it’s the kind of locale you’d want to stroll slowly through, holding a loved one’s hand. Or trek through on your way to a mystic temple. Whichever is more your speed.

Is LEGO a cottage industry?

What do you do when you’re already a great builder, but want to challenge yourself? Do Andreas Lenander has done, and create an amazing cottage using the most questionable construction techniques you can think of. They really don’t make them like they used to. While Andreas has drawn inspiration from other great builders including Grantmaster and Ralf Langer, each dodgy construction features updates and tweaks to make this build truly unique.

Get away from it all and ponder the meaning of life

Builder Andreas Lenander gives us a place to ponder the imponderables at the Jaz’ira Monastery. This secluded island getaway has it all, including great building techniques, intricate details, and even an elusive LEGO goat. There’s also wallpaper from Wayne Manor in the tower, suggesting this island may hold some dark secrets. Or that Andreas just like making use of unusual parts and liked the pattern. Who are we to say? What we can say, though, is that the detailing on the roof tiles is stellar, and the teal and gold accents on the second tower are equally elegant. I also like the disconnected splash of transparent blue 1×2 tile around the base – sometimes you don’t need to attach everything to make a scene feel connected.

This creation was inspired by the monastery category in this year’s Summer Joust event. Check out other great builds we’ve featured from that competition!

The peaceful garden temple

LEGO builds are often quite small-scale compared to minifigures, with buildings occupying the equivalent space of a car, and castles the size of houses. Here builder Andreas Lenander has flipped that script on its head with a temple gazebo scene in a garden that’s the size of many LEGO castles. Unsurprisingly for Andreas, there are lots of lovely details, too, though one of the best might be the minifigure katana holders that make the hanging lanterns on either side of the gazebo.

Flames amongst the ocean

Myleth Dorei is under attack by a vicious dragon. His terrible flame breath has bisected the island, cutting off the small fishing village from the castle with a trail of charred forest. Will the islanders survive this brutal attack? Only builder Andreas Lenander knows for sure. Andreas has done an excellent job at rendering a complex story in a small space with this microscale vignette. It’s full of lots of clever details, like using some Harry Potter wands still connected to a spur as the castle gate. And the dragon is effectively rendered in very few pieces, so that it’s light enough to be suspended in the sky by the fire that its breathing. But my favorite detail is the hollow space in the center, covered with trans-clear plates that allow the light from an iPhone to shine upwards, creating a true sense of a raging inferno.

A temple in the sky

Builder Andreas Lenander invites us to visit a trio of magical floating islands with his latest microscale build. I’m impressed by how the opaque azure bricks blend rather seamlessly with the transparent blue to create an effective sense of continuity to the waterfalls that keep these islands suspended in the air. And the churning effect created at the base of the bottom waterfall with just a couple of transparent clear plates really completes the illusion.

Everything is melting! Also everyone!

The new Everyone is Awesome set is, well, awesome. But inclusivity and cool monochrome minifigures aren’t exactly new ideas. Just ask Andreas Lenander – they’ve been building in those themes for a while now. Andreas has combined earlier builds into a stellar group display that showcases the full range of melty creative possibilities. Out of the group, my favorites are still the black and white builds, even if the stark contrast there doesn’t lean into the more colorful…hold up. Is that Batman I see hiding behind the red waterfall?

Don’t think that Andreas is limited to one thematic style, though. Check out a full range of great builds that we’ve featured in the past!

It was a lovely day in paradise, but it was about to go horribly wrong

If you live in the oasis city of Kaligem, safe behind the sturdy walls, nestled among white towers and golden spires you might count yourself fortunate. But your good fortune is coming to a swift end in this scene by Andreas Lenander which depicts the final moments of a city that has brought down the wrath of the gods in the form of a giant wall of sand that would give the Coriolis storms of Arrakis a run for its money.