Tag Archives: Animals

It gave me the creeps. It was all it had to give.

Inevitably there are some nights when, just as we’re finally drifting off to sleep, we are jostled awake by startling and unpleasant thoughts. Did I pay that gas bill? Did the dog go potty before bed? Is that Eric Porterfield behind the hamper? You may as well just write off sleep for the rest of the night once you get going with that. Amado Canlas Pinlac has built one such unsettling thing to give you the heebie-jeebies right before falling asleep.

The giant red centipede (Scolopendra Heros) can reach up to 8 inches (200mm) in length and lives in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Amado’s version is three times that size and lives wherever it damn well pleases, like in your sock drawer! Sleep tight.

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Cerulean crustacean

Crabs are amazing creatures, and they have a broader appeal than their more sinister-looking arachnid cousins. This colorful creature by Aaron Van Cleave makes great use of some contraction (constructible action) figure parts from the short-lived Ben 10 theme, including this leg section and a leg cover with scales used in the big claw. An assortment of round white elements make for perfect barnacles, and the unicorn horns provide a spiny defense mechanism.

Among the white petals waits a patient predator

Did you know that praying mantises are one of the fastest animals on the planet? They creep deceptively slow as they stalk their prey, but these stealthy strikers can snatch a meal twice as fast as the blink of an eye. Now, I don’t think this mantis, built by DanielBrickSon, is going to be making any sudden moves, but it sure looks good! The body-shaping is accurate, and the use of the Ninjago sword for the front legs is a perfect touch. I have to say, though, one of my most favorite parts is the use of the shin guards for the branch bark, a technique first seen on the cherry tree in Ninjago City.

Another fun fact: male mantises can continue to mate, even after the female decapitates them. She will eat him and any other would-be partners in order to give the eggs the best chance of survival. Romantic, huh? If you like LEGO animals, take a peek at some other (non-cannibalistic) creations, like a handsome boar or this colorful Bioni-frog.

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.

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.

Easter’s symbol of fertility

Whether you’re religious or not, Easter is a great time to recognize the breath of fresh air that is springtime. The flowers are blooming and baby animals are coming into the world. Rabbits, well known for their prolific ability to procreate, are the adorable mascots of the season. The candy-filled eggs (also a symbol of fertility) are a pretty cool bonus too. Although it doesn’t come with eggs, Felix Jaensch’s latest build sits amongst the best LEGO bunnies around. Most are sitting or standing, but laying down makes this one catch your eye. Realistic as always, it is more proof that he certainly has a keen eye for organic shapes!

If you can’t get enough builds for the occasion, this cartoon-ish bunny is full of character!

Cute from tusk to... tail?

You gotta love it when you see a cool use of parts and wonder, “Why the heck didn’t I think of that?” One of the greatest things about the LEGO community is that we are in a wonderful position to share ideas with each other, all over the world. Inspiration makes us all better builders. And Jens Ohrndorf is certainly a builder who sparks creative ideas. These adorable little pachyderms are part of a menagerie of expertly crafted creatures. Many of which use clever techniques to achieve character. For example, the use of the Unikitty tail element for an elephant trunk is brilliant!

Anxious to see another technique from this builder? Check out these vultures, or perhaps a polar bear. Not into animals? Maybe this awesome toy train will interest you!

The Yin and Yang of panda house design

This month is an exciting time for the Copenhagen Zoo because they will be introducing a pair of pandas to the public this month. The two bears will be taking up residence in the Panda House, an enclosure designed to look like the Chinese symbol for yin and yang. Builder Full Plate was commissioned to build a replica of the Panda House for the Copenhagen LEGO Store, where it will be on display. It’s a great likeness of the original, complete with the curved staircase and viewing area. The unique architecture is accentuated by lush landscaping.

More pandas!

A bird that looks majestic in miniature

For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is finally here. In observance of the season, Jarema has built a small, yet elegant-looking LEGO bird returning from the tropics. It doubles as an excellent case study in how just a few parts can go a long way in modeling a subject that is instantly recognizable. Coupled with the tilted beak, black wings staggered above white wings imply we are birdwatching from beneath the clouds.

Meanwhile, the placement of each element is carefully calculated. Red crowbars make for excellent feet stretched out in flight, and the mechanical arm doubles nicely as a neck. I particularly love how the minifigure epaulette has been used to form the bird’s belly. It looks like it could hold a fish or two!

The art of the butterfly

LEGO artists often title their creations with a cryptic title like “Daydream” or skip the title altogether, allowing the viewer more freedom in interpretation. Dario Minisini’s latest creation surprises with a descriptive and beautiful title: “Life is not always grey. There are colors too.”

Multiple gray butterflies leading to a rainbow-colored one makes for a powerful composition. Their flight path seemingly implies that the colorful butterfly and its monochromatic counterparts represent a single butterfly, possibly viewed from a different angle or transformed as it flies through the triangle. Supports are made from bent translucent bar pieces that Dario uses in many of his builds. I think it’s great how Dario manages to keep the creation’s message open-ended, even with the descriptive title. However, it is not quite true that the three gray butterflies are void of color – they use sand blue wedge plates for the undersides of the wings. Could this be a subtle message or just a lack of parts?

Bringing LEGO to life with a handsome macaque

It takes a great deal more skill to sculpt with basic LEGO bricks than you might think. The ability to produce organic curves from rectangular bricks is awe-inspiring, and strikes envy in those of us who are always searching for that perfect shape. Upon seeing this life-size Rhesus macaque, I knew it had to be the work of Felix Jaensch, who is a master of the art. I must say, it really could not have been done better!

Adult males like this one (just in case you weren’t sure if it’s a male) are about 18-25in long and weigh an average of about 16-19lbs. They have an expressive face, which is perfectly captured here. Additionally, the lovely use of a select few slopes gives the fluffier bits texture and character, and the minifigure hand to finish the nose is genius!

Rhesus macaques are probably the most commonly known macaques in the world. That’s partly because these monkeys have a massive home range in central and southern Asia, and are invasive in several other places in the world. They’re also widely studied and used in research due to their high level of intelligence and fairly close physiological relation to humans. It was a study of their blood that led to our understanding of the Rh blood-typing system we use today!

If you like Felix’s style, check out some of the other life-size animals we’ve featured, like his Red Panda, Macaw, Rabbit, or American Kestrel.

Doing a lot with a little: big LEGO creatures done small

You don’t need a huge pile of pieces or a deep wallet to be able to create something beautiful with LEGO. This bottlenose dolphin by Ken Ito (暁工房) is a perfect example of how just a few pieces can bring a scene to life. The dolphin consists of fewer than 20 pieces, and the base employs only simple, common elements. But there’s more motion evoked with them than you’ll find in many models that are much larger.

Ken’s gorilla is another perfect specimen, utilizing simple pieces to craft the animal’s shape. The head and face are particularly impressive, which really consist of only three slopes, but there’s no mistaking this noble creature’s gaze.