Tag Archives: Animals

Do I make you itchy?

I love insects and spiders. Really, I do. Tops on my LEGO wishlist is the new 21342 Ideas Insect Collection but boy, does looking at insect photos make my skin crawl! I’m scratching as I type and that is a testament to how realistic this new flea creation by Mitsuru Nikaito is. “Associative itching” is a real thing and, according to the science-y types at the University of Pennsylvania, itchy associations crosses species because primates get it, too. It’s a sensation so good, I decided to pass it along to you all. Let me know in the comments if you’re feeling it too and, if you love creepy-crawlers, check out our insects archives for more skin-crawling goodness.

LEGO Flea mech_05

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Be careful with this beautiful black panther bust

Sometimes, good art requires patience. You may have a painting like Monet’s composed of thousands of little dots, or you might make Rubik’s cube mosaics. Or you’re Dicken Liu, and have turned a selection of LEGO bars and hinges into a beautiful black panther bust. I cannot imagine how long this must have taken to line everything up! We’ve seen similar builds in more two-dimensional mosaic form, but this is the first I can remember being a free-standing model. There’s all sorts of parts hidden within, including snakes, brooms, laser rifles, fishing rods, handlebars and more. And while I can appreciate the time this design must have taken, am I the only one who kinda wants to crush it to see how it deforms…?

Black Panther-01

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A peacock’s plume in bloom

LEGO builder Dad’s Bricks (Joe) clearly knows a thing or three about natural beauty. While females aren’t without their charm, in the birding world, it’s often the males that are known for their beauty regimen. And what a beauty this one is! Either this fellah is well integrated into the garden flora or he’s part of the lovely garden with flowers blooming from his plumage. Joe (can I call you Joe?) has demonstrated plenty of artistry and masterful build techniques. I can get lost in the intricate textures and colors on display here. As it turns out, this isn’t Dad’s (can I call you Dad or is that awkward?) first go at the beauty parlor. A leisurely perusal through our Dad’s Bricks (Joe) archives proves repeatedly that he can find stunning beauty in LEGO bricks.

[LEGO MOC - Art Series — The Peacock]

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A Mûmakil kill still only counts as one

My wife and I are re-reading The Lord of the Rings together after having done so 22 years ago before the first Peter Jackson movie was released. By sheer coincidence, on the same day we read the chapter about the Battle of Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King, Kiwi builder Pieter Dennison shared the conclusion of a months-long project to recreate a Mûmak or Oliphaunt of the Haradrim in LEGO, based on how they appear in the movies.

"That still only counts as one"

Pieter’s build features all the iconic details of the enormous beast, from its four tusks (built from a series of 2×2 round bricks presumably strung on something like flex-tube), each with spikes on the end, to the war tower on the monstrous beast’s back. A closer look at the war tower shows just how huge this LEGO build really is, with about a score of minifigs riding into battle against the Rohirrim and men of Gondor.

closeup

If you want to see this in person, you can see it at the Christchurch Brick Show this July. And don’t miss all the other LEGO Oliphaunts we’ve featured over the years (also proving that this quote is the only one I ever use to write about this creature).

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How Anomalocaris, Opabinia, and the Cambrian Explosion changed my life

The broad range of wonderful LEGO creations built for events like the annual BioCup often spark odd memories of my own life experiences. This beautiful Anomalocaris by Care Creations reminded me of Stephen Jay Gould’s 1989 book Wonderful Life, which first introduced me to the panoply of fantastic lifeforms that emerged during the Cambrian Explosion over half a billion years ago. The book changed my view of how life emerged and evolved on our planet, as well as how scientific understanding itself evolves — both mind-blowing to a young missionary kid. One of the strengths of Bionicle is the system’s ability to reproduce organic shapes, enabling talented builders to create much more than Toa.

Anomalocaris Spectrum

I love the minifigure hands on the ends of Anomalocaris’ tentacles, as well as all the smaller creatures the builder has included to give the impression of the early arthropod in its natural habitat.

If you enjoyed this ancient sea creature as much as I did, you’ll love these other Cambrian creatures, as well as this beautiful LEGO ammonite (though of course ammonites emerged about a hundred million years later).

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Brick-built life on LEGO pond

Well really, there’s just as much life within this LEGO pond, built by Jannis Mavrostomos, as there is “on” it. The composition is lovely, and an interesting perspective that you don’t often see – including both above and below the waterline in an elegant way. I love the seamless transition and how it all blends together, and of course, the animals are fantastic. Both the mallard and the pike are easily recognizable, but I think I’m most impressed by the use of the cylindrical hinge element with heart tiles and hands to create the smaller fish.

While you’re here, check out more builds by Jannis, as well as loads of other exceptional animal creations.

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This is definitely my preferred type of tweeting

It’s taken a few attempts, but spring seems to have finally sprung here in Finland. In any case, the birds are a-singing every morning, which puts me in the mood for LEGO builds like Louis Barbedor (Loysnuva)’s. He’s a cute little fella, isn’t he? The bird, that is. I’m afraid I don’t know Louis well enough to say either way. I like the construction of the body – it’s very nicely rounded off with some newer curved slopes and wedges. The branches are a nice touch too; presumably their main function is to support those spindly legs, but it works so nicely as a stand for this little tweeter.

Little singer on its branch

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Jellyfish are just the aliens of the sea

Do you ever go the LEGO store’s Pick-A-Brick wall, take whatever they have in a given colour, and see what you can make of it? That appears to be what’s happened here with greenarj. I have to say, if I’d gone for trans-blue at said wall I’m not sure I would’ve thought to make a jellyfish! Certainly not one with snowflakes and whips for tendrils. Knowing me I probably would’ve made something space-y. The trans-blue is actually a great choice, though – it has the same ethereal quality that these sea creatures possess. They’re beautiful, but they’re also weird, aren’t they? Are we sure jellyfish aren’t just aliens that ended up in the ocean and couldn’t get out? Maybe this is a space build, after all…

Jellyfish

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A kooky koala using just thirty LEGO pieces

We’re used to seeing larger LEGO creations from Dan Ko but this time he presents a cute koala using only thirty pieces. He tells us the koala is among the wildest and most dangerous animals in the world, if not the whole universe. Wait, does Dan know something we don’t? I was already aware Australia housed thousands of animals hellbent on killing us all but I didn’t know the koala was among them. Crikey!

In the wild

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It’s probably a bit of ostrich but...

Japanese LEGO builder Mitsuru Nikaido has a knack for turning any beast into a mechanized creature. This time the mighty ostrich gets the mech treatment. I’m loving the quizzical expression of this leggy bot. As always, there are some amazing shapes and build techniques here. This prolific builder’s growing bestiary is truly a sight to behold. Check out our Mitsuru Nikaido archives to see what I mean.

LEGO Mecha Ostrich_01

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Quite the capricious Capreolus capreolus

Oh deer! I absolutely adore this latest LEGO construction by builder Stefan Johansson, from the top of the antlers down to its cheese-sloped hooves. The shaping is excellent, as are the textures created by the use of various tiles along the neck and haunches. Working in dark orange can be difficult, but Stefan navigates the part limitations with ease. And no place is this better emphasized than the head of this beast. The ears and antlers are in perfect proportion to the rest of the head, and the contrast with the tan coloration around the eyes and chin is excellent. Add on the nice bit of flora that our woodland creature is placed in, and this is a terrifically well-balanced creation.

Roe deer

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A space baby on a mission with with a porpoise

Well, LEGO builder Tim Goddard has just checked pretty much all the boxes that spell The Brothers Brick success. He’s got an adorable baby with a Classic Space onesie, a spaceship shaped like a dolphin, and great parts usage. I think this means we’re contractually obligated to feature it. It says so in the Ancient Doctrines, somewhere in the back. Probably. We simply overload y’all with cuteness, then call it a day. It makes my job easier, really. Thanks, Tim!

Space baby's dolphin

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