Tag Archives: Art

Some LEGO builders elevate the form to fine art in its own right, while others enjoy reproducing famous works of art with the brick. Find beautiful and thought-provoking LEGO artwork right here.

Alien Assimilators are assimilating nicely

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be in the mind of LEGO builder Mihai Marius Mihu. He is an artist who seems to exist in a dark, hellish world that’s part H.R. Giger, part H.P. Lovecraft and part Wayne Douglas Barlowe. In other words, he’s precisely the type of person I’d love to have a beer with. Take, for example, this new creation, an Alien Maintenance Bay. In his own words, the bay “is the infirmary of the Mothership, a ward for diagnosing and repairing of the damaged Glider units that were able to return from combat.” The whole structure oozes alien biomechanical menace. With astounding textures and smart color trapping, it’s a masterpiece from an incomprehensible distant world. He also tells us that in the year 2033 mankind is struggling to survive after an overwhelming alien invasion. That’s only like twelve years away! Looks like we’re in for a dreary future. Or maybe we won’t even know it because we’d all be assimilated into their creeptastic alien agenda.

Seriously, Mihai if you’re ever in the Seattle area look me up, you’ve got a local microbrew coming to you on me. And adversely if I’m ever in Romania, I’ll be sure to visit Dracula’s Castle and your place, which I wouldn’t doubt may very well be one in the same.

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You have to admit, the Freemasons have some cool iconography

The Freemasons are a super-secret fraternal organization that apparently rules the world and everyone’s dad seems to be a member. Regardless of who they are and what they do exactly, you have to admit they have some cool iconography. Season one LEGO Masters contestant Aaron Newman has been commissioned by the Scottish Rite Masons of Lexington, Massachusetts to build their double-headed eagle logo. I’m in awe of the ruffled textures of the eagle achieved by leaving the studs exposed in some places while covering them in layered tiles in others. The sword and banner are certainly not without their charms but I’m most impressed by the “33” encased inside an equilateral triangle. This is a shape not easily achieved in LEGO but Aaron does it with finesse. The crown and even the eagle itself seem to be floating in space and this is achieved and is quite structurally sound, thanks to the use of transparent Technic beams.

Be sure to check out the video as Aaron explains the model more in-depth. And while you’re admiring this build yourselves, go ahead and forward this article to your dads and they will likely respond in turn with a knowing yet solemn nod.

There’s an art to this build.

This amazing stylized character build of Persona 5’s Ann Takamaki by Joseph Zawada pushes the limits of LEGO art in impressive ways. The offset round tiles in the hair highlights suggest an entirely new style of mosaic building, and the use of negative space in the mouth to create thin lines and shapes not possible with existing brick is an inspired move. I also have to note the creative part usage in the eyes; I’ve spotted everything from minifigure hands to flex tubing. Truly, this is a work of art.

Check our our art tag for even more examples of great creative expression in the plastic brick medium.

A new way to do layered shadowboxes

I have to be honest, I’m pretty jealous I hadn’t thought of this myself. Whenever I go to a comic-con, I always spend a bit of time ogling over the booths with lighted, layered-paper shadowboxes. How did I never think to make one with LEGO?! Well, it looks like filbrick beat me to it! First up is a shadowbox classic: a stag in the woods. I love that the builder chose to go with this color gradient. It does appear that he may have been inspired by the work of talented LEGO artist Grantmasters to complete the top portion of the stag itself.

Next up is an astronaut floating in space. The colors and shapes are both awesome and trippy at the same time! The extra window on the side is a cool touch too. While both builds are renders, and I’m not sure if real-life replicas in these specific colors would be possible, they sure are fascinating!

I’m going to have to test this concept out with some of my own designs! How about you? What images would you create?

Not your thing? That’s okay – we have tons of other art builds for you to check out! We also have all sorts of cool builds by Grantmasters that you won’t want to miss!

That’s one brightly-lit skyline

Spaceships are great, castles are fun, mechs are neato. But sometimes I like to stop and appreciate the LEGO builds that lean more heavily into traditional “artistic” themes. legoapprentice has created a fun neon-lit skyline that just seems cheerful and fun. I like the subtle techniques in play like the varied widths of the windows, and how quarter arch tiles are used in several orientations to create a fluid feel for the skyscrapers. So take a moment and rest here with me, and enjoy the sights.

Once you’ve caught your breath, take a stroll down our Art tag for even more creative goodness.

Anything can be a feather

The first thing that caught my eye when I saw this pair of birds was the use of the multiple Technic pin/axle combos. That’s a piece that doesn’t get a lot of use on the outside of a build. But closer inspection reveals that builder Seth Peacock has used all kinds of interesting pieces and techniques for the plumage of these two birds. Those are baby minifigure heads, for crying out loud. Seth says these birds were inspired by the work of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Sunflowers series, and he’s definitely captured the swirl and motion of the line work in those pieces. To quote one famous critic, “I don’t know if it’s art, but I like it.”

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!

This tree is deer to me.

Have you seen the film Annihilation? It’s one of my favorites; a great mix of storytelling and really gorgeous (if disquieting) visuals. alex-mocs has perfectly captured the eerie beauty of biologic mutation seen there with their creation The Shimmer. There’s some very creative work in the base, with animal-oriented LEGO elements melded seamlessly into the greenery. The star of the show, though, is the central tree/deer creature. My favorite touch is the Bionicle ball-joint connector that forms the mouth. You can almost hear the sound this being is making, but is it a cry of pain or celebration? Like most things in the Shimmer, it’s really hard to say for sure.

The biologic themes of this creation are very apt, considering this was an entry to the Bio-Cup challenge. Check out our archives for more featured builds inspired by that contest!

Inspiring colorful creativity with LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31122 Fish Tank [Review]

The summer wave of LEGO sets are turning out to be a big hit, including this round of Creator 3-in-1’s. So far we’ve covered two others in the series, and now we turn our attention to the most colorful of the bunch, LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31122 Fish Tank. The set contains 352 pieces and features not only instructions to build a fish tank, but also those for an art easel with macaw painting and a treasure chest with accessories. It was just launched on June 1st in Europe and will be available August 1st in North America priced at US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99. Join us as we take a deeper dive into this bright, playful kit.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read the full review

We all want $1000

One could argue that this LEGO creation by balticlegomoc is of a guy who wants $1000 presumably for a festive makeover. But that’s not how wanted posters work there, pardner! Wanted posters alert the public that a bounty is out on some steely-eyed outlaw or another for the crimes of extreme vagrancy or something. From a graphic design standpoint, there are two different brick-built fonts here neatly centered, which can be hard to pull off in LEGO.The use of grayscale give this an old-timey feel. I like that this particular steely-eyed outlaw is a brick-built bust with a literal handlebar mustache.

Star Trek: The Next Generation engage!

This new LEGO creation by Mikael Montelius features all your favorites from Star Trek: The Next Generation. From left to right we have Wesley and Beverly Crusher, Captain Picard, Data, LaForge, Riker, Troi and Worf. There aren’t many parts here but the likeness to each character is uncanny. I like that each shoulder is touching the next but is slightly askew. The base and the whole presentation makes for a handsome display that could adorn any desk or office. The formula is simple, yet brilliant. We’ve been smitten by Mikael’s work before but I can see this setting a trend for other builders to follow. Think about how this formula of characters on a neat linear display could work for other fun franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Harry Potter or…The Human Centipede. Sorry. I’ll just let myself out.

The (Bomb) of Damocles is hanging over my head

World-renowned LEGO builder Ivan Martynov has a new digital creation with a rather serious and timely message. Here we see a person clearly in a position of power. He has a device that launches nuclear weapons; “The Football” as it is sometimes affectionately called around here. Yielding this power can bring fear and respect but also devastation to himself and his people. Former President John F. Kennedy once said “Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness.” That is certainly a heavy burden to think about. With great power comes great responsibility. That’s something my dad said. Or did I hear that from Spider-Man? I don’t know. Either way, I’d rather think back on my carefree old days of going to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and, if you’ve ever been, you’ll know where I pilfered the title of this article.