Tag Archives: Beach

The LEGO Imperials have settled in Colorado

Made as a part of a collaboration with Colorado LUGs (LEGO User Groups) CoWLUG and DENLUG, this Imperial fortress by Evan Crouch is just one piece of a massive LEGO Pirates layout. The cliffside citadel has a beautifully-textured outer wall, and is capped with quite the military unit. The large cannon, shown mid-discharge, is an excellent touch! And the motorized windmill is well done, sporting a roof similar to the LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith. But my favorite part has got to be the perfect coastline at the base of the cliffs. Trimmed in lime green vegetation, the two tones of tan are a great remnant of the waves coming in off the coast. Add to it some of the white-capped waves off the shore, and the setting feels almost alive, even in this still photo.

2023 Pirate Display - Overview 1

A beachfront property clad in brown and nougat

LEGO builder Sarah Beyer definitely has a style when it comes to house design. And every time, without fail, I’m left agape staring at yet another architectural wonder, one more take on her core modern look. This beachside house is gorgeous with its brown, black, and medium nougat coloration. I feel like I can make out every slat of wood in this build, thanks to some great tile and plate work. The beams sticking out over the patios are fantastic, especially when paired with the simplistic modern windows trimmed in black. And the landscaping is divine, especially the small irregularly-shaped pool to the right. It’s a difficult design to create in bricks, much less have it feel at home in a build full of right angles. But Sarah pulls it off quite well! Be sure to check out all the details inside and out on her Flickr page.

Farview House MOC. Bird's view.

Cute outpost with cute outhouse

Sometimes you just wish that the inspiration for a LEGO fan creation is a real life building. When I saw Andrea Lattanzio’s latest build I knew I would love to spend a night in the cute little outpost. Surrounded by the sea and the waves. The wind passing along the little stilted cabin. Going to the outhouse in the middle of the night just because of nature’s calling. Well maybe scrap that last part. The outpost looks super cute. There are a lot of cute details hidden in this creation. We get wizard wands and officers clubs used for door hinges. There even is a hockey stick used as a railing. There are many more little details to be spotted, so do yourselves a favor and give this one a little zoom in. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check if the inspiration for this creation is up for rent as a Bed & Breakfast.

A cute outpost with a useful outhouse

Crashing waves and toppled treasure

A group of privateers have brought their plunder to shore in this amazing vignette by Nicholas Goodman. Nicholas has achieved one of the best wave effects I’ve ever seen, sculpting foam so real I can smell the salt air. The slight incline in the shore and the line between wet and dry sand help sell the effect of being on an actual beach. Environment details like that really help sell the storytelling going on with the minifigures. I have a feeling that even though eight men came ashore, after spilling that chest only seven are leaving…

Going Ashore

“Looks like my hideout’s not so hidden anymore...”

Check out this excellent LEGO microscale cove built by Flickr user Pixeljunkie. The heavy use of slopes laid upon their sides provides an organic, rocky backdrop for a tiny beach scene. But it’s not just any beach! This is the hideout of Porco Rosso, the Italian flying ace slash anthropomorphic pig from the Studio Ghibli film of the same name. You can see his iconic red plane, a Savoia S.21, sitting in the water. On the coast are his tent, chair, and radio, where Porco would relax between bouts with the sky pirates of the Adriatic. The shaping of the plane in such few bricks is inspired, and immediately recognizable to someone familiar with the movie. Also of note, the 1×1 plate with tooth used as a dock is some great parts usage at this scale.

Porco Rosso's Hideout in Micro-scale

A lovely scene at the seashore

When you are feeling stressed out, where do you go to unwind and re-connect with nature? Maybe someplace like this tropical beach by Brickleas, built for an Iron Builder contest using the white radar dish piece, used quite skillfully as steps, a sign, and shades to block the sun on the roof. And in case you missed it, the seagulls as well. One of my favorite features, aside from the shack, is the sand and surf, using slopes and bricks in shades of tan, including dark tan for the sand at the water’s edge.

Iron Bay

In case of a lack of bullets, just use birds instead!

This just has to be one of the ‘silliest’ scene’s from Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade and General Tilney managed to capture it quite perfectly in LEGO. The best thing about this photo is that everything is made from LEGO bricks, even the sky! Partway through the film, Indiana Jones and his father Henry are trying to escape from enemy airplanes. There is a lot of bombing involved and at one point, they get cornered on a beach full of birds. Father Henry charges the flock of seagulls while flapping his umbrella. This startles the seagulls and they take off into the airplane which causes it to crash. Henry mumbles a Charlemagne quote, which might actually not be a Charlemagne quote and the scene ends. That is some classic Indiana Jones right there!

I suddenly remembered my Charlemange...

Take a vacation anywhere you happen to be

I long for the days of going back to doing the things I enjoyed, like getting kicked out of a Sizzler. Now everyone is kicked out of Sizzler, and it just doesn’t feel special anymore. Remember vacations? That’s when you pack a suitcase and stay at a place that’s likely smaller and not as well-decorated as your own house, but the scenery is better. I loved vacations! Nicolas Carlier proves that you can vacation wherever you happen to be with this delightful LEGO render. Open the suitcase and be engulfed in the soothing sand and surf. You could build a sandcastle, listen to the waves, or tell a crab about all the times you’ve been thrown out of Sizzler. Doing all that while having a full head of hair and totally ripped abs, why that’s just a slice of heaven right there. Boy, I loved vacations!

Holidays from the suitcase

Suns out, buns out

We rarely have days like this in the Pacific Northwest and certainly not in early May. However, Miro Dudas either lives in a warmer climate or is dreaming of sunbathing in the tropics. The figures, with their tanned bodies and shapely buns, are cleverly constructed using minifig legs. 1×1 round plates act as their bare feet. It’s a clever trick that can only work from this vantage point; view the figures from the front and the illusion is ruined. The simple palm trees, the towel, the beach bag, and the gentle surf makes for a relaxing scene indeed.

Beach Buns

The vacation rental market can be a real beach

February is gone, and March is beginning; soon the college basketball mania will start, and spring breaks will be taken at schools across the USA. That means hordes of high school and college kids descending upon such popular vacation spots as Cancun, Acapulco, and Miami. Copious amounts of alcohol will likely be consumed, and a fun time will be claimed by many. Not all will enjoy their vacations, however, because some will be staying at a rental like this LEGO one built by alego alego. Yes, it is a beach house, but that is about all it has going for it. According to the fine print (who reads that, anyway?) the beach is near the nuclear plant (that explains the dog, perhaps), the hot tub is only hot when the weather is, and the electricity doesn’t work. Among other things. But hey, it makes for a great story when you get back! If you get back, that is.

"Always read the fine print" #25 Unique stays

The little girl is cleverly done with the Beast’s micro body, and I love the bushes used as palm trees ripped in the hurricane winds. All the little bits pushed through here and there for weeds in the cracks are perfect, and the syringe by the outhouse and the dog poop in the yard give it just the right vibes. Next time, read the fine print on your Airbnb!

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea

After wowing us with his circus model, Ian Hoy is back with another incredible scene. This time he’s trading in performing animals for some fun times at a beach fun fair. The scene is filled with little details and it features, among other things, a brick mosaic backdrop and a drop ride with a shark theme. Having spent a lot of time at boardwalk carnivals as a kid, this piece really speaks to me, bringing back fond memories of haunted house rides, rollercoasters and boardwalk french fries cooked in peanut oil. Just looking at it, I can almost smell the salty air and hear the funnel cakes sizzling away in the deep fryer. There is so much great stuff packed in here, it’s hard to know where to begin, so let’s start at the bottom and work our way up, shall we?

DOGOD_OCEAN AMUSEMENT PARK_01

The beach area is populated by a variety of beach goers engaged in the many activities. I love that the word “ocean” not only tells you where we are, but is incorporated into the overall design by having it being created as a sand sculpture by a bathing suit-clad minifigure. I also enjoyed checking out some of the smaller details like the treasure chest buried underground and the baby sea turtle and mini sandcastle by the shore. Continue reading →

TBB cover photo for June 2019: The Old Man and the Sea

For this month’s TBB’s social media cover image, summer is in full swing as we head to the beach with vir-a-cocha‘s excellent re-imagining of the Old Man and the Sea. After all, there’s nothing like a good day at the beach with a surfboard and a classic car. From the old man’s Hawaiian shirt to the sweet lines of the 1970 Dodge Challenger (which looks as if it would fit perfectly beside the official LEGO Ford Mustang), there’s a lot to love in this seemingly simple scene of summer.

The Old Man and the Sea

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