I think it’s high time for some castle-type-builds on here. What do you think? I present The Hunter’s Lair, built by W. Navarre. The build has a lot of features common-place for current castle builds, including a non-traditional base (tan! nice touch), detailed stonework, and a nice curved-looking roof. I like the mossy, dilapidated look this build has, and I’m going to suggest NOT standing near the chimney.
On the last rock in the south, there lies a great fortress. Bustling with Imperial Guards and fortified against bloodthirsty pirates, this fortress by Greg Dix stands a monument to the Imperial might flexing its power across the globe.
Actually, I don’t know what empire LEGO’s Imperial Guards are meant to represent. I’ve always thought of them as the plastic manifestation of Britain’s colonial-era power, but I’ve seen some evidence that the line grew out of LEGO’s attempt to create a Napoleonic theme, so they may be French. Greg’s title implies the setting for this bastion is Portugal, so perhaps they are Portuguese here. Provenance aside, the fort has working winches and is rigged to light up. Greg built this in March, and I’m not sure how we missed it before, but I’m happy I stumbled upon it today, because it’s lovely.
Most LEGO builders draw inspiration from history, movies, books, concept art, and their own imaginations. But for several years now, a talented group of builders has been toying with the idea of a new medium for inspiration: music. We’ve highlighted their Symphony of Construction several times. A new collaboration shares roots and some builders with the Symphony, though this time the builders are constructing a common world around a rousing set of music by Ian Spacek.
Be sure to check out the full gallery of images, as the Isles are populated with a great number of lovely little vessels and majestic structures by a host of brilliant builders.
It’s been a couple of years since I set aside The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The organic landscaping contrasts nicely with the stonework and wooden mill. (Must resist urge to look for Nirnroot…)
César Soares is one of those builders whose every creation we could feature here on The Brothers Brick as “blogworthy.” His colorful, intricate models use interesting techniques and he varies themes across Castle, Town/City, and pop culture, with a range of subjects from large-scale dioramas to smaller vehicles and vignettes. His latest model is a gorgeous floating rock with beautiful landscaping, the requisite balloon for transportation, and an eccentric building with César’s distinctive curved roof design.
Incidentally, one of the large-scale collaborative displays planned for BrickCon 2015 is floating rocks. Any chance you can come to Seattle this October, César?
Many of us recognize the Sleeping Beauty Castle as a Disney icon, and thanks to the work of Stephle59 you can see what it looks like as a minifigure-scale Lego creation. The pink bricks set the model apart from just about any other castle I’ve seen. It doesn’t look like a bad place to take a nap!
Ever fancy a nice, isolated tower in which to observe the stars? David Hensel does. He presents this whimsical Stargazer tower, complete with telescope. It almost looks like it should be a floating rock, and I happen to love the purple roof.
While it employs a style that is recognizably “a la mode” right now amongst castle builders, Kyrrath Fortress (by Guilds of Heroica fan jaapxaap) differentiates itself by making great use of gorgeous gorgeous dark purple as an accent color – a trick he also used effectively in an earlier creation. Add a roof top shaped like a wizard’s hat, and you’ve got a truly magical stronghold!
Now this I would love to see as an actual building. Sergeant Chipmunk has envisioned and brought to life a beautiful castle creation, with a home beneath a waterfall. The home’s occupants have diverted the water to either side of the home. Now thankfully, it’s a smaller waterfall, cause otherwise I think we’d see more the crushed remains rather than this lovely build.
Build for the Kaliphlin Civil War challenge over the course of four months, this latest breathtaking creation by Guilds of Historica veteran Patrick Massey is called Al Amarj Island. There seems to be something interesting going on in almost every nook and cranny of this diorama. Multiple styles of architecture and vegetation all seem intricately woven together, and the rock archway looks very natural. Outstanding! When can I book my vacation there?
gid617 has brought us this absolutely adorable roadside inn. I love the distressed look and the thatched room goin’ on. I think the simple detailing and landscaping has done wonders.
Gotta admit: this makes me feel old. When I first ended my dark ages, and came back into the hobby, 3739 Blacksmith Shop had been released and the majority of castle themed non-castle buildings were in this tudor, open style. Somewhere along the line, people posted less of them. So this build makes me feel old and nostalgic.
I love the detail on this tower and the half-timber walls of the building. The sparse landscaping is very nice and the stairs leading up to the door are very well executed. But what makes this build really stand out is the fact that it opens!
Building a beautiful castle is much harder than it looks. Building an accessible and believable interior is also much harder than it looks. Doing both of these in the same the build and making it look like the castle doesn’t actually open is something that Isaac S. has mastered.
