Tag Archives: Characters

Honey, I supersized the minifigs

I really like the “maxi-fig” concept that has been doing the rounds lately. It can be as simple as LEGO’s own 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure set, or you can use it as a template to let your creativity run wild. Kristel Whitaker has done just that with this dandy pair of Day-of-the-Dead themed figs. They’re named Catrina and Skellie, and don’t they just look brilliant! I love the repeated use of yellow flowers and dark pink leaves on Catrina’s dress especially. It looks just like the intricate embroidery typical of this style of outfit. Skellie’s, er, skeleton is also nicely done with a mixture of SNOT (studs not on top) and tiled building.

Catrina and Skellie

Hopefully this format will blow up in a big way! Speaking of big – why not see what else the talented LEGO community has up-scaled?

All the best LEGO themes are found underground

What’s better than a LEGO build that evokes nostalgia for a past theme? A LEGO build that evokes nostalgia for two past themes! Flickr user Student Scissors submitted this creation in the Bio-Cup competition. As the name suggests, this competition uses parts from the Bionicle theme. That box is ticked here: there are plenty of ball joints, and what looks like a Kanohi mask on the figure on the right. But the minecart full of power crystals, the teal-yellow-brown-dark-grey colour combo, and that massive chrome drill… That sounds like Rock Raiders to me! Although come to think of it, the colour scheme of the bat (lime green with blue and orange highlights) is reminiscent of the Power Miners theme from 2009. So that’s actually three awesome themes from yesteryear in one!

Curious Caving Critters

Chief of the Danish Gauls, Madeoutoflegobrix

The chief of Asterix and Obelix’s little Gaulish village goes by many names. Vitalstatistix, Macroeconomix (in some US editions), and Abracourcix (as I knew him in the original French editions). But perhaps we should refer to Oliver Becker‘s excellent LEGO interpretation as Madeoutoflegobrix! The rotund chieftain and his caricatured proportions are very well done. The head especially is where this build really shines; the tiny helmet with the feathers is both accurate and adorable. And the ball joint and croissants are great respective choices for the big nose and moustache, features so integral to these indomitable Gauls!

Vitalstatistix / Majestix / Abraracourcix

A warrior with a face only a builder could love

Whether you’re a fan of the LEGO Ninjago theme or not, you have to give it props for surviving for so long. Some kids that grew up with Ninjago are now adult fans making fabulously inspired and skilled creations. Now, while I can’t speak to the history of the builder known as Woomy World, I can certainly say that this Oni Lloyd-inspired build is top-notch, and a solid tribute to the theme. The entire thing is riddled with fantastic parts usage, from the dragon-headed weapons, to the clothing and body armor. What really takes the cake, though, is the expressive face. It utilizes a hat for a nose, a hood for a chin, and even a tan crab holding horns for teeth/tusks. The character is both menacing and cool all at once!

Oni Lloyd

While you’re here, stick around for more builds and sets related to the LEGO Ninjago theme. We also have plenty of articles about brick-built characters in general too!

A villain who’s darkest when alight

Each year, the Bio-Cup competition brings forth some of them most inspired LEGO character creations in the business. Case in point, check out the Ghostlight Sovereign by Eann (Miscellanabuilds). Looking like some kind of Lumiere from the Mirror Universe, this waxen wight elicits some superb spookiness from the eerie blue glow of its candles. The real work done in this build doesn’t come from any part made of plastic, though. The use of LEGO-official cloth pieces, whether in the cape adding volume to the figure or the tattered rags in place of legs, somehow simultaneously add and subtract “weight” from the Sovereign, showing it to be of two worlds.

Ghostlight Sovereign

And if you’d like to see more from Bio-Cups of yesteryear, you can check them out in our archives.

Oodles and oodles of LEGO doodles

One look at filbrick‘s colourful collection of LEGO critters, and suddenly I’m transported back to my school days. I had a nasty habit back then of not really paying attention to whatever the teacher was saying, and instead doodling in my school diary. Da Vinci it was not – mostly stick figures, actually. (I never did make it as an artist.) But occasionally, in really boring lessons, I’d start drawing characters in much the same way as filbrick has here. Mind you, I think I prefer this version, aptly titled “Doodle Art Burst”. I only had a four-way Biro to hand, but the wide range of colours on display here does make the whole thing pop. And there’s a good variety of pieces too. These guys use everything from coral and beehives to leaves and engine blocks to give them heaps of character!

Doodle art, burst

The very merriest of un-birthdays to you!

Hats off to LEGO builder Julius von Brunk for showcasing some mad skills with this Alice in Wonderland creation. The expression here conveys the perfect level of “manic,” thanks in large part to a liberal use of curved slopes and round tiles. But of course the best feature of any madcap milliner has got to be his hat, and Julius comes through with an exquisite chartreuse chapeau! The seamless integration of the 4×6 curved double-wedge is enviable, and the trademark “10/6” on its price sticker includes the ingenious use of some minifigure accessories to replicate the black numbers.

Mad Hatter LEGO Head Sculpture

A Bionicle builder at the beak of his powers

Djokson is at it again. After a short break from posting LEGO creations, he’s coming in hot. As hot as fire! And Firebludd is this creature’s name. It’s typical of Djokson’s high standard, using Bionicle, Hero Factory, and other constraction elements in ways you’d never think possible. But in this one, it’s the system pieces that draw my eye. The belt, for instance, uses a load of mechanical claw elements that’s probably quite fiddly but looks superb. And the mouth uses two minifigure mask elements to create something almost beak-like. It makes me think this is what World of Warcraft creatures would look like if HR Giger had designed them.

Firebludd

What shall we build today?

Pippi Longstocking holds a special place in my childhood memories, and when I stumbled across Sarah Beyer‘s latest LEGO build in tribute to Pippi, I had to share! Sarah’s builds are always worth taking the time to enjoy and appreciate her techniques, but when she tackles something different to her usual style it’s great to see. There’s some great build details in this build — from the shoelaces and the use of the minifig stand to add dynamism to Mr. Nilsson the monkey’s tail — are just a couple of the call outs here.

Pippi Longstocking and Mr Nilsson MOC

This caricature of Pippi ticks all the boxes for me — the gravity-defying hair, the never-matching  stockings, the colours used and of course Mr Nilsson! The pair are ready for their next big adventure to take them from Villa Villekula!

A miniature meeting of the Middle-Earth minds

There’s so much Nice Parts Use (NPU) in Dan Ko‘s adorable LEGO Lord of the Rings wizards that I don’t know where to start. Look at Gandalf the Bley here. His beard consists of upturned eggshell pieces, and the top of his staff uses a skeleton leg. His nose is also a rounded 1×2 plate, which may not necessarily qualify as NPU, but it’s a great choice nonetheless. As for Radagast the Reddish-Brown, his beard uses an arch piece to give some shape to his face. In the hat, you’ve got an ingot flanked by the frankly genius choice of a pair of minifigure chairs. They give him so much character! Dan has even repurposed some wood stickers to add detailing to his cloak. That is NPU par excellence! Do we need a new acronym for this? NSU – Nice Sticker Use?

The Secret Meetup

So GLaDOS to see you

Ivan Martynov has turned to everyone’s favourite evil-robot-overlord-with-homicidal-tendencies for inspiration in the Digital Iron Builder contest. This doesn’t appear to be GLaDOS herself – but there’s no telling whether it’s just as evil or not. The seed part is a SPIKE sensor, an unusual part in its own right. It does look superb as the iconic eyes of Aperture Science technology though. In a way it makes perfect sense for this particular part use – the colour sensor is basically an eye, of sorts. The massive robot in the centre would be impressive enough on its own here, but the addition of a turret and Personality Core really ties everything together.

Portal

Which one of you goes “Kowabunga”?

Ever struggled to remember which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was which? If so, Dan Ko has provided a handy guide in LEGO form, with some beautifully-made sculptures. I never was that into the show, so I always had a hard time remembering the names (although I do recognise this first one as Donatello). Normally I just wondered how they ended up settling on these particular adjectives for characters in a kids’ show…

“OK team, we need some new animal characters for a kids’ TV show. Any ideas?”

“Turtles! But on their own? A bit four-legged – let’s make them mutant turtles, so they can be humanoids. And let’s make them ninjas too. Ninjas are cool! Still not relatable enough though… How about we have them be teenagers? The Mutant Turtle Ninja Teenagers! And we can name them after Renaissance artists!”

“Uh… Sounds great. The name needs some work though…”

1/4: Donatello

See the rest of the gang after the jump