This green monster by Mitch Phillips look tough enough to tackle anything, thanks to a heavy layer of armor plating. It’s a fitting LEGO element to use as armor, since that was its original purpose. However, it was originally designed to clad two-legged characters rather than creatures like this. Look closely at the upper legs, too, for they’re actually sea monster heads from the oft-overlooked Alpha Agents theme.
I used to think that a dragon without wings was simply a lizard, but I wouldn’t dare say that to the face of this wingless dragon built by Leonid An. His name is Glaurung the Fierce, and with his athletic, lean build and large claws, this dragon looks like it could easily rip any opponent to shreds, especially a heckling human who dares mock his lack of wings.
What I love about this dragon in particular is the way the builder has used repetition throughout the body, neck, and tail to achieve a very clean organic figure. For example, the robot arm piece is used at least twenty times, laced through flex tube to give both the subtle and more drastic curves the body of the dragon required. The 2×2 round tan boat studs are used as armor plating from the top of the neck of the dragon, all the way down underneath the belly to the tail, making for a wonderfully consistent aesthetic.
When communicating with other people, have you ever noticed that LEGO pieces can be much more effective than words? Especially when describing unusual things, like, uh… a hilarious red T-rex on a six-wheel drive with a wrecking ball instead of his tail? Words are helpless! However, LEGO 7 manages to convey the idea just perfectly and designs an amazing creature. Now, this is what I’m talking about!
If you went to BrickWorld Chicago in 2016, you might remember seeing the amazing Eurobricks collaborative display called “Ready, set, escargot!” The display consisted of giant medieval-themed snails racing around a track. The template for these mammoth mollusks was designed by Mark Larson, while the structure on this snail’s back came from the mind of Marco den Besten. Marco drew inspiration from the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise, and I think his take on the idea would make for an interesting game. The rustic-looking towers complement the dark tan structure of the snail’s shell. Speaking of the shell, Marco has attached wooden posts to the sides for some classic platform gaming fun.
Click here to continue reading…
The line of Star Wars themed constraction figures has introduced a number of great parts for builders who dabble in Bionicle inspired creations. This imposing figure by Loysnuva makes use of the large lightsaber blade found in both 75109 Obi-Wan Kenobi, and 75112 General Grevious in its elaborate head adornment. Along with some excellent reverse jointed legs, the model also makes good of some of the most common elements found in sets today, the car tire. Small tires add some bulk to the limbs and tail, while several inverted tires form the torso.
One of my favorite movies of all time is Aliens, and I get giddy when I see any one of them being created with LEGO bricks. There’s just a feeling of biomechanics involved from H.R.Giger’s original design and the eventual creatures we see on the big screen that makes it believable with a brick built design. This rendition by Carter Baldwin is quite amazing as the whole build is supported on its own legs. All we need now are some flamethrowers and Ellen Ripley to show up and get this party started!
Who wouldn’t want a fantasy-themed coffee machine? To meet the demand, Anthony Wilson has built an adorable little fellow named Vay the coffee dragon. Vay is packed full of character, thanks to a pair of big eyes and the positioning of his body. His fistful of coffee beans is the essence of hospitality. This is in contrast to the hand tucked behind his back, seemingly saying, “what are you waiting for? Drink up!” Vay’s sleek curved body suggests he is fast in flight, which seems appropriate given his daily caffeine intake. Equally impressive is the coffee machine itself, which uses transparent colored pieces to show the water level in the reservoir. We dare you to drink this cup of joe. It’ll give you scales on your chest!
Builder keiichi kamei is no stranger when it comes to building phenomenal LEGO sculptures. Earlier this year, you might recall us sharing his New Year lion dance mask. With 2019 being the year of the pig, keiichi is back with a majestic-looking LEGO wild boar. His boar looks like the real deal, thanks to intricate sculpting of the animal’s body. A combination of curved and angled slopes form the overall shape of the body, which is nearly void of studs. Meanwhile, the positioning of the legs is reminiscent of how boars trot around while they forage for food. Better watch out for those tusks, though!
I can’t remember the last time I saw a butterfly. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I saw a live chicken or cow. Living in the city does have its benefits, but sometimes we forget the beautiful living creatures on mother earth. These three butterflies remind us of how simple things can easily be forgotten in nature and how wonderful LEGO bricks are, how the simplest of things can bring color to remind us of life. Johan Alexanderson didn’t make these random-colored, but instead takes their shape and color from actual butterfly species. The green foliage, though made of seemingly random parts and elements trick my vision into thinking I can almost smell the morning dew.
Slimefoot the Stowaway is a Magic: the Gathering character that is most definetely not a rat, but his presence on an airship must have been much like a cross between a fungal rot and a rat problem with all the little saprolings he spread aboard the Weatherlight. Not sure what a saproling is? Me neither, and to be honest, nobody really knows anything apart from the fact that they are either of plantal or fungal origin and that there is a lot of them. Eero Okkonen has faithfully created Slimefoot and his pals.
With a mastery in human shape, Eero has done a great job of capturing what is basically a deformed humanoid with a mushroom top for a head and overgrowth all over his body. The colours are expressive, and the tentacles, while not present on the original art on the card, add a lot to the character and make for a great transition in the neck area. A great addition is all the little saprolings at the mushroom man’s side, whose various shapes really capture the mystical and magical appeal of the original art.
Back in 1941, World War II inspired ceramic manufacturer Royal Doulton to release a patriotic bulldog figure. Royal Doulton re-released the bulldog in 2012 to coincide with its appearance in the film, Skyfall. Since LEGO Ideas is currently running a James Bond contest, Victor decided to build a nearly 1:1 scale LEGO version of the bulldog. Victor’s model looks adorable, and the smooth curves of the dog and studs-out sculpting of the flag on his back make for an eye-pleasing juxtaposition.
It is that time of year when many people around the world embrace the spooky and scary, but more often than not combine it with an element of cute. car_mp has captured this unlikely combination perfectly with these two little ghosts.
The expressive faces (more precisely, holes in the cloth) are done with just a handful of pieces, but somehow this just adds to their charm. The shaping is the star of the show here; the builder uses 1×2 wedge slopes to achieve quite a nice round effect, a technique I expect to become more frequent in the coming years.