On the final day, in the final throes of 2022, LEGO builder Joss Woodyard presents The Cloud Beast. While most of us would like to leave 2022 in the rearview mirror, it might be good to reflect back on the amazing techniques this build encompasses. I love the use of the cloth sails as well as the stance, colors, and tail of this build loosely based on the Chinese Guardian Lion or “Foo Dog”. The expression is great too. But the star of the show here is a detail I would have missed if Joss didn’t point it out himself. His favorite detail is the LEGO plant sprue used as the lips. It is next-level building like this that makes Joss Woodyard one of our favorite all-time builders. Please check out his other creatures; you won’t be disappointed.
Tag Archives: Creatures
Look at this terrifying LEGO deer. Or, on second thought, don’t
A lot has changed since the Black Falcons first appeared in LEGO canon. There have been a lot of new parts introduced, and minifigures have become a lot more expressive. Both are ably demonstrated by Ids de Jong here. The terrified faces combined with those helmets give a definite Monty Python “run away! run away!” vibe. And they’re right to be bricking it: Ids has created something rather unsettling called a Hirska. No big deal, just an all-seeing, oversized deer that apparently doesn’t take kindly to being looked at the wrong way. Or being looked at at all, for that matter. You know what, why don’t we all admire the quaint tree and rockwork instead? I don’t fancy adding ‘running scared from a deer demi-God’ to my personal repertoire of facial expressions any time soon…
A build that delivers on two counts
It’s sometimes easy to spot where the inspiration for a particular Pokemon comes from. It’s safe to say that Delibird – “the Delivery Pokemon” – is one such case. ‘Tis the season, then, for this super facsimile of Delibird from Woomy World! Much like the “real-world” bird, this build really does deliver. The spiky white feathers are superbly recreated using loads of similarly spiky pieces. The use of feathery wings for the ears and face adds some texture that is only implied in the original 2D sprite, but looks great nonetheless. The eyes and beak are also fantastic. So full of life!
Mitsuru Nikaido’s creature mechs are as numerous as...well, rabbits!
I’m certain there’s a great joke in here somewhere about the abundance of Mitsuru Nikaido’s LEGO creature mechs and the mating habits of rabbits but damned if I can figure it out. While I may be tapped for jokes tonight, it makes me no less of a fan of this builder’s, by now, iconic color scheme and his amazing creatures both familiar and bizarre. Anyway, enjoy this cute bunny mech and check out our Mitsuru Nikaido archives to see what else this builder has miraculously sprouted. And if you have a better joke than what I’ve already stated then please let us know in the comments.
Ammonite? No, this is an ammu-nite
We feature LEGO builds for many reasons here on the Brothers Brick. It might have some great parts use. Perhaps it imitates natural shapes in ways not thought possible with plastic bricks. The most important reason though is, of course, when a build inspires a good pun. So you have Sandro Quattrini to thank for the title of this post. (Naughty-lus was also considered, but I think we can all agree the right call was made here.) To be fair, it fits the other categories rather well too, although I’m not sure I’ve seen too many armed nautiluses (nautili?) before. Maybe that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want to get hit by the bullets, or the discarded shells…
A child’s imagination is a wonderful thing
While we often features builds by AFOLs, sometimes it’s important to remember that LEGO is, fundamentally, a kids’ toy. BetaNotus‘ local LEGO User Group (LUG) has borne that in mind with their latest challenge. Each builder was assigned a sketch by local children, and tasked with turning it into a MOC. It’s an adorable idea that has resulted in a rather cool-looking monster! It’s a skilful piece of building, but it still manages to retain the inventive charm of what a kid’s imagination can conjure up.
A cheery cherry crab
This Sakura Crab by Sandro Quattrini lives up to its name. Not only are there cherry blossoms on the crustacean’s shell, that cherry color carries over to the anthropomorphic critter itself. I love the construction in the eyes, and the quarter-circle tile used on the legs. The mouth is also pretty cool, with minifigure arms making perfect mandibles. The greens of the lily pad offsets the red, making this unusual crab a bit more integrated with nature, too.
There’s a lot of fun crab builds happening in the LEGO community these days. Why not add your own into the mix? We have plenty of inspiration in our archives!
This dragon is ready for a hot knight out
The Black Falcon faction has their hands full trying to combat Yzur, the Fireheart in this scene by seb71. The color scheme on this mythical beastie is en fuego! The blocking of red, dark red, black, yellow, and gold feels organic without being monotonous. And the sculpting on the limbs and tail is downright perfect, making the build feel complete. Even the dragon’s fire breath is a wonderful blocky construction, much to the chagrin of our mounted knight. I particularly like the sculpting of Yzur’s face, with excellent use of the Brickheadz eye piece. Even without the cryptozoological wonder, the background stands up on its own. Check out that delicate wispy pine behind our crimson menace!
Not a beastie anyone should corner in the dark depths
This fearsome LEGO beast comes from the mind of WoomyWorld. Lurking in the depths of the cavernous underground, it waits for the unsuspecting wanderer lost in the dark. The construction of this beastie and its scene bear great care in the details. The head is well sculpted, featuring a variety of fun pieces, including some minifig arms to frame upper cheeks. Many Bionicle pieces make up the limbs and body, including the connector joints making up the beast’s vertebrae. With its glowing red eyes, this is no creature I’d want to encounter while exploring caves! The size of it is mammoth, a scale illustrated by the tiny brick-built figure brandishing a sword. Will the ancient creature feast on the foolish or reward the wise? Only time will answer the question and only the wise will find the solution; the foolish will make for a light snack.
There’s still Life On Mars
Sand purple; there’s a color that doesn’t see a lot of use in LEGO creations these days. But Djokson refuses to be limited by convention – or that fact that the purple elements used in Grappler SuGork haven’t been seen since 2001’s Life on Mars theme. And don’t let that friendly face fool you, either. That’s a Bionicle Krana mask from 2002. And those odd shoulder bits? Hovercraft skirts last seen in a 2006 Batboat. I don’t know what SuGork is up to, but it’s clear he’s been working on that armor for a very long time.
Sadly there aren’t a ton of other Martian throwbacks in our Life on Mars tag. Why not dust off some old pieces and try making a tribute yourself?
This microscale island looks like the perfect tropical hideaway
Although the main island build looks peaceful enough, there may be many perils along the way to reach it! Koala Yummies has created this wonderful display, featuring a hut on a sandy beach with a ship on one side and a colourful sea monster on the other. There are several noteworthy techniques here, such as the use of bar holder pieces as cannons on the island and the placement of a wide blade on the ship, representing a forward sail. The sea monster has a webbed collar which was featured on one of the Shark Army Generals from The LEGO Ninjago Movie. The azure colour of the ocean creates a pleasing contrast against the darker shades of the models, providing the builds with an eye-catching style.
The bloodcurdling Bloodsmith is bloody brilliant.
I’ve learned so much about the cardiovascular system lately. First it turns out that oxygen is hauled around by tiny men on motorbikes, and now buttloaf_builds reveals where blood comes from – the Bloodsmith! This Bio-Cup entry makes extra eerie use of minifigure crowbars as spindly fingers on his four hands. And the golden tubing gives just the right pop of color without distracting from the deadly red and black. This is definitely a science lesson that’s gonna keep me up at night.