You may recall that this time last year, we featured a colourful LEGO peacock courtesy of Dad’s Bricks (Joe). Since then, said peacock has gone on to be displayed at the LEGO House in Denmark – leaving poor Joe peacock-less. The solution? Build another! And it’s just as pretty as the first one. It uses a similar technique for the tail, being made up of leaf and foliage parts. But the monochromatic colour choice of white gives it an altogether different feel. This time, the colours are confined to the base, creating a lovely contrast, and drawing the eye towards this bird’s sole bit of colour: its eye. Hopefully we will get to see the two side-by-side before long!
Tag Archives: Dad’s Bricks
A peacock’s plume in bloom
LEGO builder Dad’s Bricks (Joe) clearly knows a thing or three about natural beauty. While females aren’t without their charm, in the birding world, it’s often the males that are known for their beauty regimen. And what a beauty this one is! Either this fellah is well integrated into the garden flora or he’s part of the lovely garden with flowers blooming from his plumage. Joe (can I call you Joe?) has demonstrated plenty of artistry and masterful build techniques. I can get lost in the intricate textures and colors on display here. As it turns out, this isn’t Dad’s (can I call you Dad or is that awkward?) first go at the beauty parlor. A leisurely perusal through our Dad’s Bricks (Joe) archives proves repeatedly that he can find stunning beauty in LEGO bricks.
This interior looks so good it’s hard to believe it’s only LEGO
Architecture and interior design come together wonderfully in this LEGO build from Dad’s Bricks (Joe). Great care is evident in every little aspect of this piece, from the framing of the composition to the design of the background artwork. The inspiration for the build comes from classical and traditional Chinese mansion interiors. This style features nice wooden furniture and an elegant look to the architecture. The build possesses a fluid movement, pulling the eye through to the plant life and nature-focused artwork. The parts selection is so well thought through, upon first glance you might not realize it’s composed of LEGO. One of my favorite details in the build is the inclusion of a teapot and cups on the back table, giving the interior a bit of a lived-in quality.
A LEGO golden dragon “painting” that soars off the canvas
Builder Dad’s Bricks has a reputation for excellent Asian ink paintings made of LEGO. This latest addition to the gallery is a gorgeous golden dragon. But unlike a 2-D ink painting, the model springs to life, popping right off the canvas of plastic along with some surrounding clouds and crags. The colors here are so vivid – angular gold and tan scales standing in stark contrast to the wispy white feather parts coming off the beast. This is most pronounced around the dragon’s face, as its mane of whiskers accentuates the pair of 2×2 round tiles in pearl gold staring directly at you. It’s clear there’s ancient wisdom held within, but only shared with those worthy of such secrets.
An elegant tracery of lines and curves
Some LEGO builds inspire moments of quiet contemplation. This elegant inked fan by Dad’s Bricks evokes that feeling for me. The life-sized shaping is excellent, and the delicate line work created by rods and slightly curved tubing offsets the the bright red of the flowers. Take a closer look and you can spot 1×1 heart tiles in pink, creating a tiny clovers of brightness to contrast to the rich colors. The pen, stand, and brush are almost afterthoughts – but they blend seamlessly into the full image and add real-world context to this piece of art.
Be sure to check our archives for even more artistic expressions in plastic.
A “painted” tiger that prowls right off the canvas
Tigers are one of the most impressive animals in all of the animal kingdom. Regal, mysterious, intense… They inspire a plethora of bold descriptors. In Chinese culture, the tiger symbolizes power, fearsomeness, and majesty. This beautiful LEGO-ized “ink” sketch by Dad’s Bricks couldn’t convey that majesty any better. The multidimensional artwork truly comes off the “canvas” to bring this animal to life.
What’s more, is that this piece isn’t even the whole artwork. Upon completion, the tiger is given an exceptional mountainous background with vibrant pops of color in the plant-life. The forced perspective and depth are truly inspiring. I’m particularly fond of the wing elements used to fill out those fuzzy cheeks.
If you like this style of 3D paintings, check out some unique “sketches” by Tobias Munzert, as well at the official LEGO Brick Sketches (Star Wars, DC Comics, and Disney). And if you’re a fan of these big cats, we have plenty of them in our tiger-themed builds and animal archives too!