J. R. R. Tolkien imagined Bilbo Baggins’ door as a circular construction, green and impressive in size (for a hobbit). Peter Jackson ran with the description and the gently rustic feel of the Shire and created an organic-and-tudor style mix that Gus has wonderfully captured here in the blocky medium of LEGO. There are so many details to love in this scene; the fence is made from a pair of whips, while the circular window to the right of the door is a bicycle tire! The organic side of the hobbit style is on full display as Gus has achieved both a cobbled circle for the windmill tower, and a smooth roof-line mimicking the slope of the of the hill – not to mention the striking red of the wood slats in the door. With all of this excellent building on display only one question remains; are these two folks Bagginses or Tooks?
Tag Archives: Faëbricks
Where’s a Strider when you need one?!
We’ve had a glorious wealth of LEGO Lord of the Rings builds lately, thanks in large part to a contest going on right now over on the LEGO Ideas site. As a result, we can see builder Faëbricks ply their expert rock technique in this beautiful recreation of the Weathertop scene. Faëbricks does an excellent job of distinguishing between two types of weathered stone. There’s the ruins of the watchtower, built in light gray and retaining evidence of man-made features: crumbling arches, a few ruined statues, and so many clean lines intentionally broken with a crack or crevice tell the history of this place. Juxtapose that feel with the rocky terrain in dark gray, dark green, and brown. The weathered earth appears in larger “chunks” and involves far more slopes and natural shapes than the construction atop it. And yet both sides of this metaphorical coin coexist wonderfully in this exceptional recreation from the movie.
Beware the cannonball in this LEGO Pirates battle
The LEGO Imperials are totally overwhelmed in this Pirate battle scene by Faëbricks. The design of the black and brown sloop is exquisite, lean and ready for a fight. And yet, it still doesn’t steal attention away from the scene as a whole. The same can be said of the port structure: beautifully textured and colored, it looks as if it’s seen its fair share of weathering. But it’s clear that the current cannon fire is creating a bit more damage than years of wind and water. Gaping holes in the gate and foundation show that the pirates are clearing winning this fight, with one more cannonball about to make contact in this frozen slice of the action. Good luck, Imperials! You’re going to need it….
Time to take a tour of Tortuga
LEGO construction styles collide in the pirate town of Tortuga by builder Faëbricks. First, there’s the excellent rock work creating the cliffs of this craggy isle at sea. So many large slopes in shades of gray positioned at just the right angle such that they blend perfectly into an organic wall. Second, we have the ramshackle houses built into these cliffs. Set at odd angles and built with uneven or off-colored shingles, this is clearly a town that sprung up from whatever was available, not the finest building supplies. Then finally we have the expert use of minifigures. This tiny town is full of stories, told by figures in action poses. One posse is on lookout and manning the cannon, another works to raise a chest with a crane. My favorite is the man aboard the beautiful sailboat coming around the island. The whole scene is given agency by their individual stories, and Tortuga’s buildings and crags come alive as a result.
When you see a serpent
I don’t know about you, but I like my placid meadow villages free of marauding sea serpents. However, the folks were not so lucky at this fine farm by LEGO builder Faëbricks. The dark water looks ominous rather than tranquil, and the sand-green serpent rears his head in a pose that might be an easter egg for LEGOLand’s Brickley. As for the whole scene, I don’t know whether this builder was inspired by Valheim, but this moment seems to be drawn straight out of one of my games, from right after my boat got wrecked by a serpent and I’m swimming furiously to shore hoping my stamina holds out.
Preparations for an adventure across the ocean waves
The talented Faëbricks has created this intriguing build which shows a young boat builder who dreams of one day traveling out to sea in search of fortune. The frame of a boat is embedded into the sand, as the adventurer carries wooden planks over to the construction. One of the most eye-catching features of the model has to be the waves; teeth pieces form part of the white foam which is surrounded by clear wedges providing this section with a realistic look.
Faëbricks has even created a video, demonstrating the intricate details of the diorama.