Tag Archives: Figures

This Loxodon wins by a nose

In the event that you haven’t nerded out enough lately, Eero Okkonen has you covered. He has recently built a LEGO version of Jörn, a Loxodon ranger from northern Nordovik. This is a character he’s playing in a quarantined Dungeons & Dragons campaign called Heroes of Auronia. Eero scores extra nerd street cred as this bipedal beast was inspired by the Woolly Loxodon from Magic: The Gathering. I like the use of the baskets as feet as well as the dragon wings in dark green. Check out our archives to see more of this builder’s stuff. As for playing D&D while in quarantine, I feel your pain, Eero. Most of my own gaming has become a solitary endeavor due to the pandemic. And let me tell you what a soul-crushing embarrassment it is when someone walks in on your one-handed solo campaign.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

You may feel a slight prick

Have you ever had the feeling that your mind and body has been taken over by time-traveling extraterrestrial beings for the purpose of one day inheriting the Earth? No? Wow, I don’t even know how to respond to that other than you people are a bunch of weirdos! A LEGO builder who surely knows the gentle mind-touch of a Yithian is Ivan Martynov, which definitely isn’t weird so don’t get that idea in your heads. To be clear, this is a computer render as evidenced by a few of these parts in non-production colors but to the likes of Ivan and me, this is instantly recognizable. He tells us that “there lies upon this world of man a mocking and incredible shadow out of time.” Indeed, Ivan. Indeed. Still not attuned to our wavelength? Then just let Ivan and I have our knowing nods. Remember, you people are the weirdos, not us.

But if you’re totally jibing with what we’re into, then you may want to submit your delicious minds and check out some of Ivan’s other creations.

Chicago’s hockey legend is padded up in LEGO

Here come the Hawks, the mighty Blackhawks! I am not a sports guy, but I respect athletes who have brought a semblance of glory to their hometowns. Especially when I have lived in that town for over a decade, and exceptional athletes become the local heroes. Teacher and LEGO artist Dave Kaleta has built a large sculpture of a Chicago Blackhawks player Jonathan Toews. Being a Chicago native, Kaleta chose the Blackhawks team captain as the subject to commemorate the new hockey season. This build not only serves as cultural imagery for hockey fans and Chicagoans but as just a realistic and detailed representation of a talented sportsman. In addition to the dynamic posing of the skating Toews, this massive sculpture is packed to the brim with interesting building techniques.

One can examine the photo for at length to see how he has assembled the details like the numbers and the Blackhawks logo. Since I don’t have much to say about hockey, I can talk about the build itself!

Read about the details and a little bit of LEGO-related hockey trivia I could conjure up!

A very statuesque elf

This elven archer by Dmitry would be at home on any Lord of the Rings fan’s mantelpiece. The clean and minimalist approach to the facial features makes the ornate armor all the more impressive. I particularly like the use of Ninjago Spinner blades as wrapped hair braids, and the grill tiles for a flattop makes me chuckle. (As did that golden banana as part of the tunic.) But I’m certainly not laughing at the great shaping in grey achieved by cheese slopes and curved brick, or at that elegant display stand.

This build has a different look from most LEGO figures we see at this scale, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

Edwina Scissorhands and I would have totally been besties!

The film Edward Scissorhands inspired a generation of teens to tease their hair, put on black lipstick, listen to Bauhaus and sulk about pretending that their very touch brings pain to anyone who would love them due to their horrible affliction of having scissorhands. Or something. I have to admit, the untouchable, artsy sullen bad-boy image was quite appealing to me as a young man. But what if you dig the look and also happen to be female? Letranger Absurde has you covered with this Edwina Scissorhands LEGO creation. She has all the sullen gothy put-upon misguidedness as her male counterpart excpet she’s wearing an awesome skirt. We would have totally been besties when I was eighteen!

Now that I’m middle-aged and with Bauhaus still frequenting my current Pandora playlist not much has changed, other than I’m paunchier than I used to be and my days having hair to tease is long gone. Frankly, I’m not sure if I could pull off the whole outfit anymore either. But do you like the idea of a paunchy, balding Edward Scissorhands wannabe? Soak it in, ladies and gents! Or not. Whatevs! Just check out the archives.

Frolic in the fields, dance among the dandelions

There is perhaps no builder more skilled at crafting interesting and unique figures out of LEGO than Eero Okkonen. One glance at the TBB archives will demonstrate that. But the most recent creation to grace our screens is my favorite of the lot, due to her graceful pose, captured mid-frolic, and elegant shaping. The use of the spider net from a Hobbit set with some boat sliders makes a perfect top, with the soft edges of the fabric causing the Magadril of Dandelions to look more alive and less LEGO-ish than most of Eero’s builds. And since her eyes are up there, it’s worth highlighting how perfect minifigure hands are for eyes. If I were single and a brick-built LEGO creation myself, I’d gladly tiptoe through some tulips, or dandelions, with her. If only she didn’t have that midriff tattoo since my mother would never approve of her…

Back when “Modern Life” was a good thing

Nostalgia time! Builder Cameron has created a superb LEGO version of the star of 90’s Nicktoon Rocko’s Modern Life, and great part usage abounds. There are minifigure arms repurposed for the fingers, and a car hood for the snout. The nose itself is courtesy of a Dodge logo sticker. Stickers also form the pupils on those shoulder panel eyes. The Hero Factory theme is tapped for those red shoes, and Technic for the ears. But the most clever part usage? That has to the Scala dress that makes up Rocko’s shirt.

This build isn’t nearly as mysterious as the last one we featured from Cameron. Or….is it??? (Answer: No. The other build is much more mysterious. Go look.)

Watch out for the high stick!

If you’re a hockey fan, you should be pretty excited to learn that hockey will continue to be a very popular sport in the future. With this striking model of a High-tech hockey player by JakTheMad the sport gets some impressive upgrades, including a jetpack for body checks, and some serious skate feet, made with the weighted ring from a Ninjago Spinner base.

She brings grumpiness to life

Builder Felix Jaensch has constructed a life-sized LEGO figure he calls “Grumpy Girl”. He tells us “she is in a huff at the moment” but offers no other explanation for her dour demeanor. Maybe she’s cold? Annoyed? Maybe she’s in a huff at the condition of the world today? Maybe she just doesn’t want to turn that frown upside-down right now. Who knows, this piece poses more questions than answers. But there is no denying the skill needed to bring this grumpy young lady to life.

This shot offers up clear details, her lips in a pout, her well-sculpted nose, and even her zipper on her hoodie are all amazing details. She’s seen some things in her day and she’s a bit peeved by it, and that’s OK. While her expression may be dour, she still puts a smile on my face, even for just a little while.

Here are plenty of other times Felix’s life-like work has made us smile.

Spread your crazy Bionicle wings and fly

I don’t know much about Bionicle, but I know what I like and I really like this incredibly colorful LEGO figure by Patrick Biggs. Bionicle builders are a special breed. They have a mastery of the human figure and how to create realistically articulated joints. This is not a skill I possess myself so I am often in awe of these builders’ work. The story here is that the characters of Tahu and Ikir have united their powers to bring an end to Makuta’s plans for the Mask of Control. Yes, Bionicle lore is incredibly deep.

The first thing you see when you view this figure is the fantastic color scheme. The limited palette of red, gold, and dark azure is quite striking and draws you in immediately. Interestingly the figure is somehow both bulky and yet extremely elegant at the same time. The wings are stunning and have a pseudo-Art Deco/Egyptian feel to them. The pose is full of action and the downward-pointing swords create a nice balance to the upward-pointing wings. Speaking of balance, the symmetry at work here is terrific and the raised knee adds that perfect bit of asymmetry to keep it from becoming too much of the same thing. It’s exceptionally well done and transcends the Bionicle form to give us something you might see hanging in an art gallery.

People don’t come to see the tigers; they come to see me

I’ve seen a lot of LEGO models, but I must admit that I never thought I would see one of a gay, polyamorous, gun toting redneck who keeps large tigers, but here we are. We were barely a week into our quarantine when a virus of another sort started invading the world’s TVs. Netflix’s Tiger King became an instant sensation as people lost themselves in a story about the goings on in the little known world of Joe Exotic aka The Tiger King. Add equally engaging side characters, large cats and a big dose of crazy and you have a hit on your hands. Joe Exotic minifigs have been popping up right and left, but this excellent brick built LEGO figure by SuckMyBrick deserves special notice.

This is such a fun grouping of figures, full of character and humor. The Joe Exotic figure captures him perfectly with his blonde mullet and cane. The giant eyes are hilarious and somehow fitting here and the gold earring is a great little touch. There is some great parts usage in the tiger’s face including the white croissant mouth and the minifigure pith helmets creating eyelids that give him some serious side-eye. It has a wonderfully crafted pose and a very telling facial expression. You can almost hear what he’s thinking. Seems to me this would make great fodder for a caption contest. Anyone want to give it a go?

Longing for a better world

This LEGO render by Steven Howard is a stunning sight to behold. The lighting, the dark shadows within the room, the textures, the central figure peering out into the brightly lit exterior are all handled beautifully. Buuuuut the title and the shackle around her ankle clue us in that not all is right with this. Steven tells us that he supports an organization called Rapha International that helps children who are being exploited and trafficked in Cambodia and elsewhere. Obviously, this is a subject close to Steven’s heart and if you’d like to help in some way then visit rapha.org to learn more. He’d also like to encourage other LEGO artists to build or render something that brings light to a cause you believe in and to use the hashtag #buildabetterworldwithlego. Who knows, doing so just might make this world a little better in some way or another.

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!

Like this article? Tell all your friends!