LEGO Harry Potter is what got me through my dark ages. When I started to lose interest in the construction toy LEGO picked up the Harry Potter license and started producing one set after another. I was hooked. I managed to collect most of the sets. I do have to admit I missed out on some big ones like the Chamber of Secrets, but my allowance wasn’t sufficient to buy all of them. This is why whenever I see a LEGO fan creation of an iconic Harry Potter moment I get soft in the knees and feel the urge to share it with the world. I know this is my soft spot so I always have to think twice and check if it is really something special. To me this creation by Hugo hits the spot. It is massive in size, filled with details and as a plus, Hugo took several pictures, each depicting different scenes from the movies taking place in this iconic location. We get the polyjuice potion-making, the polyjuice mishap, Ginny going to the Chamber of Secrets, and Ron and Harry forcing Lockhart to go down to the Chamber of Secrets with them. A feast for the eyes if you ask me.
Tag Archives: Hugo
Danger in the Shadows
From the early days of the Empire comes Hugo‘s LEGO creation of what truly can be described as “dark times.” Here, two Imperial clone troopers patrol a run-down street while dangers lurk in the shadows. This whole creation looks dirty, and that’s probably just the way Hugo wanted it. From the different shades of grey, brown and tan, the colors flow together to show the grit of the Star Wars universe, as well as the same colors that are shoved into the crevices of the building. Each brick looks like it naturally exists there. I also really like the use of red capes as the awnings on the walls. That’s a technique we don’t see often enough.
The best part about this build is that it fills me with questions: what will happen next? Will the dark Duro figure get the jump on the troopers? Or will the Imperial assassin on the upper level strike first?
Harry and Draco duel it out as stars of the show
When it comes to creations shared on The Brothers Brick, it may seem like the brick-built models are the stars of the show while minifigures stand in as accessories. This is not always the case, though. For example, in Hugo’s model of Draco Malfoy casting Serpensortia, the architecture acts as a frame or backdrop while the minifigures take center stage.
Don’t get me wrong, this backdrop is built amazingly well – from the stained glass window, to the arch over the window, and the mixed brickwork – but I’m a sucker for well-integrated minifigures. While there are some stock characters mixed in, such as Filch, Snape, Draco and Harry, my favourites are the other characters that fill out the scene. There’s a subtle art to choosing the right facial expressions and hair pieces to bring a character to life, and then you need to position them in a dynamic way to ensure they’re reacting appropriately and not all standing parallel or perpendicular to each other. Hugo has nailed all of that in this scene. The full range of expected emotions is visible, with characters upset, scared, or angry depending on their house. Yet this ignores the most cleverly placed minifigure of them all…the one that’s included in the building itself as a moving painting.