Tag Archives: Landscape

Kingdom for a handful of dark bluish gray slopes!

Besides sharing fantastic creations through the front page of the Brothers Brick, I like collecting building ideas to use in my own models sooner or later. No kidding, I have a ton of folders with pictures and links to my favorite ideas in numerous genres. Castle is one of the genres I’m planning to explore, but I’ve been in search of a perfect vision — until today. Kallstark Stronghold by Louis of Nutwood might be exactly what I was looking for. The way the castle merges with the landscape puts this build on par with modelmaking masterpieces; obviously, a LEGO version lacks weathering, but the texture of the walls adds so much character. The towers’ and walls’ proportions may be questionable, but I’m a fan of the current composition. The castle looks a lot bigger than it is. And this is precisely how it gets a little bit of magic — I need to know what is happening inside!

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A lonely retreat from battle

As the black knight remorsefully crosses the river, the pale light of the Moon casts a shadow across his reflection. His horse, head bowed as in mutual loneliness, carries him onward as they both trudge towards whatever fate awaits them. Such are the emotions so vibrantly shown in the fantastic LEGO creation by builder Robert4168/Garmadon.

No one knows who the lone knight is or why his countenance is so down-spirited. Yet it’s clear that this LEGO build is meant to show everything about who the knight is feeling. His emotions are not just manifest in the minifigure itself, but also in the night sky, the bright moon, and the fact that there’s almost nothing else that draws your eyes away from the knight’s walk across the water. Emotions can be difficult to pull off in a LEGO creation, so seeing it managed so well in this build is a testament to Garmadon’s skill.

A few other mentions: the waterfall is spot on. The way the pieces change color and transparency to give off the appearance of cascading water is very advanced. I also like that the Moon is a full sphere and not just a flat brick circle. Finally, the variations of green in the plant life were a nice touch. It’s clear that nothing was done by shortcut when building this.

Something old, something new, something golden, something transparent light blue

Something just clicks in Sundown at Pheron 4Y — an eerie landscape from Bart De Dobbelaer. It might just be the Clikits rings and bracelets in the towers, but I think it’s more about the moody atmosphere and quality building. But there sure are a lot of vintage transparent light-blue Clikits parts in there if you really squint. My favorite usage has to be the Clikits beads in the golden Ninjago-hilt topped spires. Speaking of gold elements, there are a lot of interesting ones there, too. From minifigure weapons to Knights-Kingdom era shoulder armor, Bart has once again shown that imagination is the only limiting factor when it comes to finding ways to incorporate supposedly “single purpose” parts.

This isn’t the first amazing landscape that Bart has shared. Be sure to check out their other featured builds!

Mitgardia should be beautiful this time of the year, all that snow.

This snow-covered tower from Louis of Nutwood was an entry for a contest on EuroBricks.com. For a scene that could be very typical, there are some fun and creative touches here, like the textured gray walls and archway on the lower right. One detail I didn’t notice right away is the use of green and yellow minifigure arms for the flag on top of the tower.

Build aside, it’s great seeing people who take pride in crafting a story that ties in. Here’s an excerpt from the Flickr description:

Before reaching the arch of stone that divided the two worlds, he looked over his shoulder, beyond the path that brought him thus far. He glared beyond the mountaintops and the grey sky.

Living atop the wave-worn coastal rocks

Grant Davis never ceases to inspire with his exceptional LEGO creations. This adorable cottage is far from some craggy shack. The color combos and shape set the stage for visions of a quaint ocean hideaway. But it’s tough to decide if the best details come from the sand blue spoilers used for clapboard siding, or the magnificent rocky outcropping upon which it sits. The seamless transition from the smooth boulder foundation to the building is excellent. One can also appreciate the conical hat used as a barrel lid, and skates used as door handles.

While you’re here you should check out some of Grant’s other work. Also, take a peek at some other excellent cottages and all sorts of landscape techniques.

This massive LEGO castle is full of little details to keep you coming back

LEGO Builder Mark Erickson (Mark of Falworth) is no stranger to The Brothers Brick and shows no signs of stopping. His latest castle creation is titled “Storst Castle”, and there’s a lot to unpack. It’s one thing to craft a large-scale LEGO castle, but it’s an entirely different thing to incorporate it into a lush setting including an idyllic pasture, water, and an active underground hill. I love builds like this that have a grand scale, yet also have little stories playing out. It will pay to take your time to really dig into all the little details on this huge diorama.

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Some perspectives don’t feel forced at all

What’s that off in the distance? Cecilie Fritzvold has created a beautiful view of a distant bridge, or maybe a nearby view of a model train set. It’s hard to say for sure, but this stellar mix of textures and techniques is certainly satisfying to look at. I love how the fence along the left side of the scene, and that second lamp post, drop down to create the illusion of a hill leading down to the bay. The bridge itself also merits a closer look, being constructed from the rather unusual Large Figure Part Shield Holder with Axle. (That choice of part was no accident, as this is one of Cecile’s entries into the latest Iron Builder contest, which focuses on creative use of that very element.)

Making bridges out LEGO can be a challenging task. Check our our archives to see how other builders solved that problem.

An unusual way to take your first steps into a larger world

The world feels like a dangerous place sometimes, and it’s only logical that parents would want to keep their babies safe when they venture out. That said, this solution from Andreas Lenander seems just a little bit extreme. The Baby Bubble Mech sure is a work of art, though. There’s just enough bulk to the mech’s arms and legs to suggest a light and strong exo-suit, and that bubble cockpit does give a wide field of view. And speaking of that view, does the part selection there suggest a lunar landscape fit for Wallace and Gromit? After all, “everyone knows the moon is made of cheese“…

If you enjoyed this odd walkabout, you’ll definitely want to check out our other “baby build” featured creations. They’re all cute and only mildly creepy.

Honest.

Not just your garden greenhouse

If you’ve never been to a botanical garden, you should go. As a kid, the first one I ever visited was the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, Canada. I recall feeling like I had entered a wonderland. And as I saw the greenhouses, I realized I would never look at them the same way again. Since then, of course, I have been exposed to many large gardens and massive greenhouses, but I’ll never forget the beginning. This LEGO build by Kris Kelvin (Montgomery Burns) reminds me of that experience. It may be mostly veggies as opposed to flowers, but those big greenhouses sure are striking!

The huge display is filled with nice element usage, especially through the implementation of minifigure parts and accessories. There are also a couple of fun touches for those keen to investigate closely. Although it’s not a new technique, I’m personally fond of the fence design. Apparently, this will be part of an even larger diorama, which we can’t wait to see in its entirety! In the meantime, check out some of this builder’s other excellent work.

A long walk to the nearest gas station

Master of eerie landscapes Bart De Dobbelaer returns with Marooned of CZ-57. As usual there are tons of great building techniques and details to enjoy, but the standout feature this time has to be the golden lake made from Ninjago dragon wings. Or maybe it’s those curves in the the ruins. Or the dark orange plant life. No, wait, it’s the gold and green insectoid life forms. Yes, definitely the bugs. Unless you’re counting that great life-pod build. Oh, well…I guess it’s all pretty nifty.

If you like this build, check our archives for more great environments from Bart. And then continue on to do more exploring with great creations from other Space enthusiasts. You didn’t have anything else pressing to do today, right?

The world between worlds

Portals, parallel dimensions, time travel, etc. Those concepts sometimes spice up storytelling, like in Back to the Future, and Avengers: Endgame. And sometimes they fail, like in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the sequel fan-fiction that was canonised into a theatre production. Even Star Wars: Rebels tried to explore those concepts in an episode titled “The World Between Worlds”, which didn’t work at all. As for this small two-hour build by Luka (First Order Lego), it works very well.

Titled “A world between worlds,” but totally unrelated to Star Wars, Luka’s creation is a small microscale landscape build. A portal to another world dominates a lush valley with a small cute village built into the cliffside. A barren wasteland from beyond oozes something dark and dreary that pollutes the idyllic paradise. Overall, this has some great details for such a small build. I really enjoy some of the part choices for the greenery, like the green Hero Factory blades for evergreen trees. In addition, a half-hidden Knights Kingdom buildable figure helmet also adds texture to the hills.

Check out more of Luka’s builds!

A cozy temple tucked into a jungle cave

I’m often reminded that good landscaping can really make or break LEGO scenes or buildings. When builders like Jake Hansen build their structure right into the landscape through – chef’s kiss – words are hard to describe how good it can look. Jake is pretty masterful at LEGO landscaping, and his new pieces never cease to amaze me. The composition of slopes gives the perfect look of natural stone. The natural curves of the landscape perfectly nestle the structures of this hidden jungle temple and the smooth spring water it surrounds. A couple features I’d like to point out are the curving staircase, brilliantly constructed out of flags, and the table made from a brown witch king’s crown. Does anyone else wish this was a real place we could go and explore?