LEGO has released quite some specific horse saddles. We have them for regular LEGO horses, Belville horses, Scala horses and of course Friends horses. Kit Nugent used the latter to adorn their castle with a rather creative roofing. The entire castle is to die for. I have no idea how most of the parts are attached but I don’t care, it is amazing. I don’t think I’ll look at horse saddles the same way ever again. I might even start hoarding them to create my own horse saddle roof castle.
Following builds one and two of this three-part trilogy in LEGO, we see the king finally meet his doom thanks to this quality construction by Micah Beideman. Though it’s not at the blade of a sword that this monarch shall perish, but with the curve of a soup spoon. The hall of his demise is beautifully crafted in light gray bricks. While working so much in a single color, Micah uses the negative space to help break up the walls and pillars, and utilizes some excellent techniques while doing so. For instance, the rows of headlight bricks with studs facing each other is sublime, and I love the deep-set cracks in the stone floor. The throne at the back of the hall fits the rest of the surroundings well, while remaining unlike any other LEGO throne I’ve seen. But, alas, our king may never sit in it again….
The first in a trio of LEGO creations from different builders, this nefarious deal for a poisonous potion is brought to us by Eli Willsea. The wooden beams and boards creating the patchwork docks on which the vial of poison is exchanged are absolutely terrific. There’s some excellent use of the minifig hand to create ladder rungs, and just enough chaos in the various bar part choices to give that ramshackle feel. But the highlight of the build for me lies in the houses in the background. The color choices are perfect, and perfectly compliment the brown skeleton on which they’re all built. And those roof tiles! Each utilizing a different type of hinged panel (large entry door, kitchen cabinet door, or book cover), they are an absolute marvel to behold! The varied look between the domiciles shows off Eli’s design prowess while feeding that feel that this is the wrong side of town.
And if you’re wondering about the other two builds in the series, stay tuned!
Debuting at Brickworld Chicago back in June, builder Casey McCoy represents LEGO’s Black Falcons well with this epic monastery. And this creation is jam-packed with awesome details! Let’s start with the exterior walls, which alternate between gentle curves and harsher slopes. All of this on top of a beautiful smattering of textured brick that draws the eye to key points: the ornate stonework around the entrance, the elegantly simple bell tower, or those stunning stained glass windows. I appreciate the common architectural themes between the upper and lower structures. However, with the addition of beveled corners and more intricate stone work on level #2, the build tells a story of the later addition of the upper section, perhaps after the monastery was established.
Big LEGO castles are the bomb, but small really detailed medieval scenes also tickle our fancy. This scene by Eli Willsea is a great example of a small castle setting packed with little details. We are treated to a lovely balcony scene featuring a young woman looking out over a room filled with greenery. There is a trellis for a climbing plant which happens to be two green snakes. The integration of the bar with 3 leaves into the wall to turn it into a climbing plant is lovely. The brown flex tubing intertwining between the leaves works amazingly well as a plant stem. I love how this continues over the wooden beams hanging over the balcony, giving it a patio feel.
There are a lot of trans-clear tiles used to represent a propagation station. I absolutely adore the use of the Captain Marvel mohawk used to represent a box of presumably hay. The use of the Minions hair as table legs is stunning in its simplicity. The best feature of this creation has to be the use of the minifigure action pose bar with stud to make the railing of the balcony. So clever and visually appealing!
This beautiful castle build by Margrabia Mokotowski brings all manner of LEGO texturing to bear. The walls of this fortress evoke so much tantalizing topography that I keep reaching into my computer screen to feel the stony stronghold. It gives the stone a worn, cobbled look, while still communicating the craftsmanship that went into the mason work. Moving down to the yard, it’s a slew of pine trees, flowers, and high grass. While properly giving off a proper “wilderness” vibe, the verdant patch still possesses some of the order we would see in nature: blotches of the same plants together, careful application of moss over the occasional crag, and climbing vines ascending the walls of the building. The wooden structure rising up from one of the ramparts has some brilliantly fashioned shingles on its roof, and I love the use of color to signify the slats comprising its walls. And the splash of blue and white striping along the hoarding is an excellent pop of color in a very green and gray scene.
Taking a look at the interior, there has been clear attention paid to keeping the wild brush out. The blues and whites continue to shine, especially at the main entrance marked with the classic shield and crossed spears. From this vantage, my favorite detail is visible: the giant chunk of wall missing on one of the tower’s corners. Such a fascinating addition that adds so much character to an already impressive build.
Next to LEGO I am a huge board game nerd, and I love it when hobbies collide. Isaac and John Snyder drew inspiration from one of my favourite board games. Everdell is a worker placement game in which you build the homes of the many forest critters that inhabit the forest of Everdell. The artwork was done by Andrew Bosley and Dann May. The playing cards depict forest locations but also its inhabitants. The illustrations on the cards look truly as if they came straight out of a fairy tale. I can surely see why Isaac and John would draw inspiration from it. In this creation we see the Everdell chapel which is built on a rock in a foggy lake. A grey Belville tower roof has been incorporated in the landscaping and to me it is mind boggling that this large piece blends in with the scenery so well.
The resemblance to the source material is really amazing. The Tudor style is done exceptionally well, and including yellowed and damaged white bricks to depict the decay of the building is really clever. On the playing card there are no animals included but it is nice to get some forest critters in there to make the scene appear more alive. They even get cute custom outfits made out of capes and rubber bands. I am curious to see if these two will keep drawing inspiration from this lovely board game. One thing is for sure, I wouldn’t mind!
I’m really digging this serene view of LEGO Alexandria by builder Jesse van den Oetelaar! Employing forced perspective, a micro version of the ancient city’s walls can be seen on the other side of Lake Mareotis (modern-day Lake Mariout in Egypt). I like how the micro greenery around the wall looks to be a miniaturized version of the flora we see in the foreground. The reed design front-and-center is wonderful, employing wands and paintbrushes to add variety to the verdant patch. Even though it’s tucked away to the right, the designs on the sandstone building are intricate and fit right in with the medieval setting. And the water flowing out of the fountain is some especially nice parts usage. But my favorite part of the scene is the subtle texture added to the water’s surface with the occasional bare stud. It adds motion to the build without disrupting the serenity of the view.
Something that’s great about LEGO and it’s many unique pieces is the wonderful geometry when they come together. Builder Dan Ko demonstrates this beautifully with these four knights waiting for their turn in the joust. Each of these knights have their own distinct armor and look, and it’s all so satisfying to see. The first knight, from left to right, is mostly curves, their neck craning forward. The second knight is tall and lanky, though their big shield more than covers them, something that’ll help in the competition. The third knight has scale armor, providing more than enough protection and maneuverability over their opponents. The fourth and last knight reminds me of a clockwork figure with that gear for their pauldron and the round textured brick of their arm. If you stand with the knights in their gradient line maybe they’ll tell you stories of their grand exploits and adventures.
Over at The Brother’s Brick we know a good LEGO Orc Hut when we see one. And this Orc Hut by Versteinert definitely is a good one. Do you want to know why? It’s because of all the funky parts used in original ways. We get a tree trunk suit disguised as a chimney. Complete with a Ninjago snake used for the smoke. I’ve seen this part used for smoke before and it never stops to amaze me how good this looks. Cake suit guy gets robbed of his party hat because it gets transformed into a bell. I love how the pin of the hat resembles the clapper of the bell. The flower stem pine trees are to die for. Same goes for most of the foliage. There are quite some original parts used there. If you take a closer look you can spot eggs, ice cream scoops, Minion hair and even Marge Simpsons head.
Sometimes when creations get big, they lose a lot of the details which can make the build interesting. This does not apply to Tobias Goldschalt’s latest LEGO design. This Outpost Inn is so big it might as well be a Medieval version of Ninjago City. Whenever you build something this gargantuan, repetition is inevitable. The danger is that repetition is one of the key factors that can make a creation a bit boring and dull. Tobias repeated the color scheme and the architectural style of the build, however he differentiated in the details. Every section of the Tudor style mansion has a different technique. Even though all the rooftops are red, there’s a variety of texture thanks to the use of round bricks, round plates, cheese tiles and slope turrets. Additionally, the style of window construction rarely repeats itself. Avoiding repetition on this level keeps a massive creation like this interesting. You keep finding new little details every time you take a closer look at it. There is a great deal to learn from this creation if you study it closely enough.
In his latest LEGO build, W. Navarre posits an Assassin’s Creed video game set in Spain circa 1398. Our roguish hero is taking his hallmark “leap of faith” down to the streets below. But, while the assassin minifigure is clearly the focus of this build, I can’t help but admire the excellent buildings making up this Spanish city. There’s some excellent stonework displayed on the balconies, and of course the iconic terra cotta rooftops of Spain. And, while the vast majority of the build is sepia-toned, I love the pockets of bright color dappled throughout. A hint of light bright yellow on the side of a building, a splotch of turquoise visible through a window, and the occasional dark red roof tile all stand out, even in the fuzzy background.
