Tag Archives: Microscale

Some say “Go big or go home!” but it takes real talent to compress something down to just a few studs and still keep it recognizable. Of course, many of the micro models we feature here aren’t so small after all, whether it’s a vast cityscape or starship.

Microscale mission of mercy

A friend in need is a friend indeed, they say. Who is they? Probably Louis of Nutwood, for one, since he built this microscale LEGO scene of a relief ship unloading its supplies to help save a city near destruction. The ship itself is small and sleek, elegantly color blocked, and the harbor is great, too, with its large cranes to unload the supplies. The water deserves some extra attention, with the subtle variation in colors and the studs being used for waves near the shore. But more than that, the whole piece has an elegant composition, with the rocks, uneven edge of the water, and the clear central focus on the ship. What kind of ship? Friendship.

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With 100 magazine foil bags, the sky is the limit

Most builders love a good challenge, but everyone loves free LEGO. Such was my reaction when my LEGO user group, Brickish, selected me to represent them in a build challenge. In this friendly competition amongst UK and Ireland-based LUGs, the task was to build anything using the parts provided in 100 LEGO Star Wars magazine foil packs. These were provided by Fairy Bricks charity, and contained 10 each of 10 small sets. I (Mansur “Waffles” Soeleman) challenged myself to take these small Star Wars models and… not build anything Star Wars related. There weren’t much of the usual grey bits anyway. So I had my next favourite thing in mind: microscale architecture.

I had no plan going into this build challenge. But the parts provided were surprisingly good – lots of small bits that I use in my building style. I knew I was going to surprised myself with the finished results, and I did, for such is the nature of any challenge. It definitely produced a beautiful build I am most proud of: The Voyage to Cirrus Palace.

Do go chasing waterfalls

Ah, nature. It feels great to get out of the house and stretch the legs, hiking strenuously over hill and dale to find the perfect vista by a babbling brook to soothe the troubled soul. Or, you could save yourself the strenuous part and just look at this beautiful waterfall built by Grant Davis, like me. From the smooth rock, comprised of larger elements not often seen in LEGO cliffs, and the hint of greenery at the top, all the way down to the sparkling blue pool and perfectly captured foam, it is a satisfying blend of the complexity of technique and simplification of texture and hue. While I do not envy the folks in that unfortunate boat at the top of the falls, I can at least reassure them that they are just falling into a pile of flowers.

If you love builds of waterfalls, check out the TBB archives of waterfall builds. Or if you just can’t get enough of Grant (and who can?), here are some more of his builds.

Build your own microscale Nintendo Entertainment System [Instructions]

If you are as excited about the recently announced Nintendo Entertainment System LEGO set as I am, but your wallet has felt the impact of the global pandemic, fear not! You can experience all the nostalgic feels (in a slightly smaller dose), when you build your own miniature model using these instructions by Thomas Gion. You’ll have to build a TV on your own, although LEGO Designer Chris McVeigh has free instructions for a variety of old televisions which could provide the perfect inspiration.

The Hogwarts Express has been Reducio’ed

At first glance, I thought this was just another lovely LEGO microscale train. I do love a good micro-train, being a seasoned microscale builder myself. But taking a closer look at the lower-left area of this delightful creation by brickleas, what do my eyes behold, but a tiny flying Ford Anglia nearly splatting the ground, which would have put a rather inglorious ending to our heroes. The rocky landscape is well crafted, and the minimal parts used for each passenger car is impressive, but my favorite detail is the lever handles used as both the main driving wheels and the spokes that drive them.

On the back of a dewy mountain

I love single-use LEGO elements, those pieces that are so specialized that they can only be used to make the one thing they were designed to build. Take, for example the head of a dewback from Star Wars. It’s very useful for building, well, a dewback, but not much else in the hands of an average builder. But in the hands of a master, like Simon Hundsbichler, that same piece becomes a mossy hill in a microscale creation. Add in one of the hip assemblies from the same creature, a video camera as a tower, a Bionicle leg as a coniferous tree, a werewolf head as a cliff, and about thirty other pieces, and you have a miniature masterpiece.

A nice place to be snowed in

They say all snowflakes are unique, and that seems to also apply to microscale castles in the snow. This excellent creation by Simon Liu is rich in clever part usage. Orange unicorn horns, tread attachments, and 1×1 roof tiles add just the right splash of color to the grey stone. In the castle there are plenty of clever angles and building techniques to explore. I like the use of rail plate to form the walls, and that inverted bucket at part of the main tower. For the snow, various tooth plates in white add texture and context for the scene. It’s a tiny winter wonderland!

As a cool bonus, this scene also fits inside a LEGO snow globe ornament for that added touch of whimsy. It’s a creation very much on the same level as Simon’s other great builds.

That’s one angry shop

Some places are inviting, but this microscale Seaside Shoppe by Halhi141 seems to be a grumpy fellow. Maybe I’m seeing things, but the crossbeams, red awning, and doorway arch make a perfect little face screaming “Go away!” And who puts a store on a remote island anyway? Still, that didn’t keep me from appreciating the excellent LEGO building techniques in play. Check out the minifigure scaled book that forms the roof, and the clever binocular chimney with cattle horn smoke. The landscaping is also worth a closer look, as cherries are used to create some perfect little shrubs. And I really like the curving path made from a animal tail element.

Mircoscale creations, when done right, pack a ton of detail into the tiniest places. Just check our archives for even more tiny goodness!

Prague, only smaller...

The historical capital of Bohemia is scaled down in Jet Kwan’s LEGO micro-build of the Prague skyline. Composed of a total of six individual buildings, this brick-built skyline gives us a little taste of one of the largest cities in Europe. Accurate to its real-life counterpart, Kwan’s choice in buildings showcases Prague as the cultural center that it truly is and we will take a closer look at a couple of these structures.

A dominant feature of the old town of Prague is the Church of Our Lady Before Týn, whose spires are elegantly rendered here using black telescope elements in combination with palm tree tops and 1 x 1 cones to achieve the multi-point effect. The structures neighboring the church are minimally depicted by orange 1 x 1 slopes.

Kwan expertly reproduces Frank Gehry’s post-modern Dancing House using very small elements, mostly 1 x 1 slopes, tiles, and bricks.

The historic Charles Bridge which established Prague as an important trade route between Eastern and Western Europe is comprised of mostly 1 x 4 arches with various 1 x 1 decorative elements such as the grey minifigure statuettes.

Overall, these micro-models serve as a testament to LEGO’s creative potential even in its smallest pieces. For more close-up views of individual buildings please check out Jet Kwan’s Instagram page.

Sturdy stone castle fits in the palm of your hand.

Designing castles on a limited footprint is a fun challenge and this 12×12 castle by Roanoke Handybuck packs a lot of detail into a small space. From the rocky outcropping above a sheltered cove, three tall towers keep watch. Dark red rooftops are picked up in the small wooden buildings at the water’s edge. A tiny boat with a brave captain risks the rocky shore, and minifig hands for flags are a nice finishing touch.

Just try not to sneeze on the pixie dust

I simply adore microscale castles, and microscale LEGO creations in general, too. There’s something about it, where even the slightest wrong choice in elements can ruin the whole composition, but the perfect usage of that one clever piece can make a masterpiece. Enter Markus Rollbühler, one of the world’s best LEGO master builders (seriously, check out his TBB rap sheet). His microscale fairytale castle and village are chock full of amazing and clever parts usages (and color, too; do I spy some sand red in there?).

While he’s used the party hats for tower roofs before, pairing them with cupcake liners is new. And there’s a mug in the tallest tower, Elves keys for the keep, wand sprues supporting book covers for the village houses, a katana holder for windmill blades, a roller skate as a cart being pulled by what looks like a non-production brown lever arm, a cupcake top as a haystack, and the list goes on. And don’t forget the unicorn horns balancing as trees. Even blinking near this thing must have the tiny denizens crying “Timber!”

Here is New York City, from a brick’s eye view

The view of New York City from the street level comes with a mixed bag of emotions: excitement, curiosity, and for some natives and tourists, claustrophobia. The beauty of its skyline however, when observed from a bird’s eye view, can turn the metropolis into a piece of art like a LEGO sculpture. A new brick-built model of Manhattan, designed by Axcit is awe-inspiring in its overall scale of 144 cm (56 in) long, down to the details of the many landmarks he was able to fit in the model. In a Reddit post of his masterpiece, Axcit drew hundreds of comments. Between compliments and requests for building instructions, what took the cake were the differing opinions on its authenticity, flying like a typical New York debate of where to get the best pizza (sans NY accent).

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