LEGO recently revealed 21332 The Globe that will go on sale next month, but according to Ralf Langer, it’s not really accurate to what LEGO world should look like. Where are the straight edges, the clean lines, the blocks? This cubic version Ralph designed is much better for our brickish hearts. The depth in the water and the tiled continents look gorgeous together, and as cool as the official set looks, it’s kind of making me want to redo it in this style already.
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo created many amazing self portraits over her impressive career. Now, South African artist Michelle Krüger has taken a fun twist to those works, and created a LEGO mosaic version using a huge array of colorful elements. This complex construction uses layers of bricks, plates, tiles, and even plant elements to create color values that aren’t currently possible in single element 1×1 tile or plate mosaics. This style also adds a lot of really interesting textures to the real-world build, rewarding the viewer for leaning in and taking a close look at just how those at-a-distance shapes are achieved.
There’s a lot happening in the worlds of LEGO mosaics lately. Check out other LEGO mosaics here on TBB for more featured builds and artists!
There are a lot of different ways to approach building mosaics in LEGO, and each artist tends to make a claim on their own style. Sometimes that means “massive brick-built images”. In that theme, a clear standout is Jonathan Farrell. We had the opportunity to sit down (virtually) with Jonathan and talk about his methods, his favorite builds, and just what happens to a mosaic that fills a room once you’ve photographed it!
John Kupitz has created this incredible build of everyone’s favourite plumber, Mario. A wide range of pieces are used in this model’s construction, from a baguette to a scorpion and even a rabbit in the M logo at the hat. On the right side of the face, a monkey is cleverly hidden and represents part of the hair, while there is a Mario printed piece, from the NES set, at the ear. The photo of this mosaic has been taken at just the right angle so that all the parts blend to form this stunning display.
Why is the start of the new year in the middle of winter? It’s dark and cold out, everyone is tired. Even indoors can be dark and cold, just like this grand high-ceilinged throne room built by Andreas Lenander. After a night of celebrations within his keep, the noble king returns to his throne with a royal hangover to ponder the existential dilemma of ruling instead of partying. Or he may be wondering what’s taking his servant so long to fetch the breastplate stretcher…
We recently wrote about this grand royal hall, but we decided to use this immersive and atmospheric shot as the cover photo for our social media platforms. Despite my questionable interpretation of the scene (and one too many Bobby B references), the composition of this build and the photo speaks for itself as good storytelling. The king positioned on the white carpet draws the eye to the throne looming in the darkness, prompting the pondering of his situation. Does the darkness mean that his kingdom is in peril? Do the columns signify that the king is trapped in a risky position of power (and he’d rather be spending his life partying with peasant girls)? Ok, I’ll stop now.
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The Brothers Brick contributor Chris Doyle adds to his Super Heroic mosaic collection with a tribute to Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther.
This image is based off of a publicity still, run through the LEGO Remix website a few times, modified to lower his hands, then hand color-corrected. This mosaic is 96 studs by 46 studs – 6,144 studs total in the image. (Plus a bunch more for the frame and Technic pins to hold everything safely together.) You can read more about the construction after the break!
Andreas Lenander has designed this fantastic looking great hall. Light trickles in through the windows, surrounded by intricate stonework frames. Tall pillars are placed close to the main walkway with extended connector pieces assisting in adding to their height. A grand window overlooks the king who greets an approaching visitor while the guards stand ever watchful. Cast your eyes down to the floor and you can see complex mosaic patterns created by wedge pieces. The outer squares along the path also have some great details with arched pieces creating elegant curves in the patterns.
As Andreas says in the video, you wouldn’t want to tip this model upside down, otherwise those wedge pieces will be going everywhere.
At first glance, you might not realize this idyllic holiday scene is made from LEGO. That’s because builder aukbricks has made use of roughly 14,000 digital bricks to render a spacious living room at a scale large enough to trick the eye. I’m particularly impressed by the mosaic hanging on the wall, made using the tips of bar elements. Although this model is a computer rendering, aukbricks assures us that only existing bricks/colors were used. So, you can build this yourself in reality…assuming Santa brings you enough LEGO this year. Merry Christmas.
We here at The Brothers Brick love creative part usage. We love mosaics. And we really love when the two come together. We had an opportunity to talk with Deepak Shenoy (Deepshen6) about the creative process behind their recent series of geometric LEGO wonders. Eye-bending and intricate, these designs really satisfy.
It makes sense that when LEGO launched their new Art theme, they’d start their Marvel offerings off with Iron Man, the hero who gave birth to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At least, he birthed it from a movie release date perspective. But Steven Wayne Howard hasn’t forgotten that the real first Avenger was Captain America. This tribute to Steve Rogers was created by fusing the pieces from Iron Man and Sith mosaics (with a handful of extra 1×1 red plates thrown in). So, it should be no problem to recreate yourself if you have both of those sets on hand. And if you’re looking for a great spot to hang it, I suggest the wall on your left.
There’s been a sharp increase in the amount of mosaic builds we’ve seen since LEGO debuted their Art series last year. But The Middle Brick has taken the art of LEGO mosaic to a new dimension with The Bounty Hunter, a closeup shot of famed Star Wars fiend Boba Fett.
This piece packs a significant amount of detail, and a subtle 3D effect, into its frame thanks to a unique layered approach. The first layer renders the background in standard tiles, while the second and third layers build up the main subject. The final result may not be as detailed as a man frozen in carbonite, but it’s close.
LEGO’s foray into the art world, with its various mosaic sets, has inspired fans to create their own fantastic art. There’s even a Mosaic Maker which allows you to upload your own image and create a custom set. I’ve had friends order a few and they always turn out great. But I think builder Brent Waller invested a lot more thought into this textured mosaic of the Child from the Mandalorian. This absolute work of art was created as a gift for his son’s birthday and I have to say that this guy definitely deserves a Great Dad award. Measuring 1 meter wide by 60 centimeters high, this massive mosaic features tons of different pieces and colors masterfully placed and blended to render a close-up image of Grogu in his floating bassinet. But this portrait also has a secret: the Child and the Mandalorian are hidden within all that greebly goodness. Can you spot them? I’m not giving any hints so good luck!
The mosaics in the LEGO Art sets make use of a pixel approach to create images of Darth Vader, the Hogwarts crest, or even Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe. While this technique is quite effective at rendering plenty of different images, the grid pattern is difficult to break and some sharp diagonal lines aren’t captured well. That’s my opinion as an artist, at least. But Brent Waller’s use of a plethora of pieces allowed him to create sharper lines and textured surfaces. These draw the eye in new ways, almost tricking it into seeing aspects of the cloth, or the shadows in the bassinet, that aren’t really there. A vast array of pieces and colors on such a large canvas also allowed for better resolution in the image. From a distance, this barely even looks like a LEGO creation.
I’m sure Waller, Jr. was excited to see this once it was complete. It would be an amazing addition to any room but if I were him, I would put it right above my desk. I can’t imagine this will end up in the scrap pile any time soon though. This is nerd-family heirloom material so it will surely make its rounds in their home for years to come.