The cube is one of the most common shapes and one that is particularly well suited to LEGO models. But this clever construction by Didier Burtin takes cubic LEGO construction to a whole new level. The structure of 5 plates matching the width of 2 studs is the most basic form of LEGO math at the core of this model, but the use of sideways facing stud bricks, jumper plates, and brackets, as well as plates and tiles in alternate shades of gray, add up to way more than the sum of its parts.
The enormous, elephant-like oliphaunts (also known as Mûmakil to their Haradrim riders) wowed the hobbits Sam and Frodo as they made their way through Ithilien. Impressive as they may have been in the books and movies, this LEGO sculpture by Marcin Otreba adds movement to his bricks and brings the creature to life.
Back in the late 1800s, bicycling soared in popularity. One of the more unusual bikes to emerge from this period was the penny-farthing high wheeler. It earned the penny-farthing name based on the size of its wheels, which were compared with the size of a British penny in relation to a farthing coin. Melan-E has taken this scary looking cycle and transformed it into an impressive large-scale LEGO model. In addition to looking fit for riding through the streets of London, Melan-E’s model also offers a case study in how the natural flex of stacked bricks can be used to achieve convincing curves. The wheel consists of 2×2 round bricks, and the frame utilizes 1×1 round bricks. Both examples appear to be threaded together with flex tube, allowing the bricks to curve without falling apart. The cycle is supplemented with LEGO versions of period props like a phonograph and Victorian parasol, which help create a cohesive scene that breathes life into this high wheeler.
Riley Scott fancies himself the “Tony Stark of LEGO”. However, his latest creation positions him to take the title of Dwarf King currently held by the lonely Eitri.
I think we’re past the point of spoiler warnings with Avengers: Infinity War already in its home video phase, so I’m just going to jump right into how perfectly this model recreates Stormbreaker after its unique birth. In the movie, the freshly-cast hammer and axe sections fall out of the mold, and with both Thor and Eitri unable to help complete the weapon angsty teen Groot finally jumps into action by grabbing the separate pieces and intertwining them with wooden tendrils. Compare the LEGO model to its completed appearance in Infinity War below: the contrast of the metal look against the more organic stacked round LEGO bricks and plates is stellar.
One more shot of the strongest weapon in Asgardian history, one we saw deal some major damage to Thanos in the climax of the film. Sadly, Thor should have gone for his head.
The United States’ Independence Day celebration may have been last month, but this feathery model from the crafty Sergei Rahkmaninoff is a high-flying patriotic tribute any time of the year. Like some of the other Bionicle models featured on TBB recently, this big bird was built as an entry for the 2018 Bio-Cup contest being held on Flickr.
We’ve featured birds of prey on TBB in the past, but you’ve never seen one with as dazzling a color scheme or innovative parts usage as this. The Hero Factory shoulder armor for the eagle’s beefy upper legs is impeccable, and the red-and-white striped wings are cleverly constructed with overlapping slopes and teeth pieces. I feel like freedom is about to claw my eyes out.
There is a dark yet beautiful quality to Reven New’s creation that reminds me of the Swiss artist H. R. Giger’s best work. Playing with the cold interconnection between the human body and technology, the sculpture counterpoints an emaciated body, built from an oddball assortment of LEGO pieces, with the new life of its title. The minifigure baby is no longer grown within the womb, instead created in a birthing tank hooked up to its mother’s brain. Photographed dramatically under a lurid green light, we are left in no doubt as to the unnatural process taking place. As Reven notes in his own description: “No more emotions… Only thoughts, only purpose.”
We see a lot of LEGO models that attempt to create very life-like scenes seen through an almost documentarian lens. Rarer, however, is the build that takes a more artistic approach, such as this pair of ballet dancers by Nicolas PICOT. Using a flat style with lots of curved bricks across a few planes of depth, Nicolas has emulated a photograph, and the dancers’ frozen-in-motion pose is conveyed perfectly.
“Before you even knew what you had, you designed it, and built it, and slapped it on a plastic baseplate…”
-Ian Malcolm (not really)
A new Jurassic World film is on the way, and ZiO Chao is celebrating with a set of busts of some of the most iconic dinosaurs from the franchise. ZiO built his model for Rebrick’s “Iconically Jurassic World” contest (now closed). Each dinosaur’s head is depicted with a 3-dimensional profile view, with the following prehistoric beasts being represented….
See all of the LEGO dinosaurs up close!
These mosaic sculptures by ZiO Chao have so much depth, they’re bordering on bas-relief. We’ve shared ZiO Chao’s landmark sculptures before, and he is back at it again and is ready to take us on a trip around the world with a series of 3D mosaics.
Click to continue touring the world with the rest of the mosaics
We recently featured a World War I dogfight kinetic sculpture by Jason from JK Brickworks. In his video, Jason promised to share variations on the theme, and he’s done so with this fantastic trench run scene from A New Hope. The little starfighters and greebly Death Star surface are excellent in their own right, but the movement takes this LEGO creation to the next level.
The video shows Luke’s X-wing evading Darth Vader’s TIE fighter, with turbolaser turrets swinging back and forth as well. Jason also takes the kinetic sculpture apart to explain how he added the extra motion for the turbolaser emplacements.
Chungpo Cheng, that’s who! You might remember Chungpo’s work from a few weeks ago when we shared his stunning, super-sized Star Wars battle droids. This time, he chose to make big versions of the classic LEGO owl, rat and “cheese slope” elements. In particular, the owl is packed with lots of personality. Those big eyes and upturned eyebrows make Chungpo’s owl look warm and approachable. I almost want to hand-feed the little guy some birdseed!
Chungpo has sculpted an excellent likeness of the original owl piece. He has even photographed the two side-by-side for comparison. Continue reading
Large LEGO sculptures made out of mostly regular bricks are most commonly created by LEGO itself for promotional displays, but fan builders sometimes make their own too. Felix Jaensch has done just that with this great rendition of Yoda, which instantly reminds us of the old 7194 Yoda UCS set.
There’s a lot of good shaping here, especially because a large percent of the character is a robe, which you can see better in this shot of Yoda’s back.
