Tag Archives: Sculptures

Parts of a feather will flock together

I’m sure I read a piece of wisdom on this website a few years ago that read: “for a great LEGO creation, you don’t need a lot of pieces – you just need a lot of one piece”. Having had a look through Azurekingfisher‘s photostream, I wonder if they might have said it themselves. They are clearly a big fan of the classic leaf element, which sees a lot of use in their collection. It’s done everything from mosaics to planets. Another frequent use is as avian feathers, often with spectacular results – none more so than this stunning bird! I love creations like this that use the inherent mechanical properties of LEGO parts to creative effect. Since the plastic is quite thin in places on this bit of foliage, it can be gently flexed into a curve, at odds with LEGO’s inherent grid-based nature. In this case, the part repetition also makes it visually appealing. Especially in pink! I’m not sure if it’s based on a particular type of bird – to me, it’s reminiscent of a phoenix. Which, for a build this majestic, is entirely appropriate!

Spread Wings

Flowers in flight

This LEGO sculpture from Patrick Biggs speaks to me, even if I’m not quite sure what it’s saying. Titled She flies with her own wings, Patrick also adds this bit of lore in their photo description: “As spring soars into summer, if you look just right, you may spot this fabled spirit as it brings the rose bushes to bloom.”  The stark contrast between the greenery and red blooms certainly makes the artic white of the bird seem like a spectral image. The wide range of LEGO elements in play rewards a closer look; I spotted wings from the Legends of Chima, tails from Hero Factory, and even a white minifigure life preserver ring around the eye.

She flies with her own wings

If you found this build inspiring, check out our archives for more avian goodness.

Music to the ears and eyes

I don’t know about you, but if someone said the phrase “the Muse of Song” to me, I would have assumed they were talking about a pseudo-prog-rock band from England. Kitkat1414, who is clearly much more learned than me, has instead taken inspiration from this phrase of Greek literature to create a stunner of a build entitled “the Sweet Sound of Blossom”. The sculpting here is terrific (particularly the piano – look at the pedals!), but it’s the use of colour that stands out to me. Building solid blocks of white is a bold choice as it can be difficult to pick out details, but the green and blue hues of the surrounding foliage give enough contrast to the build without being too overbearing. What does draw the eye are the muse’s dark red hair and her dress made from teal (which as we all know, is the best LEGO colour). These serve to pull the viewer into Euterpe herself, while the focus is gradually drawn away by the creeping vines and plants. In fact, the whole composition of this piece just hits all the right notes! (I’m here all week, try the fish…)

The Sweet Sound of Blossom

An amazing sculpture with a powerful message

Let’s get the puns out of the way; green thumb, palm tree. This creation by Chi Hsin Wei deserves better than that kind of tomfoolery. I mean, look at this. A giant hand of nature, bursting through a slab of urban sprawl towards the sky. A single flower blooming from it and reaching to the heavens. This is the kind of build that shows LEGO creations can be an art form unto themselves. The subject matter alone is pretty great, but the execution is on another level. The realistic shaping and posing of the palm and fingers is top-notch. The flower looks realistically delicate, despite its plastic nature. It would be a crime to saddle this build with my usual snarky wordplay. This is, hands down, a triumph of a build.

Oh, son of a–

Green Thumb

This Alien Queen is Thicc

If you’re a fan of the LEGO Art theme, odds are you’ve acquired at least one “Thicc Separator”, the wide, black version of the classic brick separator tool. I know they seem to be multiplying rapidly in our household. Dan Ko may have figured out why. Using a Thicc Separator as a base, they’ve revealed the tool’s true form – that of an Alien Queen. And if you look close, you might even spot some black hot dogs. I’m not sure that’s related, but it sure is creepy.

Alien Queen Bust

Want more alien goodness? Check out our Xenomorph tag!

Everyone’s favorite charitable outlaw

Growing up, one of my most favorite movies was Disney’s version of Robin Hood. After watching it, my cousin and I would run around pretending to be the famous archer, shooting our toy arrows at impossible targets. Apparently superb builder and LEGO designer, Markus Rollbühler loves the hero too. This sculpture of Robin Hood is excellent, with particularly great posing and parts usage. I’m partial to the bow, myself, but the minifig shoulder armor for the sword guard, palm tree segment for the boots, and large figure shin element for the log are all great too!

Brickscalibur 2021 Trophy: Robin Hood

Stick around to see more creations by Markus, and well as plenty of builds featuring the man in tights.

I think the world of LEGO

When it comes to finding creative uses for LEGO element 2417, the 6×5 plant leaf, Azurekingfisher is one of the best. Assembling that sphere had to be a labor of love, and the end result is certainly impressive. The choices of colors make for a vibrant hanging sculpture with plenty of texture and visual interest from the overlapping foliage.  This ringed planet may not be from the Classic Space theme, but I think it could qualify for Classy space.

LEGO Planet

Curious to see what else Azurekingfisher has done with this seed part? Check our their other featured builds!

There’s an art to this build.

This amazing stylized character build of Persona 5’s Ann Takamaki by Joseph Zawada pushes the limits of LEGO art in impressive ways. The offset round tiles in the hair highlights suggest an entirely new style of mosaic building, and the use of negative space in the mouth to create thin lines and shapes not possible with existing brick is an inspired move. I also have to note the creative part usage in the eyes; I’ve spotted everything from minifigure hands to flex tubing. Truly, this is a work of art.

Ann Takamaki

Check our our art tag for even more examples of great creative expression in the plastic brick medium.

As solid as a lone wolf

Did you know that real lone wolves (the four-legged kind) are actually essential for wolf survival? The ones who choose to go their own way as a juvenile do so to find new territory and start their own pack. They are brave and resourceful and keep the genes strong by preventing inbreeding. This LEGO wolf by Mike Nieves is strong in more ways than one. Its stoic, determined expression makes way for solid body-shaping techniques and overall structure. From nose to tail, shoulder to paw, the body-in-motion pose is on-point.

While you’re here, take a look at a couple more of Mike’s builds, as well as tons of other animal-related LEGO creations.

Smooth as a baby’s... bottlenose?

I’m always impressed when a builder manages to make LEGO models completely smooth. Going stud-less can be hard, and even harder when dealing with organic shapes. This bottlenose dolphin built by Ken Ito (暁工房) may show just a few studs, but the body shaping is superb! The arch of the back end and tail are particularly well-executed.

It seems as though this builder has a knack and a penchant for these kinds of creations. Marine life is just a snippet of what he can do. Stick around to see more like this!

Dis is the way.

I know it’s not what Jarek Książczyk intended, but the “Countess of Dis” sounds like a character from Lovecraftian reboot of Sesame Street. “One! Two! Three! Three elder gods! Ha ha ha!” Just don’t cross her even more sinister cousin, the Countess of Dat. But questionable mythology aside, you should take a moment and appreciate the amazing build here. I’m particularly impressed with the way the three main colors unify the build. The dragon wing along the figure’s back has just a touch of red in the dual-molded plastic, echoed in the cloth cape and the banners on the staff. The gold finials on the staff complement the chest armor and skirting, with great part usage like that carriage wheel front and center, and the weapon in the bodice. The black organic curves draw the eye and are matched by the folds in the skirt. Quality stuff.

But is this a build worthy of worship? Well, a bonus supplicant created by Jarek sure seems to think so. I’m not sure exactly what is being offered here, but the use of a gold-chrome hemishere makes it seem like a rare treat indeed. Green Jell-O, maybe? (Who are we to question the desires of the ancient ones?)

Countess of Dis

If these beings have you wanting to look at other eerie creations, check out more featured builds in our Lovecraft tag!

A brick-built feline friend for you

There’s nothing that can replace a real, cuddly feline friend, but this adorable life-size LEGO cat by Felix Jaensch is a pretty good contender, at least as far as the realm of inanimate objects goes. While the majority of the build employs the classic studs-up style using mostly basic bricks that’s familiar to LEGOLAND visitors the world over, the result is excellent shaping of the cat’s smooth curves. The grey tuxedo coloring also adds a lot of interest to the build, breaking up the shape. Plus, I’m just a sucker for life-size builds. I’d totally have this in my office—wouldn’t you?

Cat