Tag Archives: Syrdarian

Light and shadow play in this jungle temple where crystal water flows

Over the last year, generative AI images based on LEGO prompts have unleashed countless colorful images of jungles, ruins, and temples that lack the grace of a designer’s hand but sometimes hint at what could be built. It was images like those that prompted Syrdarian to build a jungle temple in real bricks, complete with the bright colors and flowing water that’s so appealing. I’m impressed by how well the mix of tan, peach, and orange shades blends together, and how two shades of azure blue works better than one. The scene suggests the play of light and shadow. The stonework is nicely accented by subtle details, like the wooden scaffolding and a lone duck peeking out from the corner. Syrdarian’s model makes a good case that while AI slop will never replace the work of a master builder, it can still inspire.

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Celebrate the release of A Minecraft Movie by embracing Creative Mode with imaginative LEGO creations [Feature]

Today sees the release of A Minecraft Movie, the unlikely yet inevitable next step for the world’s best-selling video game. Will it make waves like The LEGO Movie did back in 2014? Critically, reviews suggest no, but we’ll see after this weekend what generations raised with these digital building blocks think. Outside of the cinema, perhaps the strangest Minecraft partnership has been with LEGO. In most regards, Minecraft succeeds at blending play and building in a digital space better than any LEGO game has to date, and early in the product’s life, LEGO was in talks to partner with Mojang for a “Brickcraft” take on the experience.

Even though a partnership or buyout on digital worlds never came to fruition, LEGO has been enjoying over a decade of success with toy kits based on the Minecraft IP and aesthetic, like the recent tribute LEGO Minecraft 21265 Workbench. The theme is a best-seller with younger builders but there are many adult fans who enjoy expanding on the theme with original creations or incorporating the unique elements into their sets. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite Minecraft builds!

Builder Syrdarian has found magic in the isometric angles of Minecraft’s voxel world. Titled “No Mistakes, Just Happy Accidents,” this scene looks as tranquil as a Bob Ross painting until you look closely at the glowing light source. Oops! Someone got too close to the lava. I love the verticality of this build and the cutaway terrain that makes it feel like a part of a much bigger world.

Grab a pick and dig deeper for more Minecraft inspired builds

“Arch” rival builds vie in Iron Forge [Feature]

The Iron Builder competition pits a veteran building champion against a challenger in a LEGO twist on the Iron Chef cooking show. But how does one become a challenger? One path is the Iron Forge competition, where everyone is invited to build and share models using the “seed part,” with the pool becoming a bracketed competition until one is chosen. The free-for-all phase just wrapped up, featuring the seed part of “any mudguard with only one wheel arch.” Here are a few that caught our eye.

“Fun at the Fair” by Dominique Boeynaems – 21 mudguards

“Mud-Guarded” by Bousker – 33 mudguards (each of those traps on the wall uses 4!)

Keep on rolling to more creative mudguard builds

The details run deep in this mine

Descend to the depths of imagination with “The Echoing Mines of the Mountain’s Heart” by syrdarian. This fantastic cross-section of some fabled dwarven caverns is a ~~gold mine~~ mithril mine of detail, conveying a sense of scale from the faint light at the top of the staircase all the way down to the rivulets of lava far below. A big part of any great model is presentation, and these mines are no exception, with superb lighting in the right places. Thanks to that light, along with the combination of natural-looking rock formations and easily recognizable dwarven architecture, it’s easy to see the dwarves’ masterworks deep within the earth. Let’s just hope these particular dwarves resist the temptation to delve too greedily and too deep.

A herbalist’s homey haven

“In a mystical chamber adorned with an array of glass jars, bubbling potions, ancient scrolls, tomes, and exotic flora, the air is thick with the scent of arcane knowledge and potent enchantments.” So begins Syrdarian‘s description of their spellbinding LEGO herbalist’s workspace. Everything you need to cast a spell or heal a malady is right here in piles and stacks, from the crystals on the floor to the jars on the shelves and the cut flowers on the worktable. Boxes and baskets of berries and flowers sit next to the staircase, while tomes of arcane lore rest where they can be readily perused.

The herbalist’s hobbies clearly range beyond plant lore, judging by the lute carefully placed against the wall and the pie and sweets tucked away on a shelf. Joining the herbalist are three different frogs, a rubber ducky, and a hungry mouse. The plates and brick elements in the wall (along with wands for the spindly table legs) give the dwelling a lived-in, ramshackle appearance. And lastly, we can’t fail to remark upon the clever way the windowpanes are formed—minifig hands in several colors.

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