You all know the theme song. Adam Grabowski (misterzumbi) brings you the car.
He also made a pink version with home painted bricks because if there’s one thing better than a cadillac it’s a pink cadillac.
[Edit] Adam has also generously donated two of his creations for our charity auctions for Japan. Check out his VW bug, and a Space Police 3 style ship that he customized and painted!
LEGO and art deco (to use it in a very loose sense) are a fairly common and often obvious combination. The basic curves of LEGO lend themselves very well to that wonderful era of design. With his Galaxy Diner and Empire Theater Sonicstarlight has taken it a bit further than most by adding some details that aren’t so readily achievable such as the mosaics and other mild details. I shan’t attempt to get in on the architectural description game but I really do appreciate the extra work and effort to add these details. And each building even has an interior.
I freely admit to getting frustrated by the amount of ‘NPU‘ (Nice Part Use) I see thrown around LEGO models. The acronym was originally used for a part being used cleverly in a different circumstance. Both these examples feature such a use. Nowadays it seems to be used for just about anything. This, dear readers, is wrong (to para-borrow a phrase from Twee Affect).
First we have Joshua Morris (I scream clone) who demonstrates a classic NPU by using a turkey on Mr Potato Head’s nose and croissants as his eyebrows.
Secondly Robert H. (Robiwan_Kenobi) uses loads of parts in unusual ways but the most notable ‘NPU’ is the little airvent made from the end of a skiflipper.
Note how in each case a very specific part has been reused in a novel way. That is NPU.
I don’t think I’ve ever looked so forward to a specific LEGO project finally coming to fruition. So seeing the words “as complete as it is going to get” appear on Jonathan Lopes’ MOCpage tonight was some pretty spectacular news. This is actually Jonathan’s second iteration of his urban landscape and he’s really taken lessons from his earlier layout to make this one better.
Jonathan’s chief specialty is his mastery of urban decay which adds a level of authenticity rarely seen in shiny plastic. I’ll be going through the layout pictures in detail.
Unfortunately I’m half asleep right now so will have to add the rest of this blog post tomorrow. But if ever there was a model I wanted to put up ASAP it was this one. Expect a longer version.
Thanks to some pet related drama I didn’t have a chance to update this. Short version of what I was going to write is as follows: check out each picture in detail, especially for the dirty bits as they’re what really makes it grand.
Henrik Hoexbroe’s wharf diorama combines a lot of very nice little LEGO models into an equally appealling whole diorama. His attention to detail on each small element really shows and he gathers it all into a really cogent whole through clever placement and minor details. A really excellent town diorama.
The boys at RoninLug and some friends [Andrew Lee (onosendai2600), Fradel Gonzales (Slice151), Brian Heins, Brandon Griffith (icgetaway), Paul Meissner (Legosamurai), Paul Lee (polywen), Chase Lewis ([Vid]), Tory B, Dane Erland (Lord Dane), Cole Martin (zeehelmut), Cole Blaq, Keith Goldman (Hook Monkey), Jeff Cross (Octopunk), Tommy Williamson (GeekyTom), Don Reitz (Don Solo), Jack Marquez (Ewok in Disguise)] are pretty smooth at assembling collaborative displays and this year’s Bricks by the Bay (BBTB) display doesn’t disappoint. An excellent futuristic city. And it shines too.
I think I vaguely remember the TV show M.A.S.K. but you don’t really need to know what Boulder Hill is to know you like the LEGO model. The service station mode is cool enough but Alex Schranz (“Orion Pax”) lets it transform just like the toy.
This is not a lineup of LEGO’s Cafe Corner buildings but rather a downsized one. Matthew Raehl (Puddleglum-) has recently finished miniature versions of these popular LEGO sets. Here are more picture of mini Grand Emporium, Green Grocer, and Fire Brigade.
… and it goes to Carl Greatrix (bricktrix). This would have been a lovely old fashioned cattle wagon (OFCW) without the stickers on the front. But they transform it into a near perfect OFCW. See also the brilliant use of texture.
Théo (Titolian) has just posted a very nice little truck. This truck looks truly utilitarian, with just a splash of color thrown on by its corporate owners. There’s also a bit of a near-future sci-fi flair, which is near to my heart.
The last time I had a chance to build (over a month ago), I was attempting a truck myself. I really appreciate some of the solutions for shaping that he’s found. The slope of the windshield, in particular, looks good to me, especially as it relates to the fenders.
For his LEGO models Pierre A. Fieschi dispenses with minifigs and builds small. But you’d never know it looking at the thumbnails for his models. In the last two weeks he’s posted 6 models and I recommend checking all of them out (and anything further back). This, dear readers, is how you build small.
EDIT: As Dan rightly points out there is indeed a minifig in the minifig scaled vehicle above. I am blind and wrong.
Carl Greatrix (bricktrix) has just posted his Schools class steam train and this shot really stood out. Many train builders don’t bother too much with the control sticks in the engine cab but Carl puts as much effort into his as the rest of the train.