Tag Archives: Winter

An icy castle of the Great North

When I first saw this I thought it captured “cold” perfectly. Cool colors and just the right amount of snow and ice in the right places. But this LEGO castle, built by Jonas Kramm, goes beyond that. What’s impressive to me are the angles, shaping, and use of so many different elements to achieve the look. For example, he fit a Technic pulley wheel into the new Minions eye element to create a unique window, and dark brown scabbards are used for trim detail. Additionally, there are a number of pieces making up the icicles and snowdrifts. Most notable are the minifigure accessories used on top of the lamp posts and under the eaves of the front door. A couple of my favorite parts are the fiber optic cable for icy flowing water and the hidden parrot. Find them? Zoom in to take a closer look!

Jonas has been very busy lately! Take a look at more of his work in our archives.

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Snowfox strikes an elegant pose

Winter is coming, and so LEGO fans throughout the northern hemisphere are turning to their collection of white elements and building scenes that capture the calm quiet of a winter wonderland blanketed in snow. In this case, a regal and watchful snow fox by John Cheng sits patiently on a snow-covered rock. Whether searching for their next meal, or standing guard over a litter of pups, the construction is both simple, and surprising. I love the use of tooth parts for the ruffled chest, and the many different slopes used to sculpt the long fluffy tail. A few accents in azure strike the perfect contrast to the white and black details.

Magic keeps Hogsmeade Village together

The Harry Potter universe’s village of Hogsmeade continues to be a great source of inspiration for LEGO builders. I don’t know if it’s the lure of crafting medievalesque buildings in a non-castle creation or the fact that it’s a winter-themed town that isn’t decked out in red and green, but I know it works. The latest one to catch my eye is Roanoke Handybuck’s Hogsmeade Village. The two buildings pushed against each other, bookended by three happy little trees, and blanketed in snow, really captures the feeling of cozy wizarding town. Looking deeper into the scene, you’ll notice a few amazing parts usages that make these cottages look old and ramshackle. Maybe magic is the only thing keeping them standing. The first thing to notice is the lantern made from a pair of brown Witch-king crowns. Most interesting to me though, are the windows framed with neck brackets. Well a relatively stable connection of LEGO parts, it gives an especially rickety look for the windows’ muntins.

A day of winter fishing in the solace of frozen silence

A prolific LEGO builder who’s graced our pages before, Ted Andes has presented a creation I resonate with at the moment, Winter. I’m typing this from Victoria, Australia, where the frosts and bleak days have been many. This beautiful vignette, a small capture of a snowy morning on the edge of a siheyuan. I can almost feel the stillness in the air.

Andes’ parts use is always exceptional, though not just in obscure part usage. His harness on basic parts to get the maximum effect is outstanding. The bare tree is made from roughly thirteen different pieces, twisted into some outstanding, gnarled forms. See if you can spot them all — can you see any I’ve missed? The river and its edging is also another highlight for me. The 4L trans-light blue bars surrounding some fish is a nice touch, giving the impression of icy cold, rushing water. Having the land predominantly in two colours has also worked elegantly, while the simple touches of trans-clear near the edge of the river have brought it closer to the reality of the camping trips I’ve taken in winter.

Life is 2 Strange

Inspired by the latest installment of the episodic video game Life is Strange 2, Revan New has built a scene featuring brothers Sean and Daniel (who is learning to control powerful telekinetic abilities) facing off against local law enforcement on a snow-covered rural area. I love the nicely constructed landscaping, including the thick snow covering the roof of the building. It’s also worth pointing out how the structure’s siding consists of plates and grooved tiles mounted sideways.

Open the gates!

Builder Louis of Nutwood packs a lot of story in a small space in this snow-covered castle scene. This is part 8 of a wonderful ongoing series by Louis, and not only is it visually interesting, but there’s a written component that accompanies each part of the heroes’ journey.

In this chapter, a pair of weary travelers, one in dire circumstances, arrive at Svalg Keep to seek help from its residents. The castle is nicely sculpted and I really like the way it seems to spill off of the confines of the base. The small wooden structures are a fitting addition and do a great job of breaking up the mostly gray and white color palette of the castle. Adding more color to the proceedings are the snow-laden trees utilizing fall colors on their branches. It can be hard to work in a limited number of colors, but Louis excels at it here.
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Beware of Snowmaggedon!

Last week it snowed a fair amount in the Pacific Northwest. Here in Seattle, citizens were all but losing their minds, stockpiling food and survival supplies, and fearful of leaving their homes. As someone who comes from a place that sees a lot of snow, it’s a little funny. But now serious snow is hitting states all across the country. This terrified LEGO snowman, built by Joseph Grysban, may not be built for this purpose, but it’s the perfect mascot for Snowmaggedon.

Other than the look on his face, the best part of this build is that he’s motorized and runs away from the snowballs! A pair of Power Functions L motors and a battery box are perfectly hidden inside his body. Additionally, the snowballs don’t just drag behind; instead, they roll around their center.

Snowpocalypse jokes aside, we realize that these storms have been very serious and scary for thousands of people. We hope those of you who have been affected are safe and we wish you a swift return to normalcy. Hopefully you were at least able to get a good amount of building done while stuck indoors!

Charming North Pole residence could be Santa’s other house

Now that Santa’s big night has come and gone, the man has earned some rest and relaxation. What better place to unwind after a very busy holiday season than this lovely chalet by Jack R., perfect for relaxing with a steaming cup of hot chocolate after a day of skiing or snowboarding. Above the door, the stained glass look, made with transparent orange plates behind turntable bases, adds a touch of warmth to the scene.

Next to a nice stack of firewood outside, a couple of Santa’s sled team also enjoy a nice rest. Jack demonstrates a great use of battle droid torsos as the reindeer heads.

Dashing through the decades of LEGO’s holiday advertising [Feature]

This time of year is one of the busiest for toy manufacturers, including the LEGO Group. In an effort to associate the brand with holiday gift-giving, the months of November and December bring a flurry of wintry-themed advertising. While much of the LEGO Group’s current advertising campaigns exist online, the company has a long history of producing holiday advertising in magazines, comic books, and mail order catalogs (aka LEGO Shop at Home catalogs). Our elves have been hard at work, sifting through the archives for some of the LEGO Group’s most memorable seasonal ads. Hop in the sleigh and hold tight for a wild ride back through time.

See more LEGO holiday advertising through the years

North Pole has great snowplows

Finding the perfect Christmas tree is an important part of the holiday season, at least in some parts of the world. And the North Pole is no exception. In this scene by Andrea Lattanzio, when Santa sets out to find the perfect tree, he comes prepared. Not only does he have a nice sharp ax, and a reliable pair of snowshoes, he brought his faithful companion in case of trouble. Santa lucked out this year and didn’t have to wander far off the road. And speaking of roads, The North Pole has a superior infrastructure, with well-maintained roads, and industrial strength snowplows. These trees are very nicely shaped, and the softly curved slopes make great snow drifts.

Wild winter wanderland

Rockstar’s newest video game, Red Dead Redemption 2, has been a highly anticipated sequel for fans of the first. Maybe it’s the vast open wild west world, with so many ways to create a unique experience. For some players, the greatest appeal for an open world like this is wandering around the wilderness like in this scene by Tuxedo Greedo. The landscape is both peaceful, and hostile in its stark setting. Curved white elements smooth out what would otherwise be a lonely, rocky landscape. Transparent clear bricks in place of more traditional tiles is a great choice for the stream, and white flower elements make the perfect snow-covered blossoms. One more missable details is the quarter-circle tiles wedged between the studs on the pine tree to represent fungus.

Dashing through the snow in a old rusty tram

The month of February has already brought to Moscow, Russia about 10 inches of snow — and it doesn’t seem to stop snowing! Talented Moscow-based toy photographer brickexplorer captures the mood of the frosty night just perfectly; the whole scene in the picture looks extremely cozy in the warm light of the old tram’s headlights. According to the description of the photo the snow piles are made of baking soda, which is a perfect tip for any LEGO toy photographer.

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