Bionicle somehow passed me by. But every time I see a talented builder pay tribute to it, I get the urge to dig in and emmerse myself in the lore. Case in point, this Son of Makuta by [VB]. This rail-thin monster will be haunting my dreams for some time. The eerie pose, the bone-like spikes, and midsection that reads like a series of exposed organs…I haven’t laid eyes on anything this frightening in a long time. And the most disturbing aspect of it all is that it’s made from bright colors, and yet it still looks so terrifyingly evil. In fact, I think if it had been built in blacks and grays, the evil wouldn’t be as effective. The post This colorful creature rules the shadows appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Norm Harper

Will Kee (@legokee), is the co-founder of the Rocky Mountain TFOL Club for teen builders. Today, Will talks us through the creation of his prize-winning build “The Midnight Knock,” and how he captured a cartoony style through innovative building techniques. Inspired by Boston brownstone architecture and the whimsical feel of Over the Garden Wall, the goal of this build was to create a composition and texture that resemble a cartoon, while incorporating unique parts usage. When considering the composition of this build, I focused primarily on shape and color: i.e., organic vs. geometric and orange vs. gray. Combining these elements creates strong visual contrast between the bright, organic flora and the grayscale architecture. Additionally, I used a primarily warm color palette, except for the two minifigs, which utilize cooler colors to create a subtle focal point. Another major factor I considered when trying to make this build feel cartoony was texture....

Whether you’re rewatching the show, still coming to terms with the finale, or fully convinced that there’s a secret episode on the way (Conformity Gate, anyone?), there’s a good chance that you’re still thinking about Stranger Things. We are too, and the LEGO community has apparently been feverishly building MOCs like the fate of Hawkins depends on it. While 11370 The Creel House has been in high demand and mostly out of stock, that hasn’t stopped these builders from finding other ways to capture these characters for their builds. Join us as we journey back to The Upside Down once more! Dustin is a fan favorite, and Rickard Stensby‘s character build does him justice. There are some wonderful shaping techniques here, from the various parts used to texture his hair to the way his hands perfectly grip the straps of his backpack. Over the years, we watched Dustin deal with endless...

Every year, the Iron Forge sees new contestants vying for a chance to take on the Iron Builders, but many of the participants have entered the ring before. Erin Dempsy has made the top 20 for three years running, and this is her second time in the final 8. For this year’s final round, across 9 entries, Erin plays with a range of scales – micro, minifig, minilander, and 1:1 props – with builds that playfully utilize every facet of the engine top seed part.  Her joyfully bright gumball machine uses the engine intake as a coin slot, while a pair of engines make a perfect dial. What does this competition need? Clearly, more cowbell! And Erin obliges with this flower-crowned Holstein. What an iconic way to let the seed part shine. Erin shows her “moc-xie” with this bank facade that uses engine intakes for flower pots and stacked engines as...

“The Conversation Piece” is a monthly BrickNerd series about creativity and building with LEGO authored by our friends over at the Builder Improvement Initiative (BII), a Discord-based community that helps LEGO builders of all levels get better at their craft through knowledge-sharing and constructive feedback. Have a question you would like us to consider for a future article? You can submit it here. Enjoy! New Parts and You In a previous article, we dove into the world of new molds and the design principles that drive the evolution of new LEGO elements. The Speed Champions lineup has been at the forefront of new parts in recent years, curating a selection of parts that lend themselves to the smooth, complex geometries of modern cars. To build on the topic of new parts (and continue the car theme!), this month’s deep dive covers the versatility of new parts—particularly in MOC building. Determining the...