“If you can draw the human figure, you can draw anything!” I’ve seen this statement in all manner of art books and websites. There’s a lot of truth in it, but also a mighty challenge! We all know exactly what a person looks like. So it is very easy to be hyper-critical of small mistakes. Plus, the human form is hard with so many curves, so many things that are proportional to each other, then tie in foreshortening effects, and on and on. Many of the same issues exist in building the human form in LEGO with the addition of working in a medium that is fairly rectangular. Figure/character building is so not my wheelhouse—my much-neglected Flickr is mostly spaceships, castles, and LUG events. That being said, some of my figure builds are MOCs I’m the most proud of. So I hope sharing my journey out of my comfort zone will...

By and large, the LEGO community is a place of childlike wonder and happy stories, where good wins and creativity prevails. That said, there is a darkness in the world of LEGO. That’s right, we’re talking about the Dark Age, that dreaded period where once-devoted LEGO enthusiasts grow apart from the brick. Absolutely tragic. I think it’s generally agreed upon that the ultimate source of these dark ages is college. Hit with the double-whammy of being away from your LEGO collection and being frantically busy 24/7, this is a dark time for many would-be AFOLs. That’s why, when I left for college about two months ago, I came in with a plan and determination to avoid this common pitfall. Now, I’m here to share some of my experiences so far in staying active in the LEGO hobby while at college. Display Only The first (and perhaps most obvious) method of staying...

One of the greatest parts of being a LEGO fan is all of the wonderful events hosted around the world—events for like-minded fans to display their models and socialize with each other. This is something I am especially interested in as I really enjoy traveling and have been looking into all the different conventions worldwide that I can attend. When I heard about the offer to attend LEGO Shows Kuwait, though, my interest was really piqued because I had never heard about it before, either online or from anyone in person. You may also have the same questions I had: what is LEGO Shows? What happens there? And where in the world is Kuwait? Well, to get the easy question out of the way, Kuwait is a small country bordering Saudi Arabia and Iraq with a coastline on the Persian Gulf. LEGO Shows is not like your standard LEGO fan event...

Best of BrickNerd — Article originally published October 17, 2021 and republished today to celebrate Creations for Charity 2023 where you can donate or purchase a MOC, including one of our mascot Nerdly! For 15 years, Nannan Zhang has been organizing Creations for Charity, a fundraiser where LEGO fans can donate and purchase custom MOCs and more to help raise money to send LEGO to kids in need. We sat down with Nannan to chat about this year’s efforts that just launched and learn how to get involved. Dave: Hi Nannan! We are so glad you are organizing Creations for Charity again. For those who may not know, can you tell us what it is all about? Nannan: Creations for Charity (CfC) is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that hosts an annual fundraising event from October to November where builders from all over the world donate custom LEGO creations to sell and...

LEGO today revealed a large-scale tie-in set for the upcoming Dune: Part Two directed by Denis Villeneuve, based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. The movie — starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and a cast of thousands — is currently scheduled for release in theaters on March 15, 2024, but LEGO Icons 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter will launch on February 1st, 2024. The set includes 1,369 pieces with 8 minifigures, and is already available for preorder from the LEGO Shop online now at US $164.99 | CAN $214.99 | UK £149.99. Read on for the full details, including play features and minifigure selection. Make sure to check out the full gallery at the end of the article. The ornithopter features retractable landing gear, foldable wings, and opening cockpit doors and rear ramp. The minifigure selection includes (left to right in the image below) Chani, Liet Kynes, Leto Atreides, Gurney...