Donny Chen is a musician, piano teacher, and piano tuner. That would explain the epic mastery behind this phenomenal LEGO instrument. I’m a piano player myself, and grew up fascinated with the inner-workings of our own (life-size) grand piano. I must say, this little marvel is basically the complete package! While it doesn’t have all 88 keys that a real grand piano would have, it does have a very similar mechanism. The keys themselves can be removed after pulling pins from each side. The build also features working foot pedals, a soft-close fallboard, a cover that can be propped up, and a sheet music stand. There is even an adjustable bench! Undoubtedly, the best part is that this model is equipped with LEGO Power Functions that allow it to “play” itself. The only thing that would make it better would be to somehow enable it to really produce music. It’s currently...

Some LEGO contests begin with improbable premises, and in the case of Grid Wars, that means building a Star Wars vehicle in the TRON aesthetic. Many builders would struggle, but the theme plays to Shannon Sproule‘s strengths. I’ve followed his work for many years now, long ago falling in love with his ability to capture the complex, often asymmetric beauty, of classic 1970s science fiction illustration. In this case, his take on the Nebulon B escort Frigate results in a bold turquoise splash of abstract brilliance. Tapping into the original design’s unorthodox form, he imposes some dramatic angles and bold colours. Part spaceship, part Kandinsky painting, its an amazing testimony to what science fiction art can be. The post Star Wars meets Tron meets classic 70s sci-fi art in this awesome reinterpretation of the Nebulon B appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

Sweden’s Andreas Lenander latest LEGO creation is a terrifying canoe ride right over the edge of a waterfall. These minifigures certainly appear as though they’re on an adventure they’re not likely to forget. I think what strikes me the most about this diorama is the palpable dynamic energy of the rushing water, free-floating figures, and tipping canoe as the river crests the edge of the cliff. You could argue that there’s nothing particularly innovative about the techniques on display, but what Andreas has achieved here with a few simple, repetitive pieces is really remarkable. It’s a strong exhibit of how purposeful prop placement (the minifigs, canoe, water) over background noise (plants, splashing water, textured rocks) can achieve a visually interesting composition. This was the winning entry in Swebrick‘s head-to-head elimination AFOL-vs-AFOL contest, which for 2018 was based on Adventure. We’ve also featured Andreas here recently for his lifelike cigarette smoking in an ashtray...

There is no doubt that Moko is one of the best and most prolific LEGO mecha builders out there and this week he brings us a unique tentacle monster, which is also a robot! And it transforms! Both forms of the mech manage to look perfect and menacing. Transforming creations often have to make compromises in one or both of their forms, but this one seems like the bricks were just made for it. The rich purple and translucent purple really make for an evil look and the splashes of blue on some tentacles help break it up a little and add a nice contrast. The dome is obviously the centerpiece of the build, but I also really like the grill tiles used on the inside of the tentacles as visible on the humanoid form, as they help to add a flowing look. The post One jellyfish that is not quite...

Henrik “teabox” Zwomp‘s adventure-themed LEGO diorama, titled From the Safety of the Basement, is a clever juxtaposition of real (minifigure) world players in their home as they venture forth through the not-so-real role-playing game world, complete with dungeon floor inlaid with the ubiquitous grid system. The wall texturing also provides a nice contrast to the scenes playing out in front of them, not too dissimilar from those achieved in our last D&D post, Mimic Mishap! It’s a compelling scenario that is played out all over the world by inspiring (and inspired) dungeon masters and their willing victims (er, players), who act out a type of choose-your-own adventure story with an infinite number of scenarios all dictated by the fateful roll of the dice. I especially appreciate that the basement room not only includes standard geeky paraphernalia on the walls but also books, a scale version of the dungeon map, and character sheets....

At first, second and maybe even the third time one looks at this realistic bathroom scene by Johan Alexanderson, it appears to be a simple interior scene, possibly a little messy with a broken piece of the mirror above the sink. The title “Despair” on the builder’s Flickr photo page might shift your focus a little, though. Was the mirror broken in a moment of emotional torment? Who is the figure seen in the mirror? Did they break the mirror? Johan had initially written a backstory for the build but has decided to remove it and keep the image open to interpretation, without being distracted by the LEGO artist’s own idea. While this build is an artistic composition, it is also a great LEGO creation and I always love to look deep into techniques and part usage. The differently coloured wheels at the sink are particularly inspired, as are the uses...

There are a few LEGO Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts deals on Amazon right now that are a steal if you haven’t already got them. Here’s your chance to grab them before they’re gone. LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express 75955 (20% Discount)Regular Price: $79.99, Now $64.00 Fantastic Beasts Newt’s Case Magical Creatures 75952 (20% Discount)Regular Price: $49.99, Now: $40.00 LEGO Fantastic Beast’s Grindelwald’s Escape 75951 (16% Discount)Regular: $19.99, Now $16.82 A few other sets that’s worth a look include the Advent Calendars that’s also on discount. LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 41353 (20% Discount)Regular: $29.99, Now $23.99 LEGO City Advent Calendar 60201 (27% Discount) Regular, $29.99, Now $21.97 (As always, when you click through from The Brothers Brick, a portion of each sale goes to support the site, so thank you in advance!) The post Great deals on LEGO Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts sets on Amazon (US) appeared first on The Brothers...

Straight from a storybook, this little build by Lubeee is simple yet adorable. Titled, “Micro Fable” it gives us a window into another world, and I must say it looks nice under that glass. You can’t help but admire the tiny dueling dragons as they soar above the castle and forest below. I’d love to see this continue as a series of small fable vignettes! The post An epic battle on a teeny tiny scale appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Bre Burns

Borderlands 2 is a first-person action role-playing game and the most popular title from 2K Games, selling over 13 million copies. It’s no wonder that there are hardcore fans like Sam Beattie who can’t resist bringing them to life as LEGO character models. (Left to Right) Axton, Gaige, Krieg, Claptrap, Maya, Salvador, and Zer0 It’s not often we get to peek inside a builder’s mind to learn their development process, so hopefully some of you will be inspired by the amount of toil and sweat to get to the end product. Every journey begins with a spark, and Sam tells The Brothers Brick that this group of heroes has been in idea form for many years. What triggered him to finally get building was when BrickCon was nearing — just 6 weeks before the event earlier this month, to be exact. Sam says that character builds aren’t his strength, so it...

Our recent collaborative display at BrickCon 2018 in Seattle was an outstanding success, generating an amazing response from both the convention attendees and the public. What started as an idea back in February of this year to expand on the official city set for my son, who is a big Ninjago fan, turned into one of the most popular displays at BrickCon, judging by the crowds leaning into the stanchions, and the tremendously positive feedback we received throughout the 4-day convention. Our collaboration enjoyed the participation of over 30 people, comprising a few of our staff and a lot of awesome readers, and together we displayed nearly 60 custom blocks for Ninjago City, plus numerous sections of waterway. Project overview We provided contributors with three templates for city blocks to ensure that any block could fit next to any other: an outside corner with 2 sides facing out, an inside corner...