I can’t make my mind up on tiki bars. On the one hand, some of them feel a bit tacky and out-dated; on the other hand, a nice fruity cocktail in a hot summer goes down a treat. The next one on my list to visit is owned by Bart Marable (bartsbrickworks), who has just opened the LEGO Kon-Briki bar. First impressions are good! It looks very relaxed, and by beating the rush we don’t need to worry about standing awkwardly at the bar waiting for a table. Let’s take a look inside and see what this new establishment has to offer! First stop: the bar. The lighting is very tastefully done; I particularly like the fixtures made from transparent LEGO rock elements in nets! There’s a great selection of drinks on offer too. Of course, no tiki bar is complete without tiki head cups, and those are artfully represented by...

Rome may not have been built in a day. But the Romans weren’t building from LEGO, and they didn’t count Francis Wiemelt, Henry (Batuu Bricks) or Eugene (the_lego_closet) among their ranks. These three talented builders have come together to build this fantastical scene for the annual Summer Joust contest, all in the space of one day! I love the composition, the little fisherman’s house, the splashes of colour on the ground. I do have one question though, and it’s one I often find myself asking with scenes of fishermen on floating islands: what are they fishing for? Is it a really long fishing line, or are they trying to catch birds? In which case, shouldn’t it be called birding? Answers on a postcard, please… The post Three LEGO builders make light work of this fantasy fishing vignette appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Struggling for ideas for a LEGO build? Sometimes, a LEGO build itself can provide all the inspiration you need to build something epic. Today’s case study in that comes courtesy of Sentinel_Brix – although frankly, this is not a builder short on ideas! The Savareena here is immediately recognisable as a ship from the Star Wars galaxy, even though it’s a completely new design. Look at all those greebles! I always love seeing the Planets series Death Star used in Star Wars builds, too. Lovely bit of meta. Now, back to that inspiration thing. The whole premise behind this ship – built for the SW Factions RPG, incidentally – was that it should fit 75375 Millenium Falcon inside. I guess that makes this thing a freighter freighter. Sentinel not only proves that it can do that, but presents the evidence in a glorious spread reminiscent of the Star Wars Visual Dictionary...

“Say, you know that big LEGO door that The_maly built. What do you suppose is behind it?” “The one that’s been sealed for centuries? Well, I doubt anyone knows, on account of it having been sealed for centuries. But whatever’s back there clearly warranted some big, sturdy doors.” “Wanna take a look?” “What?!” “Let’s open the doors a bit and see what’s behind them. Aren’t you curious?” “Well yes, but we’re supposed to be guarding it from bad actors opening it, not opening it ourselves!” “Right, but we’re guards, not bad actors. Come on, just a little peek. Look, I can already move the door a little bit.” “Alright. You go first though…” The post Curiosity killed the... LEGO Castle knights? appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

There’s something undeniably magical about cracking open a cardboard box of old LEGO sets and rediscovering the joy they once sparked. Recently, I scored a massive lot of Exo-Force sets that had seen better days, dusty, broken and seasoned with that unmistakable scent of nostalgia. As a kid, I was obsessed with these towering mechs battling across futuristic battlefields. The intricate designs, the faction colors, and the endless play possibilities made Exo-Force one of my all-time favorite themes. Yet somehow, it took years for the idea to click: why not dive back in and create modern MOCs that honor the originals while pushing them to new heights? There are so many talented MOC builders out there who have delved deep into Exo-Force and I figured I’d try my hand at it too! Exo-Force’s appeal lies in its perfect blend of chunky, poseable mechs and a rich lore of human pilots versus...

We’ve all been there – Ian Hou (DOGOD Brick Design) certainly has. There’s a posh gala on, you’re in your Sunday best, listening politely as everyone goes through a series of speeches. But some of them are dragging on a bit. And they need to finish them before serving dinner. But they wheeled that delicious-looking cake out beforehand. And now stomachs are starting to growl… If you invited a crocodile and hippo to your fancy shindig, then Ian’s LEGO scene is one that is surely familiar to you. The post Pro tip from this LEGO builder: always serve food before long speeches appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to feature some of Mitsuru Nikaido‘s mechanical LEGO animals. As you can see from our archives, said animals are often presented as solitary creatures. Not so here, where we are presented with two titans of the deep sea duking it out! Mitsuru’s creations stick to a pretty rigid colour palette of white and grey, with the former usually reserved for outer surfaces. So it’s interesting to see the colours split: mostly grey for the sperm whale, mostly white for the giant squid. Yet both still displaying this builder’s trademark mastery of the biomechanical! The post A titanic tussle between titans of the deep appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

The quest for more Bionicle continues….in LEGO System? Prolific minifig creator jdm_bricks returned to the MOC world with this stunning Ta-Matoran adventure. This build is so sleek and smooth (nearly studless!), with incredible color usage throughout – like the striking red of the Islander King Kahuka’s mask. The scale is especially lovely, as the new minifig Tahu mask makes the golden Kanohi look like a massive monument. The base of that structure also leverages jumper plates and round 1×1 tiles that deceivingly give the appearance of large exposed studs. Of course, no Bionicle creation would be complete without some deep lore. Jacob writes: “A lone Ta-Matoran navigates the precarious lava flows of his home, seeking out a shrine to Mata Nui. In times of trouble, it can bring a peace of mind to focus on the Great Virtues.” The post A LEGO System creation for Bionicle lovers appeared first on The...

With an account called “Dunesplained,” you can be sure that I look to the sci-fi worlds of Frank Herbert for inspiration for my LEGO creations, but I look to other places too, like video games. And perhaps no game has made an impact on my imagination like Monument Valley. In what I’d confidently call the best game made for mobile phones (though now there are ported versions for Nintendo Switch and Xbox), developer Ustwo Games created a meditative puzzle experience where the user guides Princess Ida through an ever-shifting geometric landscape. Clearly inspired by the art of MC Escher, the games feature many optical illusions of stairs, archways and other architecture that shift as you rotate or move. The game’s aesthetics, which it refers to as “sacred geometry,” translate remarkably well to Lego building. I first noticed this in a monochromatic, nicely layered moc from Dicken Liu: Seeing this and reminiscing...

LEGO’s beloved Aquazone line and its successors, Aqua Raiders and Atlantis, brought playset adventures to the deep sea. While LEGO has released submarines since as part of the City universe, the sci-fi and fantasy flavored undersea explorers have been relegated to nostalgia and fan creations. We’re always excited to see a new moc inspired by LEGO’s aquatic themes, and there’s no better time to celebrate all things Aqua than #AquaJune. Organized by builder EntertaininglyLame, this year’s theme challenged builders to create a Underwater Outpost on a 10×10 stud base. Join us for a roundup of this year’s undersea entries! Emberbuilder is a brand new face on LEGO Instragram, making their debut with Shepherd 6 – Boundary LiDAR Station. The build makes great use of verticality with some wonderful parts usage and towering kelp. I especially like the insectoid chrome domes in blue, a real flex as the element was exclusive to...