When working life feels like a grind, I daydream about trading office life for a fire lookout tower in remote wilderness. Aside from the allure of having an amazing view and only birds and a ham radio for company, the setting has also inspired some great media, like the amazing Firewatch game and the Tower 4 narrative podcast. Danish builder Benjamin Anderledes also felt the pull of the lookout tower and created a microscale version in LEGO.  Brown chain railing keeps the microfigure ranger safe as they take in the spectacular view of microscale trees. The post A cozy watch tower for fire spotting in microscale appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Dutch AFOL William Van Beek didn’t set out with a focus on building birds – his MOCs had been grounded more in the architecture of the Netherlands. But as buildings became dioramas, birds became as essential as minifigs to bring the Dutch countryside to life. This was especially true as William began a project to recreate the historic Efteling Park in LEGO, as the storybook theme park famously features a daily goose parade! Soon William had an army of geese with an adorable and expressive design made from roughly 15 parts, most prominently croissant wings. Friends and AFOLs were taking notice! But as prominent as geese are in Dutch landscapes, they’re far from the only bird. Swans and pheasants joined the flock! Wings from the D&D Aarakocra Ranger work perfectly for soaring swans, and the pheasant modifies the goose build with a stubbier heads and buttery brown croissant wings. Roosting storks...

Who wouldn’t want to live here? This beautifully whimsical build is the latest creation from Iron Builder Bousker, and it’s chock-full of excellent color and parts usage. The shaping on the house is stunning, filled with uneven angles, lopsided window frames and panels, and a door that looks straight out of a storybook. The supporting terrain is also very naturally uneven, but everything fits together so well that it looks perfectly real. Surrounding the house is an equally striking color palette, where we can find plants made out of katanas, pickaxes, and bows. My favorite detail is actually the signpost up front. It’s simple, yet smooth and perfectly executed- and not something I’ve seen before. I’d gladly move here tomorrow. The post Home never felt so colorful appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jarrett Gercken

For those of us who grew up with LEGO playsets,  there’s a charm to the mix of accessories, side builds, and play features that could turn a modest number of elements into endless possibilities. Clayton (sunroombricks) is one of a growing wave of builders who are leaning into retro aesthetics, and for this builder, Adventurers is the theme that continues to inspire. Clayton’s latest project is a remake of 5986 Amazon Ancient Ruins. All of the original play features are present, and then some. The build utilizes modern colors and elements while retaining classic LEGO design principles. Here you can see a hobbled together version of the original set that Clayton dug up to introduce to his kids. That molded base plate brings back memories! No Adventurers set is complete without booby traps, and Clayton expands on the traps from the original set. You can see videos of the traps on...

Nobody said that taking on an Empire would be easy. As stated in Karis Nemik’s manifesto: “The frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere, and even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.” On an unnamed forest planet, Bolim59 brings this truth to light as Rebel freedom-fighters play their part in slowing down the ever-growing oppressive Imperial regime. This appears to be a two-team sabotage mission, fronted by Rebels obviously dressed in the coolest Star Wars garb (seriously, the Battle-Ready Lucy headgear usage here is perfect), and a lightsaber-wielding Rebel that looks eerily similar to a former Jedi padawan we’ve seen before. Of course, no one should attempt the perfect heist alone. Bolim’s build is a collaboration with Jonas Gohlke (oblivion_builder) who builds another target, a data center, where Rebels are liberating details about Imperial shipments. Both builders are adept at creating unique Imperial architecture that expands on what’s been...

For over a decade, French AFOL Vincent Gachod (aka Vince Toulouse) has been turning heads with retro-futuristic vehicles that take advantage of the latest LEGO curves to blend tech with biological design. His latest design wonder is the C4-Owl, a ten-engine plane that is ready to soar in sand and dark blues. That distinctive cockpit uses corner windows from the Botanical Gardens and those 10 shiny chrome propellers hail from early aughts Jack Stone sets. I love the mix of retro whimsy, like the little bicycle wheel under the tailfin, and the two organic exhausts coming out of the rear fuselage. The design evokes one of Vincent’s spectacular convention builds from 2022, only that larger passenger plane used insect wings and antennae instead of 92 feathers. We interviewed Vincent back in 2017 about his distinctive deco style, which you can read here. The post Vince Toulouse takes flight with this owl-inspired...

Hi there, my name is Jan, username wooootles, and I am excited to contribute to The Brothers Brick for the first time! A short introduction: I am a huge fan of LEGO, and I tend to focus on MOCS- particularly LEGO City. I was fortunate to have LEGO as a kid, but my interest in the hobby really started to take off with the release of the first modulars: 10182 Café Corner and 10185 Green Grocer. My passion went into overdrive when I discovered Bricklink around the same time, just after getting my first paychecks as a working adult! I’ve built car and house MOCs, but I’ve really focused on building and honing my MOC skills in big apartments and modular-sized skyscrapers. Wasabi District, my city layout, has been the result of nearly a decade of slowly building a super modern-style City layout, something that I think is uncommon in the...

Henry Selick’s Coraline is an animated masterpiece that gets better with every viewing, scary and beautiful in equal measure. The young heroine’s design with her blue hair and yellow raincoat pops on the big screen and in LEGO courtesy of Kaylie (ohlego). The builder captures Coraline’s skeptical and childlike spirit with the offset mouth, and the asymmetrical hair. All she’s missing is some button eyes – then she can be happy forever! The post LEGO Coraline is cute as a button appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Predators and Aliens are both having a moment with Predator: Badlands, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Alien: Earth, each giving the sci-fi staples a jolt of creative energy. Of course, these two franchises never go out of style as inspiration for LEGO creators. Haru_bonks is the latest AFOL to tackle the movie monsters. The builder incorporates elements from Bionicle, Hero Factory, Knights Kingdom, and Technic alongside System details. The Predator’s head and shoulders are my favorite part of the build, packed with detail and excellent shaping. The Hero Factory insect mask for the Predator’s helmet is an inspired choice, as is a One Ring decoration on one of the locs. Of course a Predator this armed to the teeth needs something to hunt… Haru_bonks also made his mark on one of the LEGO world’s most popular creature designs – the Alien Xenomorph. Even after so many fan models, haru finds ways...

It’s been far too long since we’ve spotlighted a build by Ayrlego, an Australian AFOL specializing in historical builds that span centuries and cultures. It’s been a while since Ayrlego has shared a larger build, but he’s back as part of “Brethren of the Brick Seas” role-play setting hosted by Eurobricks. The challenge for this chapter was “Homecoming,” and here Ayrlego shows the estate of Basil Vatatzes. The sunbaked bricks and terra cotta roof create modest grandeur where one can easily imagine fields of olive trees and ancient grape vines on the noble’s lands. Wands on their sprues create detailed railings, while a judicious use of SNOT techniques allows for elegant tilework around the windows. Here we see a closeup of the estate’s owner. As the build is part of a role-playing challenge, of course, Ayrlego comes with excellent lore: Widowed in his earlier years, Basil raised two sons who have...