I’m fascinated by Mihai Marius Mihu’s latest Cthulhu themed creation. Featuring a red shrimp-like ‘old one’, whose beady white eyes and muscular torso resonates a sense of otherworldly grandeur. It’s a unique monster design that utilises some excellent modelling skills to creepy effect. The composition sees the demon towering over the diorama’s micro scale fortress, again hinting at an inhuman scale suited to its Lovecraftian subject matter. Working like a latter day Hieronymus Bossch, Mihai’s art shows us the uncanny potential of the LEGO brick. The post An inhuman horror from another time appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

It wasn’t very long ago that we featured an interview with superb Japanese builder Takamichi Irie. We’ve also covered a number of his builds on this site. So if you’re having deja vu about seeing this lovely animal before, you’re not crazy! The sleek scorpion is back as one of Takamichi’s signature automata. Using only brick-built cogs and simple mechanics, he’s breathing new life into this automaton and other eye-catching builds. In the latest version, the turn of a crank makes the kinetic sculpture come to life. The pincers go up and down, and the tail flicks dangerously. The scorpion is also accompanied by an adorable little grasshopper, doing his best to hop away. Do you remember Takamichi’s Rosalia batesi? He turned that one into a kinetic sculpture as well! It essentially has an identical mechanism to the Stag Beetle Automata that we mentioned in our interview with Takamichi. But it...

One of the things I love about Alan Boar’s LEGO creations is the amount of time he takes to research his subjects. In this case it’s the Taikoo Ropeway, an early cable car system built in 1891 to link Hong Kong’s Taikoo Dockyard to the Taikoo Sugar Refinery. The finished diorama, built in collaboration with his wife and son, is rendered in an aesthetic reminiscent of Chinese landscape painting. Designed in monochrome, the Mount Parker setting is wonderfully accented with stylised brick clouds. In front of the clouds, a grey building frames the predominately white ropeway scene, helping to highlight a host of fascinating features. The post Take a cable car to the clouds appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: David Alexander Smith

To celebrate the release of the new Fantastic Beasts movie this month, LEGO is releasing 40289 Diagon Alley as a giveaway on LEGO Shop purchases over $99. LEGO sent us an early copy of the set to review. The microscale set is built to the same scale as 71043 Hogwarts Castle, and includes 374 pieces along with a minifigure of wand shop owner Mr. Ollivander. The packaging & instructions Diagon Alley comes in a small box, tightly packed with two sets of numbered bags. The instruction booklet is folded inside, with 62 steps spanning 72 pages. A single 2×14 plate hangs out by itself loose in the box. The back of the box features a closeup of the street scene, with callouts explaining what each structure represents. The build & parts Small freebie sets like this tend to feature pretty basic building techniques and standard parts, resulting in a quick build....

Route 66 is the mother of all highways in the USA, cutting across the nation from coast to coast through small towns and scenic vistas. Though it’s since been eclipsed by the interstate highway system, it’s captured a special place in history for making the trans-American highway a reality. LEGO builder hachiroku24 brings us back to Route 66’s glory days with an awesome rendition of the highway marker sign, part mosaic and part sculpture. The excellent use of the 4×4 quarter-circle macaroni tiles lends both the numbers and shield outline just the perfect curves. The post It’s a long road ahead appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris

Halloween has come and gone, but it should not be the only day of the year when we get to see dark and moody themes. Tymothy Shortell would agree, having built castle ruins that look perfect for the season yet apropriate throughout the year. All the colours, or lack thereof, make for a great atmosphere, mostly facilitated by the dark gray of the castle wall. While the castle is my favourite part, the landscape is very important too. The whole scene is a round shape, with natural flowing transitions between rocks and grass. The editing and photography are what takes the build to a higher level though, especially a dim orange light shining through a window. The post Who stokes the fire in the long-forgotten castle? appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Luka

A good microscale model can be defined by innovative use of new LEGO elements re-purposed to create unexpected new forms. A great microscale model combines this with traditional parts and colors to form a symphony that sets the model apart. This roadside chapel by Jens Ohrndorf is a perfect example of this mix. Take the entry roof, made from this modified plate with a small raised tab. Or the windows, made from the underside of 1×1 plates. Lining the foundation is a row of light gray ingots. I also enjoy the trees, which are just the right size for the scene (a design inspired by the trees in 10253 Big Ben). The post Modest microscale church appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Daniel

Today at BlizzCon, LEGO not only revealed the entire lineup of Overwatch sets (available for pre-order now), but also showed off this towering 9-foot tall model of D.Va and her mech made from nearly 150,000 pieces. D.Va and her mech weigh a combined 1,256 pounds, took LEGO master builders 731 hours to build, and contains more than 43,000 pink bricks. The model is based off of the upcoming LEGO Overwatch set 75973 D.Va and Reinhardt. The model will be on display to attendees of Blizzcon from November 2-3 at the in Anaheim Convention Center. Check out this timelapse of it being built: Also, take a look at the gallery below for close-ups and a view of the back of the model. The post 9-foot tall LEGO Overwatch D.Va and her mech tower over BlizzCon [News] appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Dave Schefcik

Today at BlizzCon, the LEGO Overwatch line was officially unveiled with the surprise announcement that all six sets are available for pre-orders immediately. The sets will be available January 1st and range in prices from $14.99 to $89.99 USD. The LEGO Overwatch line (unintentionally previewed by Target last week) was announced by LEGO Designer Woon Tze Chee. Check out our first impressions of the sets here, our review of the Blizzard Exclusive Omnic Bastion, or keep reading for the official photos and descriptions. LEGO Overwatch 75970 – Tracer vs. Widowmaker 129 pieces | Age 8+ | $14.99 (USD) | Pre-order today | Available January 1st Build your very own Overwatch® payload from the Watchpoint: Gibraltar map! Immerse your favorite Overwatch® fan in epic missions with this LEGO® Overwatch 75970 Tracer vs. Widowmaker set. Based on the internationally acclaimed team-based action game, this set recreates the drone satellite from the Watchpoint: Gibraltar...

Elemental LEGO’s micro build of Otoh Gunga is a superb example of micro building. How can any of us forget seeing the shot of Jar Jar and the Jedi swimming under water revealing the glowing city of golden spheres with John William’s score a swelling maelstrom of choral voices filling out the soundscape. The builder has made an effective use of Submersible Bubble, Canopy Dome, Glass Dome, Minifigure Globe, Crystal Ball, and Minifigure Helmet as the hydrostatic spheres encapsulating the city. Notice the small Bonga Submersible made from Ninjago Throwing Star, and Mifigure Claw. Using the Infinity Stone this must be the smallest school of fish made with LEGO elements. Elemental LEGO is on Instagram and Flickr. The post Meeesa built a micro Gungan City! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Carl Uhte-Strohbehn