The LEGO system is inherently great for solid structures such as buildings or cars. Once we look past that though, challenges pop up – and that is where it gets interesting. Today we are taking a look at techniques to create clouds and smoke, fumes and haze. And once you’re done with this article, it might just turn out to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors! This article is based on some of Bartu Elci-Ozsoy’s brilliant archival work. Bartu painstakingly curates a collection of flickr galleries, each highlighting different techniques and ideas to help craft MOCs of a certain theme. If you ever find yourself stuck with a build, Bartu’s galleries will likely have a solution! Staying Classic With how much nice parts usage (NPU) gets celebrated, sometimes it’s best to keep it classic. These builds show off just that: It’s hard to resist a classic and this cloud of dust...

Have you ever had a kid yell at you? No, not like that! I mean the good kind of yelling. The wide-eyed, bursting at the seams with excitement, hand frantically waving in the air as high as possible kind of yelling. Well, I have. You see, I work as an Education Assistant at an elementary school, otherwise known as a TA (Teacher’s Aide), Paraprofessional Educator, TT (Team Teacher), etc. And I love using LEGO. This is one of many minifigures that has accompanied me to work. it’s fun to keep treasures in my lego backpack to show the kids at school. Working in an elementary school is an emotionally draining field of work, but it’s also the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. When I applied for this position years ago, I wanted a workplace environment where I could be my weird and nerdy self without judgment. A place where I...

Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published October 11, 2022. Awesome Black Creativity, by Dave Kaleta and Richard Dryden, is a celebration of Black figures in LEGO bricks. The legacies span disciplines such as contemporary dance, photography, music, film, culinary arts, activism, and more. If you only know Dave and Richard from their appearance on LEGO Masters, you can check out their other work on Instagram (links above). I’ve been a fan of each and every one of their twenty-six builds, and the pair honored me with the opportunity to have some of my burning questions about the series answered. The builders recently put together a poster of the series, which can be purchased on Etsy. Gwyneth: Let's start at the beginning. How did you come up with this project? I know that Dave built the Alphabet Starfighters before LEGO Masters, but this project is not a riff on the same...

Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published October 6, 2022. Creating cityscapes has been a love for AFOLs since the very beginning of the brick and a staple of Miniland at any LEGOLAND across the world! It is no wonder the City theme continues to remain in the top five-selling themes for LEGO every single year. If I had to guess I would say it is because these cities closely mimic real life, or like any themed build, creates an imaginative world that pulls us in. I don’t personally have a cityscape, yet. But, this doesn’t stop me from imagining how I might construct one and really get into the finer details such as sidewalk and curb details. Today’s article is all about curb construction, and more specifically, how the introduction of a new element might change some aspects of that. LEGO City by OliveSeon Street Level While the architecture and...

When a new Iron Builder competition starts up, it’s hard not to feature some of the fantastic creations that come from the parts-usage head-to-head. In this round, both our competitors are trying to best utilize the Technic rotor blade in red. In a strategic move, challenger Duncan Lindbo attempts to cut down his competition with a brilliant chainsaw creation! It’s such a clean model, with excellent lines and a superb use of the seed part. But the log it sits on is equally impressive, all knotted and gnarled on the exterior, yet smooth and ringed where it was recently cleaved. Good luck to Duncan and his challenger Dan Ko as they duke it out! The post Iron Builder: It’s like a beautiful dance with a LEGO chainsaw! appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller