Did you know that some people hypothesize the name “walrus” originated from the Danish word “hvalros” meaning sea horse or cow? So naturally, walruses and Denmark-based LEGO would go hand in hand! (Or flipper in brick, I suppose.) And this lovely brick-built pinniped created by Andreas Lenander is as adorable as they come. Look at those little tusks! Speaking of tusks, part of their scientific name, Odobenus, means “tooth-walker” and refers to how they drag themselves out of the water by those giant canines. So now you know! If you would like to check out more animal builds, take a look at this lifesize-(ish) rat, an elegant buck, or a fishing grizzly bear. We’ve even featured the walrus’s vulnerable neighbor, the polar bear. The post The cutest of sea cows appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Bre Burns

LEGO Masters has aired its second episode, and the first team has been chosen to go home. The Brothers Brick had the opportunity to sit down with them and talk about their experience, what it was like to build under pressure, and what the reaction has been to appearing on the reality show. In the interview conducted jointly with BZPower and True North Bricks, the team talks about how it felt to change directions halfway into a challenge, what they would have done differently, and what advice they have for contestants on LEGO Masters Season 2. If you haven’t yet watched the episode, be warned that there will be some spoilers! If you’ve watched the episode, by now you’ll know we’re talking about the loveably quirky team of Kara and Jessie. What did you take from your experience on LEGO Masters and how will it help you move forward? Jesse: For...

I love it when builders follow a story through their LEGO creations over the course of years. One such story is the adventure of Jimmy and Bill, by Eli Willsea. Each build has a similar style and atmosphere, but works perfectly well as a standalone scene. The most recent one was featured here in 2017, but the first scene was built way back in 2015! Now that is dedication! The builder has titled this scene “Deeper” and his description only states; “further than ever before”. Indeed, Eli has gone further with his textures, details, composition and lighting. Notice the dark tan Bucket handles stuck into the bottoms of 1×2 bricks and the bars slotted in between two 1×2 bricks with center grooves, in particular. The composition really pops with the circular hole and with the waterfall flowing cleanly into it. This water was a topic of discussion between friends and me;...

Proving he’s no slacker when it comes to building posable LEGO figures, Eero Okkonen is at it again. This time he has conjured up a female warrior in stunning blue and gold armor. Her skirt is of particularly sweet part usage and her bright blue plume is four Bo Peep staffs found only in two sets. While everything is quite impressive, I’d like to call special attention to the morning star itself. The dangerous-looking flails are headless blue bats. That’s just…wow! You can find that part in only the Shimmer and Shine Sparkle Spa, a set that was wholly passed up by me because…I fancy myself more Team Jacob than Team Edward. Is there ever an inappropriate time for Twilight jokes? Probably not. But my guess is if you crack jokes of any kind around this warrior her morning star and plume of bright blue just might be the last things...

Love it or hate it, LEGO occasionally changes up their color palette. Personally, I’m in favor of having more color options. Okay, maybe I’m still bitter about the replacement of “grey” with “bluish grey” back in 2004. But otherwise, I’m good with it. If nothing else, it gives builders a reason to go back and tweak previous creations with an updated look. Bruce Lowell, for example, has applied a new skin to his 2012 version of Mr. Potato Head. While the older version’s body was perfectly adequate in dark tan, this new iteration uses medium nougat brick. This shade is a lot closer to the colors used by Playskool, and makes Bruce’s tribute even closer to the real thing. There are also improvements to the arms and hands, making use of new pieces like the 1×1 round tile with connection that was first introduced in 2015. I never thought I’d be...