Whether you’re rewatching the show, still coming to terms with the finale, or fully convinced that there’s a secret episode on the way (Conformity Gate, anyone?), there’s a good chance that you’re still thinking about Stranger Things. We are too, and the LEGO community has apparently been feverishly building MOCs like the fate of Hawkins depends on it. While 11370 The Creel House has been in high demand and mostly out of stock, that hasn’t stopped these builders from finding other ways to capture these characters for their builds. Join us as we journey back to The Upside Down once more! Dustin is a fan favorite, and Rickard Stensby‘s character build does him justice. There are some wonderful shaping techniques here, from the various parts used to texture his hair to the way his hands perfectly grip the straps of his backpack. Over the years, we watched Dustin deal with endless...

Every year, the Iron Forge sees new contestants vying for a chance to take on the Iron Builders, but many of the participants have entered the ring before. Erin Dempsy has made the top 20 for three years running, and this is her second time in the final 8. For this year’s final round, across 9 entries, Erin plays with a range of scales – micro, minifig, minilander, and 1:1 props – with builds that playfully utilize every facet of the engine top seed part.  Her joyfully bright gumball machine uses the engine intake as a coin slot, while a pair of engines make a perfect dial. What does this competition need? Clearly, more cowbell! And Erin obliges with this flower-crowned Holstein. What an iconic way to let the seed part shine. Erin shows her “moc-xie” with this bank facade that uses engine intakes for flower pots and stacked engines as...

“The Conversation Piece” is a monthly BrickNerd series about creativity and building with LEGO authored by our friends over at the Builder Improvement Initiative (BII), a Discord-based community that helps LEGO builders of all levels get better at their craft through knowledge-sharing and constructive feedback. Have a question you would like us to consider for a future article? You can submit it here. Enjoy! New Parts and You In a previous article, we dove into the world of new molds and the design principles that drive the evolution of new LEGO elements. The Speed Champions lineup has been at the forefront of new parts in recent years, curating a selection of parts that lend themselves to the smooth, complex geometries of modern cars. To build on the topic of new parts (and continue the car theme!), this month’s deep dive covers the versatility of new parts—particularly in MOC building. Determining the...

Cecilie Fritzvold is a LEGO builder from Norway whose artistic MOCs are currently featured in the LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery. She was also the winner of BrickNerd’s AdoraBuild contest. You can find more of her work on Instagram and Flickr. Layers of a Landscape I consider myself primarily a MOC builder, and rarely build sets I buy (they mostly get gutted for parts). But when I was asked if I wanted to take a look at this absolutely gorgeous Japan-inspired artwork, I simply could not refuse. Anyone who knows me would understand why this is right up my alley. I even recently built a Japan-inspired forced-perspective MOC myself. So I was super excited to get to build LEGO’s Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape. The build starts off with the most boring part: the big black frame. Thankfully, it’s also a fairly quick build, using a lot of large black bricks to build...

MOCs are often more than playful constructions. They’re miniature canvases for storytelling, engineering, and artistic expression. Whether you’re crafting a medieval castle, a mech, or a bustling cityscape, one principle could be the one that separates a good build from a great one: the thoughtful distribution of detail. In today’s article, I’m continuing my exploration of design theories and how they can be applied to our hobby. Here is a list of other articles in the series before we get started talking about the dos and don’ts of detail: LEGO and Creativity Color Theory and Composition What is “Detail Distribution”? Detail distribution refers to how visual complexity is spread across a build. It’s not just about how many elements you use, it’s about where and why you use them. A build with evenly distributed detail can feel flat or overwhelming, while one with strategic variation can guide the viewer’s eye, tell...