Today’s guest article comes from Evan Crouch, an AFOL out of Colorado, a historical MOC builder, contributor to Brethren of the Brick Seas and the Builder Improvement Initiative, and founder of Rocky Mountain Minifigs. You can find his work on Instagram. Reductive Design Do you want to create your own unique printed LEGO parts but don’t have a UV or pad printer at your disposal? Reductive design may be the answer! Reductive design is creating new designs by removing some elements of an existing design. In terms of LEGO, Reductive design can mean partially removing an existing print to create an all-new design. LEGO uses pad printing to add designs to printed elements, and if you are brave enough… that printed design can be removed. There are various ways to remove prints from LEGO elements, through both mechanical and chemical methods. Because the chemical methods (Brasso, acetone, nail polish remover, etc.)...

German AFOLs Andreas Pettau (Feanor) and Larsvader have each created impressive medieval builds on their own, but past builds could hardly prepare you for the epic collaboration they debuted at Berlin SteineWAHN! event last month. Spread across 24 32×32 baseplates, “The Wolfhunt” pits two Classic Castle factions against each other in a detailed landscape enhanced by lights and motion. Andreas built the fantastic Wolfpack Tower and the surrounding swamps, while Larsvader constructed a castle, palisades, and forest for the noble Lion Knights. The collab won the popular vote for best-in-show as well as the judges’ vote for best collab. A collaboration like this is best enjoyed in video, and thankfully, Feanor documents the build for those who couldn’t see it in person. Watch till the end to see the incredible dark mode. Feanor’s Wolfpack section situates the tower atop a jaw-dropping wolf-shaped mountain peak. Seen from behind, the rocky foundation holds...

Over two seasons, the Netflix series Arcane brought the fantasy world of League of Legends to life in gorgeous animation. Like many, builder craftingcorrine wasn’t ready to let go after the final episode aired, so she turned to LEGO to recreate Viktor’s Glorious Evolution. The colors are gorgeous, matching the rich, painterly tones of the animated series with layers achieved by the use of transparent elements. I love the blend of mosaic and character model rising from the tiles and the clever parts usage, like a baby Friends turtle on the god-form’s chest. As a multi-media artist, Corrine painted a custom Jayce minifig to match the scene. As a bonus, Corrine discovered that the mosaic glows under blacklight. Corrine’s “Glorious LEGO-lution” was displayed at Brickworld Chicago where it was nominated for best 2D artwork. Congratulations, Corrine – we can’t wait to see where your building takes you next! The post Glorious...

Sometimes the first step in a journey starts long before it has a direction. Give a child LEGO, and who knows where it will take them? Since I got my first set, LEGO has been an activity that puts me into a creative zone where I lose track of time and forget to eat. Four decades later, it found me at Brickcon 2022. I didn’t know it then, but I was on a road that would lead me to The LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery, a destination I never could have dreamed possible when that first set was placed in my hands so many years ago. It was my 3rd time taking my creations to a fan event and I was still rather new to the adult LEGO community. The creation I had taken with me was a greenhouse attached to a cottage with a koi pond. Having been to other shows,...

Automaker Jaguar’s mottos are “delete ordinary” and “copy nothing,” and those mottos could just as well apply to builder Sakiya Watanabe, who, over just one year of building characters and creatures, has constantly pushed boundaries with LEGO parts use. Take a close look at the builder’s latest model and you’ll find surprises throughout. The face is dense with clever solutions, like a turkey nose, fabric tongue, and minifig arms. The rock base hides a Scout Trooper helmet, Power Miners monster mold, and what I think is a DUPLO baby hippo. But the most exciting technique is the Jaguar’s spots, created by inverting tires and using minifig hair or brick configurations inside to create organic shapes. Perhaps there’s a bit of homage with Sakiya’s jaguar to DeRa’s incredible tiger, current on display in the Masterpiece Gallery in Billund. Following in the footsteps of other master character modelers like Nathan “Woomy World” Don,...