Sometimes, we find LEGO builds that elicit quite conflicting emotions when we see them. Jelle ter Veer (Legobricks Bricks)’s digital Duo the owl, mascot of language-learning app Duolingo, is one such build. On the one hand, it’s very well built: the leaves for eyebrows and the upturned dish for a beak stand out to me. The chests of gems and miniature screen really complete the look, too. But on the other hand, I get so many streak reminders from that blasted owl that I’ve seen quite enough of it! In fact as I write this, my phone has just pinged with my latest Finnish lesson for today. Hold your horses, Duo! I’ll get there eventually…. The post Consider this your daily Duolingo reminder appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Theo Spencer

Sporting some of the cleanest lines I’ve ever seen, this Roman temple by Lech Kulina is a brilliant bit of LEGO architecture. Widths of a half-plate or less permeate the construction, especially on all the plinths surrounding the temple. And all angles have been cleanly cut off thanks to the use of brackets. The build is so clean that those small bits of decay stick out like a sore thumb. Each notch in the tile, each blotch of tan discoloration, each profile brick is given greater meaning by the “purity” that surrounds it. It’s quite possibly the truest representation of Roman architecture I’ve seen recreated in plastic. Make sure to check out Lech’s Flickr album to see how he pulled off such a feat! The post A LEGO tribute to some ancient architects appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

I love a LEGO speeder bike build! When I’m short for time or have builders block, I build a little speeder and am always impressed with how useful those small parts can be. Here, Lucas Shannon puts that versatility to work with a bike of their own. Handcuffs are used to hold onto laser pistols which adds great texture and detail. This also allows a connection point for the interesting windscreen assembly, attached via a clip. Taking a look at the back, we can make out the root piece upon which this hover bike is built: a motorbike frame sans the wheels! The way that Lucas has filled the wheel wells and utilized just about every possible connection point on the frame is quite impressive! I’m excited to see what I can take from this into my own designs. The post A zippy little speeder appeared first on The Brothers Brick....

While I haven’t been plotting any LEGO villainy in the opening round of this year’s Bio-Cup, I have been working with brown Bionicle bits as of late for my own malicious machinations. So let me tell you, Ted Andes was employing quite the limited part palette when he took on a violin-themed evil-doer, Il Maestro Di Violino. The shape he’s managed here is excellent, and the incorporation of the Kakama Kanohi mask is perfect. For a “last minute entry,” this feels like a well-planned symphony of parts. It immediately conveys “violin” and “villain” with just one glance. The post The Maestro is ready to drop some ‘bows appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

Whether you’re a fan of the LEGO Ninjago theme or not, you have to give it props for surviving for so long. Some kids that grew up with Ninjago are now adult fans making fabulously inspired and skilled creations. Now, while I can’t speak to the history of the builder known as Woomy World, I can certainly say that this Oni Lloyd-inspired build is top-notch, and a solid tribute to the theme. The entire thing is riddled with fantastic parts usage, from the dragon-headed weapons, to the clothing and body armor. What really takes the cake, though, is the expressive face. It utilizes a hat for a nose, a hood for a chin, and even a tan crab holding horns for teeth/tusks. The character is both menacing and cool all at once! While you’re here, stick around for more builds and sets related to the LEGO Ninjago theme. We also have...

If there’s one thing that stands out most in this terrific LEGO inn by builder Tomasz Bartoszek, it’s the repeated creation of curved surfaces without using curved bricks. Both the sloped roof of tiles and rounded wall of the tower generate their curves through the use of 1×2 tiles, set at appropriately-varied angles. The result is a beautiful, clean look that perfectly captures a stop just off the roadway, in settings both real and fantastic. On top of that, I love the blobs of vegetation dotting the roof. But it’s the incorporation of Harry Potter wands into the eaves that adds the perfect finishing touch to those concave slopes of shingles. The post LEGO inn-sights and inn-ovations appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

Famed LEGO builder and Ideas set designer Andrea Lattanzio proposed the question; have you ever thought about living “off the wall”? That got me thinking; does he mean off the grid? While I use the term “off the wall” occasionally, I went ahead and looked it up and the definition is cited as eccentric or unconventional with their example being“a zany, wacky, off-the-wall weirdo”. In that regard, to answer your question, Andrea I give you a resounding hell yes! Eccentric and unconventional all the way, mio amico! However, he goes on to say that the characters in this creation “probably ended up living like this because of an all-out war that wiped everything out.” So does that mean off the grid, then? Andrea goes on to say that they seem quite happy, so that’s a good thing. Whether they’re off the wall or off the grid there’s no denying these great...

It’s hard to find someone in the LEGO Community that doesn’t like Ninjago. Even if we don’t follow the entire storyline and history, most of us have bought a few sets even if just for their super cool and useful parts. Jakub Drobny took the 2507 Ninjago Fire Temple set from 2011 and, with newer parts and colors and build techniques made it awesome-er-er. I particularly love the trees and tank treads that create the textured roof tiles. Without the dragon and the inclusion of the waterfall, this creation seems much more serene than the old set of yore but with a name like Fire Temple, we just know some action and drama is sure to erupt soon. The post Re-firing up the Ninjago Fire Temple appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Lino

I still recall getting my first LEGO Star Wars sets in 1999, and I think back to how simple Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced was in 7150 TIE Fighter & Y-wing with just 409 pieces between the two ships. So I’m in awe when I see incredible versions like this TIE-D by Sy Lyphics, which packs a whopping 1,573 pieces into a minifigure-scale recreation of one of the more awesome TIE variants. The sculpting on the bubble fuselage is particularly adept, with those triangular grey roadsigns looking purpose-made for the job. This one isn’t just a looker on the outside, though. Sy has created a fully functional cockpit, an incredible achievement considering the difficulty of creating a brick-built sphere that’s hollow. The post A LEGO Star Wars creation that’s nicely Tie’D up appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Chris (TBB Managing Editor)

Castles are nice, but there’s something I love about a tranquil domestic scene of medieval life, and what encapsulates that better than a stone mill and miller’s cottage? This lovely little diorama is the work of ZCerberus, and although the stonework is nice, and the round mill is great, some of favorite techniques here are more subtle. First, there’s the mixing of brown and dark red for the roof tiles, a subtle swap that helps give a lived-in nature. Similarly, the mixed olive green and dark tan for the ground makes a wonderfully earthy tone. And secondly is something so foundational it took me a minute to even realize it: this diorama has two bases, thanks to a black slab beneath the sculpted landscape. Usually, LEGO dioramas have one or the other, but I really love the presentation here. The post This build’s a grind appeared first on The Brothers Brick....