If you ever get to San Diego do yourself a favor and spend some time in Balboa Park. There's tons to do there in an incredibly beautiful setting. Just ask long time So-Cal resident and multitalented artist Bill Vollbrecht, he was so inspired by the place he built this stunning MOC based on one of the buildings there, the El Prado Arcade. Makes me want to hop in the car and head down there.
They just don't build them like this any more, and it's a shame. Art Deco is just so appealing and irresistible, how could you not want to stop here for a patty melt or malt? This just isn't a slick exterior though, check out that awesome interior. Now I'm hungry, do you suppose they serve chicken fried steak?
Optimus Prime has graced these pages quite a few times in the last couple years. It's fascinating to me that the same character can be built in so many ways and styles, still be instantly recognizable and always irresistible. This chibi version by The real Eric Tsai is as cute as it is impressive.
Don't look for bell bottoms, the Gong Show or Star Wars, it's not that 70's. Builder gid617 has built a fascinating timeline of the 1870's, with a fantastic history lesson to boot. Various points along the decade are called out, and a lovely little vignette illustrates that event. Click through for a little historical knowledge and some excellent little MOCs.
Note: I took the liberty of color correcting this image, hope you don't mind gid617
At first glance you might expect this latest entry to Iron Builder to have made excellent use of the handcuffs seed part, but you'd be wrong. The seed part is the pitchforks in this thirteenth IB build from 6kyubi6. And yes, the pitchforks are in there, but wow, there hasn't been this clever use of handcuffs since Fifty Shades of Gray.
Builder Thirdeye88 was kind enough to share this with the people in the Google+ Hangout after the somewhat disastrous LiveBuild yesterday. It has to be one of the most slender and tallest character MOCs I've ever seen, yet it's packed with character and stands on it's own. My favorite detail has to be the soccer control handles as upper legs, that's some inspired building.
There are many things to love about The Fifth Element. There's the quirky humor, the stunning visuals and of course Leeloo. But one of my favorite things about the film are the vehicles, especially Dallas' cab. This version by Mad Physicist captures it's futuristic yet utilitarian aesthetic perfectly. I love the mix of old and new grays as well as the sticker use to really get a good aged look.
Join me as I build LEGO Star Wars T-16 Skyhopper live! Then stick around for the exclusive first peek at the new BrickNerd Studios.
UPDATE: As feared the broadband went down during the broadcast (Grrr Comcast) about 4:30 in, but it does come back on at 7:20. Sorry about that!
Feast your eyes on this magnificent build from Vince_Toulouse. This combination wheel and tread transport is designed for snow, but I think it would look just at home in a thriving metropolitan environment. Those art deco lines and unconventional forms are total eye candy and every where you look is interesting contours and details. This thing is a beauty.
It's been too long since I've built live, so tomorrow I'm going to fix that. It's been a crazy busy couple of weeks moving into and setting up the new BrickNerd Studios. But the dust is finally settling and it's time to do the first LiveBuild in the new place. Join me tomorrow at 11:00am PST while I build the new T-16 Skyhopper and when it's done I'll give a virtual tour and exclusive first look at the new studio. See you then!
Star Trek: The Next Generation had some pretty cool tech in it. I'll admit at first I hated these phasers, but over the years they've grown on me (and I have a toy one in the attic). This prop replica by eldeeem isn't quite the right scale according to the builder, but you can't tell from the photograph, it looks spot on and quite cool.
Here's a fun fact, my first car was a Beetle (well technically, it was a Chevy Luv, but that broke immediately, so I don't count it) and parked outside the studio right now is my convertible Beetle. I've always loved classic VW, and I think I could find a place in my heart for even this beast by Lino M. Yes, it's ugly in a beautiful way, but that's sort of the point of rat rods. Although I do have to take issue with the engine placement...
As "Tequila" bopped from the jukebox in the corner, Carl and Benny sat down for a delicious treat at the local diner. While slurping his chocolate shake Carl absentmindedly looked around the room. "Hey Benny, what if I told you all the gray lines on this floor were parallel?" Benny looked at the floor mostly disinterested and shrugged. "hey Carl, what if I told you while you were staring at the floor I stole your fries?"
Nice build vitreolum
While I'm not entirely sure how to pronounce nerd-ptician, I can certainly relate to this MOC by 6kyubi6. Not only does it feature BrickNerd's mascot Nerdly, but just in the last few months I've come to accept that my peepers are not as good as they used to be. Yes, I wear reading glasses now, and no, they're not as fashionable as anything depicted here.
Here in the US we won't be celebrating moms until May, but across the pond it was yesterday and this MOC by MinifigNick sums up motherhood in typical charming fashion. Moms all over the world should appreciate this image. While we all love our moms and occasionally remember to tell them, we could probably have just picked up our stuff from time to time and sent the message just as well. This one made me and my wife laugh.
A good MOC has all the elements you might expect, like color selection, form continuity, clever part use and good presentation. A great MOC tells a story, evokes emotion or conjures other senses like smell and sound. Can you practically smell the oil and soot of this beast by Captain Smog? How about the squeaking of chain, puffing of steam and grinding of gears, can you hear them? I can.
Iron Builder rages rages on, and continues to heat up. Not to be outdone by 6kyubi6's Travis MOC, vitroleum delves into unfamiliar territory with this excellent bust of Wolverine. That's one of the things that's so awesome about Iron Builder, it pushes already amazing builders to to try new things and think outside the box. It's brutal, but it makes better builders.
Considering the sometimes tedious relationship between walruses and penguins I'm not sure permitting them to sail aboard their own icebreaking ships is wise. Then again, this particular walrus seems pretty competent, and that's a pretty smart outfit he's wearing, so we'll let this one go. A charming and whimsical MOC by the_jetboy.
One of the most tranquil places to spend any time at all is a well designed koi pond. I highly recommend pulling up a comfortable chair, putting on some relaxing music on your headphones, and just chillin' while you watch the fish. You'll find yourself so amazingly relaxed you may need help getting back to the real world. This pond by cmaddison my not have the lazy swimming and relaxing trickling water, but it has the right aesthetic.
CUB3 will take little LEGO balls on a short but exciting journey through the assistance of Mindstorms, gravity and the creative mind of Legohaulic. I could try to explain more, but Paul Vermeesh put together an excellent video that shows this MOC off in real style. Have a view and enjoy!
What are the best ways to score cheap LEGO? If you’re willing to go to some effort, hidden LEGO pops up all over the place. In today’s guest article, Molly Patton shares her stories and tips at finding low-priced LEGO.
Are you one of those people that has a perpetually messy building table? If so, you are not alone. Ted Andes comes out in defense of creative clutter and pleads the case for there being a method-to-the-madness of a messy building table. Read on to find out why a little bit of disorganization can be a good thing.
What happens when you turn a LEGO pirate ship into a Great Ball Contraption? Brian Hickey and his family find out, building a working module and learning a few hard lessons when it joins the GBC loop at BrickCon.
The Spindlejack messengers have a new predator on their tail! Dan Ko shares his T-R3X Speeder Bike, a dinosaur-inspired ride for the light-fingered Swindlejerks, with free instructions to build your own bike and display stand.
Creating LEGO cityscapes is an AFOL passion, but how do you build sidewalks and curbs that curve like in real life? We share some step-by-step instructions using some helpful new elements to make sure your city has curb appeal.
Monet painted his garden many times, exploring changes in color and time of day. Meredith Najewicz follows his lead, rebuilding the LEGO Art Water Lilies set with a darker palette and some creative part substitutions to cast the lilies in a different light.
It is time to take to the skies to see all the LEGO floating islands that populate our imaginations. Check out these gravity-defying rocks and learn why they might be one of the best ever collab ideas.
BrickNerd is your source for all things LEGO and the LEGO fan community
Like what we're doing? Become a patron to show your support, get early access, exclusive swag and more. Or leave a one-time donation by hitting the yellow button. Everything is appreciated!
BrickNerd is not associated with The LEGO Group.
Opinions shared on this site are our own and not the opinions of LEGO or The LEGO Group.
LEGO® is a trademark of The LEGO Group which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
Copyright © 2013 - 2026 BrickNerd. All Rights Reserved.
Contact Us
Impact-Site-Verification: b6cd94b7-3dc5-4bab-b3a2-5b9a7dcdc63f
Shrek’s fairy-tale cast has arrived in LEGO minifigure form, but does everyone get a happily ever after? We take a close look at the movie references, a few puzzling design choices, and some useful parts for Castle builders.