Every once in a while here at BrickNerd we like to look back, just to see how far we've come. This Classic Commodore VIC 20 might look familiar to some of you old school computer users. There's an entire generation of early home computer adopters that made this their first computer. It was built by the Arvo brothers (yeah, those Arvo brothers) a decade ago.
It's SHIPtember V, the fifth annual SHIP building contest! Eat. Sleep. SHIP!
As always, the objective of this incredibly fun competition is to build a massive and original SPACESHIP!, one that has to be a minimum of 100 studs in length. With one and a half weeks of building time to go, we thought it was time to showcase a few of our favorite completed SHIP's that have joined the Armada for SHIPtember V! Even some contributors for BrickNerd have gotten in on the action, like this SHIP by El Barto. I'm currently working on my entry, and I hope to see some other contributors participate! The SHIP's featured below, built by each builder respectively, are just a few of the completed SHIP's that we have yet to see. Head on over to the SHIPtember Flickr group to see more models in the works!
This is pretty epic. It's SHIPtember, and while we're all pretty accustomed to seeing giant space ships this time of year, builder mahjqa brings us the land carrier Khagaan, a colossal treaded vehicle with multiple power functions and seriously cool design. While the picture is stunning, it doesn't really convey the scale or capability of this beast. Check out the video, which features some pretty amazing vfx and cinematography, as well as a behind the scenes peek at how it was done. Beware, you are about to have your mind blown.
Every once in a while you just need to connect two elements together that were not designed to fit that way. That is usually the genesis of a cool technique in fact, just a clever way of doing something LEGO never intended (subversive and creative at the same time!) This is an astoundingly simple way to connect two sphere halves by ledamu12 that will have you going "why didn't I think of that?"
Builder Unijob Lindo has been building these little dudes for a while now, and the collection is growing. They have a quirkiness that really appeals to me, just cute enough to be toy-like, just edgy enough to be something we're not likely to see from LEGO itself. To see some more of these clever little wonders check out Unijob Lindo's photostream.
Kingsman - The Secret Service was one of my favorite films of 2014, and I'm very much looking forward to the sequel out later this month. I'm not the only fan eagerly waiting for it, builder Burglerhobbit is so hyped he built some amazing props from the first film. Hopefully The Golden Circle will inspire a few more builds.
This cool diorama by builder ReeseEH looks like it's right out of a movie or video game, and illustrates how much lighting can elevate a MOC. This is a simple setup, and rushed really, but compare these two shots and you can see just how much you can alter the mood with the lighting. Just imagine this with careful, deliberate lighting, it makes a world of difference.
This is one of those builds that makes you go "wait..what?" followed very shortly after with "whoa". I think there might be some dark arts at work here, and builder Ryxe could perhaps be a sorcerer or something, because I can't fathom how this is bullt or stays together, besides some crazy sort of magic.
When I was a kid this is what audio entertainment looked like, the Hi-Fi (short for high fidelity). If it wasn't a huge console system cranking the tunes into your house, it was one of these. Just tune to your favorite radio station, adjust the equalizer and enjoy the music. Or punch in your favorite 8-Track (let's say Meco Star Wars, maybe Brothers Johnson) and get your groove on. An excellent retro build from Sad Brick, which ironically makes me happy.
This awesome figure by builder chubbybots is the result of mashing up two Pokemon and drawing inspiration from there. It takes a a little imagination to see Dragonite and Charizard X in this mech, but the influence is definitely there. The results are something totally new, and pretty spiffy if you ask me.
I love the scale of this awesome little ship diorama by W. Navarre. Normally to get this kind of mood and detail the ships would be twice the size, but not this one thanks to some clever building techniques and perfect part selection. Combine that with excellent color selection and story, and it's pretty much a perfect MOC.
SHIPtember is about half way over, and my Flickr feed is chock-full-o-SHIPs. This one by SHIPtember evangelist and consummate spacer Si-Mocs caught my eye. It's like a giant dagger in space, with a touch of color for contrast and interest. But my favorite feature has to be those engine pods, this baby looks fast and powerful.
This week I had the distinct pleasure of building the most awesome LEGO set of all time with the most awesome group of people of all time, Tested.com. We spent two days building, shooting, sharing stories and having a load of fun geeking out on this spectacular set.
We also had the classic UCS Falcon on hand for a direct comparison during the build. We were continually surprised and delighted at not only the upgrades from the original, but how vastly different they were. Besides being the same size and of the same ship, they're two very different builds.
We worked out a great system of teams of sorters, knollers, feeders and builders. While it did necessitate the dismantling of the instructions, it made the build quite a bit quicker, resulting in a build time somewhere around 12 hours. And that includes time that the team needed to break away and do their normal Tested.com content, like podcasts.
Tested.com is one of my favorite websites and YouTube channels, and of course Adam is the protonerd, so just spending time with the team was an absolute pleasure. Combine that with pretty much the greatest LEGO set of all time, and it was a memorable two days I will never forget. Check out the video on YouTube and for the extended editions consider becoming a Tested.com premium member (I am). I'd like to thank Adam, Norm, Sean and the rest of the Tested crew for welcoming me into their domain. And of course a huge thank you to LEGO for providing this review copy of what is sure to be a legendary set.
Humans have been harvesting from the sea since we were smart enough to realize there's quite a bit of yummy food in there. Over the years the technology might have advanced a bit, but when it comes down to it, it's really just people in boats that make it all happen. This MOC by builder Arjan Oude Kotte features these very people and those very boats, and you can practically smell the salt air and hear the waves lapping and seagulls.
Meet Krommaug the Defiler, the new public relations manager here at BrickNerd! All complaints about tossing the Helicarrier off the balcony, the lack of content on the YouTube channel, why we didn't feature your LEGO Ideas project, why Tommy has such a stupid face and of course where we get off with sarcastic posts can be directed to Krommaug, who will deal with your issues in a swift and timely manner. Complaints about Krommaug himself can be directed at Djokson.
Inthert has released the latest model for his Star Wars Ring Worlds collection, with this terrain showcasing his new miniature All Terrain Tactical Enforcer, the larger tank used by Republic forces during the time of the Clone Wars. In the animated Clone Wars film, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano use the AT-TE's to scale a large cliff on the planet Teth. Instead of a flat world recreation, the builder decided to focus on a different scene perspective for this Teth terrain. I think the presentation is very neat, but those tanks are definitely the highlight for me.
I have a feeling there is soon going to be a large spike in LEGO Blade Runner activity, as seen here with this latest model from Legopard. The Blade Runner cruiser was already cool enough, yet this builder was able to put an even cooler and more unique spin on the vehicle then you would normally seen. This model is just such an awesome mixture of futuristic and steampunk combined!
One of my favorite LEGO themes growing up was the Wild West line. I always felt it was a very underrated theme. Sergeant Chipmunk's MOC gave me those old fuzzy feelings of pitting bandits against cowboys on my bedroom floor. Love the use of colors in this MOC (some purists may balk at mixing new gray and old gray, but I think it's utilized really well here). Now I wanna make a Wild West brickfilm!
Here's a little something by builder tigertvi to help you get through these challenging times. With the economy, hurricanes, fires, questionable "leadership" and everything else going on in the world that is constantly attempting to harsh your mellow, use this image to help get you through. Inspired by The Oatmeal, this rimshot cat is the perfect punchline emphasis for all the jokes that life is throwing at us right now. When something hits, just think of this, go "ba-dum-tss", and push on.
From sketches to superglue, see how this custom LEGO motorcycle earned its street cred. We chat with Jean-Yves about the design, prototyping, and even heat resistance of his LEGO customizations, taking them from prototype to the pavement.
October has arrived with a fresh selection of LEGO contests and challenges. Don’t miss your chance to build a MOC and maybe even win some awesome LEGO prizes. With a new LEGO Speederbike Challenge, and a Halloween contest or two, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found!
What makes your eye land on one part of a LEGO build before another? In this month’s Conversation Piece, we explore focal points, visual weight, and how builders can guide a viewer through a composition.
LEGO Speeder Bikes are back with a new community building challenge inspired by Citizen Sleeper. Build an airbike, create its messenger, and see what you can squeeze into just three studs wide.
Ahoy, me hearties! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day! Are you ready to set sail on an adventure through the history of classic LEGO Pirates? Where did it begin, what was it all about, and where has the theme showed up since? Join us on a treasure hunt through history!
Take a seat as we explore clever LEGO chair techniques that will leave you sitting pretty. From boat studs to bucket handles, here are some simple ways to design your own stylish chairs.
Identifying individual LEGO parts from bulk second-hand purchases can be challenging, so what are the most common elements that people want to know, “What is this!?”
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LEGO adventurers need somewhere to unwind between quests. We talk with Sleepy Dragon Inn designer Marin Graux about classic Castle, medieval hospitality, and how his design evolved for the BrickLink Designer Program.