Tag Archives: Toys

LEGO mannequin with repositionable limbs makes sketching/animation easier, and can be modified too

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LEGO bricks are often referred to as an architect’s best friend, but it seems like the company’s uniquely benefitting animators too – not through its series of incredibly fun movies, but by this adorable tabletop mannequin. Used by artists and animators alike, the mannequin is a perfect tabletop accessory to help understand human movement, positions, and proportions. Without needing to have an actual human in the room, the LEGO Artist’s Mannequin captures all the articulation and elegance of the human form. This LEGO set boasts an impressive 22 points of articulation, allowing for the accurate representation of human poses and emotions. Ideal for art enthusiasts and LEGO fans alike, this MOC was built by LEGO Ideas user “The LEGO Dark Knight”.

Designer: The LEGO Dark Knight

The LEGO Artist’s Mannequin is a true testament to the versatility of LEGO bricks. Standing at approximately 9-10 inches tall, this figure boasts impressive articulation, allowing artists to pose it in a wide array of positions. The mannequin’s joints, carefully designed and assembled using LEGO Technic elements, mimic human anatomy and offer the flexibility needed for artists to study and accurately capture the essence of the human form.

The mannequin is not only practical but visually captivating as well. Its sleek, all-white design sets it apart from traditional wooden artists’ mannequins, and the unique brick-based construction adds a touch of LEGO charm. It’s a stunning addition to any artist’s studio or LEGO enthusiast’s collection.

What’s truly exciting about the LEGO Artist’s Mannequin is the potential for customization. As with all LEGO creations, the possibilities are endless. Ambitious builders can modify the design, adding different elements like handheld objects, garments, accessories, or even extra limbs/wings to the mannequin. Additionally, you could also create different body types and proportions to explore various artistic styles.

The mannequin also serves as a fantastic teaching tool, introducing children to the concepts of anatomy and proportions in a fun and interactive way. It’s the perfect blend of learning and play, allowing kids and adults alike to tap into their creative potential. Currently a fan-made submission at the LEGO Ideas forum, the LEGO Artist’s Mannequin has 985 votes from the global LEGO community. You can cast your vote for it on the LEGO Ideas website to turn it from a fan-made product to a retail kit.

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Lego Icons Classic Defender 90 unveiled

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Lego Icons Classic Defender 90

Land Rover is celebrating its 75th year anniversary and has teamed up with Lego for a special edition version of the Defender,  the Lego Icons Classic Defender 90. The new Lego Icons Classic Defender 90 will come as a 2,336 piece kit and it will be available in the UK from the 1st of April […]

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LEGO version of ‘The Scream’, Edvard Munch’s iconic painting, looks more unsettling than the original

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LEGO bricks lend themselves rather wonderfully to post-impressionist paintings. We’ve seen Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Sunflowers translate seamlessly into brick-based recreations (even Hokusai’s The Great Wave looks wonderful in LEGO), but there’s something oddly unnerving about this LEGO Ideas MOC of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. LEGO bricks tend to pixelate paintings, diluting their detail and therefore their appeal, but with this fan-made MOC (My Own Creation), the bricks have the opposite effect. The brick diorama looks a little more unsettling than the painting, creating that visual tension that makes you want to simultaneously look at it as well as look away. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Art is supposed to evoke an emotion, and this build definitely does! I’d probably just be a little hesitant if I had to hang this in my living room!

Designer: Spacemanship

“Edvard Munch painted the iconic masterpiece “The Scream” 130 years ago to symbolize his anxiety at that time,” says LEGO builder Spacemanship, who recreated the famous painting using 2999 bricks. His purpose was to give people with anxiety something to channel their feelings into – I’m pretty sure he’s got an audience, given that the LEGO Ideas submission hit the coveted 10,000 votes milestone and will soon be translated into a buyable LEGO kit.

With 2999 pieces, this set showcases the oil paint rendition of The Scream. The boardwalk is composed of wood-patterned tiles, while the cliff on the right and fjord line on the left provide a stunning three-dimensional texture to the background. The central figure can be detached from the frame and features movable parts such as a spinning waist and mouth. Additionally, a minifigure Edvard Munch is cleverly concealed within the skull!

Moreover, the main subject of the painting is detachable too, and can be used as a tabletop accessory or carried around and placed into photos for a dramatic appeal!

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LEGO Lunar Poster is a 2360-piece DIY wall-art that’s perfect for space enthusiasts

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A LEGO Ideas MOC that’s literally ‘out of this world’!

Since pretty much the beginning of time, we’ve been obsessed with the moon. It’s our closest neighbor, influences tides, illuminates our nights, and provides a stunning way to measure the passing of a year, with many cultures relying on a lunar calendar as opposed to a solar one. There’s no denying how important the moon is to humanity, and although there’s probably a very tiny overlap between astronomy geeks and LEGO nerds, the Lego Art space poster “The Moon: Earth’s Companion” sits rather firmly in that tiny overlap. Built with 2360 LEGO bricks, this fan-made creation celebrates the beauty and mystery of the Moon. At its center is a highly detailed, brick-built Moon, complete with unique craters and terrain features that showcase the Moon’s striking geology. The focal point of this creation… a meticulously crafted Moon constructed entirely out of LEGO Art bricks. The level of detail is impressive, with labeled craters and mountains accurately representing the unique geology of our celestial neighbor.

Designer: SharkyBricks

Looking pretty much like a printed poster, however, with the beauty of being three-dimensional, this fan-made MOC comes with a stunning amount of attention to detail. Beyond just the moon itself, the poster contains all sorts of nuggets of information, from a panoramic gallery of the moon phases to a tiny diorama of what the earth looks like from the surface of the moon. You’ve got a tiny information plate on the bottom left, and a scale bar on the bottom right, giving you a size reference in miles (although don’t expect it to be absolutely accurate).

The MOC doesn’t use standard LEGO or Technic bricks, but instead uses bricks from the LEGO Art kit, which are perfect for artistic representations. The tiny bricks aren’t designed to serve structural purposes, but instead are shaped (and are meant to be treated) as pixels, allowing you to build a 2D representation of artwork, with an optional 3D relief twist.

The entire build uses around 2360 pieces and roughly measures 15.5 inches in width, and 20.2 inches in height, making it a little smaller than your standard A2-size poster. It makes for the perfect DIY wall art for any space enthusiast, capturing the beauty of our closest cosmic neighbor in as much realistic detail as a LEGO brick can provide. Just don’t try taking photos of this moon with your Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera!

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LEGO version of Among Us turns the thrilling indie game into a fully detailed brick-based diorama

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Designed to mark the breakout murder mystery game’s 5th anniversary, this LEGO Ideas version of Among Us captures the absolute thrill of being a crewmate on board a ship, with a secret imposter lurking around creating havoc for everyone else. Built out by LEGO master builder BrickRealm 101, it features an enlarged diorama with detailed furnishings and custom decals of the most recognizable map from the Among Us universe, the Skeld. The diorama includes popular locations such as the Cafeteria, Storage, Reactor, and many more, accompanied by custom mini-figures (or pets) of the much-loved colorful little Crewmates.

Designer: BrickRealm101

Built out to stunning detail, the entire diorama is made from as many as 2,998 bricks and includes every single prop seen in the game’s visuals. You’ve got all the popular destinations, including the main room with the emergency button that calls for an instant meeting when crewmates want to discuss strategies or cast aspersions on their fellow players to determine who the imposter is. The only things missing are the underground venting system that the imposter can use to move from one room to another, and the bit of outer space that ejected crewmates float through when they’ve been voted out.

The nuclear reactor room with the main reactor

“When I first encountered the game on mobile platforms, I found myself completely immersed in the world and mechanics of Among Us. The controls and rules were simple enough for my friends and me to truly enjoy the gameplay Among Us had to offer,” says the designer, BrickRealm101. “Not only did we have fun playing the role of the Impostor and the Crewmate, but we adored the way you were able to customize a Crewmate of your choice.”

“I felt that this game and the options it offered could translate well into the realm of LEGO, giving the fans of both Among Us and LEGO an opportunity to have fun with their friends while being given the freedom to make their own designs for both the set and the characters as a part of this map,” he adds.

The electrical room where the Imposter goes to manipulate the power supply, and Crewmates go to fix the electrical lines.

Unfortunately, the one thing you can’t do with this diorama is actually play with it. As enticing as it looks and feels, this MOC is purely a hobbyist and collector piece that’s worthy of being put on display, and occasionally roleplaying with… but I do wish there was a way to actually turn it into a board game with the thrilling edge-of-your-seat gameplay.

Close-up of the lower engine in the second engine room

A submission on the LEGO Ideas forum, BrickRealm101’s Among Us: The Skeld MOC (My Own Creation) currently sits with 3,343 votes from the global LEGO community. If it reaches its goal of 10,000 votes, the folks at LEGO will turn it into a retail box set that enthusiasts can buy, build, and cherish. Click here to vote for the Among Us: The Skeld on the LEGO Ideas forum!

Regular Crewmate pieces can be turned into murderous Imposter pieces with a simple swap!

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Gorgeous LEGO hot-rod motorcycle features a brick-based V2 engine with moving pistons

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Looking about as good as something to come out of a branded LEG Technic set, this black beauty holds the honor of being a purely homegrown, fan-made creation using parts from both LEGO and Technic sets. Although this custom motorcycle doesn’t have a name yet, it’s definitely got a spectacular aesthetic and personality, especially with its stripped-down, bobber-inspired style.

Designer: Pale4

This custom skeletal hot rod comes from the mind of LEGO master builder Pale4, created as a part of the LEGO Ideas forum. As eye-catching as it looks, it’s open for further customizations, like shortening the front fork or making the bike bulkier or more embellished. “I’ve always been a fan of custom motorcycles. Since customizing motorcycles is hugely popular I thought designing one which could be customized by builder after building would be a great set for fans of Lego and Lego Technic”, Pale4 said.

To Pale4’s credit, the bike has a level of detail that I haven’t seen in most Technic kits too. It’s got disc brakes with brake lines connecting all the way to the handlebars, a detailed dashboard, fuel tank, V2 engine, gearbox, and even a functional kickstand to have the bike parked. The black aesthetic definitely feels like a choice that works, and if Pale4 could make the headlamp and taillight work, this would be an absolute winner of a fan-made MOC.

The Custom Motorcycle is at a staggering 1:5 scale, making it pretty big even by LEGO Technic standards. That “makes it a showstopper when displayed”, says Pale4, who’s currently gathered 1683 votes from the LEGO community at the time of writing this article. If they reach the coveted spot of 10,000 votes, the LEGO Ideas team will turn the fan-made MOC into a box-set that anyone can buy and build. Click here to cast your vote!

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Sneak Peek at the LEGO Van Gogh Sunflowers build shows a wonderful 3D brick-version of the painting

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This LEGO MoC lets you go one step ahead of Miley Cyrus and “Build your own flowers” instead.

Designed by LEGO master builder Chi Hsin Wei, the Van Gogh’s Sunflowers MOC (My Own Creation) garnered quite a lot of attention on their Instagram. Although Hsin Wei (who goes by Lego7 online) just teased the MOC build, it’s still not up on their LEGO Ideas page, so details on its availability are scant at the moment. Here’s hoping that it makes it to the Ideas forum where LEGO enthusiasts around the world cast their vote to turn it into a box set, like Van Gogh’s Starry night and Hokusai’s The Great Wave.

Designer: Chi Hsin Wei

Hsin Wei’s rendition of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers comes with a frame and a wonderfully three-dimensional rendition of the painting itself, with flowers that quite literally pop out from the canvas to greet you with their vibrance. I really feel that Van Gogh’s Post Impressionist style translates incredibly well to LEGO bricks, because each brick ends up looking like a paint-stroke, accentuating the style in its own way.

The build comes with a teal and yellow background, with the vase and 10 flowers emerging from it. While the background stays relatively true to its inspiration, the three-dimensionality of the flowers makes them quite literally pop in a way that attracts your eye. “They look freshly plucked”, one LEGO-based blog mentioned.

The MOC isn’t up for grabs anywhere but with a little support and perseverance, I think we could convince Hsin Wei to release the build either on LEGO Ideas or on other sites like Rebrickable. My favorite detail, however, remains the tiny Van Gogh figurine casually lounging at the bottom with a paintbrush and palette!

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Official Transformers-themed smartwatch for kids comes with a Qualcomm chip and two cameras

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Created by Chinese OEM Xiao Tian Cai (also known as OKII) with official licensing from Hasbro, the Transformers-themed Z8 watch is perhaps the perfect piece of gear for children. It has everything they’d possibly want, from a blue-and-red design that hat-tips Optimus Prime, to an actual folding design that reveals two cameras – one for selfies, and one working as an action cam of sorts. The smartwatch is tailor-made for youngsters, with a trendy design they’d love to wear and flaunt. Aside from that rather fascinating flip-out body, the watch even has the Autobots logo as its wallpaper and theme. In fact, Xiao Tian Cai’s even hinted at a Megatron-inspired variant sometime later.

Designer: Xiao Tian Caii (aka OKII)

The 1,999 yuan (USD $295) wearable comes with all the bells and whistles of a regular smartwatch, but is designed for children. A 760mAh battery gives it hours’ worth of use on a full charge, while 4G radio, dual-band WiFi, allows it to connect over the internet to help children stay in touch with their parents/guardians/friends. The front-facing camera lets kids click selfies, but flip the watch’s body up and you’ve got a rear camera that’s perfect for recording the world around you, as well as for character-recognition an language translation. The watch also has a heart-rate monitor, introducing children to the concept of health-tracking at a much younger age.

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Meta.Zen playset lets adults calmly build their own miniature tranquil garden

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There are different objects and places that have been associated with feelings of peace and calmness, but one of the most iconic ones that span cultures and nations is the carefully designed minimalist Zen garden. Just seeing one, even in a picture, is enough to trigger mental images of peaceful meditation, whether by simply sitting on a spot or raking around sand. Of course, not everyone has space for a real Zen garden at home, and miniature kits can get problematic to maintain because of their use of real sand and, sometimes, real plants. If you’re fine with just the symbolic representations of the principles of Zen, then this sustainable playset for grownups not only gives you the creative freedom to design the Zen garden of your dreams, it even becomes a meditative practice in itself.

Designer: ILSA Yumeng Li and Zongheng Sun (PEAR & MULBERRY)

Puzzle toys and playsets have existed for decades, even centuries, and while the majority of these are designed for younger audiences, there are a few that require a more experienced mind to enjoy. Sometimes a puzzle could be too complicated, or a set might have intricate parts. Some kids might still have a bit of fun with this innovative playset, but it will be adults that will benefit from it the most because it evokes emotions and thoughts that only a stressed adult would be able to appreciate.

Meta.Zen, in a nutshell, lets you put together a Zen garden of your own design. You can make it as simple or as complicated as it can be, limited only by the number of pieces you have at hand. The hexagonal base pieces magnetically attach to one another, making them simple to use even for those with physical handicaps. The magnets are strong enough so that you can even stick the finished garden to a wall to serve as a calming piece of decoration. And since there’s no sand or plants involved, there’s no mess either.

It’s more than just a simple playset, though, and each and every piece is carefully designed with the same meticulous attention to detail that Zen gardeners use. The almost random ridges and valleys of the base tiles can be combined and connected in multiple ways, creating millions of Zen patterns that you can change as your heart desires. The pebbles, stone lamps, and structures that you can place on top also magnetically attach to the intersection of tiles, making it effortless to create any arrangement you could think of. More than just the final result, the process of putting together this playset can become a calming and meditative activity of its own.

And, of course, Meta.Zen also gives peace of mind that your serenity doesn’t come at the cost of the planet’s life. The parts are used using biodegradable PLA based on walnut wood, while only natural fibers like algae and bamboo are used to give the pieces their earthy colors. Each piece is designed to let you see and feel elements of nature on a smaller scale, giving you the freedom to take not only the playset but also your Zen bubble with you wherever you go.

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Adorably functional LEGO Swiss-army multitool actually has implements that you could use!

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Styled to look like the iconic Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, this fan-made LEGO MOC (my own creation) has some usable tools like the brick separator, screwdriver, magnifying glass, and Technic axle, along with a few others like the belt-punch and corkscrew. Some might even call it a Brick Army Knife! The fan-made build currently sits in LEGO’s Ideas forum, with 4,522 votes from the community.

“Inspired by the variety of multi-tools available in everyday life, I decided to create one designed specifically for LEGO fans,” says Tall Brick Guy, the creator of the LEGO Multi-Tool. “Of course, the most important tool in any LEGO builder’s arsenal is the Brick Separator, and so I began working on a way to incorporate this classic, although oddly shaped, piece into a compact, functional build.”

Designer: Tall Guy Brick

All the tools fit rather perfectly into the iconic red rounded outer body, with independently articulating swivel joints that let you pull out tools when you need them and put them back in when you’re done. Its customizable design lets you add or remove tools, and even change the faceplate color to match your sense of style. My favorite detail, however, is that adorable LEGO motif on the faceplate, exactly where you’d expect the Swiss flag or the Victorinox logo. The entire contraption is pretty compact, measuring 14 studs or a little less than 4.5 inches in length. The only thing really missing here is a neat lanyard hole!

A part of the LEGO Ideas forum, the fan-made MOC needs to reach the threshold 10,000 votes to be turned into an official LEGO product. You can vote for the LEGO Multi-Tool by clicking here.

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