A year ago, Bruce looked back at 2008.
Here's my brief look back at 2009.
The MicroBricks blog is no longer a one-man operation. Thanks, Bruce!
We've seen a rise in spam comments here. Grrrr.
Is it just me, or has Flickr become a much more important image hosting site for LEGO builders this past year? I think the tools (tags, notes, contacts, groups) are conducive to finding your way through the massive number of photos on the site. As of today, there are 637,983 images tagged with "LEGO."
Brickshelf is still the 900 pound gorilla of the LEGO image hosting, with some 3.1 million files.
The LEGO Group included a few micro-scaled items in The Winter Toy Shop.
In conjunction with Adam Reed Tucker, LEGO released four micro-scaled architecture sets in 2009: The Empire State Building, The Space Needle, Fallingwater, and the Guggenheim.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Neo Classic Space Carrier
Flickr user pasukaru76 has a great collection of MOCs inspired by the Classic Space theme. There's a nice mix of minifig scale and micro scale.
Hard to pick a favorite, but this Space Carrier caught my eye.
I especially like the all black background. Is it real or is it photoshop?
UPDATE: Pasukaru (whose real name is Pascal Schmidt) posted this description of his photo technique:
Hard to pick a favorite, but this Space Carrier caught my eye.
I especially like the all black background. Is it real or is it photoshop?
UPDATE: Pasukaru (whose real name is Pascal Schmidt) posted this description of his photo technique:
I shoot stuff like this by using a black T-shirt for background. Normally I just adjust the black point of the image so that the background really becomes true black. For this one I used a different approach, selecting the whole background (fuzzy select in GIMP with some minor manual adjustments and a 3 pixel feathered selection border) and then filling it with black. Works well if there is enough contrast between the model and the background.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Micro Atlantis
Rogue Bantha created a micro undersea explorer that fits right into the new Atlantis theme. The cockpit is made using an Atlantis helmet.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Steam-y Battle Cruiser
Now cm946 has really done it! Steampunk, but in space! cm946 can now claim to be one of the few who has done something for the first time ever. Oh and did I mention it is a microscale steampunk space cruiser? Everything about is just perfect. Well done cm946!
Friday, January 08, 2010
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Lego Star Wars Tattoo
Now this is one dedicated fan! They got the main Lego Star Wars cast tattooed on their arm! Photo by earthdog.
Star Piper SF08-15
The 4th challenge just started over in the starfighters group on flickr and of all the entries so far, Cole Blaq's Star Piper SF08-15 is my favorite. The use of the technic wing pieces as a base creates a great seamless curve. The engines are also great. Kudos to you Cole.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Great, Unknown Builders Are The Best
I absolutely love when I find a relatively unknown builder on flickr who has some really great creations that have gone almost completely undetected. Take this Mech by agencyORANGE, it is a very great creation and it only has one comment on it. What has happened to people actually appreciating good creations? It is all but gone. In fact, almost all of acencyORANGE's creations are quite good, but have almost zero recognition. Whats with that?
Great, Unknown Builders Are The Best
I absolutely love it when I come across a relatively unknown builder who's stuff is better than half of those builders who are revered by all the 10-13 year-olds as master builders. The very same people who get 30-50 favs on a MOC that a 12 year-old could have made. So it makes me really happy to find a great builder who has truly amazing creations, but has one comment on each of their photos, at best. For example, this marsPD_1 by agencyORANGE is just great, though I would have chosen a different backdrop color. But it only has one comment and will most likely go unnoticed for all eternity, unless of course those lads over a TBB decide it should be on their blog, then wham! it will have 30 favorites and 50 comments overnight. Why can't there be more builders out there on Flickr? I want to see more builders who build to build, not to get blogged by TBB or get as many fav's as possible...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Advent
Sorry I've been away from blogging lately. At least now we can look at all of the entries in MisaQa's great Advent calendar. I'm hoping she'll do a combined shot like she did two years ago, but in the meantime here are a few of my favorites from this year:
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Some buildings wriggle like a fish
Mainman's micro blocky building reminded me of Phillip Isaacson's terrific book, Round Buildings, Square Buildings, and Buildings that Wiggle Like a Fish.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Pentastar
MisaQa's Advent Calendar project continues. Pentastar features a great technique for building a roof and spire that captures the feel of the Chrysler Building.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sears Tower
I haven't blogged anything by Ersh in two years, since his Manhattan. Let's correct that oversight with his new Sears Tower.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
A Tear in Time
Flickr user Tito0o0o was inspired by the movie, Land of the Lost, to create a scene with objects representing different time periods. The mechanical sun is a great touch. The microscale tree appears to be made using this minifigure head.
Friday, December 04, 2009
MCC Entry Review Part III
Way, way late in coming, but this is my third and final review of entries into the Mini Castle Contest. There are more than I reviewed of course, but some of them were already posted here, and you can always check out the thread if you want to see them all.
I'm going to finish it off with mentioned two of the honourable mentions that while I linked to, I didn't get a chance to discuss here. First off, Chris Wunz's Micro Castle.
The most obvious feature about it is of course the extreme micro scale of it all. You can't denine that this is probably about as small as you can build a castle and still reconize it as such. The little path added to it, as well as the use of the grill brick to create a field gives the ground some nice texture. Add to that a well thought out beach, and the nice use of clear bricks to show the surf, and you get a great micro castle.
The other one I will mention here is mahj's collapsible temple.
Of course, the thing that everyone's eye is immediatly drawn to is the fact that it is collapsible. Seriously, that very cool, and very well done. The creation looks complete when fully together, and completely hidden when collapsed. He also has some great detailing done with the tooth pieces and the technic collums. Also cleverly done is the how he stringed the leave pieces together so that when the temple emerges, it has vines over it.
Like I said before, there are many more entries, but I think it is way too late to continue doing more, so enjoy and I'll see you again next year.
I'm going to finish it off with mentioned two of the honourable mentions that while I linked to, I didn't get a chance to discuss here. First off, Chris Wunz's Micro Castle.
The most obvious feature about it is of course the extreme micro scale of it all. You can't denine that this is probably about as small as you can build a castle and still reconize it as such. The little path added to it, as well as the use of the grill brick to create a field gives the ground some nice texture. Add to that a well thought out beach, and the nice use of clear bricks to show the surf, and you get a great micro castle.
The other one I will mention here is mahj's collapsible temple.
Of course, the thing that everyone's eye is immediatly drawn to is the fact that it is collapsible. Seriously, that very cool, and very well done. The creation looks complete when fully together, and completely hidden when collapsed. He also has some great detailing done with the tooth pieces and the technic collums. Also cleverly done is the how he stringed the leave pieces together so that when the temple emerges, it has vines over it.
Like I said before, there are many more entries, but I think it is way too late to continue doing more, so enjoy and I'll see you again next year.
MisaQa
MisaQa continues her advent calendar, including a sweet shop and two buildings from the science college.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Blocktropolis expansion
Flickr user Tom Neumo posted this photo of the buildings that will be part of an expansion of his micro city, Blocktropolis.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Advent calendar
Every year, MisaQa presents an Advent Calendar project, with one new MOC for each day of December leading up to Christmas. A couple of years ago she did a microscale town and she has returned to this scale again with her 2009 Advent Calendar. Her first two offerings are the Twins Tower (reminiscent of the Petronas Towers) and her Science College.
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