The Art of Lego

Hello everybody, 

In this post I wanted to talk about the art of Lego and how it is more than just a toy that you build. If you did not know, Lego is a toy company that was founded in Denmark in 1932. Originally, they focused on building wooden toys but eventually evolved into plastic bricks that you can snap together and create wonderful structures out of instructions or your imagination.

Ever since I discovered Lego, I have loved it. The idea of building an iconic vehicle, building, or even something from my imagination out of miniature bricks fascinated me. Since then, I built a variety of sets and objects from my imagination. A few examples include the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander "Eagle", James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, the BMW Motorcycle M 1000 RR, and even the Batcave from Batman.

To the plain eye, Lego might seem like just a time-pass toy, which it partly is. However, to someone who has built Lego sets and loves to do it, it's much more than just small bricks which connect together. It's an art of some sort. Lego is more like a place where you can unleash your imagination and build whatever you want. 

Building Lego actually takes determination and patience. It doesn't come easy and if not done right, can be very painful. For example, I have forgotten to add a piece many times in Legos. It was disappointing due to the fact that I had to restart all over again. But that's where the determination and patience come in. By being persistent and waiting for the build to be right, your work pays off. Another quality that you need to have while building Lego is problem solving. By being able to identify where you went wrong, you can fix your mistake and make your build better! In my opinion though, the most important thing to have while building Lego is to have fun. If you aren't having fun, then what's the point of building? Only by having fun, your build aligns with your vision.

I wanted to share three Lego objects that I have built, and I deem to be my most challenging but best paid off.

1. MINI Cooper

This MINI Cooper is one of the first "Expert" Legos that I ever built. It is a 1,077-piece set and it was a blast to build. My uncle used to have a MINI Cooper that looked exactly like the Lego one. The white complements the green well and the seats are a very nice tan plaid. This car's wheels can roll just like a real car and has doors, a hood (with engine inside of it), and a trunk that all open. The roof is detachable as well, but this car is not meant to be a convertible. A small detail that is very nice is the picnic basket in the trunk that has bread, cheese, glasses, a bottle of water, and of course a picnic mat. Overall, this set was a bit difficult to build but was a lot of fun.

2. James Bond Aston Martin DB5

The James Bond Aston Martin DB5 is definitely the coolest set that I have ever built. With a piece count of 1295, not only does it look sleek and just like the car from the movies, but it also has many features that are unique. It does have a trunk, doors, and a hood that opens where you can see the engine. Starting off with the cool features, the wheels of the car have small spikes in the center of them so that if 007 ever wanted to stop an enemy automobile, he can just ride close and puncture their tires. Another awesome feature is the ability to change the front and rear license plates. By just spinning them, the license plates are completely different. Moving to the back of the car, with one twist of the exhaust pipe, a bulletproof screen comes up behind the rear windshield. Therefore, if Mr. Bond just wanted a break to have some tea, he could pop that up so that he doesn't get surprised by anybody.

In the interior of the car, there are plenty of little secrets. The first being that a turn of a dial reveals a radar tracker next to the steering wheel. If Bond ever wanted to make a call, however, he could just pull down the side of his door and reveal a bright red telephone.

Now we move onto the two coolest features in my opinion: The ejector seat and the headlight-revealing machine guns. Firstly, with a pull of a lever in the back of the car, a portion of the roof comes off and the passenger seat is ejected out! It's quite fun to just see the seat flying. Next, by pushing the joystick up, the headlights flip to reveal twin machine guns. It's amazing to just see it flip over and over again.

3. BMW M 1000 RR

Now for the grand finale, the BMW M 1000 RR Motorcycle in Lego! With a whopping 1921 pieces, this Lego set definitely takes first place for my favorite Lego and the most complex I have ever built. This bike is extremely detailed and not a feature from the real bike was missed on this Lego set. The designers did an amazing job. Now, there aren't any special features on this bike, however, just the sheer appearance is enough to say that it is wonderful. This bike is the largest Lego Technic motorcycle model ever made and it has a crazy 1:5 scale. Due to Lego's partnership with BMW, the bike doesn't just have iconic BMW markings, but it also has suspension, a 3-speed gearbox, and a 4- piston engine that makes it fun to just glide it along the floor. The bike has the ability to be displayed on a display stand or a racing stand.

This Lego was definitely difficult to make, and I actually had to restart the whole cycle while I was halfway through. It was frustrating but I can't complain as to how fun it was. In the end though, everything paid off.

Thank you for reading, see you soon, and have a great day!

Sincerely,

Advaith