Brick Wonders
Posted by Huw,
One of the best LEGO books of last year was Brick City by Edinburgh-based LEGO artist Warren Elsmore. His second book, Brick Wonders: Ancient, Natural and Modern Marvels in LEGO has just been published and I've been sent a copy to review.
The 256-page 22 x 17 cm paperback book is published by Mitchell Beazley in the UK and Barron's Educational Series in the USA, where it has a different cover.
Like Brick City, this book contains photos of large aspirational models created by Warren along with instructions for smaller related models.
The book is divided into 5 sections. The introduction covers LEGO basics such as where to buy, how to sort and store it as well as some basic building techniques. The other four sections cover the seven wonders of the ancient world, historic wonders, such as Stonehenge and Petra, modern wonders such as the Panama canal and Hoover dam and finally natural wonders such as the Great Barrier Reef and Grand Canyon.
The subjects covered are presented in a similar format throughout the book: there are photos of Warren's models which are usually massive, highly detailed and beyond the reach of most builders, accompanied by a short piece of text describing the subject which I found very interesting and informative.
Following that, there are then several related smaller models, complete with instructions, most of which can be built from your own collection of pieces. For example, the section for Machu Picchu in Peru has instructions for a mini Machu Picchu train and a condor, which lives in the area, while the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the original seven wonders still standing, is accompanied by instructions for a Sphinx and a scarab (a dung beetle).
It's clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into both researching the subjects and building them, and then thinking up and creating instructions for the small models.
Most of the models are excellent although as you'd expect, some are better than others, mainly down to how easy or difficult it is to represent the subject in LEGO. While it was right to include the Internet as a modern wonder it's obviously a difficult thing to build: you'll have to buy the book to find out how Warren did so.
This then, is another great book from Warren. It follows the same successful formula as his first and is both a good coffee-table book and a great source of inspiration for your own models. It's also very reasonably priced.
It's available now from Amazon: UK
Here are a few photos from the book: The Grand Canyon, Aurora Australis, Petra and snowmobile instructions, one of the small models in the Aurora Australis section.
Here's more, just sent to me by the publishers:
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11 comments on this article
they all look great, but that grand canyon is too mottled. very detailed, but probably the most important aspect aside from its texture are the layers you can see in the sandstone that run through the cliffsides throughout the canyon... the colors should be linear streaks. it'd be so much more impressive.
Given only the three pictures you posted, Huw, I'd say that this book, from what I can see, seems to be is merely that of a guy with too many LEGO sets and nothing to do with them. As ^Moldie said (and as I had already noticed prior to reading his comment), the Grand Canyon, at least, was too blocky and random. Looking at the other pictures with a negative mindset, then, made me see that the Arctic one is honestly not that good, at least given the techniques used, and the Petra one uses very few techniques.
I own neither Brick City nor this edition, but I don't think I'll be getting either.
Personally, I don't think you should pass comment on a book you've not even seen, basing an opinion on just a few pictures from it.
^^So you shouldn't judge a book by... a few snippets of it, rather than the whole? ;)
Isn't every AFOL "a guy [or gal] with too many LEGO sets and nothing to do with them"? Fair play to him making some brass out of it. I think they look superb.
Plus - isn't the wonder of Lego the fact that this can inspire you to remake it 'better' if that's what you want to do?
I loved Brick City, and I will definitely pick this up.
Personally, I think his model of Petra/The Temple of the Grail (I know, I am an Indiana Jones geek...) model is excellent. He even got the veins of slightly darker stone on the front columns right! The Aurora Australis Model is also very well made in my opinion, combing mosaic, microscale and neat minifig scale weather balloon and snowmobile designs in a striking forced-perspective based diorama.
My copy of the book arrived in the post and I found it an enjoyable read. Because I prefer city MOCs my natural preference is for Brick City over this book as I find the older book more useful but both are worth the money. Interestingly I received the US version even though I'm in Ireland and my wife ordered the book through Book Depository (UK). My personal favourite in these batch of models is the Great Barrier Reef although I look forward to seeing the full sized version of the city airport featured in the book later in the year.
I bought Warrens first book when some of his fantastic models were on display at the museum in Paisley where the attraction was so popular with visitors they'd extended the duration of it twice.
They mentioned at the time a second book and exhibition was due later in the year, hopefully some of these MOCs will be there to see first-hand...
Certainly looks interesting, at the very least.
You can see models in person in edinburgh. Part of the science festival. Well worth going to if you live nearby. Runs to 20th April - http://www.shbt.org.uk/news-press/brick-wonders/.
Well you convinced me. I amazon'd both books today.