About a year ago, we discussed a series of advanced building techniques for constructing realistic brick walls out of LEGO elements (see: LEGO Building Technique: LEGO Brick Walls). These techniques yield amazing results, but they are also quite complex and time consuming to build as well as parts-intensive. This doesn’t have to deter you from learning and trying out advanced techniques however, as using them sparingly at strategically placed locations can be equally impressive. 🙂
Recently, I found a video-tutorial by LEGO fan Ben Cossy, discussing various texturing techniques for building LEGO walls. He systematically goes through techniques from very simple ones all the way to the advanced techniques we talked about before. Ben also suggests mixing some of the techniques for unusual effects. I thought to share this video with you, as you might find the techniques discussed useful in your own creations. It’s only about five minutes long, so it won’t take up much of your time.
Another really good tutorial by Ben Cossy is about landscaping techniques. This video is a bit longer (about 15 minutes), but it covers a wide range of techniques including building realistic water effects, desert landscapes, swamps, jungles, ice and snow covered landscapes, and more. Ben also discusses blending colors, building at different elevations to add visual interest, and various ways to border/frame your dioramas. You can watch the video below.
I hope these tutorials give you some inspiration and ideas for your own LEGO creations. With Christmas coming up, building wintery landscapes and charming little buildings is a popular pastime for LEGO fans. Or, you might be working on something else where these techniques can be useful. Also, check out Ben Cossy’s flickr gallery and YouTube channel. He is a terrific builder with a wide variety of custom LEGO creations. And, if you are looking for LEGO sets that are good starters for advanced building techniques, take a look at the LEGO Creator and LEGO Architecture collection. They usually use advanced building techniques, and include a large selection of small pieces in colors that are useful for landscaping and realistic structures. For basic bricks in earth-tone colors, the LEGO Minecraft collection is another good choice.
What do you think? How do you like these tutorials? Are you planning to try out some of the techniques discussed in the videos? What other wall-building and landscaping techniques do you really like? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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