LEGO fan Simon NH is known for some stunning LEGO creations, like the Island of Catan diorama pictured below. As you see, Simon is a master of blending colors and using some very advanced building techniques to achieve a lifelike result. Simon also shares many of his techniques, so you can experiment with them on your own. Below, I will show you some examples, and also include links to where you can find his tutorials. 🙂
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE WITH CHEESE-SLOPES: The small LEGO 1×1 slopes (also referred to as “cheese-slopes” because of their shape), are very popular for adding delicate details to LEGO creations. They are tiny, smooth with only one hole to receive studs, and come in a huge variety of colors. The most obvious way to use them is to attach the hole to a stud, but this can quickly get too repetitious and boring. LEGO fans discovered however that these small slopes can also be treated as mosaic pieces, and even if they are not attached to studs, if they are framed properly, they will fit in place snugly. Katie Walker, the “Queen of LEGO Mosaics” is the revered inventor of this method.
In the picture above, you can see Simon using the mosaic technique with cheese-slopes, but for building intricate weathered walls. The cheese-slopes sit in groves created by 1×2 panels attached to bricks with studs on their sides. The key to this technique is the framing on the two sides, which keeps the otherwise loose cheese-slopes in place. To add some additional variety, Simon also added some standard 1×1 LEGO plates and tiles. I have tried this technique myself as I wasn’t sure how sturdy it would be, but it actually works very well, with all the cheese-slopes tightly remaining in place.
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE WITH PANELS: While this technique is very parts-intensive, the end result is a very realistic bricklaying pattern. The key here is the placement of 1×2 panels back to back, with a complicated framework behind it to space them and connect them together.
The technique is used in the stone walkway that leads up to this gorgeous little church, also built by Simon. Make sure you check out all the other different techniques used here, as there are many wonderful details.
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE WITH PLATES: The two techniques below are simple and subtle, but quite handy. They appear the same from both sides, which is great when you want to have a finished look from both front and back. The technique on the left uses 2×2 plates and 2×2 jumper-plates, and it can also be done with 1×2 plates and jumpers. The technique on the right is done with 1×2 and 2×2 jumper-plates and provides a little bit more texture.
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE WITH JUMPER-PLATES: A quite simple, but very decent looking wall technique using 1×2 jumpers (the newer ones with grooves at the bottom) and 1×2 door rail pieces. As you can see on the first picture below, you can achieve quite a bit of texture with just these two elements. A variation of this technique adds some other interesting pieces to create even more detail (second picture).
The techniques are demonstrated in this excellent castle wall, which also includes a curved section to create a tower. The wider you make the round section, the more subtle the stonework will appear.
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE WITH TILES: The technique below stacks different size 1 stud width tiles. While they may look loose, they are actually strategically connected at the back to support pieces. The end result is a very nice and sturdy brick wall that looks quite realistic.
➡ LEGO WALL TECHNIQUE FOR THIN WALLS: If you have little space to work with, but you still want to create some detailed weathered walls for your castle or other older building, the three examples below will give you some good ideas. The first method simply uses a larger plate that you stack with different color small pieces (plates, tiles, jumper-plates, plants) then attach the entire section sideways to the main structure, using bricks with studs on the side. The second method stacks pieces in the traditional way, but incorporates some pieces with interesting textures to break up the surface. Notice that there is even a minifig leg in there! The third method takes advantage of some bricks with studs on the side to add even more detail to the otherwise traditionally built wall.
There are many other very interesting wall building techniques Simon shares, which you can find in his LEGO Techniques album. Also, you can visit his main album here, with more beautiful creations. They will give you more ideas and examples of what can be achieved with these methods. If you like to experiment with advanced building techniques, I highly recommend checking them out.
What do you think? How do you like these LEGO wall building techniques? Have you tried any of them already? Which one is your favorite? Are there any other wall building techniques that you really like? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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