Zinnia Superfuzz

This is another built finished during the summer months. It's a part-based build that evolved during the process; no plan, no concept, just some colours, patterns and combinations that together formed a bassist with rad flower-themed attire. The most important factor was the parts I got from LEGO stores in London and Glasgow in May. The most notable of those were plant pieces - new grass stalks with bar connections, 1x1 modified round plate flowers in various colours, and as used on this creation, medium azure 2x2 flowers (great pieces I only used to have 4) and dark pink friends trumpet-like flowers. Those were used to build the long gloves in early summer; but I had no idea who'd end up using them. Another starting point was Hero Factory ammo belts with dark pink flowers stuck into them, to be used as braids.

The character evolved first with the arms (I'm particularly happy with the "wanted" tattoo in the left arm) and upper torso. It formed a neck strapped dress that was going to be a long dress but ended up much shorter and less formal instead. I developed the diagonal pattern of flowers and medium azure stripe to fit the gloves. The dress widens using Wedge 8x3x2 opens. Their connection is quite complex, as the hip joint of the legs is crammed within. There's bit "cheating" there, as the upper legs are too short; or, in other words, the hip joint is lower than it should be, as there is no room for it higher on. Fitting the hip joints and upper legs inside dresses is always challenging, but having some movement for them give some needed dynamics to the character. So there's double joint under the large wedges, with homemaker figure hands. The round plate swivels a bit, giving it extra mobility when needed.

Tall, heeled boots felt fitting to this character. They feature some experimental piece uses, such as integrating SW buildable figure shin armour to SYSTEM-based leg. It's a bit wobbly and leaves a small gap, but I like the shape. Between it and the knee joint there is a pattern using medium azure 1x1 plates and the flowers; it turned out rather nicely. Making the build on larger scale than usual - it's quite close to characters like Fómhar in size - made it possible to add more details. One of those 2x2 flowers is used as a trim of the boot opening. The feet sections are based on "Persian" arch piece, which gives a nice form to the heeled boot; They're monochrome and free of detail except for showy, dark pink ribbon-like add-ons. I believe that within them came the idea that the character would be a musician, as that, if something, is cool.

The hair is unique and had some fresh challenges. I wanted the use the ammo belt thing that I tablescrapped on the early phase; but long flocks didn't feel fitting here. The final design ended up being an elaborate mess suspended to the back; it uses four of those ammo belt, two on both sides and bent symmetrically; between them there is a sort of mohawk of big flowers. I think that the result is not very LEGO-like and thus works. A lone bang over the right eye, as well as the yellow rubber band, were late additions that felt essential.

A bass ended up being the character's instrument of choice. It's a showy instrument in means of stance, but not as stereotypical cool element as a guitar (nothing against guitars mind you mind you). I've built instruments before, mostly in the Circle project (posted almost exactly one year ago), and this used similar shapes. However, the bass design is not based on anything. It has these holes to make it lighter, and uses some printed pieces to give it character. I'm particularly pleased with Pythagorean slope piece used as the headstock; it's not that common in yellow, and the light blue neck under the flat silver strings. There is also an amplifier that uses plenty of medium azure 4x3 slopes; I've got a lot of them and they're not the easiest to use. The colours of the amplifier are chosen to fit the character. She also has a fuzz pedal, as the name suggest. Superuzz Bigmuff! As the build is very tall and has plenty of joints, some of them redundant, the posing was quite challenging, but I managed to take some pedal poses too. Enjoy!

Next up, a speeder and a rider.

-Eero.

Munburr, the proud father

 Hi readers! Today's build includes some classic Cyclopic Bricks content a.k.a a member of dwarven race. This was a fast build, completed in couple of days sometime in June. I wanted to experiment with some beard designs and use some dark brown parts, originally released in Chima sets.

The figure began with the head. Crowbar beard and barb moustache were some early installments. I also wanted to make a mohawk, as something inspired by Dwalin's flashback appearance in The Hobbit movies. Even with it the head looked tad generic, so I added the dark red war paint streak over the right eye. I liked the contrast it created, and it enhanced the berserk look. Spiky shoulder pads were natural follow-up of this motif. They're premade pieces from KK2 line, but their colour is very cool. I wondered if I should give the fellow a bare chest, but armoured tank look was an iconic dwarf trait, and more interesting to build in this case, so I made a chest armour with silvery grille pieces. I wanted to use several different metallic shades to represent different types of metal used on the armour.

The wide leather belt uses four dark brown car bonnet pieces. Letranger Absurde used them on his Doc Ock build in last December, and it made an excellent gut shape, so I shamelessly stole it. The pieces have some stickers, but they work nicely as rivets or something; however, they're not well visible on the pictures. Under the belt there are some skirt flaps protecting the legs. Chima Ice Age printed flag piece felt fitting for the overall aesthetics. Using printed and stickered pieces is something I've gotten engaged with lately. Triangular (or actually pentagonal) wedge slopes in the sides have nicely similar shape. The back side has less elaborate but equally protective flap. The legs recycle some ideas used on Dwarvish Dragonguard from Battle for Wesnoth and Nobby Nobbs from Discworld books. They created a bit crouching, down-to-earth-pose associated with dwarves. Even the boots have some metal fins for tight spots.

After finishing the figure itself, I though about its equipment and setting. Weapons felt natural; an axe or a warhammer or something, like previously. But then I though: Where's the challenge, where's the idea? It felt obvious, and thus not bit, but very dull. Another blood-crazy little warrior dude. I though about the over-masculine dwarven tropes (which are well processed on Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, of course) and habit of seeing fantasy races based on their warriors in general, and ended up making something completely different. Farming maybe, or making a fence or something. But I went even further and made him (or her, who knows with dwarves anyway?) holding a baby. It felt quirky and original, and I managed to add some humour to the build with the baby dwarf's tight light aqua swaddle, little cap and brown beard with a pacifier stuck in middle; it has a golden chain, as it's a dwarf, after all. Gold gold gold.

-Eero.