Calling all nature lovers! You will be enchanted by the beautiful brick creatures in the Woodland Wildlife set. So, take to the comments and show your support for Brickicist’s lush scene!
ABOUT YOURSELF
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What is your name?
My name is Matt. -
What do you study or do for a living?
I am a web developer with a background in physics (hence my username!). -
What hobbies do you have?
Other than designing my own LEGO® creations, I am usually reading, playing video games, or going for walks with my fiancée. -
Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
I have a Flickr account, and you can see my LEGO creations there: Brickicist. -
Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of?
I have created several gifts for my family and friends in recent years, which are always fun to design. I have quite a few MOCs currently in progress, as well as a backlog of designs to photograph, so I’m sure I’ll be sharing those soon! -
How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
I’ve always been a LEGO fan and have been designing my own creations for a long time. I got my first sets when I was young and now enjoy building complex and intricate designs. -
What does the LEGO hobby mean to you? How does it fit into your life?
At home, I have several shelves full of completed sets, and I enjoy seeing the interesting techniques and creative part uses that can show up when building a new set. -
What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)?
Growing up, I was a big fan of themes like Bionicle and Exo-Force. When I was older, I collected sets from the Architecture series, and now enjoy the varied designs that arise from the Icons series, and the Botanical Collection in particular! -
What is your favorite official LEGO set ever?
That’s a tricky one, but I’d probably have to go with the incredible LEGO Ideas NASA™ Apollo Saturn V rocket (21309/92176). It’s packed with clever building techniques and is a hugely impressive model.
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What is your favorite LEGO element? Why?
I think brackets are very useful, because they can be used to attach pieces in every possible direction if you know the tricks of the system. However, one of my favorite pieces is a fairly new one: the wedge 2x1x2/3, available in right (29119) and left (29120) versions. It’s very versatile, as it allows for subtle shapes that were not previously possible. I have used a few in this model! `
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
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Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I have always enjoyed exploring woodlands and thought it would be a fun challenge to design something based on the natural world. One day, I was thinking about what LEGO project I could work on next, and the idea for this model hit me! I thought it would make an interesting scene, having these different animals, with their varied sizes and colors, all displayed together.
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How long did the process of making the project take and what did you have to research?
I carefully planned how I wanted the finished model to look before I started designing it. Although I had a good idea which animals I wanted to include, I researched their habitats and relative sizes to try to keep each creature’s scale and presence fairly realistic. -
What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model?
It was a challenge to work out how to represent the smallest creatures, specifically the rabbit and squirrels! I tried a lot of different pieces and connections before I settled on their finished designs, but I was very happy with the outcome. I also wanted to stick to a sensible part count, so I didn’t want to make the trees too enormous. Instead, I placed them further back and opted for a bit of a forced perspective approach. -
How long did it take to complete the model?
It took me about a month to complete the design and submit the project. After that, I didn’t spend much time promoting it, as luckily people seemed to notice it and the number of supporters grew more easily than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you so much, if you were one of them! -
How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was amazing! I was keeping a close eye on the total after it got to 9,990 and was lucky enough to watch it hit 10,000. It took just over a year, and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the idea. -
Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The model contains about 1,200 pieces in total. -
What is your favorite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I was quite pleased with how the stripes on the badger’s face turned out, but my favorite parts choice was the use of bananas for the stag’s antlers. -
If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I built and rendered the model using the excellent BrickLink Stud.io 2.0 software. Although the model was built digitally, I set myself the challenge of only using parts in existing and commonly available colors.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
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Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
Take the time to get the design just right before taking your pictures. If you’re building digitally, do some test renders as you go to make sure the finished design will look how you expect. I originally made the fox using dark orange pieces, but this did not stand out enough, so I changed it to use regular orange and was much happier with the look!
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What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)?
There are so many incredible Ideas that it’s difficult to choose! As a fan of detective stories, I would currently say The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Dreamnbricks.
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What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
It’s a great space to share your creations, and to give people a chance to support them if they are a fan. If you’re thinking about submitting an Idea, go for it!
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Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
I have a few Ideas! I’m sure I’ll be back with more soon.
