A real work of beauty today! James Zhan's (aka JamesZHAN) has managed to imitate the beauty and grace of the Orchid in LEGO form. An improvement and resubmission of a previous design. Do you love this as much as we do?
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
James Zhan.
- Where are you from?
I’m from Taiwan.
- How old are you?
I am 43-years-old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
My job is as a graphic designer.
- What hobbies do you have?
LEGO MOC, building, but I also love scuba diving and I am also an SSI Dive Guide.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
Flickr and Facebook.
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
I completed my work Orchid in 2018 and it was exhibited in the LEGO HOUSE masterpiece gallery. This year I modified the Orchid design and submitted it to LEGO Ideas. I am very happy to get 10K supporters.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
I have liked LEGO products since I was a child – but I didn't have any LEGO sets. I usually played with my cousin's LEGO sets in their house. When I was 28-years-old I received a LEGO gift from my girlfriend. From then on, I started creating MOCs until now.
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
LEGO bricks are a creative material, for me. I can make many interesting fantasy themes and share LEGO MOCs with all my friends.
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
My favourite is the Pirates and Vikings series because the Pirate and Viking series have the spirit of free adventure and bravery. This spirit prompted me to continue to try different themes and styles of creations.
. - What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
I like The LEGO Movie 70810 MetalBeard`s Sea Cow the most, because it has MetalBeard, Benny, Wyldstyle, Queasy Kitty, Vitruvius and pirate adventure elements.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
I like to use the various sizes of curved LEGO slopes because they can shape the appearance and make the shape look more beautiful!
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Sean Kenney is my favorite LEGO master. His nature and animal series are outstanding! When he came to Taiwan to participate in the exhibition, I was very moved to see his work and discuss the building block creation with him. The other is Iken Cheng. He is a LEGO designer. He has designed many LEGO sets, including Batman 70917, Hidden Face 70425, 70437, Harry Potter 76383, 76387. His design is great.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I often visit Seankenney.com, Brothers-brick.com, Bricknerd.com, Flickr (LEGO), Eurobricks.com and Brickset.com.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
My family used to run a flower shop. It was an opportunity for me to be around many kinds of flowers. In 2018, I thought of our previous flower shop and tried to make an Orchid and completed the first design version of it.
- How long was the process of making the project did, and what did you have to research as well. What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
In 2018, I finished the first version of my Orchid. I enhanced the design this year because I want to submit it to LEGO Ideas. I observed the real Orchid redesigning Sinocrassula Indica and solving the balance problem of the Orchid by using LEGO 10280's cross axle.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
My Orchid has a balancing problem in its 2018 design. This year I used LEGO 10280's cross Axle to solve the balance problem.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would tell myself in 2018: revise my Orchid as soon as possible, and submit it to LEGO Ideas; don't postpone to 2021!
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
The work of my Orchid is an intermittent creation. In 2018, the first version took me a month to complete. Then from 2018 to 2021, I have been re-thinking and trying to modify the Orchid to better present it. This year, I completed the revised version of Orchid within a week. I am satisfied with the result of the last modification.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
My Orchid reached 10,000 supporters in 10 months. When I heard this good news from my friend, I was glad to hear that, and I thank all the supporters.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
I used about 650 LEGO bricks.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
The flower section on the work I like most. I used different components and methods for the petals and sepals. I also revised the design of the columns and lips to make them closer to the living appearance of orchids.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
Studio 2.0.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
If I need a special pattern sticker, I will design it with a computer and print it out.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
The photos of the work should be taken well.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I posted my Orchid creation on Facebook and Instagram to get support.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
21311 Voltron is my favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea. I think the Roman Warship looks great. If it had been approved, I would have bought it.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I think there are many works on LEGO Ideas. There are competitions to participate in, and you can also submit your own Ideas. This is a platform that can give full play to creativity. My tip is to continue to build new creations so that everyone can see you and support you.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint of what that might be?
My other work, Walking Iris, is also about flowers and plants. I hope to get more support. Thank you.
