Stormpathes' The Highland Cow project, complete with horns and curly fur details, is the subject of today's 10K Club Interview! Hear all about the adorable cow and the creator behind it in this blog post. And be sure to congratulate Stormpathes on reaching 10,000 supporters in the comments down below!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
Tom Prest.
- Where are you from?
I’m originally from the North of England, but I’ve lived in Scotland since 2011.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I’m a Software Engineer.
- What hobbies do you have?
Most of my hobbies revolve around LEGO, including building sets, creating MOCs, and displaying at LUG shows. I also enjoy reading comics, playing video games like Minecraft, and digital art.
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
All my MOCs eventually make it to my Instagram, @stormpathes.
- 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?
My first proper MOC was based on a scene from the Scottish poem Tam o’ Shanter. I liked the small scale of it, and it photographed really well, getting the spooky atmosphere I was aiming for.
Since then, my favorite MOC has been my Hall of Justice. The aim was to capture the interesting shape of the building with a technique I hadn’t seen before, and I think it succeeds at being an interesting build regardless of your familiarity with DC Comics.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
LEGO was a huge part of my childhood, but I fell out of it during university until my third-year system design course, which involved building a LEGO robot. At the same time, I had just met my now-wife, and she was the one who encouraged me to purchase my first LEGO set of a new era, a LEGO Juniors Batcave.
- What does the LEGO hobby mean to you? How does it fit into your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
I engage with LEGO in a lot of ways. I’ve been building sets for some time now, but only really got into building MOCs in the last couple of years, and displaying at LUG shows even more recently. I’m just starting to explore the AFOL community. My wife and I also stayed connected while living apart over lockdown by working on our Gaia Guardians project on LEGO World Builder. LEGO games were also a big part of my childhood, and I credit LEGO Batman: The Videogame in particular for my love of Batman.
- What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
My favorite LEGO theme is DC Superheroes. I think DC’s mix of colorful characters with a hint of darkness is accentuated further through the medium of LEGO, one of the few adaptations of the source to not drain all the fun out of it. When I build my DC comics MOCs I am often inspired by the official builds released in the Marvel Superheroes theme. It’s an interesting mirror to what could have been if the DC Superheroes theme got a little more love beyond Batman.
- What is your favorite official LEGO set ever? Why?
It might not be my favorite ever, but my most recent favorite set is The Mighty Bowser. I love the organic shaping, and the way all the parts come together is so unexpected.
- What is your favorite LEGO element? Why?
I love the way the trans-clear Bar 1L Angled Hollow Stud can give a more fluid sense of movement to anything. I can never get enough of them!
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Recently I’ve been inspired by Aaron Newman’s work on 3-in-1 Creator animals. The Fox and the Giraffe have such beautiful shaping, as well as a level of articulation I could only dream of achieving with the Highland Cow.
Adam Grabowski has also worked on many sets I’ve enjoyed over the years. Especially the vehicles, obviously.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
I’m often inspired by things I see on Instagram and YouTube.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I was looking to build an animal-themed MOC to take to a LEGO club I was running at a local school, and after a few non-starter ideas I was inspired by the collection of highland cow memorabilia we have in our flat. It was something I hadn’t seen before in LEGO form.
- How long did the process of making the project take and what did you have to research? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
The build was created slowly over two or three months, using various cow-shaped ornaments and reference images for inspiration, as well as a trip to Pollok Country Park in Glasgow to see the real thing! The process was very unplanned and iterative, just trying things and seeing what stuck. I made a body, then a head that was too big for that body, then a body that was too big for the head!
- What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
The first thing I wanted to get right was the fluffy texture of the sides, and that technique with the many 1x2 Curved Slopes was part of the original inspiration for the model. The biggest challenge was getting the shaping right for a living creature, especially around the face, but I think the final model succeeds in that.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would encourage myself to see it through, even though it’s a difficult thing to build. Seeing the joy the model brings to people makes it all worth it.
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? How did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
The model took two or three months to build, and around seven months to get to 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was so exciting to check on the project daily, seeing the votes stacking up and hitting milestone after milestone. The day we got to 10,000 I was checking it constantly! Reaching the goal feels incredible. Regardless of the result of the review, just knowing that so many people have appreciated something I created is a great feeling.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The model is just under 900 parts - the body is hollow with a technic frame on the inside, so almost all of the piece count is used for detailing.
- What is your favorite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
My favorite part usage in the model is the croissant, used for the tip of the tail. The perfect part in the perfect place!
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I only build physically. It gives me more freedom with techniques, and the feel of the bricks in my hands is very important to my process.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
I grew my support very organically, without much promotion other than to speed up the last leg. I believe if it’s meant to be, it’ll find its audience. Don’t stress about it!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I posted the model to my Instagram, and displayed the Cow at a few LEGO shows in Scotland and England. In order to give the project a final boost to get to 10,000 before our wedding in March, I reached out to a news site, who featured the story. This then led to a local radio interview.
- What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
There are so many great projects that make it to review every time. It’s sad to see how few make it to be official sets!
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
If you’ve built something you’re proud of, don’t be afraid to post it and see how it does. Even with something that might seem to have a very niche appeal could surprise you. If you build it, they will come!
- 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 don’t currently have any other MOCs that are eligible, but every time I make something new, I’ll consider if it might do well.
