Everyone knows him..and everybody loves him! We're of course talking about the cute LEGO brick built version of Stitch, but also about this week's 10K Club member Tyler Clites a.k.a. Legohaulic!
Help us congratulate Tyler, in the comments below, on joining the exclusive LEGO Ideas 10K Club and for sharing his story with us!
About Yourself
- Where are you from?
I am from the USA (Florida).
- How old are you?
31.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I am a LEGO artist, model designer and filmmaker.
- What hobbies do you have?
I like making things. Whether it’s LEGO, traditional art, photography or just building anything.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
As a kid, my mom bought me a few LEGO sets to see if I liked them. I didn’t just like them…but I became obsessed with LEGO and haven’t stopped building since.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
The LEGO Ideas Wall-E set. I love the character and the model is so well designed. I also have a soft spot for cute and expressive robots.
-
What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
The printed eye pieces are my favorites. They are wonderful for creating fun and expressive characters and I can’t help laugh every time I add silly eyes to a model.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Chris McVeigh is my favorite fan designer. He has the ability to create intricate yet simple models that don’t just look good on the outside but have a beauty in their construction as well.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
For years Flickr has been the hub for everyone wanting to share their LEGO creations. However, now I find myself gravitating towards Instagram as a source for sharing and seeing LEGO related content from my friends and other builders.
About Your Project
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I’ve always loved the movie Lilo and Stitch. The character of Stitch is such an adorable and expressive character I thought it’d be fun to capture it in LEGO form.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
Some of the joints were really challenging. The neck and jaw were the hardest part. I really wanted to have a lot of flexibility in the jaw and head since those are some of his most expressive features.
- How long did it take to complete the model?
The initial model was completed in about a week. But I’ve spent many hours tweaking and finessing small details to create a better design.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It was really exciting to open up the site and see that the project had reached 10,000 supporters. I was happy to create a model that I liked, but to see that 10,000 other people liked the model as well was pretty amazing.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The model is about 400 pieces if you include the extra arms, spines and antennae.
About LEGO Ideas
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Build something you love first. Don’t build something just because you think everyone else would like it or vote for it. I also would encourage people to build a physical model rather than a digital one. I know there are piece limitations for building a physical model, but I think a real photo of a model has way more impact than a digital one.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas project (besides your own of course)?
The Wall-E LEGO Ideas project and the Apollo Saturn V rocket.
My favorite project that didn’t get approved was the LEGO Physics project by Kleinraum42.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I like the fact that LEGO is opening up to the community and letting them have more of a choice in which sets get created. It’s also fun to see new and different projects get approved.
By
hasanjensen