Mesabi

Becoming a Better Builder

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So I've been feeling down lately about my builds lately. No matter what I do I can't seem to make my builds any better. My pirate ships turn out super blocky, my space ships look like flying boxes. I can't make a lab scene for the life of me.

And then I see builders like @Bob De Quatre, @Ayrlego, and @Henjin_Quilones who produce absolutely FANTASTIC builds, (sorry to call you out guys, but all of you are great:grin:) And I desperately want to be like them. Maybe it's simple envy, but I really admire their work, and wish I could be even half as good as a builder as any of them.

So really what I'm asking is how do I become a better builder? Do I order more parts on bricklink so I don't have to scrounge as much? Do I actually learn how to use LDD? Take more time when I build? Use less parts? Any suggestions are welcome :blush:

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I understand where you're coming from; I'd been working on several projects which just didn't work out for some reason. Among others I scrapped my 5th element taxi build after working on it for over 3 months...
But since a couple of weeks got inspired again and can't wait to get some much needed parts in to finish this new build I'm working on! :grin:

So my guess is, it's a matter of inspiration and the road to accomplish a certain look your going for. If you admire those builders; you could try and recreate some of their moc's or try and build in their styles and use their techniques,
Some insight in that will certainly spark the creativity for your own builds, I think it's really refreshing in seeing how other builders build. :laugh:

Edited by -zenn

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Practice, practice, practice!

 

Get a polybag and build it, without looking at the instructions.

Build something out of 100 2x4 bricks. Now get 100 2x1 bricks. How would you improve what you have built? Then get 100 1x1 bricks and improve on it again. You might start off with a nice shaped object, but as you continue you will add detail. Then add some small plates or cheese slopes, etc. It is important to think about shape and form first (along with stability of the underlying structure), detail later.

Build a MOC of something that is interesting to you. Take a photo, then tear it down. Build it again and take a photo. Tear it down again. Rebuild it again. Look at the photos, is each one getting better?

You don't need to use LDD. In fact, I think you are better off not using it. You learn about stability and clutch much better when building for real.

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This is a big box you are opening here, Mesabi :wink:. Not saying pandora's box, but certainly something that can't be answered with a couple of lines. I find -zenn and MAB pointed already some very good things out. And while I am not a Master Builder by myself, I made some quite interesting observations lately.

In the recent weeks I spent a lot of time building on a improved version of my Space Cruiser Andromeda. I finally wanted to give it a proper bridge, where the captain is closer to the pilot, add a docking bay for a shuttle and more interior space in general. It took me exactly 3 attempts to get it right. And each time I tore it down, I was about 90% finished -  the silly ship just didn't look right! :laugh: It was too blocky, too chubby and had no elegance in its lines. So each time I trimmed it down, took some studs away (from the width mostly), optimized the shaping of the docking bay, the bridge and how it all affects the interior... but at the same time kept a close eye on how it works from the outside. I also allowed some hull surface for improvisation by putting a greebly superstructure to its roof, to hide its rather boring, flat shape and give it a generous amount of detailing and chaos.

So to make a long story short: a lot of try and error was involved and a lot of ambition had to be trimmed down to realistic dimensions. I am not a friend of designing models in the LDD. I prefer to be challenged by the medium and the pieces I have available (though I did a bricklink order before where I got some basic elements I knew I would need anyway). 

Now here comes the fun part: Yesterday, after I finished the new Andromeda (still need to take pictures of it), I sat down for a couple of hours with some leftover pieces (mostly classic space wings really) and put together a pretty cool little starfighter which I like almost more than the big monster I spent so much time on. :laugh:  The big one was a struggle, the little one just happened after the question rose what I was going to do with all the stuff I didn't use :wink:

This said, I see already what I could have done better. I still use not as much SNOT, as I maybe should, but its about the journey for me. We are learning. Constantly. And I am pretty pleased with the stuff I make and I can pick it all up and swoosh around without being worried of stuff falling off from it :wink:

One remark about lab-scenes and general untidy builds: depending of your background, it might be very counter-intuitive to arrange something as if it hasn't been arranged and is just a utter mess. I think it helps a lot to see how others did it. Also try to break symmetry, if that's your issue. Create an asymmetric place for the lab in the first place, then when equipping it, try think of awkward ways to - say let a pipe go from A to B. The direct way might be the most efficient, but its more fun to go over C, D... J, X, U and R - or whereever :wink:. Having a good supply of flasks, bottles, gauges and so forth helps a lot too cranking up the disorder levels.

I hope this was helpful. If not, I apologize for the epic rant :laugh:

Edited by Littleworlds

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I suggest you forget about making a full model and focus on a sub assembly that could then fit into a model. start out by searching your collection for a part(s) that interests you, and then expand out upon that part(s) looking for different combinations when used with other parts. Keep your eyes peeled for unique construction techniques and geometry correlations and catalog all of these in your memory. They will be of great usage to you in the future. Eventually, you may encounter a part or design technique that interests you greatly. Now find a way to use it in a model. This is just one way to get your creative juices flowing, and there are many more. You see you don't want to just be creative, you want to be creative about being creative about how you create!!! And as clique as it may sound, the possibilities are endless.

Edited by LegoMonorailFan

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Tablescrap often and never fear a teardown. 

If you build something and dislike a part, try subbing in different parts. 

Personally, I design on the fly. Starting with a sketch of what I want to achieve, then filling in the shapes with suitable parts. LDD is completely counterintuitive to creativity for me, but I am fortunate to have a large and varied collection and a long history of building.

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This might seem unfair for me to comment when I have been building and collecting since I was 3 years old (over 20 years experience), hence I have a large collection of parts and a vast collection of connections in my memory, but I have a few tips:

Build according to the size of your collection.  If you find yourself always wishing you had more pieces, you have three options: find creative ways around the need for pieces, buy the pieces, or build smaller builds to fit the size of your current collection.  I doubt many people started building with a huge collection, instead building up a collection over time.

I also recommend building LEGO sets by the instructions if you have not done much of this.  Start small and work bigger, trying to learn to build small sets from memory after enough repitition.  This is the training ground for the fundamentals of the LEGO product.  Moving into more realistic but slightly "illegal" techniques should not be the first goal of a builder as it will likely prove very frustrating before the groundwork of techniques is stored solidly in your mind.  Start out by using the pieces in the way that LEGO designed them to be used.  Always expect new techniques to come with their own set of frustrations!

Another thing to keep in mind is the shape you are trying to build.  Start with shapes that translate easily into LEGO form (think square rather than round).  As most experienced ship builders would say (and I confirm from my limited attempts, even with a large collection of parts), ships are one of the most difficult shapes to obtain because they have curves on all three major planes (front and back, sides, and bottom) all at once.  One curved plane is obtainable in LEGO form, two curved planes are difficult, and three curved planes are nearly impossible without significant compromise.

Focus more on ideas and details than the grand MOC.  Plan to learn and refine techniques before expecting to make the next frontpage MOC.  It seems that many builders try to build a MOC on par with the huge, realistically detailed MOC that an experienced builder spent months building.  This is setting yourself up for failure.  It takes time to learn techniques and build up a collection large enough for scenes, and it still takes a lot of dedicated build time to complete the idea in realistic scale and detail.  I can certainly attest to this, as I have techniques in my mind and collections of pieces prepared for several large ideas but I never find/dedicate enough time to build the limitless ideas in my head.  My last large build took about 3 months time to complete since I only built about 5 hours a week or less during that time.  I still ended up satisfied with that MOC, but it came with many frustrations and is still not on par to the dioramas produced by the greatest builders here at Eurobricks.

In the end, I think the best advice I can give is that you should build for your own interest and enjoyment.  Constructive criticism from other builders will help you refine your techniques and your scope of what you want from the LEGO hobby.  It is also rewarding receiving compliments from other builders.  If these become your primary focus, though, you will likely always be disappointed.  Do not compare yourself to other builders to determine who is the better builder, but rather look to other builders as an inspiration to continue to build and improve your own techniques heading in the direction you want to head.

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57 minutes ago, Slegengr said:

In the end, I think the best advice I can give is that you should build for your own interest and enjoyment

 

That is something really important. If you are not enjoying a MOC, stop and have a break from it. Build a few more things from instructions before trying again, especially if they have a technique you want to replicate in the MOC.

Sometimes it is even worth buying instruction booklets (or using the online versions, but paper copies are easier to "read") if you don't have the set, if there is something in that set that you want to try to repeat. You don't need to build the whole set, just look at how others do the bit that you want to do.

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I second getting inspiration from sets. They are a very good way to see some really inventive techniques applied literally in the field, well designed (they have to be sturdy after all, efficient and excellently documented. I was putting Yoda's starfighter together a couple weeks ago and that little thing is really an example for a clever, lightweight and sturdy build, that looks good at the same time.

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When I first started after my dark ages, I bought one of the recent Lego Ideas books. You don't get the bricks from a set but they show a large variety of builds and how parts of them were built. If you have a smaller collection, I recommend ignoring color sometimes. Get the shape you want and then worry about matching the colors. Sometimes I've built the structure I want before and then modeled it on the computer so that I can color it appropriately. Then I can order the pieces I need.

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There is some great advice here already!

I should point out that I don't consider myself a very good builder - if anything I'm still very much in what I call 'Stage One - Imitation"! I generally have an idea of what I would like to build, then look for similar examples from better builders than myself for inspiration and to 'borrow' ideas and techniques. Only recently have I started dabbling in 'Stage Two' which I consider looking at real-life examples and starting to try and replicate them in Lego. I am certainly not at skilled as the other two builders you mention in the first post! If it makes you feel better, I frequently get frustrated and am disappointed at the final result of a MOC when it does not match the expectations in my head.

6 hours ago, MAB said:

If you are not enjoying a MOC, stop and have a break from it.

This is really good advice - we do this for fun, the minute it starts to become too stressful, take a step back and take a break.

As for advice, @Slegengr probably sums up a lot of my opinions above, and is one of the builders I take inspiration from (he has some awesome tree tutorials on flickr that I am very much going to try out!). Nonetheless, here some of my opinions that I have formed in the (short) time I have been in the community.

1. Imitate builders you admire

So as I said before and like many here have already said, start with imitation and smaller builds. Find a build or technique you like and just try and imitate it. It doesn't have to be for publishing, just as a learning process. Here is one of the very first builds I did - a direct copy of a @Mark of Falworth build that I loved.

15112233207_4388860ca5_n.jpg

(LoR) A Safe Return. by Mark E., on Flickr

18101118124_f4ccc538b2_n.jpg - my version

Also look for tutorials and tips - also peoples WIP shots or build logs are really useful in seeing how they constructed the buildings. A great resource for this is Brickbuilt

2. Seek Feedback

Some of the most useful learning experiences I have had have been collaboration builds where a group of us get together and post WIP pictures in private and bounce ideas back and forth - two heads are always better than one! One of my favourite builds is the result of a collaboration and I got some great advice from @Bregir and @Elostirion

32290558603_7ac1a73d61_n.jpg

If you like, why don't we collaborate on your next BoBS build? PM me and we can plan something out - maybe get a couple of others involved as well! As for ships, I'm terrible at ships - mine are mostly variations of @Captain Green Hair's Build a Frigate tutorial. The BoBS Shipwrights Guild is a great place for feedback from those I consider to be really good ship builders!

3 Presentation

I think the thing that may set some of my builds apart from other similar size and quality builds is the presentation. I believe quality, clean photos are really important and if you want to enhance your MOC to a higher level, you need to invest some time and effort into your photography setup. The Review academy here on Eurobricks has a really good section on photography as well as some example setups. Also post production editing - don't overdo it, but I'd recommend removing the background in a photoshop type program and playing with the white balance if required. 

 

Anyway hope that was of some use - keep plugging away at it, you'll be amazed at how quickly you improve sometimes without even realising it!

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Definitely recommend using LDD, at the very least trying it. Its free, you can build endlessly, change colors on the fly and you have the entire range of Lego pieces to work with. Its simple, easy to learn and the way the pieces snap-together and follow Lego legal/illegal connection rules (with a few exceptions) can be mind-opening and very freeing. Placing self-imposed restrictions can sometimes spur creativity but so can having a huge range of pieces one is not familiar with or have enough of. Build, test, try and design to your hearts content. Then you can get part lists off of the file, use it alongside Brickset and Bricklink and see what parts are available in what colors and make orders from that. 

A lot of the master builders around here have huge and wide ranging collections of parts, dedicated Lego rooms in their residence, but if you don't have a large and varied collection then designing digitally and acquiring what you need from that is the next best way. 

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Thank you for mentioning me among such other great builders! I am honored, truly, though I also do not consider myself to be that great. 

Others have already mentioned many great things to keep in mind, but I will share some insights from my own process. 

First, I never use LDD, or really even carefully plan anything out. LDD takes away from the tactile experience, decreases my spatial awareness, and is just awkward for me to use. I respect those who can do it well, but it is not for me. Nor are careful sketches or detailed plans; occasionally I will sketch something out hastily during brainstorming, but most of my design work is done in my head or on the spot. Touching the bricks and seeing how they fit together is key, for me. It is very easy to get locked into a certain mindset for building, such as "studs point up", so it is helpful for me to occasionally try to invert my perspective or build from a different angle. 

Second, I think that experimentation with different connections is vital. If you get a new piece, ask yourself: "How can this connect? How many different ways? With how many different pieces?" I keep a detailed list of my parts and their attributes in my head (if only I had the same memory for other things!), so when I encounter a problem, I have a database to consult. I stop for several minutes from time to time, mulling through different pieces that could apply to a given situation. Then I try a few out to see how they work. Usually only one looks good or works well enough, and sometimes none do and I have to change what I wanted to do. There are things I have built and rebuilt many times to get the result I wanted. 

Third, LEGO is to me a combination of geometry and art; keeping in mind various proportions, like two bricks wide is the equivalent of five plates high, or six bricks wide equals five high, and which parts have half-plate heights involved, keeps builds looking sharp even when building with studs pointed every which way. Again, a lot of this comes down to playing with the bricks a bunch and remembering how they fit together. I look at official sets for some technical details, but browsing Flickr and various forums here are extremely helpful for thinking outside the box and trying to move past your comfort zone. If I see something I really like, I fave it on Flickr to try later or else go and put the pieces together that way then and there. It then becomes another tool in my arsenal. I spend way more time than would be prudent on Flickr and various LEGO sites, following true masters of the craft and their builds and techniques. 

Fourth, it may be necessary to spend a longer time on your builds. I don't know how much time you spend now, but I know that many of my builds are at least multi-day efforts. It is true that some builds fly together in a matter of an hour or two, but many others take weeks or even months. I once spent over 8 hours hunched over my table working on a mosaic in a floor trying to get it right. It takes time to take things apart and rebuild them better. It takes time to find the right piece to solve your issue. It takes time to do the calculations for the geometry of the LEGO system in your head. Building well takes time. So, perhaps more time would be good. I cannot tell you how many nights I have had a hard time falling asleep as I mentally manipulated the bricks trying to see how they can fit together. I don't dream in LEGO yet. but I drive by buildings or trees or cliffs and ponder which bricks would bring them to life the best. I start to see in LEGO, if you will. I think, ooh, that part could be used for the grill of that semi-truck, and file it away for later use, or capture the single small golden-leaved tree in the midst of the forest and plan to use it in a build, or things like that. The more time you spend, the more time you want to spend, and the more money, until you are more or less obsessed. 

Fifth (sorry this is dragging on so long), far from using less parts, I would say that generally you will use more and more and more as your ideas and your abilities (and hopefully your wallet) expand. 

Sixth, as @Ayrlego said, photography is huge. It is very frustrating as a builder (speaking from experience) to build something that looks great in person, that you really like and are proud of, only to have it look like crap in a picture. I recently bought a new, nicer camera myself and have been trying to improve my presentation. It really, really matters. Good photos make an average build look good, a good build look great, and a great build mind-blowing; conversely, bad photos make a great build look ok, good build look mediocre at best, and an average build look crappy. 

I hope that this helps! Best of luck in your building!

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I will echo what others have said about imitation, feedback, and photography.

And then add that you should push yourself outside you comfort zone, but not by too much. The first build I remember being really proud of was a gatehouse I built for Guilds of Historica. It was, technically, a very plain and simple build. All studs up, and no particularly advanced techniques. Rather than experimenting with super advanced techniques, I pushed myself to new heights within standard Lego building. I spent more time on landscaping, tore down parts multiple times, experimented with different doors, gates, crenelations, etc. I spent a lot of time fine-tuning the build.

So, where am I going with this? Well, by building something "simple" (could be an interior, a small garden scene, a house, etc.) I didn't have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, I could try to improve my own wheel, and I got a success put of it, as I found that by sticking to the same build for longer, I could build something that I could be really happy with.

I think getting past that point where you finish your build and look at it and think "why can't I do better" is the key here. Realize that you never "need" to finish a build. (even if it means foregoing a challenge deadline! :O ) You can always try improving what you have. It is really very rewarding :) I guess you have the same impression as I when you "finish" a build . There are some parts you are not happy with. Then take them apart and try again! :D

And lastly, don't build for praise, likes, recognition, or pride. Build for fun and the rest may come as a pleasant surprise. While praise is nice, I improve much more from constructive criticism and thus much prefer that. :)

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Books like The Lego Adventure Book series or Sariel's The Unofficial Lego Technic Builders Guide are great for learning how to get better at building with Lego.

And also a good idea is before you start building to imagine what you want the finished model to look like, and then try your best to build it the same.  

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Lots of things have been said. I'll just add that I use LDD, not always but often. It's rare that I build a model exclusively on LDD now, but I still use it to quickly test some shapes or builds, and mainly to continue building on a model when I'm not at home.It's also great to keep track of some ideas, shapes or brick assemblies for later (I have dozens and dozens of files that have not yet been used in any of my builds).

My main advice is: try to recreate MOCs that you like! Try to guess, imitate and reproduce the technique used. Some builders make their digital files available, try to look at them and build all or part of it. You'll learn a lot by studying others work. (Btw, many of my MOCs' LDD files can be downloaded here)

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Thank you for all your advice. I've really been working hard on MOC's recently, and I think I've made some improvements. I think the best suggestion was to take apart things that needed improvement. Putting in more effort, especially into not making things look boxy has really helped me improve my builds. I might not ever be as good as any of you guys, but I'm getting better. :blush:

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