Inspiration

[Delta62]

Hey everyone,

long time no see. I haven't built anything in a while because I've been busy with college and it is my last semester. Will be graduating in May and finally get my degree in graphic arts!!! So i will be back to Lego this coming summer and right now I am looking for inspiration. Just thought i start a thread on this subject. Not sure if there is already a topic on this, if there is feel free to move it to it's rightful place. Anyway, what motivates and inspires you to build something? For me, its sometimes a piece of concept art from a sci fi game or movie and images of cars. Then i get to building at least a good representation of it or something entirely different based upon the design. Right now I have this crazy idea of combining my too loves sci fi and cars. I'm sure its been done before, but its an idea involving speed champions style but making the car wider for two mini figs. Feel free to use the idea too and lets see what we can come up with together to inspire others.

[Matty04]

Hi! i get my inspiration from movies and, generally unique stuff, that nobody (or only a few people) made before

The motivation comes from that i will be unique and different, for example if i want to build a Lada drift car, then i build a lada drift car etc.

You can't treat me with anything to build something or to continue my build RN, because if i don't want to build right now, i don't build.

[dulsi]

Thinking about the inspiration for my creations:

Raccoon Car, Minotaur Sky Chariot: Legends of Chima continues by finding animal minifigures which then need vehicles.

Beholder, Carrion Crawler, etc.: Dungeons and Dragons Mixel contest mentioned on D&D forum.

Landspeeder Spiderman crossover: Star Wars superhero crossover image on this forum.

Superhero Mixels: Looking at colors of superheroes and thinking about profession based Mixels.

Destroyed Batcave: Thinking about favorite Batman Brave and the Bold episode and the Best of Batman contest.

Classic Space Batwing: Images of classic space batman somewhere.

Various Robot Command Centers: Original Lego Robot Command Center redone in various styles.

Looking over the list it seems that creations of others is the biggest source of inspiration for me.

[Mesabi]

What inspires me to build is the eurobricks rpgs. The idea that there is a story to build to is really fascinating to me and helps guide my builds

[Littleworlds]

Ideas can come from everywhere really. Certain lines and shapes I see somewhere - taken into a new context... also I like steampunk and dieselpunk, so there is a lot to draw ideas from for me naturally as well. Also sometimes the need for a certain build occurs as an addon for a certain set, sometimes I see a certain piece where I think "this would be great as ...". Picking up ideas from other MOCs is a big influence as well. There are so many creative ways of combining pieces. 

I also don't plan too far ahead when building. I have a rough idea where I want to go but then the lack (or abundance) of certain parts has an influence how a build develops. Generally I think limitation helps creativity though. If you need a certain part, which is a bricklink order away - try finding a different way instead 

[Peppermint_M]

Artwork and things I see around me work as the best inspiration. I have a large collection of art books. I live in a historic area with old buildings, castles and ruins.

Being rural also, there are plenty of interesting machines around. 

This fills my head and becomes builds.

[Digger of Bricks]

On 3/8/2017 at 8:25 PM, Littleworlds said:

Ideas can come from everywhere really. Certain lines and shapes I see somewhere - taken into a new context... also I like steampunk and dieselpunk, so there is a lot to draw ideas from for me naturally as well. Also sometimes the need for a certain build occurs as an addon for a certain set, sometimes I see a certain piece where I think "this would be great as ...". Picking up ideas from other MOCs is a big influence as well. There are so many creative ways of combining pieces. 

I also don't plan too far ahead when building. I have a rough idea where I want to go but then the lack (or abundance) of certain parts has an influence how a build develops. Generally I think limitation helps creativity though. If you need a certain part, which is a bricklink order away - try finding a different way instead 

Dieselpunk is the genre most inspiring for me also! Same goes for dieselpunk's subgenre sky-fi, with Flickr users Jonhall18 and Fredoichi being the best in the sky-fi genre for Lego creations!

Here are some for their Flickr albums.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fredoichi/albums/72157622631540770

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25163007@N07/albums

[mocbuild101]

Everything!

Just google a Lego theme or something you are interested in and look at the images that come up.

[Actor Builder]

I'm not often able to picture something in my head and then proceed to build it, or draw it, or write it, or whatever I'm making.

I usually have to just start with something (Usually something weird). That could be a cool a piece, a doodle, or a few words, and let them grow naturally as I tangentially attach more pieces, add more lines, or write more words as the Muse shall choose.

It can be a frustrating process, sometimes, as I hardly ever finish a project with what I had in mind, which can make it feel like a failure, when it's really just the artistic process.

[-zenn]

I'm mostly inspired by movies; got a dvd collection of +1500 dvd's... And go to the cinema a lot.
I also take pic's of shapes, structures, stuff and carry a sketch pad around, for when an idea pops up.
Sometimes things just happen to catch your eye; that's why I'm also a firm believer of not sorting bricks.

 

[mocbuild101]

50 minutes ago, -zenn said:

got a dvd collection of +1500 dvd's...

That's a lot of dvds!

But you are right about using them for inspiration, I watch a lot of Mythbusters myself (and have every dvd!).

Edited May 27, 2017 by mocbuild101

[-zenn]

29 minutes ago, mocbuild101 said:

That's a lot of dvds!

But you are right about using them for inspiration, I watch a lot of Mythbusters myself (and have every dvd!).

Haha, yeah I know...  But they're all original, no knock off's. Even got a couple of some duplicates/triplicates, but those are mostly screen/sound enhancements.
Also even know some movies by heart, cause mostly there's one on when I'm building. My brother-in-law calls me 'the videostore'.

Mythbusters ey, reminds me of this episode.

Edited May 27, 2017 by -zenn

[mocbuild101]

11 minutes ago, -zenn said:

But they're all original, no knock off's.

That makes it even more amazing!

12 minutes ago, -zenn said:

Mythbusters ey, reminds me of this episode.

Ah yes, the giant Lego ball myth , one of my favorite episodes!   

[dr_spock]

Being in a LUG that prefers new MOCs for events can be good motivation to build. 

Inspiration can come from anything and anywhere.

 

[ShaydDeGrai]

Inspiration, for me, has never been the problem.  The list of things I haven't built yet is far greater than my (by comparison) pathetic collection of MOCs.  For me, the limiting factor is time.  Now if something could just inspire me to get more done in less time at work and on the home front so I'd have more free time to devote to building, then I'd really be getting somewhere.

 

[Digger of Bricks]

When I find a builder I like on Flickr, checking out their favorites will send you down quite the rabbit hole, turning up many amazing creations and fan builders whose work you have never even seen before. Then you end up checking their favorites and tumble even further down the rabbit hole, losing an incredible amount of time in the process. 

When you've burned yourself out endlessly browsing around Flickr, Pinterest can be another great site to lose yourself in, especially when are looking for inspiring non-Lego concept art and illustrations, usually based upon whatever pet genres and art subjects you take a particular liking to.

[Steamdemon]

If I'm looking for inspiration, I search for locomotive images. One of my recent searches turned up this:

I might actually attempt this one, but when I feel I'm ready. I've still got to finish my current project!

It's images like this which really help me to visualize what it should look like in Lego. And probably use LDD.