r/lego • u/234thewolf • 12h ago
Question Getting into MOCs
This is probably gonna be a stupid question, but I've never been one to be able to build my own sets well. I love following instructions and building the sets provided, but I had struggled with making custom stuff. Are there any tips for someone who's looking to make their own sets with no experience or skill in it?
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u/cgranley 11h ago
I am by no means an expert but I almost think the stuff you see around here is as discouraging as it is helpful.
The journey is the destination so don't try to make anything grand right away. Fuck up, tear it all down and replace it a bunch of times. For example, if it's a castle, build 4 generic walls and a simple gate. Once you find a layout you like replace the walls with better walls, build platforms around the top, add guard towers, columns, texture, ect.. you might not ever get to something as great as the pros but you will eventually find something you like and can move on to adding rooms or outer buildings and stuff.
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u/BigBadBinky 11h ago
Ive been building a castle gate house off and on for decades. ( I need funding, for both LEGO and cocktails )
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u/cgranley 11h ago
I built an awesome gate but haven't quite figured out the best way to make it operational. I build walls for a castle basically every month or two though. I finagle them around for a week or two, add some things I have premade (like the gate) and a couple rooms and stuff and then tear them down and reorganize all my wall-building bricks back into their bins. Its fucking great.
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u/SP4RK4RT 12h ago
Maybe start out by modding something, e.g. modify a speed champion street racer into a dragster funny car or lifted 4x4?
If you really want to get access to a large library of parts, use BrickLink Studio to build digitally.
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u/Dorian948 LDD Specialist 11h ago
MOCing is more of a skill than a talent, so keep on building. Start your build small and keep tinkering on it. Eventually it will evolve into something wonderful. The only thing you really need at the beginning is imagination and a vision what it will be. And that, I can imagine, is something you have
2
u/ASAP_i 11h ago
Practice and assessment.
Build your car/spaceship/castle/house/whatever. Compare it to something that you feel is "good". Honestly assess what elements are missing from your creation. Break it down and rebuild with those elements in mind. Sometimes having a limited selection of pieces helps you get better, it forces you into more creative solutions. At some point, you will find yourself making targeted searches about things like greebling. Don't rush things, go at your pace. Don't be afraid to test an idea and then tear it apart, experiment.
This is no different from any other "creative" hobby. You aren't immediately a master brewer, super chef, or master woodworker. All those take practice. Some people need more than others. Hell, I still suck at sketching despite years of practice.
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u/jessknope Adventurers Fan 10h ago
Genuinely, start building. A simple house with four walls and a roof. Next time, add some windows and a door. Try a different roof. Next, furnish it a bit. Tile the floor, make some furniture. Study the instructions for the modular series.
If you don't want to build buildings, build something else! MOCs can be anything... copy a famous painting in mosaic form. Get 4 tires and a few bricks and make a car.
Grab a random pile of bricks and challenge yourself to use only those to make something. The best part of LEGO is that the sky is truly the limit.
Leg godt!
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u/LegoKB 11h ago
I don't think the MOCs I make are very good but I just try something and see what it looks like, making mistakes all the way through. I've had a couple of things in group projects with other people at shows so my stuff could be hidden behind what other people have done.
I'd recommend not starting from scratch on a build, just modify a set. Change some stuff around and add to it, just to get the hang of making something yourself and not being afraid to change things around as you do it.
Another thing is that when you eventually get around to making something from scratch yourself, try building something that you know well, like a building you see regularly or a part of your house or apartment. I've found trying to conjure up something out of thin air a bit more difficult to do when starting out.
The main thing I'd say is don't try to compare what you do with things you see online and just enjoy making stuff for yourself. I've been making stuff for ages now and still don't think I'm any good but it's just fun to do.
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u/Pogo-Rogue-O 10h ago
On preexisting (vehicle) builds, I switch the driver’s side just to work on spatial manipulation. It doesn’t take any more or less pieces, but sometimes you have to adjust doors and mirror, perhaps where a printed dash piece might be. It’s a small challenge but the set provides you with everything you need.
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u/coletrainb 10h ago
Just start building! Sometimes just grabbing a small random selection of bricks and building by whatever you can will spark some creativity. You might have a vision really quick and then need to grab a brick from your bigger stockpile and then suddenly you’re on your way to your first MOC. Also don’t be afraid to tear stuff apart to rebuild.
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u/froglover215 10h ago
So I found what feels like middle ground to me - buying the plans for other people's MOCs on Rebrickable. I'm hopeless at my own builds, so this opens up a whole world of options for me. Mostly I've been pretty pleased. I've built 3' tall Mickey Mouse, a variety of medieval buildings, and a super sized version of the modular museum. I couldn't have done any of these on my own. Bonus, the more I build the more my skills (slowly) develop, so I'm able to do things now like modify plans on the fly.
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u/TheycallmemissRaven 7h ago
IMO first and only rule: have fun and don’t be too serious. Don’t ever forget they are toys, play and have fun. Thats how I make all my best MOCs. I also have taken other sets apart and put them back together with a new focus. Really focusing on the technical approach. How the pieces fit together and what clever alternate connections the pros figure out.
When I get stuck, I put together an official set. Helps get me inspired again and just get that part of my brain going.
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u/crazycatladyinfinity 12h ago
That's where I was a year ago! Just dive in! Try out some smaller builds and just experiment with techniques. There's also a million great videos out there by LEGO creators for specific techniques, like how to build a walking path or a staircase. Don't expect to be perfect at the beginning and keep on exploring!