Jupiter Jazz; Q&A with Nnenn

It's been a while since the last interview so here's a brand new one to sink your fangs into!

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Tom: Well first of all thanks for your time Nnenn, we're glad to have you here at Masoko Tanga. Browsing through your creations one of the things that strikes me is that you're not afraid to experiment with colour schemes. I can see bright blues and oranges, lime greens and even some neon parts amongst many others. Do you have a way of picking a colour scheme? Just a random selection from parts lying around or a process much more complex?

Nnenn: My colour choices are a mixture of randomness and some level of expertise. I've taught enough college art courses to know that red/yellow/blue aren't the primary colors, browns/tans are mostly dark and pale oranges (so blue/teal compliments work well with them), colors are most intense at completely different values, etc. etc. But I'm also old enough to have seen color trends in fashion, design, art, or wherever, swing all over and come full circle; so there is a lot of subjectivity involved, it's really nothing more than current opinion. I always chuckle when I see someone comment about how 'those colors don't work.' So mostly, randomness can be effective... heck, rainbow schemes work if there is some intelligent hierarchy involved.

Tom: Are there any colours in the Lego parts-spectrum that you detest?

Nnenn: No colour, and few schemes, are detestable... so I don't mind rare Lego colours popping up, unless it's at the expense of something that could otherwise round-out a regular colour's part palette.

Tom: How much planning would you put into an average Moc? Do you rely on scribbled notebook sketches and L-Draw designs to test the waters or do you prefer to start out with just an idea in your head and a few bricks in your hand?

Nnenn: I almost never plan a model beforehand, though on rare occasions I'll do a 10-second sketch of something that pops into my head so I don't forget the basic shape. Mostly, I start with no more of an idea than 'large spaceship, fighter, mech, tank,' or whatever. Sometimes I just play with a few pieces to see if they can be arranged together into some fluid but dynamic form; I'm often surprised with the results (seriously)... I often think: 'wow, I couldn't have thought of that in a million years.' When teaching creativity, I usually stress working in the moment and letting go of preconceived notions; results that happen spontaneously are usually far more interesting that those that stem from careful plodding. However, notice most of my builds are not overly large... something that does, in fact, take a good deal of planning due to engineering considerations, time, parts, etc.

Tom: You've got a fair bit of theme-variety in your galleries but you're of course best known for your Space creations. Are there any themes that you've never built for that you'd like to experiment with in the future?

Nnenn: Although I enjoy the tangible process of connecting bricks at my whimsical discretion (read: playing with Lego), I am really fascinated with space themes in general. The combination of these interests seems ideal right now as I view both with limitless creative possibilities. But no, if I was restricted to building only themes like town, castle, steampunk, etc. I would probably sell my collection.

Tom: You mentioned ideas popping into your head, what builders inspire you?

Nnenn: Unusually perhaps, but the better builders don't really inspire me per-se, I note their technique and finish but their models are done well enough that my imagination sees little room for improvement. What gives me an immense amount of inspiration (and motivation) is seeing really poor, amateurish creations on Brickshelf.com. Kids don't have the conventional constraints that adult minds feel necessary; hence, all the really wacky designs out there that we instinctively scoff at... but if George Lucas, for example, were to add some polish and fly it through the right setting, suddenly it's totally believable.

Tom: Now you've gained much notoriety for not being afraid to experiment with clone bricks and other Non Lego items. What's perhaps the strangest Non-Lego item you've ever incorporated into a Moc?

Nnenn: I've always felt that rubber bands are really odd things to include in creations: they're tactilely opposite of bricks. But actually, there hasn't been anything really too strange... that's yet to come. I plan on building a big wooden frame to hold a really large ship; it saves me from having to deal with substructure engineering, something which I could not care less about, and focus on the aesthetic design. Lego does this sort of thing all the time but I'm sure a few 'dedicated purists' will be snippy about it.

Tom: And lastly, out of all your creations do have a favorite and for what reason?

Nnenn: I'm notorious among those that know me for not having favorites... for anything. But I usually feel whatever I'm currently working on is the most amazing thing ever, then after a few days (and pictures) later I look at it and wonder what I could have possibly been thinking... so I start something new to compensate.
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Many thanks to Nnenn for the great interview! Nnenn's work can be viewed at either Brickshelf or Flickr whatever your fancy.
Now be sure to join us at the same bat-place and same bat-time next week when I'll be back to the usual irrelevant ramblings and communist propaganda that you've grown to love/ resent.

Domain Switch

Just a heads up, my current website at masokotanga.unicornbreak.com will soon no longer be mine, I'm moving to bren.brittwilson.com. As such, this blog has been moved simply to masokotanga.blogspot.com.

Thanks all,

The Management.

The Dead Flag Blues

I'm afraid I'm becoming so terribly busy this year with school, work, art and photography that I've entered what is best described as a "controlled dark age". A sad realization, but one I cannot get around. My March Break consisted of more work than any normal week, so I had no time to build what-so-ever. Fact is, my LEGO bricks have been loitering in my closet since October. With any luck, I'll have sometime in the summer - but that could be wishful thinking. I continue to browse brickshelf and flickr, so don't think I'm going anywhere. Although, I've grown a little disinterested in CS.com, and my only forms of criticism will come from either here or flickr.

So today's review is one a recent Nnenn creation, the MB-4 Vauggen. This Messerschmidt look-a-like is pretty typical of Nnenn's style -- which can usually be separated into two categories, the crazy awesome spacecraft [example], and the crazy awesome and built after a theme spacecraft [example]. This falls into the latter category. If there is one thing that Nnenn knows how to do, and there's actually several, it's shaping. The rigid forms on the MB-4 give it this retro-robust-industrial look that gives the ship an entirely different feeling than if it had been rounded with spindly antennae. This rigid look makes the airframe feel solid and strong, this fighter isn't a delicate little pansy ship, it'll kick your ass.
So another thing Nnenn does very well is decal design. Most people when they find a skill they are good at, latch on to it like a parasite and bleed it dry. Where is this going? Nnenn demonstrates here that he can still make beautifully emblazoned ships with just the brick alone. This allows an otherwise flat and boring surface to become a point of visual interest, and being brick built we can assume that a little more forethought might have gone into their placement. Another technique that breaks up the flat surfaces of the MB-4 is Nnenn's use of multiple grays. Many people were disgusted and appalled when LEGO introduced the "new" grey (or 'bley'), but I really think it's opened a great door of opportunity for builders - the look Nnenn (and many others) has created with this multi-grey affect would never have been possible before; except perhaps with extensive use of clones, which will probably never catch on with the community at large. If the MB-4 was all one grey, it would still be great, but the monochromatic variation really adds a great realism to the model.

So don't miss Nnenn's MB-4 Vauggen. Adore, study, and copy its various effects into your own repertoire.

Heretic Pride

Yes I know, updates have been sparse as of late and it's oh so uncool to beat that proverbial dead horse about it every time. Rest assured, they'll be no equine beating 'round here anymore as we have no horse left to beat. The last time I saw the Masoko Tanga horse it resembled a styrofoam tray of supermarket mince-meat. I thought for today I'd try something different, so I present to you my adventures with "the-Shelf's" random folder button and my discoveries both good and weird.

I found this rendered TA-138 German Jet Moc which is quite lovely. I myself have tried building fighters based on similar design but have met with no success as I could never get that weird barrel shaped fuselage right. The no-frills wings look fantastic, a great rhombus shape with no fancy crap to spoil. From the same historical vein there's this German Flak cannon, its extraordinary level of detail and accuracy actually classifies it as gun-porn. It's a shame half the pictures are so tiny. This tiny VTOL craft is pretty fancy looking but I think its lack of bulk brings it down. Particularly in the turbines, they look great at first but they don't hold up to close inspection. I much prefer the engine cowling design on this other VTOL craft that I found. Sure its not exactly sleek and streamlined but it's a good example of innovative parts usage. The ski-feet landing gear apparatus is adorable. This Phantom chicken walker may not have cute feet but it makes up for it by looking totally bad-ass. Though I can't help think that the poor lighting maybe strategically masks a few design faults. Regardless, I really love those jet engine looking things and the antennas.

Have you ever found yourself watching Revenge of the Sith and wishing for a tiny horribly burnt, scarred and limbless ABS Anikan to clutch in your sweaty palm and stroke reassuringly? Well just enclose your cherished Anikan minifig of choice along with ten dollars USD in a self sealed envelope care of B-Shelf user Legomanics and he'll do the rest. Your Anakin will be crafted with the finest of dollar-store cigarette lighters and even comes included with a certificate guaranteeing depreciation. And according to Keika03 "if Anakin was still Anakin, the galaxy would be.." something like this rather cute little viggnette. Good to see that under good-Anikan's rule Galactic sanitation, public transport and public time-pieces are supported.

Here's a great L-Draw model of everyone's favourite trundling death machine, the mammoth Tank. It's the version from that one Command & Conquer game that every one forgot about that's actually pretty good. Those slanted windows fit well and the way those arches curve over the shoulder and hip joints is simple yet really quite effective. Nice toe-hydraulics too. No matter what anyone says it's a true fact that we all need a strange robot walking cat at some point in our life and and anyone who says they don't lacks a soul. However it goes without saying that said robot cat lacks whiskers, an esential part of any cat be it organic or arterficial. If robot cats aren't your kinda thing maybe robotic spiders are more your kind of thing? Bounding straight from arachnid to Marsupial we have a robotic Mech Kangeroo by B-Shelf citizen Izzo. I get a feling of Deja Vu from this Moc like I feel like I've allready talked about it here and before. I just don't know, maybe I'm loosing my mind and tomorrow I'll wake up and my walls will be white and padded. Next there's a cool Alien head that looks like it has dentures. Despite being limited to a diet of mushy-peas this alien is quite cool just like this rather funky and poseable bot. Take note of the swept back robo-hair style. Here's some wheels for you whether you like 'em modern or steampunk and I adore this odd-fighter. I think it's the weird round orb-y cockpit shape combined with the cool wings that does it. Lastly, I discovered this really cool piano and an L-draw render with possibly one of the worst names of all time. Prove me wrong folks.

Maybe You Can Owe Me

Wow. So I'm putting in my applications for University and College (for those state-side, they're two different types of schools altogether up here) and suddenly it's dawning on me that things are going to change a lot and soon. While I don't have to go through any stressful single life-determining test like Tom did, they still don't make your last year of high school any easier; I don't foresee any building from me until summer and depending on where I'm going to be calling home next year, summer could be optimistic.

Today's feature is from Adrian Florea. Any space builder probably knows that Homeworld and it's sequel(s?) are prime inspiration for the community and many play the game religiously, and even those who don't still know more than they should about the various ships. Today Adrian (or Olog) brings us his Vaygr Bomber. At first look I actually thought he was posting more concept art, his photos have been done to mimic the colour scheme and organisation of the art. One aspect of building that is being experimented with more lately is this concept of crowded colour schemes that work. We all know what a rainbow warrior looks like, and that's not what these are. It probably got a kick start when Peter Morris' work starting getting attention, and then when he finally joined the community - from there various builder have been tooling with the idea that colour schemes don't need to be as rigid and clean as they usually are; no longer builders fear throwing in elements of random colour! Of course, I'm not recommending that you start tacking on colours at random, some thought still needs to go into this. Tim Z (Spook) has taken on the idea and executes it quite nicely, his building style is very akin to the concepts of Homeworld - which is where this dirta-chrome idea probably took off from originally.

Back on topic, Adrian comes through with this idea and what you get it something that just doesn't resemble LEGO bricks until you look for studs. His repetition of the zebra stripe likes to play funny tricks with your eyes and instantly gives the model this bizarre sort of dynamic unity of form - it's like a weak optical illusion that you can't stop starring at. The jagged edges and red pontoons(?) keep the entire form contained and definitely add a deadly look to it.
On top of this, I think he took the photos outside: and it looks pretty cold. What dedication.