The LEGO system is inherently great for solid structures such as buildings or cars. Once we look past that though, challenges pop up – and that is where it gets interesting. Today we are taking a look at techniques to create clouds and smoke, fumes and haze. And once you’re done with this article, it might just turn out to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors!

This article is based on some of Bartu Elci-Ozsoy’s brilliant archival work.

Bartu painstakingly curates a collection of flickr galleries, each highlighting different techniques and ideas to help craft MOCs of a certain theme. If you ever find yourself stuck with a build, Bartu’s galleries will likely have a solution!

Staying Classic

With how much nice parts usage (NPU) gets celebrated, sometimes it’s best to keep it classic. These builds show off just that:

It’s hard to resist a classic and this cloud of dust in Grant Davis’ recreation of a resistance skimmer shows perfectly how even today a carefully crafted stack of bricks and plates might just do the trick. A fancier technique would likely have pulled the focus away from the intricately modeled skimmer – the perfect time to pull out a classic technique!

Slightly more modern, these beautifully crafted whiffs of sand create a simple yet effective bit of scenery for Tom Loftus’ speedster. An inverted arch, some curved slopes and some tiles are everything Tom needs to create his desert.

Flip those curved slope sideways and you’re ready to go into space. The separation of color is what makes this one work so so well but lokiloki29 clearly doesn’t need complicated building to be ready for take-off.

Once you combine the aforementioned techniques with a metric ton of bricks, you can have a volcano erupt. This cloud by Olive Seon is created from dozens of layers, all using the same simple elements and techniques, to create an impressive three-dimensional model.

Creating Volume with Advanced Techniques

The classic approach has its qualities, but sometimes some more advanced techniques might be appropriate. Let’s pull out radar dishes, helmets and various other elements to create volume!

Back in 2010 Brian Williams stopped everyone in their tracks when he unveiled this tank battle vignette to the world. Since then, little has happened in the smoke technique department of volumetric clouds – Brian’s solution holds up to this day and gets emulated day in, day out, often without builders even knowing who originated it. This close-up – which he kindly shared back in the day – sheds some light on the wizardry that is going on:

Round 2x2 plates form a base onto which a myriad of hair pieces, helmets and other dome-like elements are placed, creating a perfect cloud of black smoke. The cherry on the cake are the classic plumes used for flames on the right. A master at work!

Following up a master is always an ungrateful task, so I shall take this fall with one of my builds: This cloud of smoke employs a similar principle to Brian’s, albeit on a larger scale. When one creates a MOC for the annual RogueOlympics, a challenge limiting builders to 101 elements or less per MOC, every piece counts.

And so radar dishes big and small are adorned with helmets, a chef’s hat sits atop a Unikitty flower, big quarter domes fill out the corner. Big pieces for a big effect – certainly ready for lift-off and likely still the favorite creation of mine.

What works in 2D also finds its application in three-dimensional MOCs. Bart van Raemdonck stacks a variety of dome-like elements to create bulbous clouds. Big quarter dome elements form a foundation onto which Bart adds smaller domes, 4x4 cylinders, and finally Technic elements to suspend Wan Hu, the supposed world’s first astronaut.

Using basic plates, Mike Doyle shows us what a true artist can do with the brick. Once the round plates, ring clips and other 1x1 plates are attached to fabric nets, they form truly mesmerising clouds – realistic and commanding!

Delicated Wisps of Smoke

Volume is one thing. But what to do if life calls for the quiet and barely visible?

Five pieces and some connectors is all our very own Ted Andes needs to create a life-like rendition of a smoking cigar. One doesn’t need more than two different sizes of dinosaur tails to stay classy!

Eero achieves a similarily whimsical effect by adding macaroni technic connectors and an elephant tail to the mix. The oven is definitely on in his cozy Finnish home!

If In Doubt, Employ Some NPU!

Nice Part Usage (NPU) often elates fellow builders – and naturally there are plenty of examples to be found when looking at smoke.

Sometimes a different perspective will result in a brilliant piece usage. So when Brick Rebel employed the Unikitty cloud plates upside down, the resulting texture made for a wonderful volumetric effect.

Similarily Jaap Bijl’s hodgepodge of Unikitty flowers creates a convincing cloud – check out his profile for more smart uses of that piece during his Iron Builder round.

Hair pieces work wonders for smoke in motion, especially when used in a micro scale creation such as First Order Lego’s masterful rendition of Howl’s Moving Castle. And that rat is also worth a mention!

Finally, sometimes a single piece is all you need. In this case, a snake. And a baker that fires his oven.

As you can see, there’s a technique for every occasion. Some simple, some complex, some obvious, some smart. But all of them add that extra bit of life to a creation. Hopefully this roundup will help you in the future when trying to capture a similar effect!

What is your favourite smoke technique? Are there any outstanding ones you’ve come across that we haven’t featured?

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