Kryhlhan, a Tudor Fantasy Castle.
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Do you like MOCs where you keep on discovering fun little details and usable techniques? Then this Castle is something you can feast your eyes on! Kevin Peeter's Kryhlhan Castle has it all. Great part usage, like the rim and tracks he used for the windows. The splendid woodwork and the well-placed rooftops make it easy on the eyes. And on top of that, it also has an interior filled with plenty of neatly built furniture. How did this wonderful castle come to be? Let's find out because Kevin was kind enough to take us through how the castle was built.
Marco: An awesome creation, as you mentioned yourself: "Finally the castle I've always wanted to build." Is that because you finally had enough bricks, time, or you lacked inspiration before or was it something else?
Kevin: Thanks a lot! Mainly because of a lack of time, and wanting to do other stuff at the same time. Usually, I start ideas by making quick table scraps. This way I have a vision, which leads to other and better ideas, which I then focus on. That's why I kept on postponing the castle.
Marco: How long did it take you to build the castle? Were there things during the process that were challenging? And do you have some wips to share?
Kevin: Eventually building and designing took no more than 3 weeks. This is quite fast because I already had the idea. And I had parts of the castle laying around and for the most part, I just put those together. The hardest part to build was the angled wall. Because the length is uneven and I didn't want to use hinge plates because that creates an unwanted opening. So on the left side, I used cheese slopes, and on the right side 1x2 brick with a curved top. I did rebuild it two times before I was satisfied. On the inside of the castle, it's attached to the walls so it's really sturdy.
Usually, I don't make a lot of wip photos. Though when I'm not at home, it's nice to have an image of the process and imagine how to add to the build.
Marco: Where does your inspiration come from, pictures, movies, or something else?
Kevin: Partially images, those wander through my mind, and I think of building it. Also things I come across when I'm outside and on the road. I saw an old abandoned building when I was walking, and it had wonderful windows which inspired me on how to build the windows for the Castle.
Marco: Is this what you like to build the most? You've got a few "modern" mocs as well, but most of it is fantasy/castle-based.
Kevin: Yes it is, Fantasy and Castle are my favorite. Also because I have an interest in Medieval architecture and medieval daily life as well. Also, the combination of using wood and rock translates very well into LEGO bricks. It's a bit chaotic, but detailed in a way, which I show in the MOCs I make. And in adding the fantasy twist to a castle, you can play with colors, organic shapes, and fictional characters.
Marco: The castle has an open interior on the backside. This way you have two completely different sides. Did you build it this way on purpose, because it looks like it could be extended into something bigger?
Kevin: It's definitely done on purpose. Events are starting again, and it's always nice to see kids discovering that there's more than just a brick wall but a complete interior as well.
There won't be any extensions to the castle, but it's always nice to fantasize about what the castle could look like when that would be the case. I imagine viewers doing the same thing.
Marco: Others usually put plenty of minifigs in their MOC, in this build, and for most of your other work that's not the case. Do you have a reason for this?
Kevin: Everything I build has a minifig in there somewhere, but that's never what I focus on. In this case, the castle has 6 minifigures, but that's mainly for events. In my digitals versions, there are never any minifigures. Telling stories has never been my strong suit, my focus is more on buildings and surroundings.
Marco: You make renders as well, is that before or after you've built it physically? And a lot of builders don't like the digital part of LEGO building, why do you choose to do it?
Kevin: Yes, I do both, but building with real bricks is what I like most. So everything that I build digitally is built in bricks as well. What makes building digitally so interesting is that you can continue building while you are missing certain bricks. It's also an easy way of looking at how certain colors would work in a moc. On top of that, you don't have to break down a digital MOC, and you can make instructions for it. Some of those are on Rebrickable, mostly just for myself so whenever I want I could rebuild an older MOC.
I understand people that dislike digital builds, especially when a digital creation wouldn't work when build in real bricks. That's not what I do, it has to be possible to build it with existing bricks!
Marco: What do you like most about the castle?
Kevin: Personally, I really like the dark brown Tudor style facades mixed with dark orange highlights, completed with the dark blue rooftops. Those rooftops are built differently from what I usually build so I will use this technique more in the future, because it has a lot of building possibilities and it's pretty sturdy. I'm also pleased with how the water turned out. The interior and backside might need a little more improvement.
Marco: Thank you for your time!
Kevin: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain how the castle came to be. And for people who live in the area (Belgium!), this MOC will be displayed on Brickmania Antwerpen for the first time. So make sure to visit that event from 20-21 November at the Antwerp Expo!
What would you prefer: building castles, interiors, or a mix of both? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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