Best of BrickNerd: Weekend Highlight — Article originally published May 10, 2021.

A few years ago when browsing Flickr, I came across a medieval LEGO build that really caught my eye. It had all kinds of crazy angles and the structure of the walls was something that seemed more realistic than a lot of the other stuff I had seen up to that point. It turned out that was the first(!) build from a guy named Ralf Langer. Since then, he has continued to impress not only me but a lot of the community with his techniques and crazy medieval builds. He even made a SHIP which was one of the craziest entries to that wonderful September challenge that I had ever seen. So given all that, I just had to reach out to him for a chat.

Andreas Lenander: All right good sir, tell the people who you are.

Ralf Langer: Hi Andreas! I am a German software engineer, living and working in the city of Cologne. I was born in 1971 and pretty much quit LEGO in the early 1980s. I started building again in 2017 and have continued since then. I finished my first MOC at the end of 2017.

This was the first MOC Ralf built and posted back in 2017… so… yeah… that’s one way to introduce yourself to the community.

Andreas: That is a pretty impressive way to start your career as a LEGO builder! Why do you build with LEGO?

Ralf: Having done something myself feels so rewarding to me. I’m not even much into building itself. It is the result, the accomplishment, that drives me.

Andreas: You have a pretty unique style with a lot of focus on structure and realism—any particular reason for that when you started making your own models?

Ralf: It took me some time to realize it consciously, but my style is in most aspects the opposite of what The LEGO Group does; making it look like it is not LEGO!

The muddy ground is made up of a mix of bricks, slopes and old brown treads, giving it stunning realism.

Andreas: Do you have a favourite LEGO theme?

Ralf: I don’t really care for themes actually. I am not building for nostalgic or sentimental reasons, and in fact, I would not be building with LEGO at all if I only had to use the colours and parts that were around when I was a child. I mean there wasn’t even tan, brown or dark grey yet! If I had to choose a favourite theme it might be Pirates of the Caribbean.

Ralf is no stranger to microscale either, as illustrated here where he captures great detailing and colours despite working at a very small scale.

Andreas: Do you prefer the online aspect of the hobby or are you more of a convention guy?

Ralf: When building I don’t have conventions in mind at all. My builds are not well suited for transport and most often they’re quite fragile. Furthermore, I don’t own a car and would have to rent one. I can’t imagine going by train, having 20 boxes of submodules with me. And so I don’t have much experience with conventions yet. I attended the LEGO Fanworld 2018 in my hometown of Cologne. I presented my fantasy medieval wall of houses there and my Hybris MOC. It was totally crowded and really fun!

This is a very unique approach to building a SHIP and the effect is truly awesome.

Andreas: Maybe you could bring some smaller models rather than bring 20 boxes?

Ralf: I showed some smaller models at a small convention near Colonge in 2019 and hardly got any attention as my models were smaller and not colourful—not moving or blinking. It was nevertheless great meeting and chatting with fellow builders. So I guess I am quite the online type, concentrating on tiny details instead of doing more “in your face” models.

Some great “behind-the-scenes“ action going on here :)

Andreas: Ok, time for a very deep and personal question. And remember, you are in a safe space here at BrickNerd. How much of a purist would you consider yourself to be?

Ralf: Maybe 99%? But you people want to hear about the dirty missing percent, don’t you? Well, since this website is for nerds, let’s get into all the technical details. In a nutshell, all my builds can be done using original LEGO parts, and I don’t use colours or forms that are not available from LEGO.

Let’s start with a list of things that I don’t do, to ease you into everything. I haven’t used parts of a LEGO box yet, like the manual or the box itself. I don’t use custom stickers or attach stickers to other parts than the original set requires.

I have used parts that were still on a sprue. I do use Modulex parts with the LEGO and M markings on the studs but I try not to use parts that were produced after LEGO’s Modulex subsidiary was sold though I have no idea how to distinguish them. I use yellowed, scratched, and old parts—but I don't create bitemarks by will. I have used broken parts, but only in a way that was not visible and the parts could have been replaced with non-broken parts. In other words not for effect but just to save money. I don’t like cutting hoses but I have done that, too.

Andreas: That all seems reasonable. Nothing out of the ordinary there…

Ralf: On to the more controversial section of the answer. When building my collection I bought several used collections and also got some parts that were not LEGO and I didn’t realize it. Therefore I used a Megablox club recently without knowing it. I think I have some fake Minifigures too, at least people told me that a face or a haircut wasn’t original. In terms of photo-editing, I have also changed some colours using Photoshop as I didn’t have a specific colour. I even changed a face from yellow to flesh and a red spaceman to pink.

I also occasionally use other brands if the parts are identical and the LEGO parts are just ridiculously expensive. So I have bought some off brand dark tan quarter tiles recently that are identical but you pay two to three cents each instead of one or two Euro per piece. I think it’s ok to use rubber bands that look and feel the same way as the LEGO ones. I have also bought a lot of weird parts via BrickLink like threads, strings, rubber bands, and Modulex are all supposedly LEGO... though I have no idea how to prove that so I just use them.

Andreas: Do you ever feel any pressure when building or presenting new MOCs?

Ralf: I have always put a lot of effort into my builds, and I would say one of the hardest parts is actually keeping the build up to my own standards.

Andreas: Do you have any other creative outlets that you play around with?

Ralf: I have been playing guitar for over 30 years now, and I also like to compose synth music.

Andreas: How open are you with your LEGO interest in your personal or work-life?

Ralf: I don’t mind showing my family, colleagues and friends my models, and they all know about it. I rarely talk about it though as they do not share my interest. It is the same way I don’t talk about making music except to people who make music themselves.

Andreas: Is there anything in particular that you would want to have happened in regards to your building—any specific “accomplishments” you strive towards?

Ralf: An invitation to present a model at the LEGO House in Billund would be nice, or having a LEGO Ideas set. I never cared that much about it though and my recent LEGO Ideas entry is quite half-hearted. What I really want to accomplish is to finish a personal list of ideas I have made over the last few years. I think it’s about 50 items long, so there’s much to be done! Apart from these more concrete aims, I want to know what I am capable of.

Crossing the Styx, part of a collab built for summer joust 2019

Andreas: Random question of the day. How many Pick a Brick cups do you own?

Ralf: I have no idea! Currently, maybe seven? I gave away a lot of them at a convention.

Andreas: Do you have a LEGO favourite piece?

Ralf: The pieces that are the most essential to me are the 1x2 plate and tile. But these are more bread and butter pieces. So the piece I would call my favourite is the round quarter tile. You can turn it and easily achieve complex structures with it, which I really like.

Andreas: Where do you find inspiration?

Ralf: I am inspired by almost everything: a walk outside, a movie, a comic. I am a huge comic fan—mostly Franco Belge but also quite diverse stuff.

Andreas: You mentioned that nostalgia doesn’t motivate you when it comes to LEGO. I’m curious, what is the LEGO first set you remember?

Ralf: Oh, that’s tough. I remember several sets from the mid-70s. It was a weird time for LEGO as they changed the figures rapidly within a few years quite drastically. I certainly owned some sets with those armless minifigures like set 163.

Andreas: What’s more fun—a large medieval build with complex techniques or just something small and clever?

Ralf: Let's face it: my way of building is usually not fun. The larger a model becomes the less fun it is. I love doing details, textures, etc. But making a large model work and optimizing hundreds of spots, enhancing stability, filling holes, etc. is hard work.

Andreas: Like a few other great builders out there, Balbo for example, you often share techniques with the community through tutorials. Tell us, what motivated you to start doing that?

Ralf: Before I began building, I joined the German 1000Steine forum. I saw some builders there not only presenting their models but also talking about techniques. So I assumed that’s just the way you had to do it, haha! Additionally, I remember someone talking about my models at an exhibition. He said that it’s all cut and glued… So tutorials are also a way for me to show that it’s all real. And maybe the most important point: it took me ages of tinkering, and I would hate for all that work to be lost! :)

Andreas: Are there any builders in the community that inspire you?

Ralf: There are tons of brilliant builders out there that I like. I could name 10 and feel sorry for the other 100 I left out. The initial inspiration that got me going was most probably Luke Watkins Hutchinson though.

Andreas: Thank you very much for taking the time to chat with me and to give BrickNerd readers some more insight to your builds and the process behind them. I really appreciate it!

Ralf: Cheers Andreas!

If you want a closer look at Ralf’s work, you can check it out on either his Flickr or Instagram. I highly recommend you do as there is a lot of truly awesome stuff there. I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did, and until next time, take care, everyone!

What are some ways you accomplish more like-like LEGO builds? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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