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Follow LeGogh on LinkedIn for a more info. |
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LeGogh's Instagram for pics of models. |
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Follow LeGogh on Twitter for project updates. |
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Contact LeGogh for estimates, trade shows, artwork, etc... |
Corporate Clientele: |
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MEET LeGogh: |
| This is The Art of LeGogh and my name is Eric Hunter. I am an artist and LEGOฎ is my medium. I design and build custom LEGO models of anything you desire; from buildings and vehicles to mosaics, sculptures and more. Click here to email me for an estimate! |
| Since I was four years old, I have been building with LEGO bricks; so I have over 45 years of experience so far! I am a former Master Model Builder of nearly nine years at LEGOLANDฎ California from 2005 to 2013. What a wonderful experience that was! I learned a lot about design and implementation while working there. I had the privilege of designing the worlds (now second-tallest) Minilandฎ building to date; The Petronas Twin Towers model which is the centerpiece of LEGOLAND Malaysia. It is 32.85 feet tall and constructed entirely out of regular-sized LEGO elements. |
SERVICES OFFERED: |
REPLICAS Offices Homes Boats Planes Trains Automobiles |
TRADE SHOWS Conventions Your Product On-Site Build 3D Logos |
TV/MEDIA Props Signage On-Site Build 3D Logos |
MOSAICS Family Pets Logos Photos Artwork |
SCULPTURE 3D Logos Your Product Abstract Busts |
LIVE BUILD EVENTS Conventions Corporate Public Private Team Builds |
FURNITURE Shelves Sconces Lamps Tables Chairs Frames Hooks |
SCALE SCHOOL: |
| There is almost an infinite number of scales in which models can be created. The first question to ask is roughly how big does the final LEGO model need to be? Common scales used in LEGOฎ building include 1:50 and smaller (Micro scale), 1:45 (Minifig scale), 1:20 (Miniland scale), 1:8 and larger (Macro scale). Most models can be built at any desired size. If you want a model of a tall skyscraper in your office, it would be Micro scale. A model of an oversized LEGO brick as a tissue dispenser is Macro scale. |
THE PROCESS: |
| A scale, timeline and price are agreed upon |
| The necessary reference materials are compiled; photos, measurements, floor plans, etc... |
| The LEGO model is designed and submitted for approval |
| Upon design approval, the LEGO elements are ordered |
| The final model is built and delivered on time |
| Lots of fun for all! |
A More In-Depth Personal LEGO History
I started building with LEGO when I was just four years old. I got a Universal Building set as a gift from my aunt and uncle. From that point on I was all about LEGO. I did, of course, play with many other toys, it's just that LEGO was anything I wanted it to be. Other toys couldn't really compare! I loved to design LEGO houses of all sorts, even apartment buildings with working elevators! I think LEGO cars were (and are) my favorite LEGO models to design! When I was 21 years old, I decided to build one final, really big and detailed LEGO car to keep on display forever. The Acura (Honda) NSX had just debuted on the scene and I was in love with that car. It was my dream car, so I decided to build a LEGO replica of it as my subject matter. I started with the LEGO Technic Wheel 24 x 43 with Black Tire 24 x 43 as my scale reference. The scale LEGO car model ended up being almost exactly 1:8 scale. With my heightened interest in professional LEGO model design, I took a trip to my local library in Aurora, Colorado. I checked out the book The World of LEGO Toys by Henry Weincek and was astounded by what I learned in its pages. I read about the LEGOLAND theme park in Billund, Denmark (the home of LEGO) during that visit. I didn't even realize a person could become a professional LEGO designer/builder at the time (other than LEGO set design, which didn't totally interest me). I was completely inspired. I now knew what job I wanted. A professional LEGOLAND Master Model Builder sounded like a perfect fit to me. I even announced to my then girlfriend that I would someday be a LEGOLAND Master Model Builder, even if it meant moving to Denmark. I love adventure... Now I had seen some really cool, and somewhat large LEGO models at toy stores in the mall before, but nothing like many of the LEGO models shown in this book! I had never built gigantic sculptural LEGO models before, but I just knew I wanted to, and could, if given the chance and 1,000,000 LEGO bricks! Once I knew I had the real option of building LEGO professionally, I started to design a lot more and more LEGO models at home, honing my skills and learning new techniques along the way. When LEGO Star Wars kits started coming out, I couldn't stop buying them! Some key words and phrases that will help someone find me and my website are: Eric Hunter, LEGO artist, convention LEGO builder, commission a LEGO artist, LEGO commission, LEGO art for convention, professional LEGO designer for convention, freelance master model builders, freelance LEGO designer, LEGO professional, professional LEGO model designer, custom LEGO mosaic, LEGO art mosaic, custom LEGO replica, professional LEGO builder, LEGO professional, retail grand opening, store openings, movies, LEGO movie props, LEGO sculpture, LEGO sculptures, commission LEGO sculptor, LEGO sculptors, custom LEGO mosaic, commission LEGO mosaics, mural, murals, etc... Master Model Builder Search 2003
I was a finalist in the 2003 Master Model Builder Search that LEGOLAND California Resort put on to fill an open Master Model Builder position in their Model Shop. I made it in the last available first round in Orange County, California. I only heard about the competition a few days earlier! Close call. Anyway, I did not end up winning a position as a LEGOLAND Master Model Builder. They did hire three new Master Model Builders, though, not just one. The talented winners were Kristi Klein, Aaron Sneary and Nathan Sawaya. Following is the PR Newswire press release regarding the event: CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 21, 2003 PR Newswire - LEGOLAND California will leave no brick unturned in the national search for the next member of the LEGO Master Model Builder team. A dream job on the LEGOLAND Model Builder team has just opened up. The national job search opens on Oct. 30, 2003. The family theme park has partnered with The Art Institutes, America's leader in creative education, as the official host location in each city. After kicking off at The Art Institute of California-San Diego on Thursday, Oct. 30, the official Master Model Builder Search will head to Art Institutes in Washington D.C., Boston, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles before its final stop in Orange County, California. Finalists from each city will be invited to travel to the theme park in Carlsbad on Friday, Jan. 23, 2004 to interview for the ultimate job -- and the chance for the coveted spot as the seventh LEGO Master Model Builder. Candidates will have the opportunity to pre-register on line for an interview at www.LEGOMasterBuilder.com, and then meet face-to-face with LEGOLAND team members when the master model moderators arrive in their city. "Participants will have 2,000 LEGO bricks, and 45 minutes, to create a model. The specific theme of the project will not be announced until the clock starts, so contestants will truly have to exhibit creativity, strategy and calmness under pressure," said Patrick DeMaria, head of the building team and a Master Model Builder himself. "Each city's competition will have a different theme." Currently, six Master Model Builders work their magic at the park, maintaining more than 5,000 models composed of more than 30-million regulation LEGO bricks, and they are constantly dreaming up new creations. The Model Builders' job is to design, construct and maintain the models in the park. As a creative group, Master Model Builders have defied labels. They've studied architecture, sculpture, media design and art history; they've been postal workers, graphic artists and homemakers. They have been special effects technicians who built, then blew up, models for movies; they skydive, camp, play music and travel. They do have two things in common -- they've all been playing with LEGO bricks since they were kids, and they're passionate about their work. People will be able to track the progress of the Master Model Builder Search on a special dedicated Web site, and see photos of the winning models from each city. For more information about the competition, visit www.LEGOMasterBuilder.com. Working at LEGOLAND California Resort as a Master Model Builder
A little less than a year after the Master Model Builder Search, I heard of an available position in the LEGOLAND Model Shop! I was living locally, so I applied. I got a part-time, seasonal, temporary position in the Model Shop at LEGOLAND California Resort back in January of 2005. It wasn't a foot in the door, it was a toenail in the door. I was hired as a Model Associate, which is basically the lowest position in the Model Shop. But I was now a professional LEGO model builder! It was a dream come true and it felt AWESOME!! I couldn't believe I was getting paid to build LEGO models. They hired extra help to complete the Miniland New York cluster refurbishment. The new layout would include a 28-foot-tall LEGO model of the Freedom Tower, designed by William Webb and Glenn Christiansen, two great LEGO Designers. I was part of the model building team for that major project, I was not one of the LEGO Designers on that project, as I was just recently hired. My very first day of work, I gave a little input on the design of the LEGO Freedom Tower, and the idea was used! It even affected to look of the entire model. I felt part of an awesome team from day one! One of my first big designs at LEGOLAND California Resort as just a Model Associate was a custom LEGO mosaic for the upcoming LEGOLAND California Resort Star Wars Days event. It was pretty large - at 8.5 X 5 feet in size - it took 28 gray 48 x 48 LEGO baseplates to complete. That makes this LEGO mosaic 336 x 196 studs in size. A very interesting step in the design procedure on this LEGO project was the fact that it needed to be officially approved by Lucasfilm! My LEGO mosaic design was the main cover art off the [then] current LEGO Star Wars video game. The Pirate Shores area of LEGOLAND was under development at this time and the LEGOLAND California Model Shop was asked to design and build many of the LEGO models to go into the theme park's new attraction. I got to design a small treasure chest business card holder that was given away to clients and vendors as part of a LEGO model gift from the park. MY next pirate LEGO projects were for the Spalsh Battle ride. They were two life-size LEGO people seen at the beginning of the ride. One is a LEGO serenading minstrel and the other is a LEGO buxom wench. Both of the LEGO models were done what is called "double-up" style. This is when we emphasize the look of the LEGO bricks by doubling the size of a 1x1x1 brick to a 2x2x2 brick essentially. It is the LEGO sculptural equivalent to the pixelization of a digital image upon enlarging it. It looks chunky and too blocky in my honest opinion; although it doues have its place it some situations. About this same time, the Wild Woods Golf area (a new miniature golf course iat LEGOLAND California), was under construction. Our model shop was to be responsible for most of the LEGO content in this new attraction. I was assigned the rattlesnake model to design. It had been started by a previous model builder and I was to take over 20% into the project. This was a new situation for me, for sure. I had to use the existing beginnings of a prototype from someone else. The easy pasrt was done, I had to design the part that was elevated and had rebar inside. Not to mention the diamond back pattern that followed the twisted LEGO snake body the entire length of the model. THAT was a challenge... I created many "LEGO doodles" during my many years at LEGOLAND (during my ten-minute breaks, of course), which started with my LEGO Eggo waffle. I had heard that phrase so many times in my life, I figured I would finally just LEGO and Eggo - literally. About six months after I was hired as a LEGOLAND California Model Associate (I was also an "MC" - or "Model Citizen" - as LEGOLAND employees are called), a full-time Master Model Builder position came open! It was like a LEGO miracle. Usually a person had to wait for someone to die or get abducted by aliens for one of these coveted positions to open up. I was determined to get this position and I did! So I was now officially, Eric Hunter, a professional LEGO Master Model Builder. Wow. I couldn't believe it. The next big project coming down the line at LEGOLAND California Resort was the replacement of the New England harbor cluster. LEGOLAND Miniland Las Vegas was chosen to be the city to replace the harbor area. I was assigned two hotels to design and project manage to completion: The New York, NY and The Excalibur. Two fantastic architectural icons in the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada. The LEGO design to complete the New York, NY was crazy! The building has 39 different building facades that come together to make the skyline look. It was a huge amount of LEGO design work and LEGO project coordination to complete. The LEGO Excalibur Hotel model I designed was similarly difficult in the way that it had a variety of 26 different castle turret styles to design out of square LEGO bricks and plates. It was a very challenging project. I love being a LEGO designer. The road to becoming a freelance professional LEGO artist is a fun one! As a LEGO professional artist, conventions and trade shows are a great place to show your skills. Retail store openings and events are a lot of fun, too. I mostly love doing LEGO commissions. Custom commissioned LEGO artwork for an individual, a family or a company is usually a more personalized LEGO model. |
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XX001 New York Planters I built (not designed) 100 of these if I remember correctly. It was my very first project at my new job as an "Model Shop Associate" in the LEGOLAND Model Shop. How exciting!? |
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XX002 New York Signage I also built tons of A-frame signs that lined the NYC streets; I did not design these, either. This just was my first week at my new job as a LEGO Master Model Builder (to-be). |
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XX003 New York Freedom Tower I helped build this behemoth. It's the original approved design of the Freedom Tower back in 2005. Designed by William Webb. It was 28 feet tall and has since been removed and replaced at LEGOLAND California Resort. |
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XX004 LEGOLAND Joust Horse This was my official first design at LEGOLAND California! As part of the Golf Ball Machine, it's a small version of the horse from the Joust Horse ride at the LEGOLAND California Resort theme park. |
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XX005 Kid Power Tower This is part of the Golf Ball Machine, too; of which I have no pictures. If you have pictures of this from LEGOLAND California's Wild Woods Golf area, please send them to me! Thank you for your support. |
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XX006 Wild Woods Golf Ball Machine Like stated above, I have no pictures of this completed machine. Please help! |
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XX007 Storm Trooper for Scavenger Hunt This was my first model that needed official approval from Lucasfilm! It was an interesting process. Spolier alert, there will be many more models needing Lucasfilm approval... |
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XX008 Star Wars 30th Anniversary Mosaic Like this one. This is the second model I designed that would need Lucasfilm approval. It got approved first round; no changes! |
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XX009 Maintenance Trailer This little model was part of a going away gift for a Maintenance Department employee. It hooked up to a Gator golf cart mounted on a black base. See below. |
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XX010 Golf Cart w/Trailer Going Away Gift This is the going away gift upon final assembly. |
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XX011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Mosaic This is a 5' x 8.75' mosaic I designed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. |
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XX012 Buxom Wench |
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XX013 Rockin' Minstrel Dude |
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XX014 Rattlesnake |
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XX015 Treasure Chest Business Card Holder |
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XX016 Skull Map |
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XX017 Heisman Trophy |
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XX018 Reinforced Pirate Hook Hand |
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XX019 Complete LEGO Pirate |
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XX020 LEGO My Eggo Waffle |
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XX021 Two Girls Mosaic |
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XX022 Builders Guild Castle |
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XX023 New York, NY Hotel & Casino |
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XX024 Excalibur Hotel & Casino |
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XX025 LEGO Picasso - Going Away Gift |
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XX026 Triple Poinsettia Flower Display |
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XX027 Boy Mosaic |
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XX028 LEGO #2 Pool Ball |
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XX029 Korean Dignitary Mosaic |
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XX030 LEGOLAND Star Wars Days Mosaic |
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XX031 Two Boys Mosaic |
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XX032 Sam Sinister Mosaic |
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XX033 Pippin Reed Mosaic |
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XX034 Johnny Thunder Mosaic |
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XX035 Holiday Block Party Mosaic |
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XX036 Diesyseis de septiembre Mosaic |
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XX037 The Jumeirah Essex House Sign |
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XX038 The Jumeirah Essex House |
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XX039 Monkey Head |
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XX040 Dreidel |
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XX041 Burj Khalifa (6 feet tall) |
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XX042 Burj Khalifa (17.7 feet tall) |
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XX043 Chicago - Fire Station |
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XX044 Chicago - Water Tower |
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XX045 Chicago - The Willis Tower |
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XX046 Chicago - Fourth Presbyterian Church |
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XX047 Chicago - Richard J. Daley Building |
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XX048 Chicago - Richard J. Daley Sculpture |
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XX049 Chicago - Lighthouse |
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XX050 Chicago - Lighted Water Tower |
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XX051 Chicago - Two Prudential Building |
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XX052 Chicago - Wrigley Building |
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XX053 Chicago - Flashing Tourist |
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XX054 Chicago - Wacker House 1 |
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XX055 Chicago - Wacker House 2 |
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XX056 Chicago - Wacker House 3 |
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XX057 Earth Day Mosaic |
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XX058 Miniland Car - Mini Cooper S |
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XX059 Miniland Car - Mini Cooper Convertible |
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XX060 Miniland Car - Scion XB |
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XX061 Starry Night Mosaic |
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XX062 Persistence of Memory Mosaic |
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XX063 Mona Lisa Mosaic |
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XX064 The Scream Mosaic |
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XX065 Medieval Mace |
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XX066 Petronas Towers (32.85" tall) |
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XX067 Durian |
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XX068 Little League Baseball Hat & Ball for President Obama |
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XX069 Water Park Mosaic |
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XX070 New York, NY Brooklyn Bridge |
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XX071 FDNY Ten Truck |
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XX072 FDNY Ambulance |
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XX073 Horse Drawn Carriage |
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XX074 Vietnamese Street |
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XX075 Chopper Motorcycle |
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XX076 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible |
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XX077 Bass Fishing Boat |
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XX078 1955 Buick Special |
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XX079 Brokaw McDougall House |
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XX080 Tampa Bay - SunTrust Financial Building |
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XX081 Key West - Overseas Highway |
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XX082 Key West - Sloppy Moe's |
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XX083 Miami - Bacardi Building |
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XX084 Key West - Three-Conch Houses |
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XX085 St. Augustine - Cathedral Basilica |
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XX086 Central Florida - Orange Produce Truck |
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XX087 Miniland Car - 1965 Austin-Healy |
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XX088 Miami - "Colour" Colony Hotel |
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XX089 SoCal - Grauman's Chinese Theater |
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XX090 Tampa - TECO Trolley |
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XX091 Harley-Davidson w/Sidecar |
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XX092 Filipino House 1 |
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XX093 Filipino House 2 |
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XX094 Bolinao Lighthouse |
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XX095 MLK District Old Fire Station |
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XX096 Georgia Dome |
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XX097 Truman House |
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XX098 Dorothy's Farm & Tornado Animation |
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XX099 KC - Kauffman Stadium |
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XX100 Candian Post Truck |
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XX101 Candian Taxi Cab |
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XX102 VW Microbus |
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XX103 Suburban SUV |
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XX104 Mini Cooper |
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XX105 Ford Mustang |
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XX106 Station Wagon |
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XX107 Semi Flatbed Trailer |
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XX108 NYSE & Woolworth Buildings |
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XX109 Empire State Building |
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XX110 Sunnyside |
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XX111 Lyndhurst Castle |
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XX112 Malaysian Fire Hydrant |
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XX113 LEGOLAND Malaysia Hotel Reception Mosaic |
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XX114 BMO Building and Trump Tower |
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XX115 Star Wars - MTT |
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XX116 Star Wars - Garbage Masher |
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XX117 Star Wars - X-Wing, TIE Fighter & Y-Wing |
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XX118 Star Wars - Duel Background |
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XX119 Star Wars - Mos Eisley Cantina |
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XX120 Star Wars - Death Star Trench |
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XX121 8-wide Tanker Truck |
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XX122 8-wide News Truck |
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XX123 Treasure for Castle |
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XX124 Poppyseed Bagel |
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XX125 Muppet - Beaker |
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XX126 Pee-wee Herman |
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XX127 LEGO Brick Wall Study |
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XX128 Giant Scissors |
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XX129 School Bus |
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XX130 Ambulance |
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XX131 Garbage Truck |
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XX132 Pickup Truck |
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XX133 Peter Griffin |
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XX134 Catapult |
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XX135 Guillotine |
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XX136 Vespa Scooter |
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XX137 Snooker Table |
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XX138 TIE Fighter |
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XX139 Tissue Box Cover 2X4 LEGO Brick |