Explore the delightfully dark builds of Corvus Auriac

We’re shining a spotlight on the gothic creations from fan builder Corvus Auriac. Read the interview and see the spectacular model images here.

From mythical creatures to haunting paintings, if there’s one thing LEGO® builder Corvus Auriac knows, it’s how to design a truly magnificent macabre creation.

The 34-year-old, whose real name is Cesar, lives in Spain and works in the army. But on the side, he’s one hell of a Master Builder.

Rediscovering his passion for the brick through LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) in 2017, his builds span microscale landscapes, buildings and large objects that often have a touch of the eerie and supernatural. From medieval and historical to fantasy and dark themes, each has, as he puts it, an ‘adult touch’.

We chat with this impressive builder, exploring six of his darkest gothic-style builds...

Tricky techniques

Inspired by video games and their art books, Cesar has endless ideas. But where to begin? He explains: “I’ll start a project with a sketch and from that, I’ll start designing it digitally.”

When sketching his creations, he mentions that for tricky techniques, he builds them first with physical pieces, to ensure they can be built in real life, adding that it’s “something I’ve learned over the years!”. Once the design is finished, Cesar makes renders before asking the all-important question – to build, or not to build?

Conception to completion

In Cesar’s case, the answer is usually to build.

With each of his designs taking up to 40 hours to complete, Cesar believes there’s infinite possibilities to explore and achieve ‘perfection’. That said, there are times where his mind has changed mid-process when he didn’t like the result – leading to a brand-new project, repurposing discarded material.

Importantly for Cesar, having his personality reflected in his work is something he always seeks to achieve. “Lots of people have told me my catalogue is easily recognizable; I guess I’m succeeding on that front.” And we certainly agree!

Six of Cesar’s darkest builds...

Heart Artifact

Epic, dark and truly captivating, this build defies the natural brick shape, resulting in a striking, oozingly realistic creation. Inspiration for this nightmarish object came from the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and represents “an arcane object, draining energy from hearts and transmuting it into magic for the sorcerer who possesses it.”

Cesar admits that shaping the heart “was quite a challenge”, but just look at the outcome! In every piece, there are secrets to unveil and details that will leave you in awe. “Look closely,” says Cesar, “and you’ll notice the small, red windows that give a glimpse of the blood in the inner tank.”

Gargoyle

This grotesque creature is Cesar’s favorite piece, inspired by the gargoyles of Batman’s Gotham City. He says, “I usually design buildings and ‘dead’ items, so the humanoid/animal shapes in this one really took me out of my comfort zone.”

It’s easy to imagine Cesar’s creation lurking on the rooftops of Gotham City, but we love how this design could also be used as an ornament at home. Just picture it as a paperweight, or two of them as bookends!

“After tons of attempts, I think I achieved a nice shape, with some interesting NPUs. Now I just need the mini claw piece (53451) in Dark Stone Gray, and it will be perfect!”

Antique Hourglass

Time flies. Especially with a piece like this, taking two days to design!

Although it may not be functional, the exquisite detail in this build makes it hard to believe it’s not. Cesar’s favorite elements are the covers, “as they can be customized to change the shape of the tiles, and the colors.”

Spirit in the Painting

Hauntingly eye-catching, Cesar submitted this brick frame with a ghoul breaking through the canvas for a LEGO Ideas Ghostbusters challenge, but the ornate frame itself was based on one he created as a gift for his mother.

“I mostly had the design for the frame,” Cesar explains. “I simply added the ghost, and a drawing made with slopes. The latter was difficult because the measurements had to be millimetric.”

Well, the project title is very fitting – there’s certainly spirit in this painting!

Mimic and Beholder

Created for another LEGO Ideas contest, this devilish design celebrates iconic Dungeons & Dragons characters, the Mimic and the Beholder.

“A chest was one of the first things I built as an adult,” says Cesar. “The LEGO bricks I used for that became the base of the Mimic, switching the gold metal details for silver. For the Beholder, I used the monster from LEGO Marvel set Gargantos Showdown (76205) as inspiration.”

Iron Throne

Winter is coming, along with this Iron Throne in miniature LEGO form.

Cesar admits he thought this design was a “waste of time” at first. Oh, how wrong he was!

“It had an incredible reception that surprised even me,” he says. “It’s a good example of how practically anything is possible with LEGO bricks.”

Cesar’s tips for budding designers? “Start small. It’ll be so satisfying to complete your first MOC, even if it’s something simple. And always save any abandoned designs – you never know when they might come in handy!”