Couple Brick Figures: How to Design, Build, and Display Your Own Characters



custom action figures have become one of the most popular ways for LEGO fans to bring their favorite characters, original creations, and even real people to life in brick form. These stylized, blocky figures are compact, fun to build, and surprisingly detailed when designed well. Whether you are a beginner just discovering BrickHeadz or an experienced MOC (My Own Creation) builder, learning how to create custom BrickHeadz opens up endless creative possibilities.



In this guide, you’ll learn what custom BrickHeadz are, how to design your own, which parts and techniques work best, and how to share or display your creations.



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## What Are Custom BrickHeadz?



BrickHeadz are a LEGO theme featuring small, collectible, brick-built characters with a distinctive “chibi” or super-deformed style: big square heads, small bodies, and simplified details. Official sets cover themes like:



- Star Wars

- Marvel and DC Super Heroes

- Disney and Pixar

- Seasonal and holiday characters

- Popular movies, TV shows, and games



Custom BrickHeadz are fan-made versions of this style. Builders use the same basic proportions and internal structure but design their own characters, including:



- Movie, TV, anime, and game characters not released by LEGO

- Famous people, streamers, and musicians

- Original characters and mascots

- Personalized BrickHeadz of friends and family



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## Why Build Custom BrickHeadz?



Custom BrickHeadz are popular in the LEGO community for several reasons:



- **Compact and affordable**: They use relatively few parts and don’t take much display space.

- **Recognizable**: The format is consistent, so a custom build looks like it “belongs” next to official BrickHeadz.

- **Creative challenge**: You must capture a character’s personality and key features with limited space and simple shapes.

- **Gift potential**: A BrickHeadz version of a friend, partner, or coworker makes a unique, personalized gift.



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## Understanding the Standard BrickHeadz Format



Before designing your own custom BrickHeadz, it helps to understand the typical structure LEGO uses.



### Basic Proportions



Most BrickHeadz follow a shared framework:



- **Head**: Roughly 4×4 studs wide and deep, and about 4–5 bricks tall

- **Body**: Typically 4 studs wide, 3 studs deep, around 3 bricks tall

- **Arms**: 1×2 plates/tiles or small brick-built appendages on hinges or clips

- **Feet/Base**: Usually a small platform (around 4×6) with printed tiles or simple decoration



Sticking close to this format ensures your custom BrickHeadz fit nicely with official ones.



### Internal Structure



Inside the head and body you’ll usually find:



- **SNOT bricks (Studs Not On Top)**, like 1×1 bricks with studs on the side

- **1×2 bricks with 2 studs** on the side for attaching facial details

- **Plates and brackets** to hold the outer shell of tiles and curved slopes in place



You can reverse-engineer this by building an official BrickHeadz set and studying how it is put together.



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## Planning Your Custom BrickHeadz Design



A successful custom BrickHeadz starts with planning. Think about the following:



### 1. Choose the Right Character



Pick someone or something with distinctive features that stand out even in simplified form:



- Iconic hair silhouettes

- Unique outfits or color schemes

- Clear accessories (helmet, weapon, hat, glasses, instrument)

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Characters with very subtle differences or plain clothing can be harder to recognize as BrickHeadz without extra detailing.



### 2. Identify Key Visual Traits



Make a quick list of 3&ndash;5 traits that define the character:



- Hair shape and color

- Clothing style (armor, suit, dress, robe, sports uniform)

- Signature colors

- Accessories (cape, goggles, staff, shield, pet)



Your goal is to capture these traits in simplified brick form.



### 3. Decide on Scale and Style



Most builders stick with the standard BrickHeadz height, but you can adjust:



- **Chibi style only**: Big head, small body (classic BrickHeadz look)

- **Slightly taller**: For characters who need extra details in clothes or armor

- **Paired builds**: Couples, rival characters, or hero-villain duos sharing a base



Consistency matters if you plan to display multiple figures together.



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## Designing Custom BrickHeadz: Step-by-Step



### Step 1: Start with a Template



Use an official BrickHeadz set as a physical template, or download common digital templates from:



- **Stud.io** (BrickLink&rsquo;s building software)

- **LEGO Digital Designer (LDD)** archives, if you have old files

- Community-shared Blank BrickHeadz files



These templates give you a basic skeleton to modify.



### Step 2: Design the Head



The head is where recognition happens.



- **Eyes**: Official BrickHeadz use 1&times;1 printed round tiles with white dots; you can also use plain black tiles or custom-printed pieces.

- **Hair**:

- Use curved slopes, wedges, and plates to recreate bangs, curls, spikes, or ponytails.

- Work in layers from front to back to get shape and volume.

- **Face details**:

- Glasses: 1&times;2 or 1&times;4 tiles, bars, or frames built from plates and clips.

- Beards or masks: Plates and tiles attached via SNOT bricks under the eyes.

- Ears: Modified plates or jumper plates on the sides.



Experiment to keep the front view clean and readable.



### Step 3: Build the Body and Clothing



The body expresses outfit and personality.



- **Torso color blocking**: Use different colored plates and tiles to suggest jackets, shirts, belts, or armor.

- **Capes and coats**:

- Brick-built: Thin layers of plates/tiles attached to the back.

- Fabric: Official LEGO cape pieces, if you like mixed textures.

- **Logos and symbols**: Recreate simplified logos using small tiles, or use printed tiles when possible.



Aim for a recognizable silhouette from the front and side.



### Step 4: Add Arms and Accessories



Arms are simple but important.



- **Standard arms**: 1&times;2 plates or brackets extending from the body.

- **Posed arms**: Use clip hinges or ball joints if you want them angled.

- **Accessories**:

- Weapons: Swords, blasters, staffs, hammers built from bars and small elements.

- Tools/Instruments: Microphones, wrenches, guitars, books, wands.

- Props: Small builds like a mini pet, a backpack, or a laptop stand on the base.



Accessories often make the character instantly identifiable.



### Step 5: Design the Base



Most BrickHeadz stand on a small rectangular base.



- **Standard base**: 4&times;6 or similar with a few studs exposed for the feet.

- **Decorated base**: Add tiles, printed nameplates, or small scenery elements (rocks, plants, tech panels).

- **Themed base**: Match the character&rsquo;s environment: snow for ice heroes, sand for desert characters, green for forest figures.



If you&rsquo;re displaying multiple BrickHeadz, keep base dimensions consistent.



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## Choosing Parts and Colors for Custom BrickHeadz



Good parts selection makes your build cleaner and more expressive.



### Useful Part Types



- **SNOT bricks**: 1&times;1 and 1&times;2 bricks with studs on sides are essential.

- **Curved slopes**: For hair, helmets, shoulders, and rounded clothing.

- **Tiles**: To smooth surfaces on the face and clothing.

- **Jumper plates**: Allow half-stud offsets for centered details (like ties or buttons).

- **Clips and bars**: For glasses, weapons, and small accessories.



### Color Tips



- **Match skin tones thoughtfully**: LEGO offers light nougat, nougat, medium nougat, reddish brown, and other tones.

- **Avoid too many colors**: Stick to your character&rsquo;s key palette; 2&ndash;3 main colors plus accent colors usually look best.

- **Contrast matters**: Use darker outlines or different shades to separate features like belts, boots, or gloves.



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## Digital Tools for Designing Custom BrickHeadz



You don&rsquo;t need to build physically right away. Many builders design digitally first.



Popular tools:



- **Stud.io**

- Free, modern, and integrates with BrickLink for part availability and pricing.

- Lets you render high-quality images of your custom BrickHeadz.



- **Mecabricks (web-based)**

- Browser-based editor with good rendering options.



Benefits of digital design:



- Try unlimited color and part combinations.

- Check structural stability before buying bricks.

- Create building instructions to share with others.



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## Sourcing Parts for Your Custom BrickHeadz



Once your design is ready, you&rsquo;ll need the parts in real life.



### Reuse from Official Sets



- Break down existing BrickHeadz or other LEGO sets to harvest:

- SNOT bricks

- Plates and tiles in neutral colors

- Common curved slopes



### Order from Online Marketplaces



- **BrickLink**: The largest marketplace for individual LEGO parts.

- **Pick a Brick / Bricks & Pieces (LEGO Shop)**: Official LEGO channels for new parts.



Tips:



- Generate a parts list from your digital model to avoid guesswork.

- Use common, widely available pieces when designing to keep costs lower.



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## Sharing Your Custom BrickHeadz



Part of the fun is showing your work to the LEGO community.



### Take Clear Photos



- Use a neutral background (white or light gray).

- Good lighting from the front and sides to avoid harsh shadows.

- Photograph:

- Front view

- Side views

- Back view

- Close-ups of important details



### Post Online



Popular platforms for BrickHeadz MOCs:



- Instagram and TikTok (short videos and photo carousels)

- Flickr (high-quality photo galleries)

- Reddit communities like r/lego and r/legoMOCs

- Rebrickable (for sharing instructions and part lists)



Always credit inspiration sources if you closely followed another builder&rsquo;s style.



### Create Building Instructions



If you want others to build your design:



- Use Stud.io&rsquo;s instruction generator.

- Provide a parts list (XML or CSV) for BrickLink.

- Consider offering some instructions for free and some as paid downloads if you invest a lot of time.



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## Ideas for Custom BrickHeadz Projects



If you need inspiration, try themed collections:



- **TV and streaming series casts**

- **Video game character lineups**

- **Holiday and seasonal figures** (custom Santa, elves, spooky monsters, etc.)

- **Family and friends**: BrickHeadz portraits with matching outfits

- **Event gifts**: Wedding couples, graduation figures, baby shower keepsakes



Creating sets of related characters makes for impressive displays and fun photo series.



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## Common Mistakes to Avoid



- **Overcomplicating the design**: Too many tiny details can make the figure look messy. Prioritize clarity.

- **Ignoring proportions**: A head that is too small or arms that are too long can break the BrickHeadz look.

- **Weak internal structure**: Don&rsquo;t rely only on tiles and plates; make sure the core is solid.

- **Color clashes**: Using too many bright colors can distract from the character&rsquo;s main features.



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## Getting Started with Your First Custom BrickHeadz



To begin today:



1. Build an official BrickHeadz set and study the structure.

2. Choose a simple, recognizable character with clear colors and hair.

3. Sketch or note the character&rsquo;s 3&ndash;5 key visual traits.

4. Use a blank BrickHeadz template in Stud.io or mimic one from your physical set.

5. Test a basic version, then refine hair, clothing details, and accessories.



With each build, you&rsquo;ll get better at translating real or fictional characters into this stylized, collectible format.



Custom BrickHeadz offer a perfect mix of structure and freedom: a fixed style with infinite possibilities. Once you master the basics, you can fill a shelf with your favorite heroes, friends, and original characters&mdash;all in brick form.