A scoundrel with a big heart, HAN SOLO‘s initial self-serving motives unexpectedly led him to become a pivotal figure in the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire. His journey from charming smuggler to crucial freedom fighter captivated audiences, and we knew capturing his iconic look was essential for the exhibition.
LEGO® BRICKS
BUILD HOURS
For our Han Solo model, we specifically focused on his appearance in Return of the Jedi, complete with his signature black vest, off-white shirt, and brown pants. To achieve a more screen-accurate representation of his trousers, we opted for Dark Brown LEGO® bricks and plates. However, this choice presented a unique building challenge due to the relatively limited range of brick shapes available in that particular colour!
The distinctive line of Bright Yellow stripes running down the outer seams of his pants not only helped to break up the expanse of brown but also provided a useful visual guide for counting the layers as we built. Unfortunately, a single brick height proved too visually dominant for the stripes, so we had to utilize two plates high for each stripe. While this achieved the desired thinness, it did add a layer of complexity when it came to securely locking down each subsequent layer of the pants.
Han’s iconic belt and holster gave us a chance to add some cool details, like the various buckles, pouches and a code cylinder attached to his waist. While we could attach most of these elements using straightforward SNOT (Studs Not On Top) bricks, some of the trickier angled components, like his octagonal buckles, required a careful arrangement of hinges to achieve the correct orientation and look. His entire holster assembly had to be attached using multiple ball joints to secure the right angle.
As with our other character builds, we dedicated a significant amount of time to capturing Han Solo’s likeness as closely as possible. We utilised Light Nougat curved slopes and sideways building techniques to replicate as many subtle nuances of Harrison Ford’s features as we could. We even incorporated his distinctive chin scar using a thin line of Brick Yellow brackets.
Han’s entire head is mounted at an angle, his gaze following the line of his trusty blaster. This required a secure and deep connection within the model. However this angle resulted in a noticeable gap across the front of his neck, which we carefully filled with a series of precisely placed tiles and cheese slopes.
Finally, the blaster Han wields in Return of the Jedi differs from the previous two films, so it was crucial to accurately represent the distinct colour on its tip. The blaster also features a tonne of detail along its length, which we recreated using numerous elements attached sideways to capture the small curves and cylindrical forms.
Witness these incredible models and more at the world-first LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition. Embark on an epic, hands-on adventure through the Star Wars galaxy – Created by Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and his talented team with over eight million LEGO bricks and 25,000+ build hours. Now open at Melbourne Museum.
