The Bricks Box

MEET THE MAKER: THE BUILDER BEHIND THE VISION

INTERVIEW BY GIORGIO D'ALBANO

56th episode: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 GAVIN MCINTOSH a.k.a. GAVERAGE MOCS

Where are you from and what did you study?

I’m from Scotland, and not currently studying

What do you do, what job do you do now?

Sadly nothing to do with the bricks! I’m working in a retail position

What inspired you to become a LEGO builder?

I’ve always had LEGO as part of my life, but it was only during the Covid pandemic I had the time and opportunity to try my own things

Where do you get inspiration for your creations?

Most of my inspiration comes from other builders, mainly the Instagram community, but I take inspiration from movies/games and often real life things that I come across

What is your favorite LEGO work that you have built so far?

That’s a tough one! I’d have to say either my latest build ‘A Hidden Gem’ or my diorama of the bathroom from Saw, as I feel they are the most well rounded and thought out builds

What has been the most complex challenge you have faced as a LEGO builder?

Motivation! I find it all too easy to start a build but the longer I spent time on it the more critical I become of it, it can be very easy to simply scrap the build and start something else

Do you have a favorite technique or a special method that you use in your constructions?

Probably stud offsets! You can make some truly unique things when you go off grid, it can be a quite chaotic way of building using Snot bricks and Brackets, they can easily lead to baffling quarter plate offsets, but highly rewarding results!

What themes or subjects do you like to explore the most in your creations?

I have only recently started trending into a still life approach to my builds, tending to lean more into a vibe or feeling, than a moment/event. It has gave me a more rewarding experience to finish my vision and to have captured something more than just a build

What is the largest or most ambitious project you have ever made?

Typically I don’t tend to build for size, more for attention to detail, my largest build would only be 32x32, in terms of ambitious projects it would have to be the ones I spend far too much money on bulk pieces such as my Saw diorama or Mandalorian diorama

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an expert LEGO builder?

Just start! It’s not something that comes immediately natural to most people at the start but the more you build the more you will grow as a builder, interacting with the community/joining servers devoted to helping up and coming builders is essential! As long as you have the drive to keep at it and the ability to take constructive feedback and use it, there’s no limit to how far you can go!

Link Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaverage_mocs/

Link Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/193877736@N07/