#246 Q&A with a Master Builder: Answers from Daryl Mark Ng

Today, Master Builder Daryl Mark Ng will be answering your questions from last week. Make sure to check out his MOCs via his Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/148920805@N04/page1/

So let’s get into it, with today’s questions being taken from previous weeks, and some really useful information:

“How do you decide what scale you will be building at?” Answer: “I find the most difficult part of the build to create in terms of scale. LEGO, as exhaustive as its parts list is, is still finite. So some angles/shapes can’t be created at all scales. I usually select an area I believe would be the most difficult, and then scale everything to that. Having said that, I am not concerned about having to scale everything to a certain size. Just as long as its display size.”

“How did you get into MOC building and what were your first creations?” Answer: “I never really considered myself as a creative/design person. So I really got into it just to have a creative avenue. I initially started doing buildings, dioramas before moving to Star Wars vehicles. I still find ships/vehicles the most challenging.”

“Do you have an all-time favourite piece to include in your MOCs, or your current favourite that you like using?"” Answer: “No particular piece really, as I've built at many sizes. But I do dissect other builds and LEGO builds to learn techniques and have them in my 'library' of techniques I can use.”

“Have you ever considered a job as a LEGO designer for The LEGO Group? If not, why?” Answer: “No I have not. I do not think I would be that good at it. Also my day job pays the bills and funds this addictive hobby so I’m happy enough haha.”

“What is the hardest part of building a MOC for you?” Answer: “I would break it down into 3 areas. Currently I only build Star Wars stuff, though I have fiddled with other stuff on the side. So my 1st step is finding something I like, and then finding good reference pictures and measurements. 2nd is going right into the design. This is the most fun part for me. 3rd is physically building it. This part would be the hardest for me as I hate having to wait to acquire bricks and also sort them. Sorting is a killer for me.”

“How long have you been building and working on MOCs? Was there a turning point when you became producing really good builds?” Answer: “Not very long, maybe 5 years? I wouldn’t say I’m very good, but I do have some stuff which people like. I like to learn new techniques and going through other builds and LEGO builds, fiddling around with bricks etc. I won’t buy LEGO sets, but I will go through the manuals just to see if there is anything new and interesting. So in that sense, I keep learning, and having a good memory just helps increase that skill level.

“Do you jump straight into the parts and build, or do you spend time considering your direction?” Answer: “I'll do some measurements 1st. And then I design it digitally (as I don’t have a large stash of sorted LEGO), so I know what bricks I need to get. It’s good to have some direction and planning as you don’t want to end up having too many revisions being made. Having said that, I design pretty fast. Its acquiring bricks/sorting bricks that takes me awhile.”

Thanks again to Daryl for answering all these questions and for taking the time share his experience. Make sure to follow him on Flickr and check out his website for instructions for some of his MOCs or UCS sticker sheets!