Triceratops

Name of Model: it means three-horned face.

Created by: w9gfo

Found at: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=423779

Details: Yes, I know there are a bunch of great specialized parts for building dinosaurs. I know that there are plenty of interesting ways to use Bionicle parts to get that organic effect. I think it's a bit more impressive, though, when someone manages to use a variety of common parts to build a realistic creature. This one isn't just beautifully textured with its clever use of various slope parts - it also has functional joints. Mecha builders have used all these techniques before - it's not exactly a shocker that pneumatic T elements and other pieces with a "bar" attached to them connect to the various parts with clips on them. Here, though, the effect is surprisingly organic, even though it usually looks more mechanical (and thus perfect for your average evil killer robot from the future). Another nifty trick is the way plates with an extra hole are used to construct the leg joints. Between the use of more conventional parts (even the horns are built out of smaller parts!) and the functional element of this model, this model is easily one of the most interesting dinosaurs I've seen built out of LEGO elements in a long while.