Tag Archives: Vignettes

Vignettes are like the haiku of the LEGO world. Usually built on a base 8 studs wide by 8 studs deep, vignettes show a little scene or a moment in time. But like written poetry, there’s plenty of variation on the basic theme.

Double, double toil and trouble; nice warm water and soapy bubble

I know this year feels like it’s going quickly, but surely we’re not in October already are we? We featured one LEGO witch here last week, and now Markus Rollbühler has graced us with another one. They couldn’t be more different, though, apart from the green skin and black robes. Oh, and the clever parts use! Some black curved arches lend some graceful shape do this witch’s dress, while the cauldron makes use of an inverted tire. I’m not sure what’s happening with that little mouse, though. Is she giving it a bath? That must be it. The green bottle in her other hand is clearly bath lotion. Nothing nefarious happening here, no sirree…

Brickscalibur 2023 Trophy: The Witch

What’s the best Christmas film to be rendered in LEGO?

December is a little over a week away, which means we will soon have the annual debate over what the second-best Christmas movie is. Wait, second-best? You heard me! You can keep your Home Alones, your Nutcracker adaptations and your Die Hards (if you’re that way inclined). As Eli Willsea clearly knows, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the undisputed festive film champion! It’s wholesome, it has some great songs, it’s not too cheesy (Muppet cast notwithstanding), and it inspires creative use of LEGO watering cans. What’s not to love?

"It's not easy being a green watering can"

Kids be gone, the candy is all mine!

I know the calendar says November and whatnot but, like my LEGO storage room, spookiness can’t be contained within one holiday. For some of us, it’s a way of life. This new creation by Casey McCoy is called Monster House. Rumor has it, that’s what my neighbors call my place but that’s just the cross I bear for being brooding and mysterious. And also having a skeleton in my front yard and doll heads like literally everywhere. I could learn some decorating tips from Casey’s vignette like the creepy eyes, spider webs, and olive green color scheme. Now to find a contractor who is willing to install a kid-eating demented hell-spirit into the facade of my place. Let me know in the comments if you know a guy; licensed and insured is preferable. While you’re at it, check out our Halloween archives for more spooktacular fun from like-minded builders.

Monster House - 1

Dance me to the stones and back

What do you get if you cross the Giant’s Causeway with Doctor Strange? That’s the vibe I’m getting from Daniel Church‘s kinetic LEGO vignette here. The geography looks quite otherworldly – I love the look of the hexagonal columns. But the meditating chap in the middle adds an extra layer of mysticism. This has to be some temple or shrine at the top of the tallest mountain, where only those seeking true enlightenment will dare to venture. And if you do make it to the top, and you achieve the inner peace you’ve been craving, you may get to see the stones dance thanks to Daniel’s clever mechanics.

The Monk and the Dancing Stones

Take a moment’s quiet in this atmospheric LEGO vignette

Whatever your take on their purpose, it has to be said that religious buildings like churches or cathedrals can be quite amazing places. There’s the spiritual aspect of course, but even on a purely material level, often they’re just downright pretty. That’s definitely the case with Casey McCoy‘s vignette. It’s a captivating scene depicting a priest in a moment of quiet contemplation. The whole thing is beautiful, but so are some of the building techniques! The cheese-slope stained glass windows are what draw the eye, and what give this scene its distinctive atmosphere. But cheese slopes are also used in the floor tiling to great effect. The candles are also great, made of Technic pins and lever handles.

A Priest’s Prayer - 1

You may be wondering how the Casey has managed to manipulate the figure into that quite un-minifigure like pose. The answer is with rubberbands, care and a lot of patience! A white rubberband also doubles as his clerical collar, which is a nice touch. There’s a good view of it here – a gorgeous snapshot that almost makes you hear the echoing silence of an empty church.

A Priest’s Prayer - 3

I am altering your LEGO build. Pray I do not alter it further.

Say what you like about Darth Vader, but he sure has an eye for the dramatic. You’d expect nothing less from a guy who walks around in a cape. Remember when he stopped a laser bolt with his hand in The Empire Strikes Back? If you don’t, Nathan Smith is here to jog your memory with this superbly-framed scene. It makes you wonder how long Vader was waiting there. Was he waiting in that dramatic pose for hours before our heroes arrived? Maybe that’s why he was so sassy when they finally did show up. The Dark Lord of the Sith doesn’t take kindly to tardiness, it seems.

It would be an honor

LEGO Creation of the Week (#28): “Die in Your Arms” by Casey McCoy

Every week readers of the The Brothers Brick Telegram channel choose the Creation of the Week: one project that impressed all of us the most. Casey McCoy gets almost a third of all votes cast by our readers with his charming Die in Your Arms diorama. Such a touching scene, with lovely color palette. Well-deserved!

Meanwhile, the new vote is already on! Join our Telegram channel to follow all the best LEGO creations, latest news, and, of course, vote for your favorites. See you there!

A pair of ripping LEGO railcars, with scenes to match

Builder Pieter Post has a history of some excellent LEGO railcar productions, and this pair of scenes adds two more to that list. First up is a rail weigh station, featuring a beautiful hopper car in brown. Here, his wonderful technique relies heavily on jumper plates to create the reinforcements along the sides of the car. I also applaud his use of brackets and cheese slopes to get the perfect clean slope up the sides of the hopper. The surrounding vignette is almost as detailed as the car, showing a daredevil railworker falling from a ladder while trying to change a lightbulb. What an unlucky fellow!

Why women live longer than men. Part XXVI..

He’s almost as unlucky as the night watchman in Pieter’s other scene. Featuring a boxcar clad in dark green, the creation employs some brilliant tiling technique to provide a smooth, slatted look. The use of depth to break up the sides of the railcar, just as on the hopper car, is truly inspired. Hopefully the bandit in this scene doesn’t give the guard too much trouble…

Seconds from disaster..

This moody piece gives us the blues. Several shades of it.

When describing this LEGO creation, a commenter on Casey McCoy’s photo stream said it best; “I’ve never had a lego model stir my heart the way this one does. Absolutely fantastic composition and beautiful use of color. This is art.” When something like this evokes such profound emotions, it is art indeed. This piece is called Die in Your Arms and I’ve found myself gazing at this image for long moments at a time. Perhaps the dead being was already white when they were alive but I imagine that, as its soul drains from its body, so does the blue color. Casey tells us that this model only uses the following colors: Black, Dark Blue, Dark Azure, Medium Azure, Dark Bley (bluish gray), Light Bley, Light Aqua, and White. He also went on to say that it won Best Vignette at Brickworld Chicago 2023. The folks of Brickworld most certainly made the right choice.

Die in Your Arms

What’s cookin’ in the kitchen?

I’m always so impressed by the level of awesome parts usage in some of these LEGO vignettes people are producing lately. Just when you think all the good ideas and designs are taken, someone else does it all over again. This particular build by Marcin Otreba is one of my all-time favorites. It’s just so quaint and cozy. The color palette is lovely as well. While common great parts usage abounds, like the axles, wands, and small horns used as furniture legs, and skates for drawer pulls, there’s also plenty of unique stuff too. I love what this builder did with the clam shell behind the sink. I’m also a fan of the stove burners, the bread pan on the table, and even the simple, tan, “window glass” cutting board tucked under the window sill.

Vintage Kitchen

While you’re here, check out some other builds by Marcin, as well as more awesome vignettes.

A LEGO Gnome and his patch of mushrooms

This stout LEGO gnome built by 8mm-plastic has lots of character, from the rumpled hat to that big fluffy beard. He stands beside a well-crafted mushroom while glittering butterflies flutter. At first glance, it might seem that those butterflies are the smallest creatures in the build, but look closely on the ground in front of the mushroom and you’ll find a snail made from just 2 parts.

A Gnome and his Magical Mushrooms

This LEGO pilot is dreaming big, on a little budget

Sometimes using a limited number of parts is an excellent forcing function to drive creativity, or in the case of this simple vignette by Justus M pilot creativity. This airplane is built from boxes and tables and uses everyday household objects like a desk lamp and a dart board. It looks like these young adventurers have everything they need to fly off into the sunset of imagination.

The Dream of Flying.