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.

A bad day fishing still beats a good day working

LEGO builder Mike Sinclair tells us that at least a couple of men in his family enjoy fishing. As a result, be built this neat little diorama called Grandpa’s Favorite Spot. But where’s grandpa? I see his fishing rod, his favorite chair that, if taken apart, could look right at home at a ski resort. I also see a beverage can as well as a glass bottle in the drink with a message inside. All of his favorite elements are here but grandpa is off galavanting somewhere else. I get the hunch that with grandpa his enjoyment for fishing isn’t always in the fish he can catch but rather the feeling of just being in a favorite place. I can relate; I love being in certain spaces even if I don’t achieve my stated purpose for getting there. It’s probably for the best, anyway. From the looks of it, the fish aren’t even biting.

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Neverending childhood trauma recreated in LEGO

There’s something special about ’80s kids’ films: their practical effects, a spirit of adventure, and a willingness to scar audiences for life with nightmare fodder. Perhaps no scene broke so many young hearts as Atreyu losing his horse Artax in the Swamps of Sadness. Jack McKeen recreates this iconic scene from The Neverending Story with a LEGO tribute that has me both awed by the technique and fighting back tears. I’m impressed by the brown tiles transitioning to slopes around the sinking horse; you can almost feel the horse being sucked into the swamp. The base, built from writhing vines and dinosaur tails, is eye-catching. And Jack’s minifig Atreyu couldn’t be more perfect.

The Neverending Story is one of my favorite films, but the book it’s based on is even better. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a treat at any age. And you can relive Artax’s tragic end, only in the original version he talks as he drowns!

Knight bricks and chill

This crisp mountain scene by LEGO builder Nicholas Goodman is a lesson in atmosphere. The visuals are engaging – strong and clean, conveying depth and detail with terrific balance in both color and texture (studded and smooth) – but also evoke the other senses. As my eye is drawn in, I can practically smell the frozen air and hear the slushy hoof-thumps. The scene itself is deceptively simple, leaving much room for imaginative interpretation. Will the “Guardian of the Pass” and his faithful companion warmly welcome this traveler? Has he come with the thaw to relieve their solitary duty? Or is this chilling moment a prelude to mounting conflict between two nations…

A minimalist LEGO camper packs some nostalgia

True minifigure scale in a detailed LEGO vehicle can be hard to pull off, but this Volkswagon camper by Nick Kleinfelder comes close. At just 6 studs wide, with some clever use of brackets to shape the wheel wells and studs not on top side panels, this camper packs a lot of unusual building techniques into a small package. One of my favorite parts used is the black roller skate element for the door handle.

For some insight into how this compact camper came together, check out this view of the interior construction!

Bricking the micro-waves

Sometimes it’s the tiniest LEGO builds that stop you in your tracks. That was definitely the case with this vignette of two pixie-sized ships fleeing a wave of mutilation from builder Louis of Nutwood. Take a moment to appreciate Louis’ brilliant ship design, with croissant sails and frog bows. The gradient of water, from inky black to white sea foam, as well as the irregularly shaped base, add to the drama.

The Christmas good, the bad, and the ...huh?

LEGO builder Kristel Whitaker presents a sweet little Christmas vignette of a reindeer barn. First we have the good, thich is getting to pet a baby reindeer. Very nice! Next is the bad, which is having to scoop the poopy. I wonder what that elf did to get on the naughty list. Finally we have the…ugly? The funny? The weird? We’re not too sure how to categorize this one but Santa is napping on the roof with what appears to be a liquor bottle and a pizza. There’s no judgements here. We’ve all been there, right?

This is sort of tangentially Christmas-related but here is another vignette that we noticed earlier this month of Mrs.Gingerbread baking some delicious heart cookies. Perhaps they’re laced with a little something extra, which could explain why Santa is napping on the roof.

Michael Jasper’s li’l choppers

The gearhead kid in Michael Jasper‘s latest vignette might not be ready for their first tattoo, but in every other way, they’re a chip off the old motor block. Dad’s ride is a masterpiece of minifig scale engineering, combining tools, droid arms, and precious chrome details to form a motorcycle of uncanny detail. Junior’s RC chopper, with its beanie propeller handlebars, is a six-element wonder. Of course, Michael’s minifig designs and expressions bring the scene to life.

While Michael Jasper hasn’t been as prolific of late, he was one of the most featured builders during the early years of this site and his skill at recreating furniture and objects at minifig scale continues to inspire builders to this day. He impressed us long ago with his mini motorcycles, like this sidecar duo from 2007 and this blinged-out chopper from 2009. A new Michael Jasper motorcycle build is a wonderful holiday gift indeed!

Placid plastic (brick) duck simulator

One of the weirder gaming experiences I had this year was playing Placid Plastic Duck Simulator. If you haven’t played it – and I use the word ‘played’ loosely – it’s an idle game where you watch a bunch of rubber ducks floating around. Why am I telling you this? Because Eli Willsea has created an equally tranquil rubber duck simulator, but this one made of LEGO bricks. In truth, the ducks are probably the most conventional part of this build. There’s some clever parts use, including artists’ boards for lilypads and green katanas for reeds. And the most eye-catching is the use of clear 1x2x5 bricks with some lighting behind them to create the water. Is it realistic? Well, no, probably not. But is it pretty? You bet!

We love Eli’s builds at TBB. I’m going to watch more rubber duckies float around on my screen, but you should go and see what else we’ve featured from Eli over the years.

You only get one shot (to take in this scene)

“The crunch of snow beneath my boots betrayed my presence with every step. The forest, a solemn witness to my journey, contoured the world with branches heavy under the weight of winter.” Even without those words, it’s amazing how much of a story the simple but beautiful LEGO build tells. “Prey,” by Louis Nutwood, transports you to a single moment as a solitary hunter stalks a rabbit half-hidden in the snow. Gazing at this build, the world goes still until all you can hear is the sound of your own heartbeat in your ears as you take aim. Will the shaft fly true? Or will the hunter go hungry?

Here’s one LEGO hedgehog who takes it slow

Small LEGO scenes like this make me smile. With just a few parts and a simple story, Eli Willsea crafts a fun and colorful vignette of a hedgehog taking a walk after a light rain. The chopstick element makes perfect spines, yellow rainboots are instantly recognizable, and he even has a frog friend along for the ride.

Beginner’s Guide to Adventuring – Always bring your harpoon

I let LEGO phenom Bart De Dobbelaer title this passage. I merely copy/pasted it from his Flickr page because sometimes the builder’s own idea is by far better than whatever silliness I had in mind. Building bizarre alien worlds is not bizarre for Bart. It’s kinda his thing. But each time I’m enthralled with the level of imagination and storytelling. To further copy/paste from Bart (Is it good journalism or just laziness? You decide!) “Dear diary, today I went treasure hunting at the old temple ruin. Luckily I brought my harpoon with me as the place was swarming with crustaceans. I guess I’m having shrimp cocktail this evening. Pete.” But Bart-or-um-Pete, I have a question. Are they still called shrimp if they’re the size of a city bus?

Steam on!

“In a world of floating islands, Elias . . . knew every lever, every pipe, and every sound it made. But his eyes often wandered atop the workshop, where his air balloon stood, waiting to lift off.” That’s how Gus (aka Faëbricks) begins the tale surrounding this tall vignette called “Sogno di Volare,” and personally, he had me at “floating islands.” The model has clear industrial, steampunk vibes from the brick foundation to the moored airship—and speaking of that airship, how cute is that thing? It’s a compact, one-seater model perfect for gallivanting around those floating islands.

As Gus continues: “One day, he promised himself, he’d set his balloon free, leaving the steam and noise behind, and float into the wide, open sky.” Here’s hoping our little engineer gets his chance.