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.

LEGO big cats take Broadway

I’ve seen practical, dramatical, pragmatical, and fanatical cats take the stage. Gumbie cats and railway cats. But until this day I’ve never seen LEGO cats give ’em the old razzle-dazzle. This is actually an encore scene from Caleb Huet assembling a trio of big cats in top hats to command the stage. First built on a whim five years ago, Caleb revisits the concept to show how he’s grown as a builder. The voluminous curtains look great, and the plush chairs look like a cozy place to book a seat. There is an undeniably theatrical flare to the big cat figures standing up, with those outstretched arms making jazz paws. True Jellicles.

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When all you have is a hammer...

If you need to nail down how much great building you can fit into a little vignette, look no further than this fantasy LEGO scene by Cora! Lets start with the real main character of this build: hammers. Cora has created an deeply authentic piece of brickwork out of enough hammers to make Thor drool! As for character design, Cora has kit-bashed a great minifigure out of parts from a bunch of different action lines. And with all that heavy equipment, I do wonder whether the crocodile has delved deep to find this treasure, or if it’s the reason it’s lying there in the first place?

These (probably) are the droids you’re looking for

Here’s a quick LEGO Star Wars vignette that features neat build techniques and super original droid designs. Tim Goddard tells us that the low-ranking Jostoc has been tasked with climbing into the underbelly of some ship somewhere to catalog the wild and weird droids that have been occupying that space unsupervised and unhinged for some time now. Sounds like the start of a good sci-fi/horror adventure!

Don’t bug me with your PC problems!

There’s two things I love in this world: great LEGO builds, and word-play. Philippe Moisan‘s latest build has both in spades! You might think it looks like an insect’s apartment – but in fact, this is a computer. Don’t believe me? Well for starters, there’s a literal computer – i.e. an object to compute or calculate – in form of an abacus. There’s a bunch of hard discs on the walls; a deck of (expansion) cards on the shelves; a mother (surf) board; some (integrated) chips; and of course the fan. But front and centre of it all is a problem. This PC’s got a bug! But as long as they still let you access The Brothers Brick, I think we can let them stay…

Miniature LEGO agent makes a spectacular getaway

LEGO boxes often portray the finished model in action scenes, but the Agents theme took that to another level that Tom Cruise would be proud of. In this microscale scene by Bousker they have recreated the iconic box from LEGO Agents 8634 Mission 5 with amazing detail for such a small scale. The precarious cliff on either side is masterfully crafted in sections, and the gates blasted off their hinges by the agent’s escape still look like a movie. Those sculpted rocks in dark sand and light nougat are the winners for me. The only thing that would make this picture perfect are some action lines.

Maybe this wonderful wall will be the one that saves you

Walls were an essential part of medieval life. You could send your protagonist there to defend from the coming winter, you can blow raspberries and throw chickens from them, and they offered great views of the moat. In a pinch, they could even hold off invading armies. This LEGO medieval wall from builder n.o.l.d.o.r is a beautiful bit of brickwork, it would be a shame to see it besieged. I’m in awe of the subtle textures on the brickwork, where slightly recessed sections of wall allow SNOT tiles to stay flush. The tall wooden parapets are gorgeous. Even the patch of landscaping is a masterclass on subtle shaping.

n.o.l.d.o.r continues the wall’s story on the other side, with even more impressive brickwork. The green and black banner again uses the trick of recessed bricks to create the illusion of a thin surface. The mix of minifigs adds drama and hints at a larger fantasy world of goblins and elves co-existing with humans. Those halberds with ice skates as axe blades are truly wicked designs.

Hitting the slopes in LEGO – literally

The end of August (and summer) signals the start of many countdowns. Some will be eagerly awaiting spooky season, while others will already be counting down the days until LEGO sets are wrapped under the Christmas tree. But just like Ciamosław Ciamek, I, too, am looking forward to winter – but not for the festive season (which shouldn’t start until December anyway, if you ask me). Winter brings snow, and snow means the ski season starts again! But Ciamosław’s build presents us with a cautionary tale. Even if skiing is a bit like riding a bike, it’s always worth giving yourself an easy slope first up to dust off the cobwebs. Don’t go straight for the double-black-diamond. Otherwise, you could end up making an unintended intrusion into someone’s piste-side cabin….

This LEGO Miniature undergound entrance is flowing with ambience

Would you be brave enough to step into the unknown? This scene by Bousker was inspired by the BBC adaptation of The Silver Chair, the fourth book of C.S. Lweis’ Chronicles of Narnia. For such a small scene, it successfully captures the ominous and majestic mood. Between the scale of the wall relative to the tiny figure at the center to the river flowing from the crack in the wall to the stark black border of the scene, it feels a bit like an open book about to slam shut. One of my favorite details is the use of several curved shield elements as flat rocks to shape the flowing river.

Should any of ye be wishin’ ta beg for mercy, Captain Hutt will hear yer pleas

Any fan of pirate history knows the legend of the Jade Eye’s Return, and how young Duke Wavewalker and his ragtag crew fell into the hands of the nefarious Captain Hutt while fleeing the Imperial armada. Joe (jnj_bricks) pays tribute in LEGO to the memorable scene on the shoals of Cancun where Duke and crew were taken by skiff to the all-meaty shark pit. Joe’s clever mash-up was made for a challenge to blend Star Wars with history, so taking the plank-walking Sarclaac scene back to the golden age of pirates is a perfect fit. The skiff’s brick-built hull is a lovely design and Joe’s technique for partially submerged sharks is brilliant, nesting the upper jaw over a grey dome and using triangular tiles for the dorsal fins. What sells the scene is the excellent remix of minifigs. Of course, pirate Chewie would use Hagrid’s beard.

Unleash your imagination with Calvin and Hobbes

Cartoonist Bill Watterson has always been protective of his magnum opus Calvin and Hobbes, to the point where it’s tough to find any approved merchandise of the characters, but I like to think he’d smile kindly on this charming LEGO build of his two titular characters. Geneva Durand captures the boy Calvin and his tiger pal Hobbes crossing a log bridge in an image from one of their most iconic panels. Tiny white frogs make up Hobbes’s outstretched fingers, while Calvin’s characteristically touseled locks look good as sloped bricks. A red pot makes Calvin’s torso. Rocks and foliage spring up on either side of the bridge. It makes you wonder, what adventure are they off to next?

Going for gold in a gamut of great Greek games

Still suffering from Olympic Games withdrawal symptoms? Well not to worry! Not only have the Paralympic Games just got underway, LEGO builders such as Bousker are still getting in on the Olympic action. And they’re taking us back not to Paris this June, or even Tokyo back in 2021, but to Greece in ancient times! And even to those unfamiliar with Greek games like yours truly, there’s plenty of familiar sports to spot here. There’s the pommel horse over on the right, with a set of hurdles not too far away. Then there’s the archery, of course, and a pole vaulter who appears to be feeling the heat of competition. And all set against a nicely textured backdrop – particularly those rounded-off stairs. Definitely a gold medal for this one!

Microscale LEGO Mount Olympus is fit for the miniature gods

When I imagine the mythical land of Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods, I picture dazzling gold and expansive vistas. But Joe seems to have a bit more of a down-to-earth vision in this microscale vignette. There is still a fair amount of gold details among the roofs and statues, but the dominant palette is tans and terra cotta nougat. The use of large curved slopes attached sideways creates some great rockwork with a grand scale while many small smooth tiles and slopes gives the landscape a weathered look you would expect high among the clouds.