Tag Archives: Dioramas

There’s nothing like a massive LEGO diorama to prove that you’ve arrived as a LEGO builder. The LEGO dioramas we feature here span everything from realistic medieval castles to scenes from World War II, and more than a few post-apocalyptic wastelands.

ChromeBricks review

We recently posted about a store where you can buy custom chromed LEGO elements. Here is a review of products from ChromeBricks.com.

To put things simply, the quality of the chrome elements are what you’d expect from LEGO’s chrome parts. The layer of chrome is the result of a procedure that industrially evaporates metal onto the brick, resulting in a very thin coating that doesn’t hinder the fit with other LEGO pieces. The chrome surfaces also resist scratching, which means they can handle a moderate amount of play while remaining in their pristine condition.

ChromeBricks currently offers three colors of chrome including gold, silver, and a new copper chrome. Consistency of color among the parts is flawless. When compared with chrome LEGO elements, the silver is also an exact match while the gold is darker than LEGO’s chrome gold (LEGO does not currently produce chrome copper bricks). The richer chrome gold color results from actual gold being used to coat the bricks!

On the flip side, ChromeBricks differs from LEGO bricks where most of the parts from the former are not coated on the interior or underside. This should not be a concern since the uncoated sections will not be visible in a LEGO creation.

Overall, I recommend ChromeBricks for their high quality of parts. The price of each piece can be on the expensive side, but the cost is justified (you can ask other custom vendors who have tried to chrome LEGO bricks). Shipping is relatively inexpensive and very fast (about a week to the US) while the parts are individually packed in separate baggies. If you want to make a few minifigs with chrome accessories, this is definitely the store for you. For those interested in customizing a car model with chrome bricks, you probably need more money than pocket change.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Streets of London

For once I don’t have to rack my brain trying to think of a relevant song. Barney Main (SlyOwl) has already done it for me by basing a diorama on Ralph McTell’s song Streets of London. Be sure to click through the pictures in order to match the song lyrics to the diorama.

Haulin’ in style

Still deciding to get some chrome bricks? This Peterbilt 379 model by Jörg (lichtblau) may just convince you. It’s got enough shiny-shiny to drool over, but there’s also cool features such as an opening hood and sleeper cab.

Viva La Revolution!

Flickr user -infomaniac- strikes fear into the heart of the upper class with his diorama depicting the beginnings of a revolution:

I love the sense of utter chaos captured here! Nothing says anarchy quite like a brick through a window, either.

Amidst the snowy mountains...

This was just too good to pass up. The Schubert family created this amazing Alpine Village, which was displayed at BrickFair. The only photos appear to be on Brickshelf from Abe (scrope), another attendee.

Thanks to Bruce, via Fascinating LEGO Model of the Day!

Chapel in the hills

McBricker takes us on a journey into the hills of Crete, where this lovely little chapel nestles against the side of a cliff.

The tree, the goats, the sky, and the old nun walking with a cane all add depth to this scene.

In defense of Polish independence

Our Polish friends over at Klocki remind us that Poland is currently observing the 70th anniversary of the September Campaign, when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union both invaded, divided, and annexed the country between them.

Ciamek (Piglet on MOCpages) recreates a German propaganda photo that implied how weak and ineffectual Polish resistance was, as a group of German soldiers easily swats aside the border barrier.

In truth, the entire scene was staged, taken two weeks after the invasion — an attempt to illustrate the Third Reich’s easy dominance over Poland.

Ciamek sets the record straight in his LEGO diorama. Fierce, valiant Polish resistance prevented any such easy scene until well after the beginning of hostilities.

See more photos on Ciamek’s website and on MOCpages, where he has several other LEGO creations related to World War II and the September Campaign.

Architect to the ancient Egyptian upper class

As a total history nerd, this ancient Egyptian nobleman’s villa that Deborah Higdon (d-higdon) built earlier this year for for an exhibit at Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization caught my eye. It’s a composite of historical reconstructions she found in books, and then she made it her own.

She’s not satisfied with a few of the peripheral elements, but the architectural detail, scenes of regular life, and beautiful garden make up for any minor shortcoming.

Castle Carlin by Gage

William Gage has built a very nicely detailed medieval creation that he has dubbed “Castle Carlin”. You have to check out all the nifty details. He says you’d better like it.

Where evils flood and the falls run blood

Innocently disguised by the name Hill House, this demonic diorama by einsteinonthebeach is a work that would delight any Satanic cultist or others simply looking for a cool creation. Don’t miss out on the gory details such as the guillotine, the pentagram sacrificial altar, and the nice and warm blood bath.

3LUG Presents: Faded Giant in the Shadow of the Torii Gate, a MOC Harvest

A big creation deserves a big name – that’s how 3LUG rolls. Of course, when I say 3LUG, I mean Nick Kappatos and myself. Nick and I started discussing a joint display at the end of BrickFair 2008. We spent most of the last year nailing down our layout and avoiding each other, then began construction in July. We started BrickFair 2009 sleep-deprived, nearly resulting in a fight club, but everybody kept their shirts on (for the most part) and ‘The Faded Giant’ was ready for action.

We were lucky enough to get help from our families while building this behemoth; our wives laid down copious amounts of brick. We also got lots of help from friends during setup – thanks to Adrian Drake, Carter Baldwin, Nick’s brother, Stunt Drivin’ Steve Witt, and others.

If the questions we were asked at BrickFair are any indication, you readers are no doubt wondering what the story is behind this dio. While we have a basic story in mind, 3LUG policy is to leave much of the story up to the imagination of the viewer. An alien ship has crash-landed in a park in Neo-Tokyo. Military and Police units are starting to respond, as members of the public react in various ways. Is the military more interested in the craft, or in the civilians who saw it? Why did the alien ship crash? Was it a pilot error? Shot down? No wings or landing gear? You decide.

Check out both my photos and Nick’s photos. I have more overall shots, and Nick has some nice angles and details.

Mark Kelso’s Apocalypsis II: The Conflict Within

After more than a year since the first chapter, Mark Kelso has completed the second installment in his “Apocalypsis” series.

As before, Mark’s diorama includes some of the most complex landscaping and amazing photo editing being presented by LEGO fans today. Click the picture to read the story (with music) on MOCpages.