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.

The oldest trick in the book: a distraction

There’s a lot to love about this medieval build from Lego Fjotten. Purely speaking in LEGO terms, the two trees are wonderfully shaped, while the real eye-catcher must be the road and bridge. It uses the ‘Mjolnir’ sledgehammer piece, painstakingly lined up for a brick road look. It might have been a slightly tedious process, but the effect is well worth it! What really elevates this build, however, is the story it tells. A trio of Black Falcon knights have stopped to enjoy a sing-along with some buskers, and it looks like they’re having a whale of a time! But these buskers may well be in league with the two ruffians on the other bank – who are using this distraction to pilfer the Falcons’ gold and stash it under the bridge. I love how the story develops as you move left to right through the build!

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.

This giant sword store has a blade for every occasion.

Combining medieval combat with big-box convenience, Jon & Catherine Stead bring us Swords ‘R’ Us, the one-stop shop for blades of every kind. And not just blades, but spears, shields, clubs, tridents. Anything you need to vanquish your enemies can be found here.

Get your list and saddle up, ’cause we’re going shopping.

You should totally Google Googie if you haven’t already

You may not know the word but you know it when you see it; an optimistic, retro-futuristic feel with upswept roofs, curvilinear, geometric shapes, and bold use of glass, steel, and neon. If it reminds you of The Jetsons, then that’s Googie! Famed LEGO artist Paul Hetherington creates the look nicely with this far-out poster depicting a retro-fab Googie eatery aptly named Comet Cafe. They boast that they have charbroiled steaks so you know that it’s going to be good! The standalone cafe would be impressive enough but Paul has integrated it into a 3-D poster. Just behind the cafe, there are hints of an entire Atomic/Space Age world complete with a hotel, a gas station, and apartments similar to what I lived in when I was single. Lest you forget the funny moniker that encompasses this type of design, Paul has built the word Googie in a funky retro-fabulous font.

This view takes us to street level where we get to hang out with everyone from this neighborhood. Like, cool Daddy-O! Be sure to click the little blue link to find out why we think Paul is one of the hippest cats around!

What adventures await on this mysterious alien world?

In a galaxy far away, an astronaut takes a break from space travel to investigate an unusual planet. Bart De Dobbelaer has created this colourful LEGO scene which shows mechanical pillars topped with layers of vibrant plants. The display uses a wide range of pieces from the Clikits theme, including pink suction cups as the flowering sections of several plants. The spaceship has a compact design and features a flexible tube that is interwoven around a cockpit chair from the Hero Factory sets. Let’s hope there’s nothing too sinister going on with this strange alien world.

Eyes right for an interesting Villa build

In this LEGO build, Ayrlego takes us back in time with this Colonial scene of patrolling troops passing a white-washed villa. I enjoy learning from other people’s builds, and there’s some nice take-aways in the composition of this scene. We’re treated to some lush vegetation framing the building, and the palms are really well-executed, bookending the build. In addition to the palms, the undergrowth to the front and sides are great examples of adding fauna to any scene.

There are some really nice touches to be found in the building itself too — some I’m sure to use myself in the future! I’m particularly fond of the aged white bricks used amongst the newer white pieces with other subtle details such as the white profile brick. The Micro Figure nestled into the wall, suggestive of a shrine, and the logs that serve to hold the upper level really elevate this whole scene. I think you’ll agree that Ayrlego has done his homework in constructing this one.

A Super Smash hit of a build

When it comes to large-scale LEGO character builds, few do it better than Eero Okkonen. This time he has outdone even himself with this scene taken from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, which he says is his biggest scene build so far. The terrain and background are excellent, and very well shaped, but naturally, the stars of the show are Palutena and Wario. Palutena’s dynamic pose looks excellent in Eero’s signature style, with perfectly lifelike features. The gold trimmings look great, fashioned out of a smorgasbord of pieces that includes wings, wheel rims, and a saxophone.

With that said, I think Wario is the real highlight of the build and frankly would have been worthy of a feature on his own! He is wonderfully expressive, his angular facial features perfectly captured and set against his – *ahem* – rotund figure. The exaggerated pointed finger is faithful to his “Down Tilt” move, although it can be replaced with the more conventional white-gloved hand. I can almost hear his distinctive Wa-Ho in the distance…

Check out more of Eero’s collection of colourful characters here!

Brotherhood lost or Anakin’s inferno?

Two peers, brothers in spirit, pitched against each other above the flowing, roiling lava of a devastated planet. This climactic battle is full of intense moments between these iconic characters, such as the one captured here in diorama form by TheCreatorr. Moments before Obi-wan defeats Anakin, they balanced atop shielded platforms and hovering droids battling for their fates. The lava swelling below them is brilliantly built with various gradients while black patches of burnt materials rise to the top.

Continue reading →

There’s bargains to be had down by the docks

Psst! Hey you! Yeah, you there, on the other side of the screen. Interested in making a trade? What I’ve got on offer is this exceptional LEGO dockside scene by Bryckland. Note the texturing of the walls, and the angled tiles making up the roof. You don’t see that kind of thing just anywhere! Still looking for more? Well, what about Bryckland’s careful choices in minifig positioning, hmm? Each one of those figures is telling it’s own story, and it really brings the whole scene to life. Oh, you like the idea of a story! Well Bryckland’s written one to go along with the build on their Instagram. But first, do we have a deal?

What a great place to observe nature

Take a moment to relax, with this idyllic scene. Built by Sergeant Chipmunk, the model depicts a lush grassy area with a stream running through it. The bridge has a great arc in its form, possibly created by having a flexible tube through the 1×1 headlight pieces. Draw your attention to the birdhouse and you might see it has a particularly interesting construction. The roof is made up of two book halves and the main body of the birdhouse is a basket with a green duck sticking its head through the handle.

Raiders of the lost nest

As usual, Bart De Dobbelaer brings us a treat of a scene with this detailed LEGO diorama portraying a pair of would-be poachers about to face off with their worst nightmare: a mother. While the monstrous creature is fascinating with its bright plumage and—are those all eyes?—it’s the scenery itself that really draws my attention as a builder, because the thick bushes are splendidly done, especially for how simple they are, combining two types of leaf elements stacked around a flower stem element.

Hit the slopes in this busy ski resort.

After spending a fair amount of time in ski resorts over the last couple of years, Pixel Fox decided to chronicle a lot of what they witnessed in one elaborate LEGO build. With only a few exceptions, the various hijinks these minifigures are up to are all based on real events. (I’m guessing the presence of an Ice Planet explorer is one of the exceptions.) Recognizing the similarity of this scene to the Where’s Wally? books (“Waldo” to us Yanks), Pixel Fox has provided a key of objects to search for. And while you’re hunting for guitars and gnomes, make sure to linger on some of the great build details, like the larger-than-life Swiss Army knife, the gondola lift car, and the numerous ways Pixel Fox has constructed variations on minifigure legs for realistic winter game chaos.

Something wizard this way comes!

Following last week’s episode of The Mandalorian season 2.5—I mean The Book of Boba Fett, LEGO builders across the galaxy got their grey bricks out to recreate a certain starfighter. Builder Jonas Kramm took a different route and built a follow-up to his previous vignette from the series. In this small diorama, The Mandalorian is offered a new ship in Peli Motto’s garage. While he didn’t build the entire vehicle, Jonas focuses on the discovery of a partial ship hiding under tattered cloth. What starfighter could that be?

Is it a Porax-38, a variant of which we saw in the “prison break” episode of The Mandalorian season 1? Or is it what we think it is? Jonas keeps the mystery and suspense alive by only building a dismantled engine hiding under a Silent Mary sail piece. Various clutter complete the diorama, such as grey and silver greebly pieces representing spaceship parts and two droids, one of which is a BD unit that people who have played Jedi: Fallen Order will recognise.

As The Book of Boba Fett is about to wrap up, we wonder what other scenes Jonas will build next.
Check out more builds we’ve featured: Jonas Kramm on TBB