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 icy halls of the frozen north

If there’s one word that encapsulates Jeff Friesen‘s LEGO models more than any other for me, it’s “clean.” His builds always seem to have every single piece precisely where it ought to be. And his latest one looks like it’s from a picture book of the ideal Viking winter world (unlike hellish purgatory of Valheim that’s all the rage right now). This microscale creation doesn’t have any obviously new or even unusually innovative techniques, and yet it’s absolutely splendid from the snowcapped peaks to the tiny longships. The village spreading across the slopes with their tiny mounds of snow on top, and the two giant waterwheels give this settlement a fairytale aspect that I can’t get enough of.

Jeff was the winner of The Brothers Brick 2017 Creation of the Year and it’s well worth checking out the other builds we featured in our archives: Jeff Friesen LEGO creations.

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A narrow miss with this LEGO Mandalorian vs Krayt Dragon

One of the main appeals of Star Wars is its homage to classic genres like serialised westerns, samurai movies, and Arthurian legends. The Mandalorian presents that very well, with the titular character being a rugged gunslinger with a heart of gold helping various people in each episode. Thomas Jenkins captures one instance during one of his visits to Tatooine where he helps defeat a massive Krayt Dragon. Presented in a simple way: the Dragon bursting out of the sand, and the Mandalorian escaping its jaws.

The Krayt Dragon is complex in its angles and techniques, but captures the organic shape of a reptilian head. The floating sand and rubble is a nice addition and conveys a sense of motion from the rising beast. But the way Thomas got the Mandalorian to float is just ingenious. Using skeleton and droid arms to create columns of smoke from the minifig that is firmly attached to the rest of the build. Just like that, these few elements capture a simple moment. In a way, it is quite minimalistic, with very little need for anything else.

See more amazing Star Wars themed builds by Thomas Jenkins here.

It takes a village to raise up good builders

Back when I was first exploring the world of online LEGO fandom, years ago now, one of the first places I landed was the Guilds of Historica, a medieval fantasy-based role building forum on Eurobricks. It was an eye-opening experience for me, then just a novice builder fairly fresh out of my dark ages, seeing all the incredible castles and villages that talented builders the world over had contributed. I quickly joined up and contributed my own creations, getting invaluable building and photography feedback along the way, and Mathijs Dubbeldam was one of those helpful folks giving me feedback and support. His latest build feels like a medieval piece of Ninjago City, with the blue water and grey walkway along with the tower and colorful buildings. The varied roofline and angled walkways give it a wonderfully organic feel, like a real city. Fancy a visit?

Don’t forget to browse other LEGO fantasy builds while you are here! Perhaps you’ll be inspired to build your own, especially with the new LEGO Ideas 21325 Medieval Blacksmith shop out now.

Sometimes a relaxing bath is in order

After a hard day at work it’s nice to sit and…um…write and edit for Brothers Brick. Ok, maybe tonight is a no-go, but on my nights off, I ought to take the advice of LEGO builder Adrian Drake, clear my calendar and soak in a tub. He has presented a large-scale diorama of a lady relaxing in a bubble bath. The bubbles, the shape of the tub, the faucet, even the scenery out the window are all top notch. My favorite detail, however, is the diamond checker pattern on the floor. It’s not an easy feat when LEGO bricks prefer to be laid out at ninety degree intervals. While ladies are typically more fond of bubblebaths than men, I’d like to remind the fellas that you ought to treat yourself to a hot soak occasionally, even if you are a surly Sasquatch of a dude like me. Wine and candles may enhance the relaxing experience. But remember, always burn candles responsibly.

Quit whining. It’s fun to move to a new place. It’s an adventure.

Are you ready to be Spirited Away? Rylie Howerter is ready help to start the journey with this astounding recreation of the Red Gate. This is one of those builds that has you doing a triple take – but, yes, this all LEGO. Amazing photography adds great atmospheric depth of field , but the trees and other greenery in the foreground is what completely sells this neglected entrance to the unknown. There are even more detailed views at Ryan’s Instagram post, and I suggest you take a moment to explore those, too.

If you like your Miyazaki inspired builds a little more animated, then check out this great Soot Sprite from our archives. And here’s to hoping that we’ll see even more Studio Ghibli creations there soon!

TBB Cover Photo for January 2021: A Successful Scrapyard

This month’s and this year’s first cover photo comes from Faber Mandragore. “Joe’s Scrapyard” is a fun little diorama, and as a fan of all the different types of LEGO wheels and tires, I’m very excited to hunt through to examine all the different tires.

I’ve said this before, but my favorite builds for cover photos are those that tell a story and let you dig in, creating a scene that’s playing out. Here, I imagine Joe uses parts from these old busted cars (especially love the variety and variation of destruction to each vehicle) to upgrade his yellow hot rod. I imagine he’ll find enough new parts over time to build a new car. Thanks for taking care of the scrapyard Joe, someone’s gotta find use for all these old vehicles.

Submit your LEGO creations for a chance to be featured across TBB social media for a month! Check out the submission guidelines share your builds today.

Keep up with The Brothers Brick by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and Pinterest. And for extra goodies, follow us on Instagram, Flickr, and subscribe to us on YouTube.

Taking stargazing to the next level

Free from light pollution and smog, this observation deck would be perfect for spotting a planetary conjunction. But there’s certainly a greater spectacle in this vibrant LEGO creation. The Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse by Pete Strege offers an incredible, up-close view of a spiraling galaxy. This Ferris-wheel-like galaxy is motorized, which is quite an engineering feat for its unique shape and scale. Its free-standing tail overarches the entire model, making this build an event of a lifetime.

Click here to see more views of the Galaxy Cliff Lighthouse

Elvendale is more beautiful than you realized

The LEGO Elves theme was retired not long ago, and sadly it never quite gained the popularity among adult fans that I think it deserved. Thankfully, though, there are a handful of builders who’ve been designing beautiful creations in the brightly colored world of Elves, and this gorgeous diorama by Stilly Bricks shows how delightful Elvendale can be. They built it a few years ago, but only recently got around to photographing it, which is understandable given that the massive village is over 5 feet long from end to end, and more than 2 feet deep.

Click to check out more details of Elvendale

I am the future. The Tiberian Sun has risen!

Just like LEGO builder Gregory Coquelz, I was a huge fan of Commander & Conquer: Tiberian Sun when it debuted in 1999. So as soon as I saw this excellent pair of dioramas depicting GDI and Nod forces, I knew we had to feature them. First up is GDI with an iconic ore harvester sweeping through the fields of blue Tiberium Vinifera, accompanied by a Wolverine mech and a few soldiers. The diorama is simple, but it captures the bleak wastelands of the game. A blossom tree adds some interest (as well as a renewable source of Tiberium).

Of course, no C&C creation would be complete with the insane machinations of Nod, and so Gregory has also made an iconic scene with a Hand of Nod, along with a turret, buggy, and a few more soldiers. The broken road is a great touch, with the wedge plates fitting together perfectly to create the uneven edges. Continue reading →

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window

While Psycho isn’t without its charms, Rear Window is my all-time favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie. I’m certain LEGO builder Mark would agree that you ought to check it out if you haven’t already. If you’re feeling a bit voyeuristic with this scene, that, dear readers, is the point. James Stewart plays a wheelchair-bound photographer with nothing better to do but to peer into his neighbor’s windows while his broken leg heals. (This was before Xbox and the internet, mind you.) While learning a lot about his Greenwich Village neighbors’ lives and habits, he is pretty certain he has also witnessed a murder. The rest of the story unfolds with a flavor of suspense and intrigue that only Alfred Hitchcock could pull off.

Mark replicates the scene nicely with vivid detail. I can just hear the talented pianist practicing in his apartment with the titillating “Miss Torso” dances in hers. And why are those flowers just a bit shorter than they used to be? The answer is a bit gruesome, and neighborhood pets ought to beware!

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream

There are plenty of neat Batman LEGO dioramas to go around. For some reason, there’s a bit less love for Marvel’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. But Instagram user Hachiroku92 changes all that with this decidedly amazing diorama featuring Spider-Man and Sandman duking it out the only way blockbuster heroes and villains can; with lots of collateral damage. Let’s just say the company insurance paperwork for that cement mixer is going to be a sticky pickle. The scene comes to life with convoluted action and stunning photography. Sandman’s amorphous form and giant hand is nothing short of dreamy. Maybe you can construct your own Spider-Man diorama using the parts from the new Spider-Man sets. And before you comment that the old-fogey title was a missed opportunity to cite a more contemporary Metallica tune, I already had Enter Sandman stuck in my head for like a week and now it’s stuck in yours. So…you’re welcome, I guess.

TBB Cover Photo for December 2020: Into the Wintery Wild

This month’s cover photo from Andrea Lattanzio takes us back to the wild. The Magic Bus we’ve been treated with before has now been treated with snow, which makes for a lovely winter scene.

The bus remains familiar, but there have been some added details to give depth and texture to the snow. Additionally, trees that were once leaf-filled are now barren and covered with snow, the firs have been replaced with white branches, and the clever touch of icicles added to the bus windows complete the scene.

Be sure to visit Norton74’s flickr page for a bit of history on this bus that no longer resides in Alaska’s wilderness. It’s an interesting story that makes for a great scene.

Submit your LEGO creations for a chance to be featured across TBB social media for a month! Check out the submission guidelines share your builds today.

Keep up with The Brothers Brick by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter and Pinterest. And for extra goodies, follow us on Instagram, Flickr, and subscribe to us on YouTube.