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.

A colonial bazaar

We’ve featured Patrick Massey with his amazing Al Amarj Island before, and once again he proves himself a master builder with this new addition to his portfolio. Considering the oriental folk and western troops, the Andus Tradehouse and Bazaar depicts a colonial period and perfectly manages to sum up all the little oriental details. Palm trees, the snake charmer, oil lamp posts, drunken lords and a silly jester makes a lively scene while different types of arches and columns turn the building into an impressive piece of architecture. Zoom in and take a peek at all the little details!

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“We’re going on an adventure!”

Regardless of your opinion of the most recent movie adaptation, The Hobbit is a timeless adventure story that has stood the test of time. The idea of gaining the courage to leave home and embark on a grand adventure is the very idea that makes the world go round. It’s the idea that inspires adventure, inspires discovery, and creates stories for the next generation.

Noel Peterson has illustrated that moment of courage, of letting go, of leaving as Bilbo races across the bridge toward his destiny. The bridge has the perfect, aged, well-worn look, with life going on as two hobbits fish in the murky water. I like the story this build tells.

TBB cover photo: April 2016

This month’s cover photo comes to us from teen builder K.Kreations, and is a depiction of Scottish hero William Wallace. This scene and more of his work were featured in the book Medieval LEGO, which we reviewed here last year.

Want to see your own LEGO creation featured across TBB social media for a month? Then acquaint yourself with the submission GUIDELINES (no, seriously, read them) and submit your photo today.

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The weekend is here!

I think Bricktology has great ideas for this weekend. Let’s start Friday with a cool gathering in front of the old karaoke machine, fueled by sugar and delicious things to eat. Don’t forget to let the Yeti in from the cold!

Then on Saturday, its time for a BBQ! Plenty of food and drink and friends. Don’t go overboard, though; you’ve still got a day to go!

Last, but not least: Sunday. This day is for rest, relaxation, and remembering all the fun you had this weekend. If you have the energy, take some time to build with LEGO.

So, what are your plans for the weekend?

When one world is not enough, you just need an escape route

Sometimes life can become routine and monotonous, giving no rest or calm. But Angelo_S. reminds us that when everything around is dull and cold and gray, there’s always an escape.

This work is a beautiful metaphor combining two opposed worlds in one shot. A skillfully executed microscale vignette seen through the gateway looks twice as alluring due to the forced perspective effect.

Konnichiwa from a modern Japanese home

Japanese style of building are a thing of wonder. I love their style and proper functionality — not a single bit of space is wasted, and this build by Gzu is a perfect example of this.

You can see the attention the builder has paid to all the details, like the little sandals at the door, and admire the functional sliding doors, smart toilet, tea table, small bed, and even the tiny bath. But if you choose, you can always go for something bigger:

So, who is ready for a vacation to Japan?

Spacetank! Spacetank! SPACETANK!

Norton74 has built a maintenance bay, home to a chunky tank decked out in Classic Space livery. Round here we love it when people build interesting new creations that pay homage to retro LEGO themes. This scene totally fits the bill.

The expected mix of blue and gray, and the trans-yellow windows, are all present and correct, plus there’s an excellent sense of activity with all those minifigs bustling around. However, the undoubted star of the show is the tank itself, and I’m pleased the builder posted a “hero shot” to showcase it in all its glory…

Terrifyingly good LEGO horror movie scene

Letranger Absurde brings us a great little recreation of the signature scene from The Exorcist.

The diorama is just stuffed with neat building — the dangling bedsheets, the tiny lamp, the door — all good stuff. But it’s the floating bed and the sinister figure at the heart of the scene which command all the attention. The only thing that could make this better is motorised elements making the head spin round.

The builder says this is the first in a series of horror movie scenes. I can’t wait to see the rest.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark

A snow-white plain background is taken by many builders as an essential part of presentation. However, Ryan McBryde uses artistic light to create the dismal mood of a dark night hour for his weather station tower.

Coupled with a good perspective, such a lightning scheme makes this fairly straightforward model look especially impressive. Of course, the sand green bricks and rocky tower base have no small share in creating the menacing atmosphere in this picture. Moreover, we have no idea what is inside the tower, so perhaps we’ll wait until dawn before revealing all the secrets of this creepy place…

The procession: an elegant church edifice

We recently featured a wonderful mosque from brickbink, and now he has come up with an amazing church! Although the diorama only presents the façade of the structure, it is so full of simple details that you don’t even notice the overall smaller footprint. The grand clock, stained glass, worn-out stucco, and pilasters all add up to an impressive build. The roof work, stairs, and floor tiles are simple yet effective additions to the scene and the result is made very charming with carefully selected minifigures.

Who says you can’t teach an old build new tricks

Notice anything familiar about Simon Schweyer‘s most recent build? You should because this lush landscape was featured on our blog last month. At that time, however, this two-toned rocky shoreline was home to a thriving Greek Polis. Simon ingeniously (and quite literally) razed his Greek city to the ground and started building anew on the existing bedrock. His resulting medieval scene is so different from the original build that I didn’t recognized the recycled landscape at first. Both builds are jaw dropping, but I prefer the Red Shield Inn. Simon truly hit his stride the second time around.

Apparently, experienced builders are known to repurpose parts of their builds from time to time. And why not? Recycling saves time and tests the limits of your creativity. It forces you to step back and really think about your build. Then transform it into something completely different. I’ve never recycled a build of my own, but I’m eager to give it a try now that I’ve seen Simon’s success with the technique. One note of caution for those of you who also plan to give this a try: Be cautious when repurposing an old build into an entry for a contest. Many LEGO competitions have rules specifically prohibiting this kind of thing. Be sure to check first.

I’m curious to know what other transformation have taken place. Have you repurposed part of a build before? And if so, were you able to recycle anything other than the landscape?

You never know what’s in the cellar of an evil wizard

Strange technological contraptions? Weird magical equipment? Portals to another dimension? Dusty books of arcana? A cage full of—cough—volunteers? An evil wizard’s basement always holds a mystery—just pray you’re not one of them. I’m not sure precisely what’s going on in this scene by Pistash, but it’s certainly fascinating and maybe a little horrifying.