There’s something appealing about the contrast of cool blue buildings against the hot lava river in this diorama by Michał Kaźmierczak. I really like the texture of the lava that gives it a glowing look without using any lights. There’s plenty more to see in the gallery on MOCpages.
I’m pretty sure that this diorama by Daniel Garcia Rodado (AlterEvo) and (AL13N163NA) is the first I’ve seen inspired by the movie Elysium. Regardless of what you think of the plot or script of the movie, it had some stunning visuals, and some really cool tech. I like how this display is made up of a series of vignettes, disconnected but bound together. I also think that the builders did a great job of representing the exo-skeleton worn by Matt Damon’s character, at minifig scale.
Even the Cars know when to kick back and enjoy a vacation on Cars Island by Pablo Gonzalez. With all the ramps and garages, this would make for a sweet playset too. Check out more views including the interior on Flickr.
Logan (∞CaptainInfinity∞) built this diorama based on the Team Fortress 2 map Upward. The dramatic sloping of the roofs and the distinctive base markings should make this obvious to any fan of the game, not to mention the minifig versions of the characters are so fun to look at.
Creative quad OliveSeon have unveiled a spectacular diorama based on the recently released LEGO Movie. Collectively, this group of four South Korean fans produce some of the best dioramas in the fan community. Their latest incorporates numerous official sets while cleverly expanding upon them to capture various scenes from the film.
The LEGO Movie is out today, and since you’re reading this blog you’re probably making plans to go see it in the near future! Unlike Andrew, I’d been hyped to see this movie ever since the first trailer, and somehow the final product managed to exceed my lofty expectations.
Nick (DarthNick) built this diorama as part of a display for the Toronto premiere, and I think the build (background included) does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the film.
Michał Kaźmierczak (migalart) recently posted a large-scale diorama that illustrates an original Indiana Jones adventure, complete with cliff-hanging, rope bridges, spiders, snakes, mummies, and buried treasure. The diorama may be about Indiana Jones, but the real star is Michał’s landscaping.
This photo of the builder with his model shows just how big his diorama is:
See more photos on Flickr, Brickshelf, and Michał’s blog.
71 years ago today — on February 2nd, 1943 — the Red Army defeated German forces who had occupied Stalingrad more than 5 months earlier. Nearly half a million Soviet men and women were killed defending their city from Nazi aggression. The Battle of Stalingrad is arguably the turning point of World War II — a horrendous loss for Hitler and the Third Reich that weakened German forces and led ultimately to Allied victory 2 years later.
Although I haven’t had as much LEGO time over the last six months or so, I’ve managed to keep building. Spurred on by the new Brickmania Track Links, I finally got around to photographing the dozen or so models I’ve pumped out since BrickCon in October. The buildings and minifigs in my diorama of Stalingrad were part of the “Operation Brickarossa” collaboration last year, but my KV-1s tank is new.
Compared to smaller and stranger tanks I’ve built, the KV-1 was relatively “easy” and I don’t have a whole lot in the way of build notes. One recent change to my building methods is to try to include more functionality from the start. Admittedly, I failed to do so on the turret hatches, but this is one of my first tanks to include a gun that elevates and depresses properly.
With several hours of photography and editing out of the way, I’ll be posting the rest of my models on Flickr, along with write-ups here. In particular, check back for full reviews of the new Track Links, BrickMania kits, BrickArms items, and more.
David Frank (Fraslund) is one of the best period and fantasy architecture builders currently working. You may recall the last project of his that we featured here, the gigantic Rivendell diorama he constructed with Alice Finch. As much as I loved Rivendell, as a longtime pirates fan, I have to say that David’s latest model, though smaller, enthralls me just as much.
