Tag Archives: Medieval

Cooking up a storm in the castle’s kitchen

This cool castle kitchen LEGO build comes from Geneva Durand, and is a revamped version of a previous build. This time around the kitchen has more room for cooking and less cluttered storage. Now the chef and the other cooks can get around quicker and easier for more focus on their cooking. The kitchen appears to be brighter too, despite fewer light sources. Though I imagine part of that is the light color of the castle’s walls and the warm colors of the fireplace. I appreciate the healthier food options found around the kitchen. Between the original build and this new one, the kitchen table is much improved, using a cooler design. I also love the hanging plant in the upper right. It’s always nice to see some greenery involved with interior builds.

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This snowy inn takes medieval construction to new heights

In this frozen wilds scene, Jake Hansen (Mountain Hobbit) has brilliantly captured the feel of a rough and snowy wilderness. The fatigue of that poor traveler comes right through in this image, thanks in part to the steep stone stairs with the snow collecting in their cervices. Thankfully, the traveler has reached a warm and inviting inn and can now claim a well-earned night’s rest. But, were I the traveler, I might take one lap around the inn and enjoy its shades of blue, and the intricate roof awnings. There’s always time to appreciate good craftsmanship. Besides, if you just climbed 1000 feet, what could a lap around the inn hurt?

If it acts like a Bellatrix and dresses like a Bellatrix, it is most likely a witch.

Building a LEGO house in Tudor style can be really challenging. Building a LEGO house in weathered Tudor style is even harder. Although you wouldn’t say so after seeing this creation by Jaka Kunpina. They created a medieval building in the famous style and made it look so effortlessly easy. However, there are some smart techniques hidden in this build, like the hinges used to make the top of the roof overlap the building more than the rest of the roof does. And then wedges are used to cover the gap that this creates. Although her home looks lovely, the owner isn’t having a lovely day — she’s being arrested for being a witch. But then again, what do you expect when you dress like Bellatrix Lestrange.

Parting is such sweet sorrow, until we meet again my love

LEGO castles are often grey, or dark grey. When they are a part of Hogwarts, they are mostly tan. Not this castle created by Elias Hübner. This castle is dark tan, combined with warm colours like nougat and some olive green. Which gives this creation an almost mediterranean feel. There is a lovely big tree in the middle of the square and the castle itself is overgrown with lush foliage. It is nice to see one of my favourite new parts, the Minion hair, being used in fan creations. And it gets used quite a lot! There are little sprouts popping out of the ground everywhere you look, which makes the square look a lot less polished and more realistic. Enough about sprouting Minion hair, focus on the lovely couple saying their goodbyes as the man is called to the battlefield. Leaving his loved one behind with noting more than the promise to return to her.

Out, out brief candle

LEGO love doesn’t always last. This creation by Kit Nugent is proof that sometimes even in LEGOland love ends prematurely. Kit created a massive church. I wouldn’t dare to guess how many bricks high it is. In the middle of the shot we can spot a woman mourning the loss of her lover who perished at the battlefront. Kit used not one, but two types of boats to create details in this creation. It is weird that something as big as a boat can be considered a detail. There is a ‘wooden’ rowing boat hidden in the altar piece. The boat is used to frame a wooden statue, which works perfectly. The other boat is a rubber boat that is used to frame a doorway. Best thing about this shot is the amount of light that appears to come through the enormous window and puts the scene with the lovers in the spotlight.

Kids truly are a labour of love

We feature a lot of LEGO medieval buildings here at TBB, but medieval interiors are less common. However, this one by Martin Gebert really hits the ball out of the park. We are treated to a lovely royal bedroom, which is obvious not only by the sheer size of the room, but also by the elaborate furniture in it. In the middle of the room there are two beds. The bed of the king and queen features a canopy made out of carved wood and heavy curtains keeping the couple warm and private. The other bed is a lot smaller. It’s the baby’s crib and is also adorned with curtains. While the curtains on the parents bed are made out of slopes, the curtains on the baby’s bed are made using a plastic minifigure skirt. Can you spot all the kids the royals regret having?

A story of young love and a lovely mosaic floor

We all love LEGO but love is only the subject of fan creations every once and a while. Thank god there have been a lot of LEGO love creations lately. One of them is made by Nathan Smith. We can spot a young squire sitting on a ginormous tree branch, singing a song to the eldest daughter of the king. It must be a serenade, a very catchy love song, or a Taylor Swift cover as the woman in question is looking quite love-smitten back at her admirer. There is an intricate mosaic on the floor which you would almost look over seeing how well the tree branch is made. The balcony with the arches is also very well put together. Placing the arches diagonally in the shot makes it look that much more dynamic. I wonder where their love story might go.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which baby is the fairest of them all

LEGO is not just great for building. It’s also great for storytelling. This is exceptionally well done by Geneva Durand. We are witnessing an evil Queen on her way to kill a newborn who is said to be destined to one day end her reign. It almost sounds biblical with just a touch of Snow White. I guess the evil Queen also sometimes dabbles a bit in magic because her knights appear to be floating down from the village walls without being crushed. It is their task to find the little baby and end it. On that note, can you spot the little infant?

Building castles out of sandstone

Check out this wonderful sandstone stronghold by LEGO builder Carter Witz! The crenellations here are beautiful, creating that classic castle shape with plenty of texture embedded in the walls to break up all the flat surfaces and the occasional slab of dark tan. I also appreciate the occasional curve in this boxy fortress design, be it the arched window insets or the perfect use of the 1×1 quarter round tile under the projected battlements throughout the build. Thoughout the build, you can findthe occasional inventive use of a loose minifigure hand to recreate a tree branch, an architectural detail, or a ribbon. All that said, Carter’s use of color steals the show! Azure doors, leafy lime trees, and the blue outfits of its inhabitants stand in glorious contrast to the sandy walls of this fortress.

What a lovely spot for a hideout

When you want to hide out from the law, a mindless horde of the undead, or your distant relations ready to help empty out your larder uninvited, I can think of no more pleasant location than the woods beside a gentle stream. This scene by Ids de Jong of a wonderfully detailed forest hideout among the fall-colored trees is a perfect example. While the building may have seen better days, the weathered walls, with tree branches intertwined, keeps you well hidden from passing eyes. And a stream for fishing and deep woods for hunting game make it a perfect place to lay low.

I might have a soft spot for LEGO blacksmiths

LEGO has produced numerous sets with the blacksmith as subject. I have fond memories of really wanting (and not getting) the LEGO 3739 Blacksmith Shop. And now, after years and years, LEGO released the 21325 Medieval Blacksmith – a set that I most likely will also not be getting. This creation by Mbricks also sparks the same amount of joy. There are a lot of cleverly used parts in this set. For instance we get umbrellas used as door hinges. Treasure chest lids used to create a round bay window. Skirts are used as a chimney and the half circle tiles work perfectly as roof tiles. One of the things that makes this creation just work is the height difference in the buildings. This creates different levels to the build, each one with something interesting for the eye to behold.

The many perspectives of medieval art

It’s always fun to see LEGO builds explore art history, such as this medieval scene from Joe (jnj_bricks). This build explores those fun and strange perspectives found in Europe’s medieval artwork. If you look up some of the art, you’ll find paintings and drawings where the foreground and background scenes are sort of pushed together with perspectives not achievable in reality.

This build of a monk busy with penning a manuscript shows off such angles between the front and back scenes. This allows for great detailing in both the foreground and background. The monk and his surroundings are chock full of incredible details, like the billowy robes and the tapestry behind the scribe. The castle through the door stands out with the texturing of its walls. This is an incredible idea, and a further example of LEGO as an artful medium.