Tag Archives: Scene

Feeling blue? So are these monkeys.

The Temple of Twin Monkeys by Caleb Saw has nice part usage, but also a hefty dollop of mystery. For example, just what are these twin guardians protecting? (My guess is the legendary great lost shipment of Blue Food Dye #2.) The use of grill tiles for fingers works really well, and I like how their use as toes melds into the pedestals. The repeated use of 2×2 dome-bottom bricks for mouth adds uniformity and a touch of sculptural feel to idols, too, while the eyes are some excellently used train wheels. The temple itself has some great details in the curved stonework at the base, and the lines and leafy overgrowth give things a sense of age and neglect. If you came across this temple, would you explore it? Or would it be better not to monkey around?

Temple of Twin Monkeys

For what it’s worth, there is an animal called a blue monkey, but they’re not quite this vibrant. Personally, I’d like to see more creative takes like this so we can buff up our LEGO monkey archives. So go get to building!

“Don’t ever ask me about my LEGO, Kay”

Some things are just better left unanswered. A LEGO builder who goes by the dubious name of KitKat1414 presents this intriguing piece called “Don’t ever ask me about my LEGO, Kay”. So we posted it without asking. I mean we’d ask first but the title pretty much advises against it. But we still have questions. Like what the heck is going on here? Are they roughening somebody up? And who is Kay? All these questions and the unique “mailslot” composition has me thoroughly intrigued. It’s like reading a good mystery. So as per the title, we won’t ask anything but we’ll surely keep an eye out for what this builder might do next.

"Don't ever ask me about my Lego, Kay"

An unexpected Ocean’s 8 reboot

LEGO makes a lot of really unique parts these days, and it can be a challenge to incorporate into your own creations. Well, provided you’re not Grantmasters, that is. Interesting parts are just part of the charm of this storybook-ready scene. There are big cowboy hats, cupcakes and hairpieces from the Trolls sets, and even shoes ripped from Belville figures. My favorite bit has to be the minifigure hand forming the ponytail for the princess. Everything is just so cute, and you just want to learn more about this heist.

Bad Egg

I’m sure Grantmasters is already in negotiations with Disney+ for a new streaming series. And if this isn’t the story they decide to option, maybe they’ll pick another creation.

An autumn haven for the Post Master

Imagine a world in which the trees keep their vibrant autumn colors all year round. Vermont and New Hampshire aren’t even that charming, and they make a mint in tourism on account of their autumn leaves! Ayrlego has built such a world in LEGO and it’s called Otoño (The Autumn Isle). Here we see that a post office has recently opened in the sleepy settlement of Hojaroja on the Eslandolan Island of Otoño. When not delivering the mail, the Post Master lives upstairs in his quaint Tudor style home. I can get lost in all these details, particularly the lantern and the rustic chimney. I can imagine standing on that porch and soaking in the autumn splendor. We quite often get lost in Ayrlego’s worlds. Settle in for a while because you can too.

Post Master's House and Office, Otoño (The Autumn Isle)

Something to do before you croak

In these dark times, I’m all about seeking out wisdom to brighten the world. Jake Hansen has presented us with an interesting option: The Frog Council. Perched atop graceful columns, these three wise amphibians invite the viewer to ask questions. Questions like “How did Jake come up with the idea of using baseball caps for egg cups?” Or maybe “Are those minifigure hands adding details to LEGO vines?” Oh sure, you could ask them something important like “How can we improve the world?” Or even “Why did LEGO get rid of the classic grey color?” But, c’mon. They’re frogs. There’s probably an upper limit to what they’re willing to share.

Where did these frogs gain their secret wisdom? Maybe it was from perusing our frog archives. But probably not.

Come to the dark side. We have cookies. And octopi.

Upon reflection, this warm and cozy den build by Krzysztof may not be as warm and cozy as you first thought. But take a moment to appreciate the great details in this LEGO scene before you get worried. I like the use of crates to give the table legs a bit of texture, and this is the first time I’ve seen a Chima mask used as part of a bear-skin rug. I also like the small details like the blue 1×1 tiles for chalk on the pool table. And the mirror is pretty swanky, too.

On the other side

However, through that looking glass, another pair of eyes looks back, and they’re nowhere near as friendly.
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RuinScape

The ruinous landscape – a popular pictorial theme is recreated in the LEGO medium here in this beautiful vignette by Jaap Bijl. Of course, LEGO is great for construction, but even more so LEGO can provide builders with an opportunity to be forces of deconstruction and deterioration – creators of ruin. This sublime energy is perfectly captured in Bijl’s build.

Forgotten glory

The main part of this built scene is arguably the decaying classical temple. The triangular roof at the top – the pediment is depicted as half existent and utilizes the 4×4 petaled flower piece and some white wing pieces as ornament. The broken columns are built using 2×2 round profile bricks. Perhaps my favorite mini-build here is the broken statue which is made out of a pair of white minifigure legs with some random elements piled on top. The statue on the left looks rather intact but creatively uses the 4×4 petaled flower once again, this time as a shield. Bijl generously applies a variety of LEGO plant elements to give viewers a sense of natural reclamation. I really appreciate how Bijl builds the ruins in such a way that they appear to be sinking into a swamp of green tiles. No ruinous destination is complete without some tourists taking in the sights, and we can see here some minifigures making their way across the swamp in a brick-built boat ready for adventure.

TBB cover photo for April 2020: Everyone’s First Lab

This months cover photo is a cozy looking bedroom by lokiloki29 is a very comfortable and fun place to hang out for a growing young adult. The detailing in (and outside) the room is not only made up of LEGO accessories but also micro-builds that fit the theme and scale so perfectly.

The space shuttle on the shelf and the plane immediately jump out of this diorama, but some favorite aspects are Timmy’s Mario bedspread and that microscope utilizing 2x connector pegs with knob to create the eyepiece of the microscope, simple yet elegant. You’ll also not the variety of trophies above his bed, Timmy must be a great scholar. Can’t wait to see Timmy’s grown-up lab once he’s learned the secret of LEGO plants.

Timmy's lab

Want to see your own LEGO creation featured across TBB social media for a month? Then read the submission guidelines and submit your photo today. Until next time, stay well and be safe, and practice social distancing whenever possible as we need it now more than ever!

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Although it’s not an official LEGO element, I can safely say this build is one-hundred percent purrist

When I first took a glance at this scene by Eero Okkonen a week ago, I assumed the glowing eyes of the monster, called Uku-Li by the builder, were simply the result of some interesting building techniques, lit up by a light from below. Interesting? Yes. Technique? Maybe. Built from LEGO bricks? No, because as I realized upon closer inspection, that is indeed an actual cat back there, in fact, it’s the builder’s newest cat, Ukuli.

Johnny Thunder and the Cave of Uku-Li

Star of the show aside, I always love to see modern takes on old LEGO themes, this particular build is a modernization of the Orient Expedition subtheme of the Adventurers line. We can see Johnny Thunder on the right, evidenced by his signature hat, Dr. Charles Lightning at the center, and Pippin Reed taking photos on the left. And don’t miss the use of a Duplo grass piece as vegetation in the top right corner.

Your behavior, Jyn Erso, is continually unexpected.

There’s an orthodoxy — often passing over into toxicity — within Star Wars fandom that states that The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie of all time, and that anything produced after 1983 is inherently and automatically lesser. I am the rare heretic whose favorite Star Wars movie is not part of the nine-movie Skywalker Saga. While certainly not perfect, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story took the story in a completely new direction while filling in one of the most mysterious gaps in the canon. Luca captures an incredibly poignant moments in the movie, when Jyn and Cassian must abandon K-2SO as they climb the interior of the data vault with the stolen Death Star plans.

ROGUE ONE - Data vault

The builder focuses the viewer’s attention on the two characters, but the scene is replete with wonderful detail. The round vault doorway and tunnel extends forward, further focusing attention on the minifigs, while in the background repetition provides the texture of the racks of data tapes. Scenes like this show that a great LEGO creation doesn’t need to be a 10,000-piece diorama anymore than a great Star Wars movie has to star a space wizard with a laser sword.

Twas the night before Halloween

Builder architectlego has amazing skills in creating ethereal LEGO scenes with great photography, lighting and photo magic touchups. This Halloween themed build is one more that does not disappoint.

Halloween around the corner… elixirs brewed in advance for peak potency,
Luring the young and innocent.. with all things sweet and savory,
Isn’t it obvious? …stay away outsiders,
Dead giveaway! …cracked windows and spiders,
Complete in costume with a crooked pointy hat,
No witchery wicked ways are complete without the companion cat.

An Open Letter to Vader and the Management of the Imperial Forces

Dear Honorable Darth Vader and the Management Team of the Galactic Empire,

You have an almost infinite budget at your disposal to spend on wages and upskilling of personnel and technological innovation. I’m sure you’ve attended the Business Strategies 101 course at our SPOT (Security, Peace, Order, Terror) University and learned that having quality over quantity is paramount towards a calculated win in all battles. The root cause of all losses has been apparent, and we can narrow it down to one thing: bad aiming (be it Stormtroopers, or TIE pilots). At one time, our Stormtroopers had a reputation for being precise enough to pinpoint a Jawa from two sand dunes away. Until we return to this, you will continue to see mockery in all forms like this one built and sculpted in LEGO form by Pasq67 – Tie Fighters tailing Rebel scum piloting X-Wings Starfighters, which are low-tech vehicles that have little automation and only manual firing systems. However, they are always evading, destroying, and killing so many of our innocent troops and soldiers.

LEGO Star Wars Trench Run

The solution? Invest in better targeting systems, and train the troopers to shoot well and not let them graduate unless they have a decent passing rate for marksmanship. My analysis shows that it’s a simple strategy that will save us from countless numbers of sequels, prequels, animated series, and god knows how many more spinoffs down the road. Until then, toy companies like LEGO will continue to build multi-million dollar businesses from allowing people to recreate scenes and games retelling history on our continuous defeats. It’s embarrassing. Do something.

Yours sincerely,
Stormtrooper
(FN-2186)
#NOTATRAITOR