Tag Archives: Still Life

You couldn’t paint a better Nightmare than this, even Before Christmas

Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring…except for SpaceBrick. SpaceBrick’s latest LEGO model presents a unique twist on the classic Tim Burton film by taking a scene and contextualizing it as a painting. His brick-built illustration is even mounted on an easel! The builder did a great job of crafting the moonlit cliff with a curl, and the surrounding scenery is to die for. Pairs of Harry Potter wand on sprue elements were used to create tombstones, which look Burtonesque in their own right. Look carefully, and you might also catch a glimpse of a tiny Jack Skellington.

Nightmare before Christmas: Lego on Canvas

The level of detail in this LEGO model is frighteningly high, right down to the tools of the trade scattered below the easel. There are half-filled tubes of paint, a paint spill, and wood shavings alongside the pencil sharpener. It all helps one feel the artist’s sense of accomplishment they must have experienced upon finishing their masterpiece.

Nightmare before Christmas: Lego on Canvas

A penny for your farthing

Back in the late 1800s, bicycling soared in popularity. One of the more unusual bikes to emerge from this period was the penny-farthing high wheeler. It earned the penny-farthing name based on the size of its wheels, which were compared with the size of a British penny in relation to a farthing coin. Melan-E has taken this scary looking cycle and transformed it into an impressive large-scale LEGO model. In addition to looking fit for riding through the streets of London, Melan-E’s model also offers a case study in how the natural flex of stacked bricks can be used to achieve convincing curves. The wheel consists of 2×2 round bricks, and the frame utilizes 1×1 round bricks. Both examples appear to be threaded together with flex tube, allowing the bricks to curve without falling apart. The cycle is supplemented with LEGO versions of period props like a phonograph and Victorian parasol, which help create a cohesive scene that breathes life into this high wheeler.
 
Day Out in Autumn

Built it through the grapevine

Amidst the summer heat, Josephine Monterosso’s brick-built grapes look quite refreshing, not to mention realistic. They look like they were just picked off the vine, right down to the green leaf hanging off the end of the stem (the leaf appears to be a green minifig cape). The grapes themselves are purple Technic ball joints, a part which has been around since 2001 but never appeared in dark purple until this year (you can find it in sets 76103 & 41342). A good part can be made even better with the proper technique, and I especially love how Josephine used plant pieces to create a very organic looking bunch of grapes. Bon appétit!

Grapes

Kick back and relax in this stylish loft apartment

“I would love to live there!” This was the first thought that entered my mind upon seeing this warm and welcoming loft apartment, built by Heikki M. Thanks to the iconic large open space and towering windows, this living space looks like it’s straight out of Manhattan. The composition of the entire scene is excellent, with the carpet, table and couch drawing your eyes to some impressive-looking masonry. I like how the furniture feels simple but modern, with each piece playing off of one another to form a cohesive still life. Even the portrait of Michael Jackson is well-placed; his side-turned head makes it look as if he’s admiring Heikki’s pad.

Loft Apartment