Tag Archives: Vignette

Vignettes are like the haiku of the LEGO world. Usually built on a base 8 studs wide by 8 studs deep, vignettes show a little scene or a moment in time. But like written poetry, there’s plenty of variation on the basic theme.

“But for today, I guarantee it!”

“Hey, we were saving that!” Those were the words first uttered by Dr. Alan Grant when he and Ellie Sattler met “dinopreneur” John Hammond, who would take them on a wild ride through Jurassic Park. Thanks to Jonas Kramm, we now have a LEGO vignette of this iconic introductory scene, in which John Hammond invites himself into the scientists’ trailer (and to the bottle of champagne in their refrigerator). The little room is packed with plenty of detail, including a table cluttered with fossil hunting instruments like a miniature microscope and sifting tray. However, the star of the show is the open fridge and its lovable old benefactor. He has a kind of biological preserve that’s right up their alley, spared no expense!

02 - Hey, we were saving that!

Jonas continues the Jurassic Park fun with “Dodgson, Dodgson….we have Dodgson here! See, nobody cares.” Who cares? We care, because this is a another enjoyable build depicting the film’s introduction of Butterfinger-loving bad guy, Dennis Nedry. It also features Dodgson showing Nedry the embryo canister disguised as a shaving cream can. It’s the third in a line of Jurassic Park LEGO vignettes, the first of which was his splendid raptor dig site. Being a big Jurassic Park fan, I can’t wait to see what Jonas comes up with next!

03 - Dodgson, we've got Dodgson here!

Bedlam in the sahn

Builder Ted Andes brings us this scene full of middle-eastern style architecture and serpentine intrigue. A group of warriors battles it out with the forces of evil in the form of a snake-bodied wizard that we only see from the back. I love the way it lets your imagination fill in what might be behind that hooded cloak.

Bedlam in the Sahn

The whole courtyard is full of touches that evoke a feeling of the Middle East. The sand green and white tiled floor is beautifully done and complimented nicely by the sand green tiles with blue and yellow flowers on the wall to represent the elaborate tile work. The impressively large door made from palisades bricks is quite a presence and the use of keys as handles is very clever. The column treatment is elegant with its combination of square, round and palisades bricks as well as an earthy color palette that brings a cohesiveness to the whole scene.

But, it’s the decorated central column that really steals the show. The octagonal fountain at the base is a pleasing shape that draws your attention and mimics the angles of the tiled floor. The use of upside-down gold lamps for faucets gives is a nice touch and the gold scarab finishes this portion off nicely. The central column leads to a cluster of shin guards at the top that blossom into balloon parts topped with a bush to create a beautiful architectural palm tree. The addition of Aladdin off to the side, mopping up with a wry smile, is terrific and leaves us wondering if perhaps he was in on this evil plan the entire time.

GLaDos is doing science and she’s still alive

GLaDos is back and she’s serving up some vengeance on Chell and Wheatley in this Portal vignette by hachiroku24. Way back in 2007, the video game industry was taken by storm by Portal, a mind-bending game that pitted a human test subject against technology run amok. A sequel followed in 2011 and the series proved popular enough that LEGO included it as a playable world in LEGO Dimensions, even producing an official Chell minifigure and the beloved Weighted Companion Cube. Hachiroku24 has taken that Chell minifig and built this spot-on recreation of a scene with the evil GLaDos and Portal 2’s friendly AI, Wheatley.

Lego Portal 2 GLaDOS vs Chell and Wheatley

GLaDos is perfectly rendered here utilizing a variety of visible Technic parts to create that feeling of exposed machine technology. The hoses and wires are especially effective and add a touch of realism that make the whole machine seem plausible. I’m very fond of the combination of pieces used to create GLaDos’ elegantly curved “face”. Comical sidekick Wheatley, in contrast to his larger relative, gets a similarly ideal treatment but using only a small number of parts. As a builder, I like “breaking the square” so I really love the use of hinges and angled plates to create a more irregular shaped base for this scene. Although 12 years may have passed, thanks to hachiroku24, GLaDos is still getting the science done for the people who are still alive.

Have a drink on me, fellows, for tomorrow, we fight.

Scenes from Star Wars movies and television have been a major source of inspiration for LEGO builders since the first time we were transported to that galaxy far, far away. Some builders take more subtle inspiration from the Star Wars universe to create scenes that we never saw but were there all along, like this model of barracks for Rebel troopers on Hoth by Gabe F, a charming view into the day-to-day life of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to fight the tyranny of the Galactic Empire.

Hoth Barracks (1)

The carved organic snow landscaping is great, and there are lots of little details like portable bunks complete with temperature gauge and power cords, pin-ups on the wall, and cups of caf littered throughout. There’s even a lost sock. Hopefully, the owner has a spare pair to keep their toes warm.

Hoth Barracks (3)

To every LEGO piece there is a season

Everyone has their favorite season, and mine is definitely winter. But looking at this magnificent vignettes by Markus Rollbühler, I think I have to reconsider this. Studying these vignettes is the opposite of putting together a jigsaw puzzle; instead of searching a correct place for a small piece, Markus invites us to find all the tiniest details in his assembled dioramas. I shall not spoil fun of discovering all the brilliant ideas hidden around the seasons, but I can’t help admiring a genius reindeer built of visor goggles and a stud shooter trigger!

The Four Seasons

A garden for Nya

Builder Rollon Smith brings us this serene garden scene grown especially for Ninjago’s Ninja of Water, Nya. This is just one part of a lovely trio of scenes dedicated to exploring Nya’s past.

Nya - Back to her Roots

I love the symmetry used in this build as it creates a wonderful sense of balance and harmony. A place you could go to meditate in peace. Some clever use of parts such as the upside-down Wonder Woman tile and the sideways Brickheadz glasses add some fine detail. I’m also quite fond of the elegant curves and shape of the back wall.

Read on to see the rest of the tryptic!

Center yourself with bricks

Connect with your inner self in this blissful build by Rollon Smith. A combination of red minifigure head pieces and Technic ball joints form the cylindrical columns so prevalent in historic East Asian architecture. It wouldn’t be complete without the bamboo, allowing nature to be a part of achieving a state of zen. I also enjoy the addition of incense burning at the foot of the build, helping the minifigure to meditate better.

Nya's Meditation

Be calm. Be relaxed. Build LEGO.

Nya's Meditation

Fire up your forge with the original gods of metal

If the Middle Ages taught us one thing, it’s that heavy metal is nothing new. Ben Tritschler’s lively-looking medieval forge has the makings of a metal legend. Blacksmiths hammer away, piecing together suits of armor and shaping cannonballs. Ornate-looking armor is achieved, in part, with sculpted minifig appendages like silver prosthetic legs and mechanical arms. Everything is framed within a structure that is both beautiful and rundown, and the sideways-mounted tiles for the brick floor look brilliant. You can even almost smell the smoke and hear the din of the tiny hammer.

Manufacturing 2

Cackle, boil, battle and foil

It’s nice when LEGO creations tell a story. Larsvader’s latest scene does exactly that. Whether you read the narrative he’s provided in the description or not, the story seems clear: a witch planned on having some children over for dinner, but Lady Megan has come to stop her. The story is framed nicely by walls and a floor made of varying shapes and shades of gray bricks.
Lady Megan
Furthermore, there are plenty of supporting details that help enrich the scene and enhance the story. For example, the skeletons imply the witch has killed before. One can only wonder what potions and sorcery are contained in the jars and spell books. The chained up man implies that perhaps this isn’t the first rescue attempt, or maybe he’s Lady Megan’s lover and the true treasure of her quest. What’s next in store for Lady Megan, the man, the children, and the witch?

Chip & Dale have arrived to ruin your fancy dinner party!

Chip & Dale are up to their old tricks in this rowdy vignette by MinifigNick. Chip & Dale first debuted in 1943 and became longtime foils for Donald Duck. The two little troublemakers were constantly wreaking havoc and that spirit is perfectly captured in this ill-fated dinner party. MinifigNick is an expert at highly detailed vignettes, and he certainly does not disappoint with this current model.

Chip & Dale

There are many great parts in play here that all coalesce into a cohesive creation of chaos. Stand outs for me are the 1×4 brick with sand green wallpaper from the Batman Classic TV Series Batcave and the stained glass windows. Details like ornate patterns, the bust in the corner, and the large plant all suggest that well-heeled residents must live here. The feast may be destroyed, but it still looks delectable. Not content to spread the mayhem on foot, our mini mischief makers have absconded with Race Car Guy’s mini car! Who knows what shenanigans they will get up to next!

Avengers, assemble!

With Avengers Endgame recently hitting theatres and climbing its way to being the highest grossing movie of all time, many fans have taken time to look back and appreciate the earlier films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For some, this comes in the form of re-watching the movies in order, but hachiroku24 was inspired to build the scene from the first Avengers movie where they all assembled for the first time.

Avengers, assemble! scene MOC

I’m a big fan of displaying minifigures grouped together how they appear in film. I’m always more impressed when they’re posed as they are on screen, and their environment is well-built. While this little vignette is beautiful just the way it is, the bridge is so well done I would like to see more of it. The structure looks quite sturdy, so I imagine it could be repeated as a full bridge, and I’m loving the simple-yet-elegant use of headlight bricks as the railing.

Rats and spiders and snakes, oh my!

This terrifying vignette by Victor has a lot of phobias on display: arachnaphobia, ophidiophobia and even musophobia! It is titled “Nightmare” and that is quite an apt description. Waking up in a room of creepy critters is pretty high up there on my list of nightmarish scenarios.

Nightmare

The spiders, rats and snakes dominate this little model but it’s the room with its furniture and details that are really the stars of the show. All the furniture is expertly done and gives the room a modern feel. The black and white cabinet on the left with its doors of varying sizes, the white bedside table and the plant stand are particular stand outs. The lamp in the corner is also nicely crafted. The bed is a terrific little build with some creative parts use to make the rumpled blankets and give the illusion that the minifigs are tucked not-so-safely in their bed.

Nightmare - Details

Then there are the little subtle details. The phone charger is a brilliant touch along with the above-bed light switches and glasses on the brown bedside table. They really make the room feel lived in. The use of Olaf’s buttons tile to make an electrical outlet is particularly inspired. The printed tiles used to make the rug have been used in quite a few Star Wars and Nexo Knight’s sets, and the repetition of it makes the perfect floor covering. The attention to detail even extends to the bedhead on the sitting minifigure.

Good luck trying not to think about this as you’re falling asleep tonight. In the immortal words of Elvira, “Unpleasant dreams!”