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!
Tag Archives: Vignettes
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.
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.
Be calm. Be relaxed. Build LEGO.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!”
Voyaging across great incomprehensible nothingness alone
Their similar goals of provoking thought in the beholder is why science fiction and abstract art often go hand in hand, and this applies to LEGO as well as other media. The freedom to create something new also makes it easier to send a new message. Ralf Langer has taken this freedom to create a mysterious scene of a discovery on an alien planet. What lies beyond the door? Is it a symbol of creation of new life or the inevitable change in an already existing one?
No matter the meaning, the creation is impressive in a completely technical view as well. To less experienced builders it may seem like a few simple surfaces broken up by random and inherently meaningless technical textures we like to call “greebling”, but there is much more to it. Ralf is a master of textures as he proves here with grids of minifig stud shooter triggers. The main point of this build is composition though. Ralf has joined seemingly simple parts into something that looks full, but not cluttered. My personal favourite part is the mysterious gate, with a unique texture made using LEGO treads.
Some alone time in the Herbology Lab
Neville Longbottom is working overtime for that extra credit in this lovely scene by architeclego. A quick scroll through their Instagram feed shows architeclego’s skills at creating great models and a mastery over lighting and effects that really elevate their photos to the next level. This beautiful little Harry Potter themed creation is no exception!
While everyone else is out practicing their broom skills and spell casting, Neville is hard at work on his Herbology homework. His wand is at the ready and earmuffs firmly in place for working with the screaming mandrake root.The lab has a lived-in look with the many jars and plants scattered around the room and the two levels give the whole thing a nice sense of vertical scale. Ron’s rat Scabbers even makes an appearance, peeking out from behind the pots. It takes a deft hand to seamlessly use non-LEGO objects in a model, but architeclego does so here with great results. The real plants blend in quite nicely with their plastic counterparts and the spray of water in the greenhouse is a perfect dash of realism.
While the whole scene is fantastic, it’s the lighting and effects work that really make this scene shine. The daylight coming in through the windows looks authentic, but it’s the light beams coming from the greenhouse that provide the most impact. We all love seeing a nicely photographed LEGO model, but as this set up demonstrates, a little attention to lighting effects can really transcend the art form.
When an obsession becomes a liability
No doubt, any LEGO fan with a passion for building can relate to this humorous scene by Ralf Langer. LEGO Star Wars 75192 UCS Millennium Falcon burst on to the scene in 2017 with a whopping 7541 pieces and a price tag to match. Star Wars fans flocked to the store to bring their large prize home, often to the chagrin of their partners, families and bank accounts.
I love a model that tells a story and this one employs some great details that serve to add to the narrative. The inclusion of dead plants is a funny little gem and the expressions on all the minifig’s faces tell us everything we need to know about what they are thinking. The mom’s rolling suitcase and the daughter’s teddy bear are a nice touch as well as the many open boxes of parts spread around the room. The Millennium Falcon itself is also a terrific little build all on its own. My favorite bit is the LEGO storage shelves which are all organized by part. The bucket handles add a nice splash of color and detail and the use of single parts in the shelves represent the organization system perfectly. A true homage to the LEGO obsessed.
An Assassin’s Creed
One of the things I enjoy about the LEGO community is seeing how certain people grow as builders. NS Brick Designs has created some fantastic models, but I loved looking at the comparison of his most recent Assassin’s Creed creation to the original built three years ago. His attention to detail has really come a long way.
The Assassin’s Creed game franchise is known for its wide ranging locations and times in history. While this scene isn’t based on one particular game, it captures the spirit of the series perfectly with one of the titular assassins on top of the building ready to leap down and take out the enemy. Various techniques are used here to create a wonderful look. The use of the gears and mechanical arms as decor give great detail to the building along with upside down ice cream cones and Battle Droid legs to create a nice treatment over the windows. The tree made from the 3 leaf pieces and in particular the bird made from a plume, minifigure hands and the base of a lever really caught my eye. I also like the use of the sideways profile bricks that make up the paved ground and the connected clips that lend a nice look to the stairway railing.
There is a lot to appreciate in this LEGO model, so be sure to take the time to take a closer look and be inspired.