Tag Archives: Vignettes

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.

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!”

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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?

Into the Unknow

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.

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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.

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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.

What it takes to build the biggest Falcon

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.

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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.

An Assassin's Creed

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.

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Hang in there, little plant.

We love progress. Our cities, our monuments, even our parking lots are all built for the betterment of mankind. But no matter how far we progress, how tall we make our buildings or how shiny a monument may be, one fact will always remain true. Someday Mother Nature will reclaim what was once hers. Builder Emil Lidé illustrates this notion with this creation he calls “Breaking Through”. No stranger to building beautiful flora and fauna, he clearly has a deep respect for nature. We’ve highlighted his Yin and Yang Panda House before and while this piece is less extravagant, its message conveys strength and endurance. It is important to remember that the balance between mankind and nature is precarious. Every skyscraper began with a plan and every mighty oak began as a humble acorn. I have never rooted for a plant to win more than this little guy here.

Breaking Through

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This quiet gardener’s retreat deserves a double take

Have you ever played one of those games where you look at an image and find the hidden details? They used to be in magazines, but these days there are loads of apps for them. And now, there’s even a 3D LEGO version! This greenhouse, built by César Soares, is a hidden-gem masterpiece. While there are lots of LEGO creations with incredible parts usage, this one goes above and beyond, and may be one of my absolute favorites!

Greenhouse

No spoilers! Take a moment to scan the whole thing, and read below once you get stumped. Can’t remember where you last saw that part? We’ll fill you in on a couple of those hard-to-pinpoint pieces!

Click here to discover which items you may have missed

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Minifigure murder mystery in a magnificient mansion

The two things that stood out first in this build by XBrickmonster were the imperfect walls and the intricate windows made of LEGO elements ranging from claws and minfigure hands to tails and even Technic pins. That aside, the scene itself is a grand mystery waiting to be solved by our two detectives. While I leave the hard part to the experienced folks, I’m still trying to solve how that yellow frog got up there on the beams of the roof.

Murder in the Study

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This LEGO Pingu is just too adorable

If you grew up in the 90s watching European television, there’s a good chance you love Pingu. The stop-motion animated adventures of the adorable little penguin ran for over 15 years starting in 1990. Builder Johan Alexanderson has made four tiny LEGO scenes of an ordinary day in the life of Pingu as he putters about his nicely furnished Antarctic igloo. The penguins are an adorable mix of minifigure elements and bricks with a little customization for the eyes. Noot noot!

An ordinary day for LEGO Pingu

Pingu has appeared on TBB a few times in the past, including a previous scene by Johan where Pingu meets a walrus. We also highlighted a cute larger-scale Pingu.

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Celebrating the off-centre

Over the last year Roanoke Handybuck has built something of a reputation for his wonky building style. Celebrating the shapes and forms of the medieval period he focuses on capturing the way wooden beams bend and walls subside. In this latest model, titled Eldford Market, he demonstrates in a tiny 16 x 16 baseplate all the LEGO techniques synonymous with his work. Everywhere you look, bricks are matched irregularly or held at off-centre angles, whether it’s in the cobbled street or as part of the weathered tower. The icing on the cake, though, has to be the way the upper floor of the main building tilts elegantly into its neighbouring sloped roof – brilliant!

GoC- Eldford Market

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Build your own baby

I love a bit of creepy LEGO, and this scene by Leonid An is probably as unsettling as they come. The Scala baby figure is a perfect foil for this grim tale of genetic experimentation. Lit from below in its artificial birthing pod, the infant’s eyes are covered, as it is slowly infused with whatever vile substance lingers in the second dome. The control panel has a retro-futuristic feel, with its rainbow displays and offset cartridges; an ominous bin of discarded limbs at its side. It’s just another example of the LEGO brick’s untapped uncanny potential.

Infusion

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For the next trick I need some bricks and tiles...Abracadabrick!

Building with LEGO is very much like performing a magic show; each time you need a particular slope or a suitable minifigure torso, they just disappear! Although, this beautiful vignette by captainsmog doesn’t include more sophisticated or rare LEGO pieces, it remains very eye-catching and funny. Thanks to captainsmog’s smart use of space, tall curtains help to significantly extend the scene’s vertical field of view. This in turn places the action in the center. We don’t know if the trick went well, but let’s hope there’s a spare pair of legs in the builder’s collection…

Abracadabra!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.