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.

Gini’s Home Electrical Store is now open on BrickHills Avenue

It is the early 1960s and we are going for a stroll down BrickHills Avenue with builder Andrew Tate. Andrew has created a lovely scene with Art Deco-inspired architecture centering on Gini’s home electrical store on the corner. There is definitely evidence of the source of inspiration being a movie theater, and Andrew mentions the Warner Beverly Hills theater and Sunset Boulevard theatre at Disney Studios in his own description.

This build is not just a façade, as Andrew has also designed some interior views. The image below is clearly from Gini’s home electrical store. It looks to be a source for colourful refrigerators, washing machines and expensive cookers — more than enough to meet the desires of a mini-housewife!

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These flowers smell of metal and machine oil

Johnnie Brick Xavier shares with us an unusual ritual of petal harvesting as it seen on some faraway planet inhabited with robots. We don’t know why they need these petals, or what they call these weird looking flowers, but at least we can be sure that the harvest will be rich this season.

Technically speaking, using of a specific part in high quantities doesn’t always result into something this beautiful. Johnnie made a great choice of pieces for this vignette and managed to recognize an unusual shape of quite an ordinary plate 1 x 2 with towball on side.

The hardest part of space travel is getting off the planet

I’ve been inspired lately to build some near-future space vehicles, and so I’ve got at least a couple of vessels in the works. But the first step of space travel is always getting off the planet. This space shuttle, the Indefatigable, is designed to carry payloads to orbit, where they can be assembled into a much larger craft. The shuttle is designed for undergoing the rigors of liftoff, while a vessel capable of interplanetary travel may not be.

I generally avoid using stickers, often not even applying them to official models. However, this model really needed a tiny detail for the cockpit, and there’s no way to achieve that with bricks, since the area is just too small. So, a few carefully cut official LEGO stickers work well to mimic cockpit windows.

The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force

As an entry in the current MOC Olympics building contest, Boba-1980 recreated this memorable moment from Star wars: A New Hope, in which audiences were first introduced to the “force choke”. And while Admiral Motti’s lack of faith certainly was disturbing, I think Darth Vader’s attempt to kill a coworker during a business meeting could be considered marginally more disturbing (but totally relatable).

Duelling LEGO Knight with spurious shield

These duelling knights are clearly having a medieval difference in opinion, perhaps a pretty damsel in distress is the source of their angst? This vingette by DavidFNJ is a lovely little scene that has been photographed very well to demonstrate depth of field and a perfect angle to make the viewer part of the action. The colours used for the surrounding woodland and rocky areas are both realistic and attractive.

Look at the anger on the Knight’s face, he means business. I imagine the other chap is actually distracted by his opponent’s unusual shield decoration, its not often you see the sprue (a piece of extra plastic holding two elements together as part of the moulding process) used as an unofficial part!

LEGO scenes from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

First, we were blown away with tiny scenes from The Sorcerer’s Stone, then with vignettes from The Chamber of Secrets. And now (you guessed it) we have a series of wonderful LEGO scenes from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This time around, the master builder behind the month-long madness was Kevin Wollert. In total, Kevin built 23 amazing Potter-themed vignettes. Each of the scenes took me back to the first time I read the book (the best one in the series if you ask me). I especially appreciate how Kevin was able to capture the dark tones of this story.

Click here to see the full set

Slimes: they make a popping sound when they burst

Slimes. What are they good for? Nothing. They’re purple and oozy and maybe a little bit cute, but they get into everything and multiply like there’s no tomorrow. Sometimes, you just have to take a the drastic option, and that means grabbing the biggest hammer you can find. SPLAT! Well, that’s one fewer slime to worry about. I feel like this hilarious little vignette by Letranger Absurde was inspired entirely by the purple splat piece, aka Toy Story Stretch’s octopus arms, and I don’t think I’ve seen a better use for that piece yet.

Down the rabbit hole

Since the release of the Collectible Disney Minigures earlier this year, I’ve been waiting to see the adorable Alice figure put to great use. And that’s exactly what The Knit Knight has done here! Knight built the iconic scene where Alice falls down the rabbit hole in her quest to crash the white rabbit’s party. This LEGO scene is truly complete, including excellently-built, falling furniture, striped wallpaper, sweets and fizzy drinks (presumably all labeled “eat me” and “drink me”), a miniature rabbit-sized door, and even a tiny Dinah waving goodbye to Alice from the real world.

Tribute to a sunrise

There are few joys in life quite like a sunrise. I find them especially beautiful – though admittedly that may be partially due to the fact I’m a life-long night-owl. I find the colors and serenity quite beautiful.

ForlornEmpire has done their best to capture the beauty of a sunrise in LEGO. While they call it a “sorry” attempt, I’d respectfully disagree. The colors are lovely and striking, like a true sunrise. I like the forced perspective on the road, leading you to where the sun is starting to peak above the horizon.

The lazy days of summer

Often it’s the small things in life that are the sweetest. Sometimes that means the mundane activities of a peaceful life, and sometimes it means the small but brilliant work of a creative mind. Or best yet, combine them both, as in this lovely vignette by Grantmasters entitled “Weekend Chores.” The lawnmower made of rebreathers, a 1×1 round plate, and a twisted rubber band is ingenious, but my favorite detail is the tire swing made of a simple minifig wrench.

The Faerie Dragon all made of crystal

At a recent LEGO convention, Ivan Angeli and Mihai Marius Mihu were watching their displays, and happened to have some brick on hand, so they set to building. Talented builders both, together they produced this breathtaking Faerie Dragon in a single afternoon. I love creations built almost entirely of transparent elements. Many of the intricate elements builders grow to rely upon for complex techniques are unavailable in transparent hues, and many unusual pieces are.

A medieval triptych: from affluence to affliction

Sometimes, life may be different than it appears, and comfort and fear may arise from the same space. Jonas depicts such a contradiction in the Middle Ages. His small but effective build is filled with many details and master craftmanship. The top level is occupied by a Medieval beauty enjoying her hot tub. She possesses some luxury items such as a mirror, perfumes and books which were rare for her time. She seems completely unaware of the horrifying truth happening far below. The middle floor seems to be furnished to brew homemade beers, and the arched ceiling makes the room dark and cramped. Even with the presence of mice, the room may be enjoyable for a certain type of person who wishes to craft a beverage in silence. But the big barrel hides a secret trap door which leads to misery in the lowest level. A poor man is tied to a big wheel and his screams only echo in his spinning head, which is filled with the laughter of this masochistic band. Considering the torture tools scattered around, he will suffer a lot.