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.

And then he rested...

In a unique take on the phrase “year in review”, Ted Andes built a new 8×8 stud LEGO vignette every week over the entire course of 2014. The resulting collection covers all manner of topics, from the well-known to the downright weird. Often inspired by current events, the builds are always imaginative and creatively built. They also demonstrate a wide variety of building styles, proving there’s an awful lot you can do with a simple 8×8 space!

It’s almost impossible to pick favorites, but here goes…

As well covering all the most popular holidays, Ted managed to include some more ‘extreme’ annual events from around the world:

 

SPORTS! Clever building techniques are used to convey scale and speed, respectively:

 

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Plants are people too

Reinforcing my opinion that Mixel eyeballs were 2014’s most exciting new LEGO element, Nick Sweetman has started chronicling the life of Nigel, a sentient potted plant with a taste for junk food (and possibly human flesh).

Unfortunately Nigel has just rushed into marriage …which I have no doubt will turn out to be a total disaster! We look forward to seeing his ongoing adventures. And finding out how adorable and numerous his offspring will be.

 

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Ruination

Oddly perhaps, one of the things I enjoyed most about the Maschinen Krieger models I built myself a couple years ago was not the hardsuits and vehicles themselves but the little bases I made to display them. Matthew Oh takes this to a whole new level with the highly detailed ruins with which he surrounds his SAFS “Wolverine” hardsuit.

Ma.K SAFS Wolverine Diorama

Many LEGO builders take our inspiration for Ma.K models from the creations of plastic modelers both working with the original kits and scratch-building in the Ma.K universe inspired by nothing more than their imagination. The cross-section profile of Matthew’s LEGO diorama beautifully matches the aesthetic of what plastic modelers do, while retaining enough visible studs to ensure it’s abundantly evident that the model is built from LEGO. Oh, and that roof!

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The Victorian streets

I’ll enjoy a good vignette any day, and this one by Jonas O. (-Wat-) is an example of one that captures ample detail without trying to be extravagant.

Victorian London Street Life

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Fuel up and head to the wilds

This vignette by Brick Vader uses bold techniques to create an intricate scene. I’m not sure if the garage will collapse if I lay a finger on it, but it looks good in the photo.

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Back to school

The summer vacation is drawing to an end, and kids in the US are now drifting back to school. It’s such a magical time of year …for us parents! This vignette by Ted Andes celebrates the new school year by turning a couple of high school stereotypes on their head…

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The Habitat in the Sands of Solar System

Microscale and space colonies are a match made in the heavens. Karf Oohlu’s Colony Base Omega may be fighting for life on a foreign world, but it does so with panache. This slick modular sci-fi outpost looks fresh off the mothership and ready to get some terra formed.

In a solar system, far far away....

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A monument to the Age of Steam

Ordo is a multi-theme builder whom we haven’t featured nearly enough, I think. (Frankly, I suspect the broader LEGO builder community tends to overlook fellow builders whose primary theme is Star Wars — it’s a bit unfair, and I admit to passing over some pretty good Star Wars models myself from time to time.)

Ordo has begun dabbling with steampunk, and this little vignette is packed with detail — as both steampunk and vignettes should be.

The age of steam

The small steam-cycle and robotic drone are nice little steampunk builds in their own right, but it’s little touches like the key on the vignette’s base and the scattered pink flowers that really distinguishes Ordo’s work from so many other builds in the genre.

Be sure to check out Ordo’s photostream if you haven’t already — there’s lots to like.

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A different point of view

Grant Davis gives us a new perspective with this cross section of a medieval sapper at work. The cartoony style makes even this most terrifying of medieval occupations look like just another day in the life of the put-upon minifig.

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Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.

Tomorrow is the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. I hope we see many moon-themed LEGO models over the next couple of days, but we’ll start with this fantastic microscale version of the lander by Ted Andes.

Moon Landing

Ted has been building one vignette a week this year, and this is his 31st. Check out his photostream for the rest.

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And the Walls Came Tumblin’ Down

The traditional LEGO vignette (on a 6×6 or 8×8 base) seems to be less in vogue these days than it was a few years ago, but this slightly larger vignette by Matthew Oh has such a great sense of motion that it instantly caught my eye. Depicting the Biblical miraculous destruction of the ancient walled city of Jericho, this vignette makes excellent use of implied motion to draw the viewer in.

Fall of Jericho

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The grass isn’t always greener...

This vignette by leon scopes is packed with details. Hopefully it’s enough to hold back what’s on the other side of the fence.

The Safe Zone

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