Nerdy About The Bricks
The lengths that people have to go to feel safe has not changed much through the years. These days we have perimeter walls, armed guards and high tech security systems, back in the day we built castles and keeps, sometimes in crazy places. This outstanding diorama by builder Blufiji depicts such a place, the small keep of Lord Askvoll and his family. I can't imagine the kids did much running around in that yard, that or they started with more kids.
I've never been to Vietnam, but I hope if I ever get to visit it's as vibrant and charming as this little MOC by builder Know Your Pieces. There's an interesting mix of traditional and modern aesthetics, with the waterwheel giving a timeless touch, but the power poles letting us know this is contemporary.
What is it with humans? We've been squabbling over everything for as long as we've been walking upright (and probably before). We're just not wired for cooperation or coexistence it seems, or maybe not. It's kinda ironic that this depiction of man's tendency to bonk each other on the head and not work together is the product of two builders collaborating. Nice work SirWilsonBricks and The Maestro, you give me hope in humanity.
Not long ago I told the story of camping out for Temple of Doom, and my mixed feelings on the film. This scene, with Mola Ram plucking some poor dude's heart out and dunking him in liquid hot magma, is dark, really dark. But if you use Minifigures to depict anything, it inevitably elevates the cuteness and charm, as evidenced by W. Navarre's excellent diorama here.
Everyone knows The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but do you know the depths that Tolkien went to develop the history, culture and minutia of Middle Earth? His notes and thoughts were collected for years and after his death his son published these works as The Silmarillion, which Peter Jackson drew heavily on when fleshing out both of his epic trilogies. This beautiful diorama by builder jsnyder002 also drew inspiration from this book, and the results are stunning.
Storytelling is a critical part of any build, especially a scene or diorama. And when it's done as well as it is in this brilliant scene from theduggo, it's a pleasure to behold. This jewel heist being pulled off by the classic forestmen it broken down into three scenes, all connected. First is the infiltration of the castle, next is the stealthy approach, and last is the snatch, all perfectly done. This was built for Classical Bricks' Lego Castle Building Techniques Contest.
Of course when you have a huge mech you're going to need an even huger hanger to maintain it. Last week we featured Benjamin Cheh's awesome Palawan mech, well here's the jaw-dropping space where it stays in top shape. It features 4 Mechanical arms (2 attached to the walls and 2 on the beam), LTV Formica (Light Transport Vehicle) 2 GP containers, articulating boom lifts, 4 walkways, 4 LED lights, rack of missiles and a walkway platform with 2 hidden robotic arms for minor repairs.
Rogue One had some seriously cool and fun action sequences, and this was one of them. We knew when we saw the trailer some serious crap was going to go down here, and we were right. This excellent diorama by builder Boba-1980 depicts the calm before the storm, just before the rebels attacked the transport. It's also an expanded vision of an earlier smaller scale MOC previously featured here on BrickNerd, nice to see it fully realized.
Round structures built with square bricks always impress me, but this one also has flat edges that transition to round ones and a slight taper, which sort of blows my admittedly tiny mind. Other details like the roofs, the color palette and the spooky little swampy forest at the bottom make this a very interesting and lovely bit of castle goodness.
“I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death”
I miss Harry Potter. We became fans around the time book two was out, so we were fairly early to the party, and what a party it was. While it was satisfying to see the series wrapped up, not having that next book to look forward to made me a bit sad. This scene from Snape's infamous potions class by builder CheeseyStudios brings back a lot of fond memories, both from my imagination and from the movies. It's packed with details and I highly recommend clicking through for a peek at the larger pictures, it's worth it.
I do appreciate a good steampunk display, and this one by builder tkel86 is the steampunkiest. One of the things I like best about it is the expanded color pallet. One of the pitfalls of the genre is over reliance on browns, copper and pearl golds, tending to make things sort of one note, but the use of tans, blues and and other colors gives this a pop while still maintaining it's steampunk roots. Add to that plenty of motion (check out the video) and you've got a real show stopper.
Whenever I'm feeling slightly overworked, I like to remind myself that my hands are soft, my skin isn't leathery and my muscles don't ache. In other words, I don't work very hard. Take this guy for instance, his job is to cut stone, to CUT STONE. Yes, he takes large rocks, and makes them smaller, easier to use rocks. Now that's work. Speaking of work, a ton of effort went into this lovely diorama by builder Cozei. From the huge and beautiful tree, to the charming round house, there's lots to love.
Building in a single color is a challenge, that's why it makes such a good contest, but this little MOC by builder Emil Lidé shows how it can also be a great study in texture and clever part use. There's so much to like in this roughly 16x16 diorama that it defies it's scale. Stuff like the pip shooter trigger for tombstones, and wound chain for trees, it's a lovely little scene.
If you have a fear of heights you may want to look away. In so many classic adventure movies and action serials, the slatted suspension bridge was a nefarious obstacle. Who can forget Indy vs the Thugee warriors on the bridge in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? Of course in the movie the rock walls of the cavern were sort of plain and uninteresting. Not the case in this excellent MOC by builder W. Navarre. The stratum of the rock is my favorite feature of this build.
Sorry, couldn't help the Total Recall reference. It's just hard for me to not think of that when the subject of mars comes up (you should see my Arnold decompression impersonation). Builder eldeeem shows us the not to distant future with this brilliant (and huge) mars colony diorama. There's lots to love here, but my favorite details are the solar panels (I'm a sucker for the perfect part choice) and that rover looks ready to explore the red planet.
Being a victim of the continual commercial assault that is American television, I'm afraid the first thing I think of when I hear the name Captain Morgan is some goofball in a bar lifting his leg awkwardly to show his allegiance to a spiced rum. But this excellent MOC by builder Jacob Nion has nothing to do with that, but rather the story of the unfortunate end of Benjamin Morgan, you can read all about it here.
Like so many films of the 80's, E.T. helped shape me as a filmmaker and artist. It's a remarkable story told by an army of exceptionally talented artists. This wonderful diorama by builders ~The Steads~ depicts the uplifting but heartbreaking end of the movie, when E.T. says goodbye to Eliot and his family and climbs aboard his ride home. Admit it, you cried.
When I say "adventure", VW probably isn't the first thing that pops into your head. But for builder Pixel Fox, the terms seem to be synonymous. Here in the states they called the classic VW type 2 camper a Westfalia, and it was primarily used for weekend getaways. But in South Africa, it's known as the Syncro, and it was a go anywhere, do anything adventure mobile.
Builder Brick Surgeon gives us a little peek at what it must have been like to be upwardly mobile in medieval times. It's sort of the distant equivalent of caravaners, or the RV crowd. Pack up all your possessions in a relatively tiny, wheeled space and hit the road, sort of a romantic concept huh?
Thanks for the head's up Vince
Builder Blufiji shows us what it looks like when "unsavory characters, refugees, and denizens who simply want to disappear" take up residence in a swamp, and it's awesome. You can practically hear the insects, smell the damp air and feel the oppressive humidity as you look at this large, lush diorama. And if I'm not mistaken, in the distance, that's a banjo being played...slowly.
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