Medieval Triptych

This trio of fantastic builds and shots comes to us courtesy of the mad skills of Travis Brickle, Simon NH and Ralf Langer. The task was to show a medieval building process, so the team each built one part and assembled them into a three panel triptych. The lighting in these shots is top notch, building a real mood.

Ginko Lodgings

I'm going to pretend that this lovely floating treehouse dwelling by Brother Steven is actually an AirBnB that anyone can rent, including me. And I'd like to book it immediately for at least a couple night's stay. I don't know exactly how I'll get there, perhaps I'll rig my new Airstream with dirigible capabilities (hey, if he can have a floating treehouse I can have a floating RV, it's only fair)

Gnome Castle

No, that's not lens distortion or some trick of the eye, this castle by Swan Dutchman is actually slightly angled outward. It's a subtle effect that had to make construction exceedingly difficult, which makes me love it even more. The temptation would be to emphasize the effect, since it was so difficult to accomplish, but Koen resisted that urge and the results are absolutely stunning.

The Quiet Tavern

I grew up in restaurants. My dad was a restauranteur and we had a few, he liked the process of starting them, but would get bored soon after and sell it to start a new one, some are still going today. When I looked at this brilliant interior vignette by builder MarcelV I was reminded of those mornings when the place was quiet, there was a bit of a mess from the night before and it was time to start the day. After a bit of clean up and kitchen prep, it would be time to open the doors once again, but for now it was quiet. It was a peaceful time, with wonderful smells, good stories and camaraderie.

White Lotus Priest

It's been a while since we've featured a good tilted timbers build here, thankfully builder jaapxaap is there to give us our fix with this wonderfully disheveled, colorful dwelling. The color palette on this is stunning and eye-grabbing, while still feeling somewhat natural. Considering the colors chosen this is not logical, but really works.

Micro Castle

I will never tire of seeing a good micro build, especially one as good as this castle by builder soccerkid6. This is the second place prize for the 48x48 Castle category of the Summer Joust. The color combination is my favorite thing about this, but I have to make mention of that stud-to-stud technique for adding windows to the round tower.

There's No Place, I Can Be...

A nice peaceful river retreat gives this peasant boy a place to rest and find a little serenity before back to being oppressed by someone who received a sword from a watery tart.  This small vignette by David Zambito has some great rock work using official boulder pieces and upside-down boat tiles, but the stand out is the duck, a simple and elegant 5 piece build, with a stud shooter as the body.

Gothic Church

It's been a while since we've seen something by the great Legonardo Davidy, but he's back and in fine form. Just look at all the rich details and texture in this classic gothic church! It's a study in mixing grays, studs, profile bricks and brackets to achieve a look that's very mottled, but pleasing to the eye. This kind of thing is easy to get wrong, and this is a perfect example of getting it right.

Castle Lorinean

First let me say that bigger isn't always better, but sometimes it's certainly an attention getter. I had the pleasure of seeing this incredible castle by fraserratzlaff in person at BrickCon, and I know my initial reaction was a sincere and appreciative low whistle to myself, with a quiet "whoa, that's big". But that's just the initial reaction, after that was several minutes of eye feasting. It's so big that even with three large photos here, you haven't seen nearly all of it. I invite you to click though, and do some feasting for yourself.

Dawnwood Castle

I really like this castle diorama by builder LegoLord. One of the things I find a bit tiresome in castle MOCs, especially large scale ones, is the tendency to get a little "one note". By that I mean textures that can be complex, but all the same, color palettes that become monochrome in large volume and structures that lose their identity in clusters. Here we have foliage that is interesting and diverse at any distance, each structure has it's own identity, and details that are rich up close, but don't become distracting when you step away. Click through for many more pictures.

Aldingham Keep

While the first word that leaps to mind to describe this wonderful keep by Brother Seven would probably be "tall", I'm going to go with "clean". While I truly appreciate a craggy, richly textured castle build, it seems they're all that way any more. That makes this especially clean tower stand out all the more, and it's a gleaming while treat for the eyes.

Armathain Manor

Builder Groovybones describes this as a "Castle-type thing" and I find it equally hard to categorize. What I don't find hard is it's appeal, with it's interesting angles, splashes of color and Persian flair. It looks right out of an adventure movie, with plenty of action and intrigue, a movie I'd totally watch.

The Summerset Isles

I need a vacation. I know the holidays were only 8 weeks ago, and I did take some time off, but it's been nuts ever since. So my first instinct when seeing this stunning diorama by Brickwielder was a deep desire to be strolling that bridge with my wife, sipping some fruity and overly decorated beverage and sincerely appreciating that waterfall and the beautiful scenery.

Welcome To Salonica

Welcome to the wild, whimsical, wonderful world of Salonica from builder Gunman. There's loads of detail in this colorful and imaginative diorama, I highly recommend clicking through to explore the larger images. Measuring in at 144 x 144 studs it's definitely on the large size, but not so big it's difficult to take in. I especially like the Dragonslayer's Inn, and would like to make a reservation immediately.

City Of Bandari

This impressive and detail loaded diorama is by builder Henjin Quilones, and it's a treat to the eyes as well as the imagination. We've all seen plenty of fantasy and medieval villages and cities, but I've never heard of a dragon hatchery. What a wonderful notion, of a building dedicated to the hatching and nurturing of dragons.

Volsung Hall

I can't decide what's more mind blowing about this epic award winning MOC by long time collaborators Eli Brinsmead and Ben Cossy. The sheer awesomeness of the build, with it's multiple levels, chambers and storytelling, or the fact that it's a collaboration by two guys that live on opposite sides of Australia and it wasn't joined until they went to Brickvention. I've collaborated with other builders in the same room and it's challenging, I can't fathom the amount of planning and dedication that went into this.

Medieval Facade

This is like a cool combination of fantasy book illustration, MOC and movie set. On a movie, you really only build what's going to be seen, and usually it's just the front so everything's thin and single sided. I don't know what's on the other side of this lovely creation by builder ranghaal, but I like to imagine it's where craft service has set up, and there's a bunch of crew members standing around eating bagels.

Crossing Swords With Robin Hood

I think I could use a good dose of swashbuckling, and after seeing this brilliant MOC by Eggy Pop I think I'm going to hunt down this 1938 Errol Flynn classic. The curved castle walls and clean construction really help this feel like an authentic reproduction of a large set from the golden age of Hollywood.

Tiny Siege

Is it possible for a siege to be cute? I mean, we're talking about the use of military force to invade a city, the inevitable bloodshed, the shattering of lives, yet it's adorable. Sure you can argue that it's only because of the scale, the fact that it's built from a child's toy and the bright cheery colors that it's cute. But it's war, absolutely charming and delightful war from builder MarcelV.

Daydelon

I know much of the US, and the world is enduring a cold snap at the moment, so the charm of a snowy medieval village might be lessened a bit. But just look at this excellent diorama by builder soccersnyderi. Despite it's apparent scale, the whole thing fits on a 48x48 baseplate. It also has a feature I've never seen before, pull out room interiors. Three little vignettes that slide out of the structures to reveal a little bit if medieval life.