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#2498 BEGINNER SERIES: Lesson 12 - Landscaping Terrain & Rockwork

Professor Tipsen here, ready to lay the groundwork for you to build amazing LEGO landscaping! Today, we cover a variety of techniques ideal for creating terrain and rocky surfaces.


Featuring techniques by @isaacsnyder_brickbuilt and @fullplatebricks.


#2494 BEGINNER SERIES: Lesson 12 - Landscaping Terrain & Rockwork Hi, I am Professor Tipsen Bricks! Today we will be creating TERRAIN & ROCKWORK using some common LEGO techniques. Images of three LEGO landscapes showing terrain and rockwork. Use this series as a resource if you are new to building, or if you want to refresh your skills and knowledge! Image of Professor Tipsen Brick’s LEGO minifigure holding a pen and standing in front of a pile of LEGO.

Landscaping Basics Adding natural terrain to a LEGO set or MOC is a great way to elevate its display. Image of LEGO set 21335 Motorized Lighthouse. In addition to situating a model, landscaping can also be an important storytelling aspect, describing the location, season, weather, and more. Landscaping sometimes functions like a MOC base. See post #2442 for more on bases! Image of LEGO set 71819 Dragon Stone Shrine and Tips&Bricks post #2442. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Natural landscapes often have organic curves, so they can be tricky to depict with blocky LEGO bricks!” Here are some common techniques for building terrain and rockwork!

Plate Stacking The simplest method to create attractive terrain is by stacking plates. This works well for grassy, sandy, or rocky ground since LEGO studs have a textured surface. Image of green plates (2420) stacked to resemble a grassy mound. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Leave irregular gaps to achieve a more organic look!” To define transitions and edges, try using wedge plates. Smooth surfaces can be created by adding a layer of tiles on top of plates. Image of brown angled plates (24299, 26601, 43722) stacked to resemble layers of earth. Varying colors can add depth or suggest multiple materials. Experiment with combinations of different plates and tiles! Image of gray round plates (4032, 30357) stacked to resemble stone, with a layer of rounded tiles (66857) on top to resemble snow.

Sloping For even more landscaping options, use slopes and wedges to represent sharper angles and build up height. Image of sand blue slopes and wedges (28192, 13548, 85984, 43710) stacked to resemble a rocky mound. This technique is often used for rockwork in both MOCs and official LEGO sets, and looks much better than a BURP. Image of a LEGO BURP (big ugly rock piece). Curved slopes are great for creating softer contours! Image of medium azure and white curved slopes (11477, 61678, 50950) stacked to resemble crashing waves. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Slopes come in a range of sizes, making them useful for detailing terrain in large or small MOCs!”

Adding SNOT Building sideways or upside down is the next step in creating expressive landscaping. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Raise SNOT bricks by two plates so that sideways pieces align with the top and bottom of the base!” Image of SNOT bricks raised by two plates with slopes on side and top in alignment. SNOT framing allows the combination of the plate stacking and sloping techniques. Image of a yellow SNOT base made of slopes with stacked plates on top, with dark azure curved slopes on one side to suggest a mountain with a waterfall. Create bumpy, irregular surfaces by alternating slopes and curved slopes, or offsetting elements by one plate. Image of an orange SNOT base made of slopes with stacked plates on top to suggest a rock formation.

Building sideways and curving sections are two more SNOT techniques useful for terrain. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Sideways building turns stacks of plates into great texture!” Image of green plates (15208, 15070, 35480, 4081) stacked sideways to resemble grassy ground. Slopes, inverted slopes, and arches can form natural looking shapes. Add SNOT bricks to turn the slab into a base for minifigures or MOCs. Image of dark tan slopes, inverted slopes, and arches (3665, 13965, 60481, 4286, 2449) stacked to resemble a stone slab. Curving large sections of a landscape can be achieved with rounded bricks, hinged plates, or flexible hoses and clips. Just add SNOT! Image of SNOT bricks clipped to a rounded hose with dark blueish gray curved slopes to resemble curving rockwork.

Rockwork This simple technique for quick rock faces uses just stacked SNOT bricks and slopes but is very versatile. Add slopes in different directions to create natural-looking nooks and crannies. Leave a few studs exposed for even more texture! Images showing dark blueish gray slopes being added to multiple layers of stacked SNOT bricks to resemble a rock wall. @isaacsnyder_brickbuilt When it comes to LEGO rockwork, slopes and wedges are useful, but it pays to experiment with using a variety of unusual elements. Image of dark blueish gray BURP covered with a variety of dark blueish gray parts to resemble a highly detailed rock wall. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “Check out the incredible NPU (nice parts usage) in this rockwork!” @fullplatebricks

Terrain & Rockwork Resources Check out posts #672, #888, #1076, #1165, and #1199 for even more LEGO terrain tips! Images of Tips&Bricks posts #672, #888, #1076, #1165, and #1199. Image of Professor Tipsen Bricks’ minifigure saying “This should provide plenty of groundwork for Lesson 13, adding roads and pathways!” Have you used any of these rockin’ terrain techniques? Share a (rock emoji) in the comments!

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