Creating Middle Earth – How We Designed the LEGO Rivendell Printed Background

Creating printed vinyl backgrounds for our LEGO display cases is one of the most satisfying parts of the iDisplayit product design process, offering a chance to get creative with our own artistic interpretations of iconic movie and TV show locations, real-world settings, and sci-fi scenery.

We’ve settled on a style over the years, opting for a balance between an illustrative animated style and realism, evident on display cases for LEGO sets such as the Indiana Jones Temple of the Golden Idol, Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Collector’s Edition and the Back to the Future Time Machine (read more about the six backgrounds we produced for this set in our blog).

Recently, we took on the task of producing a worthy display case and backdrop for the stunning The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell 10316 set, a model that has met with praise and delight from the LOTR fanbase and LEGO fans alike.

The Fellowship of the Book… Or the Film?

We decided early on that our version of the Valley of Imladris would be inspired by both J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series and Peter Jackson’s unsurpassable film trilogy. When designing backgrounds, we have to be careful not to replicate copyrighted material too closely; therefore, we settled on our own vision of the hidden valley based on the geological features from the film mixed with aspects from what we imagined when reading the books. We also took inspiration from fan art online and the works of established Tolkien artists and illustrators such as Alan Lee, Ted Naismith, Pauline Baynes and John Howe.

As per the films, our background mimics the angle of the elvish valley as seen in the initial establishing shot in The Fellowship of the Ring, with the steep cliffs of the surrounding Misty Mountains decorated with plenty of green vegetation and wild pine forests. In addition, we included one large waterfall that would neatly match up with the bridge on the LEGO set in the foreground, adding several more to heighten the beautiful nature scene to the sides.

The books never explicitly state how many forks of the Bruinen River pass through the valley, so we decided to take artistic license to reveal a more expansive, less confined refuge of the Elves. This approach can be seen in the film version of The Hobbit when Bilbo and the dwarves arrive in the valley. The Fellowship of the Ring adaptation similarly revealed two additional waterfalls falling from the peaks of the eastern Eriador mountain range.

Contrast And Colour

The LEGO recreation of the Last Homely House East of the Sea is presented in vivid colours, with decorative roof panels, trees and decals combining to form a lush rendering of Elrond’s home. This clever approach to the palette reflects the magical aspects of the Rivendell valley. In the film trilogy’s detailed appendices (essentially a making of), Peter Jackson also discusses the use of digital grading to attain a unique colour and lighting effect for the secondary world of Middle-Earth.

We took a similar approach to the style of our printed backdrop, ensuring the foothills of the Misty Mountains would be bathed in bright, ethereal sunshine and moody shadows to create various shades of green vegetation and grey rock, with the near-white waters descending like brushstrokes down the cliffs. Eagle-eyed fans will also spot the hints of a rainbow on the left side of the illustration.

The Best Display Case for The Lord of the Rings Rivendell LEGO 10316

Our aim was to construct a clear acrylic display case that would make this extraordinarily detailed LEGO set a proud centrepiece for any collector or film lover’s home while preserving the model’s value against environmental contaminants, accidental damage, dust, and the risk of losing brick pieces.

Every Lord of the Rings superfan will have their own ideas for exhibiting this special LEGO set. We’ve done our best to create an enchanting transparent presentation case that showcases as many features of the magical valley as possible, with the waterfalls and cliffs leading towards the forests and rocky crags beyond, without distracting too much attention away from the model itself.

Pick up your case today for £150.00 and get ready to write your own stories worthy of the Red Book of Westmarch with a one-of-a-kind display case and LEGO set perfect for handing down to future hobbit generations. We’d also love to hear your thoughts on our printed vinyl background below!