Starting your MOC-saic? Which Art set is for you?

[bitbamboo]

Despite the opinion that the Lego mosaic theme is boring , a recent huge example together with the announcement of the new Batman and Elvis sets have triggered my interest in building one

A quick search shows that there are a few software options to help with the initial shaping link 1, link 2 & many others, but people with experience points out that manual adjustments will be required

So, basically you have a clear path ahead to draft it; but then, how do you source the pieces? Which set could be the most cost-effective for your project? All official mosaics bring the base bricks, a frame in black or white and up to 16 colors of 1x1 round tiles or plates in good amounts ,but they are not easy to compare.

So I have put together the following table that can be used beforehand, so you limit your palette to what's available in a set (some tools already includes this), or afterwards, choosing if any would solve your needs better than a BricksNPieces / Brincklink order

 

Notes:

- I have excluded the World Map 31203 because if you are considering that size, clearly you are not into cost optimisation

- The submission of the upcoming Ideas set Starry Night is not flat and looks great, this would require different parts sourcing. @Themiddlebrick uses a noteworthy layered technique in Boba Fett mosaic artwork

- Art Project 21226 is listed based on the Lego instructions' last page, and Batman 31205 and Elvis 31204 are listed based on info from Brothers-Brick review ; the rest comes from bricklink

- A few DOTS sets might be good parts packs as well, I have included them

Set Number		21226	31197	31198	31199	31200	31201	31202	31204	31205	41935	41950	41951	41952
Set (nick)Name		Art Project	Marilyn	The Beatles	Iron Man	The Sith	Hogwarth	Mickey	Elvis	Batman	Lots of Dots	Lettering Dots	Message Board	Large board
Num. Pieces		4138	3341	2933	3167	3406	4249	2658	3441	4167	1040	722	531	943
Frame colour		White	Black	Black	Black	Black	Black	Black	Black	Dark Black	no	no	White, thin	Med. Az.?, thin
TILES or plates		TILES	TILES	TILES	plates	plates	plates	plates	TILES	rough plates	TILES, shapes	TILES, shapes	TILES, shapes	TILES, shapes
Other parts		201	187	187	193	193	202	197	200	200		+ part 27925	+ part 27925
Bricklink name	Color Number	3937	3154	2746	2974	3213	4047	2461	3241	3967	1040
White	1	474		149	61	187	369	835	71	257	60		46+16	167
Light Bluish Gray	86			51	31	110	236	59	26	277
Dark Bluish Gray	85		131	141	91	151		79	52	216
Black	11	254	629	698	476	877	593	662	596	566	60
Dark Red	59				214	328	503	96	339
Red	5	190			308	286	15	213	80	112	40	124+16	46+16
Coral	220										120			167
Dark Brown	120			554	196	200			206
Reddish Brown	88	307		250	191			76	233	165
Dark Tan	69			137	97
Tan	2	241		283	155			32	106	380
Light Nougat	90								360
Nougat	28								200
Medium Nougat	150	281		29	208				182	153
Dark Orange	68			85	162	125			179	55
Orange	4	121		74							40	42	46+16
Bright Light Orange	110	175		65								4+16		127
Yellow	3	299	587								120	124+16
Bright Light Yellow	103	119				92					20
Neon Yellow	236
Yellowish Green	158										20	42	46+16
Lime	34	166					4
Olive Green	155
Dark Green	80										20
Green	6						499							127
Bright Green	36	148								210	20	4+16
Sand Green	48										20
Dark Turquoise	39										120
Light Aqua	152	317								194	40	42+16	46+16
Dark Blue	63	660		121	529	447		409	206	423	40
Blue	7						431			293	120
Dark Azure	153	127
Medium Azure	156		587				10			139	40	74+16	46+16	106?
Medium Blue	42								230
Bright Light Blue	105			57
Sand Blue	55			52	23	139			175
Dark Purple	89										60
Medium Lavender	157									95		42
Lavender	154										40	4+16		167?
Magenta	71		46								40
Dark Pink	47		587
Bright Pink	104	58	587										46+16
Flat Silver	95						630
Pearl Dark Gray	77					271	153			432
Pearl Gold	115				232		604
Trans-blue?												30?
Trans-blue?												30?
Trans-blue?													40?

The Lego Art discussion thread could be a good place to talk about this, but being in doubt I have started a separate thread because I do not want to launch a discussion on which one is "best". Do not hesitate in merging with that thread

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by bitbamboo
Added info for Batman and Elvis on Feb 23rd

[The Real Indiana Jones]

Cool, yes, and we should also mention Lego Art Remix at https://lego-art-remix.com/.  Personally, I think that one it is the best, and there isn't much more you could possibly add to make it any more perfect!

 

Also, I think your eye is correct...  The Elvis Art set 31204 will include a few hundred "nougat" tiles, and I think that will be the first time they've ever appeared in that exact color.  Naturally, they made them to add a lot more subtlety to the skin tones.  Plus, I think it has more of both "medium nougat" and "dark orange" tiles too.  So I think that's all of the flesh-tone colors that are currently available in the 2022 palette, since "salmon", "light salmon" and "dark nougat" plastic is not currently in active production.  So I will get the set, just so I can use the tiles to make a totally different portrait I am planning.  I don't care about Elvis, and I won't make his portrait at all, but it's definitely the ideal parts-pack set for making a portrait of anyone else you like!

 

And ultimately, how long do we have to wait to get round tiles in "classic green", "dark green", and "dark purple"?  You can buy fake ones in bulk from bootleg manufacturers, but I do not dare type their name, haha!  =D

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by The Real Indiana Jones

[Themiddlebrick]

On 2/4/2022 at 1:38 AM, The Real Indiana Jones said:

Cool, yes, and we should also mention Lego Art Remix at https://lego-art-remix.com/.  Personally, I think that one it is the best, and there isn't much more you could possibly add to make it any more perfect!

 

Also, I think your eye is correct...  The Elvis Art set 31204 will include a few hundred "nougat" tiles, and I think that will be the first time they've ever appeared in that exact color.  Naturally, they made them to add a lot more subtlety to the skin tones.  Plus, I think it has more of both "medium nougat" and "dark orange" tiles too.  So I think that's all of the flesh-tone colors that are currently available in the 2022 palette, since "salmon", "light salmon" and "dark nougat" plastic is not currently in active production.  So I will get the set, just so I can use the tiles to make a totally different portrait I am planning.  I don't care about Elvis, and I won't make his portrait at all, but it's definitely the ideal parts-pack set for making a portrait of anyone else you like!

 

And ultimately, how long do we have to wait to get round tiles in "classic green", "dark green", and "dark purple"?  You can buy fake ones in bulk from bootleg manufacturers, but I do not dare type their name, haha!  =D

 

Agreed, I'm looking forward to those nougat round tiles! I am also refreshing the Bricks and Pieces page on LEGO SaH daily waiting for the new basic green round tiles to arrive! There are a few in the globe set but I'm looking for more like 100!

Dark green would be a dream... I just hope with TLG's investment in the dots and art themes that we get them someday in the not too distant future!

 

@bitbamboo In your table, it says the Batman mosaic frame is in Dark Black. I'm assuming it is a typo and you mean black (or maybe blue?). I'm curious because I am looking to put a dark brown frame on one of my mosaics but the 2 x 2 corner plates are not currently available in Dark Brown

[The Real Indiana Jones]

On 2/21/2022 at 1:02 PM, Themiddlebrick said:

Agreed, I'm looking forward to those nougat round tiles! I am also refreshing the Bricks and Pieces page on LEGO SaH daily waiting for the new basic green round tiles to arrive! There are a few in the globe set but I'm looking for more like 100!

Dark green would be a dream... I just hope with TLG's investment in the dots and art themes that we get them someday in the not too distant future!

 

Ah, yes, the ones in The Globe set are basic classic Green, finally...!  =D

But a few round tile colors are still missing in action:

- Dark Green

- Sand Green

- Dark Purple

- Medium Lavender (Thanos's color)

- Pearl Dark Gray (a.k.a. Gunmetal Gray)

I tried spray-painting the greens and gunmetals a few months ago, and the sheen looks OK as a temporary place-holder.  Also, (trigger warning: clone brands) a lot of these tile colors can be bought in bulk from various bootleg manufacturers...  For art tiles, the quality might be adequate to just fill in the blanks for now, and then you can replace them later when the real ones are finally available...  Some of the colors are a tiny bit different hue from the official Lego colors, and some have a bit of a ripple or a dimple on the surface.  It also depends on how loyalist and purist you are!  =D

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by The Real Indiana Jones

[bitbamboo]

The Brothers Brick review of Batman mosaic confirms the brand new medium lavender 1 x 1 round plate , not tile. Although there are 1x1 square tiles available

[The Real Indiana Jones]

53 minutes ago, bitbamboo said:

The Brothers Brick review of Batman mosaic confirms the brand new medium lavender 1 x 1 round plate , not tile. Although there are 1x1 square tiles available

Thanks!  Out of curiosity, what colors on the current 2022 palette do not have 1x1 ROUND PLATES (i.e. studs) made yet?  For example, all of the various lighter blues? 

I am using tiles here, and I mentioned just above which tile colors are still missing, but I may also do one with studs too in the future...

And I have a feeling that every new art set will include one or two new tile/stud colors, just to tempt us to get it!  =D

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by The Real Indiana Jones

[bitbamboo]

I'm using tiles as well, but the stacking technique mentioned in Batman review makes plates to look tempting; Anyway I'll probably go for the layered idea as it improves the detail and I have limitted space.

My source of truth is obviously bricklink , and my biggest surpise has been that green 1x1 tile is new from 21332 The Globe.

So, not yet aware of the color gaps in plates. I'll share if I finally need to investigate them.

There are a couple of novelty-tiles in Elvis but I do not think that adding new colors will be activelly seek when selecting the motives. There are very few missing colors and most images can be rendered with the above palette, in any case time will tell.

 

[The Real Indiana Jones]

Hmm...  Or you could also stack up 1 or 2 or 3 trans-clear round studs, and then cap off each one with the colored stud or tile on top.

Or alternately, have you seen this one, where he stacks up all 1x1 square trans-clear plates, so they look more and more opaque, and so it looks like ice-floes in the ocean.  Imagine this but with a dark blue background like the ocean?

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/80036-mosaic-david-bowie-as-the-thin-white-duke/

Edited February 23, 2022 by The Real Indiana Jones

[Themiddlebrick]

I was a bit disappointed that the first two reviews of the Elvis set didn't mention the new nougat tiles...at least Brickfanatics corrected theirs (no surprise seeing you call out that omission @bitbamboo!) 

Personally, the biggest gap in the plates' color palette is the lack of dark green (earth green) which is the one that I have the hardest time correcting. I can usually find a solution to lighter blue between some of the "greener" blues, light aqua, medium azure, which are at least close.

I think that more than the mosaic sets, TLG's dedication to the dots theme will give us more colors in tiles- though in smaller quantities obviously. I wonder how successful the mosaic theme is overall - there is definitely a niche audience, but is it enough for long-term sustainability? I wonder. I honestly don't know. I hope so though because I appreciate their willingness to experiment and I'd like to see it pay off.

[The Real Indiana Jones]

Yes, so the colors still missing for round plates (studs) are: dark green, light nougat, nougat, coral, lavender, medium lavender, bright light blue, medium blue, and dark azure.

So aside from dark greens and flesh tones, it's all of the exotic colors like light purples and variously subtle light blues you get in the Dots sets. 

Also, that new key-tool that they include in the Dots sets is excellent.  Grab one on your next BrickLink order!

 

[The Real Indiana Jones]

Hey all, as I mentioned elsewhere, it's worth noting here that there are two new official colors in the Lego palette this year...  Aside from "neon yellow", there is a distinctly new flesh tone that BrickLink is calling "medium brown".  It's a step darker than medium nougat, and a step lighter than reddish brown, so a nice coffee-with-milk kind of color.  You may have noticed it in set 76399 Hogwarts Magical Trunk, with the interchangeable student minifigs, and some minidolls in Friends sets too.  Hopefully, they will make art tiles of that new color, because it's a perfect shade for more subtle shading on art portraits!

I think they previously had the wrong RGB value for it, but now it's fixed...  They might also need to correct some of the photos of parts...

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=84086#T=C&C=240

 

[The Real Indiana Jones]

Naturally, the reason this topic is defunct now, is that almost all of the tile and stud colors are available in bulk on Pick-A-Brick for just 3 to 5 cents each now!  Here's convenient links for you.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?query=35381&page=1&perPage=400&includeOutOfStock=true

https://www.lego.com/en-us/pick-and-build/pick-a-brick?query=6141&perPage=400&includeOutOfStock=true

 

Plus, If there are any subtle custom colors you might need, like violet, or salmon, or cafe-au-lait, et cetera, you can get nice quality off-brand parts on Ali-Express.  Here's a few examples.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803946227208.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000023.1.258be0f6hxZJht&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803948166967.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000023.3.258be0f6hxZJht&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt&_randl_shipto=US

 

Let us know if you have similar suggestions.  I'm planning some bigger works, and it's simpler to buy it all in bigger bulk.  And I'm tired of waiting for Lego to release those last few colors!  =)

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by The Real Indiana Jones