Sets 10662, 10663, and similar boast the newer color. This boasts the question as to whether LEGO is no longer willing to brand out Medium Blue in its Make and Create, and if DkAzure will be a more common color in the future. Besides, the Azure family are much stronger than the dull, pale MdBlue so it's gotta be more appealing right?
Dark Azure is a nice color and perfect for models like the St. Augustine. Well, since I ordered some 1x6 in Medium Azure (Motto: "you know how but don't know how"), I thought that would do the job since I plan on replicating FEC's Office Car fleet with my Heritage Unit, but as I learned when Brand Ribboning the Spongebob boat that it was actually Dark Azure that did the job.
On the subject but branching out, still, I found and thought out an even more perfect yet ambitious (since a cab car will be a PITA) use for my MdAzure swag, and with this motive complemented it.
Regardless, all nagging aside, LEGO has gone haywire with its color possibilities, and "I'm lovin' it". In 2012 one could say we've hit a new golden age for color. Out like a swarm of fleas came colors like Olive Green, Medium AND Dark Azure, "Flame Yellowish Orange", magenta, lavender, light aqua, and light yellow. Friends pioneered the purging of a delicious variety of elements in these zippy colors (as I have similarly named my PAB of late) while TMNT AND Chima followed in 2013. Even so, I didn't know the dark magenta was even a color until ending up with slopes of it from a grab bag. LEGO also refreshed "Bright Pink" so as to stand out as opposed to "light pink".
Here are some ideal applications of colors to inspire the noggin:
- Flame Yellowish Orange: Anything you want a stronger, bolder yellow to. My thoughts: CSX engines in the new YN3 scheme, taxis, new looking school buses, Union Pacific engines (even though regular yellow works). Good to say, as of the 2013 line, one can model ALL of those.
- Bright Pink: Miami-style pastel faded warehouses and buildings, art deco, houses, rooms, interiors. Ice cream trucks maybe?
- Lavender: I don't know, accents? Night clubs? lol...Don't even think I wound up with parts of this color.
- Olive green: The leaves are great for dull landscapes. Otherwise military equipment, landscaping, maybe a boxcar or two if you get a hold of a lot of brick. Graffiti possibly?
- Dark magenta: Best on accents. Awnings, Dunkin Donuts locations, etc. Steals the show from Dark Pink.
- MdAzure: Maersk renditions if you missed the sets, Tri-Rail, Sky related items. Maybe a faded boxcar.
- Dark Azure: Anything pretty much. I'd like to see many more pieces in this and much more availability.
Aside from that it's nice to see more parts getting whipped out in such colors like Dark Tan (Sand Yellow), Medium Dark Flesh, Dark Orange and Dark Brown. These just have many uses in the city and add so much depth and realism.
The only downside to these colors are that they do make the hobby more expensive... and more spoiled too. There's less of a challenge to, say, getting the Dulux Gold on CSX correct (see Flame Yellowish Orange). Unless you get hookups from your LUG or the company, obtaining good amounts of these parts directly can be pricey or if you long for that one to two in that one set, the old-fashioned way, be prepared to fork out quite a bit of cash. But still this is an overall positive development in LEGO.
