After more than a few Bricklink orders and a complete organization of my collection, I've finally put together an outer wall that I'm satisfied with.
The technique is actually rather simple and fairly common, at least amongst the AFOL community. It involves interchanging 1x1 Bricks and 1x1 Bricks with Stud on 1 side and carefully placing tiles over the studs to create an effect much like actual laid bricks.
The only real trick for me here is being careful with how the bricks are seated in my overall structure, as it does mean that the walls are less stable than they would be using longer bricks. With two walls using the technique, I've not yet noticed any structural integrity issues, even while moving the entire tower, but I am worried slightly about some "wobbliness" when all 7 base level walls (not counting the main entrance/staircase) are similarly decorated.
The new look certainly beats the old one (pictured above) where I was merely laying random tiles to give the structure more texture.
I should have enough pieces now to finish off the first "level" and maybe enough to add some texture to portions of the wall that will have windows on it. Even so, the cost of the project is quickly adding up and I am probably going to have to come up with another decorative technique for the higher levels if I am to do this without substantial additional cost.
Still though, the final look is impressive and leaves me very satisfied.
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