Best gears and motors to buy to start learning mechanical/kinetic art?

I want to get into making aesthetic mechanical/kinetic art (moving sculptures, gear driven designs, etc). I’m thinking of starting with Lego gears and motors, but haven’t used them yet.

Would that be a good way to learn, or should I go into 3D-printed/custom gears + motors (stepper, servo, DC)? Looking for the best starting point for learning and prototyping.

Example of a project: Mechanical clock using oscillating pendulum