Scribbet,
Don’t forget to keep us updated with your progress [8D]
Hello, as promised when backdrop is completed I’ll post pictures of the finished product, but please don’t hold your breath, this might take a while…
Have a nice day [;)]
Just do the walls where the layout butts up against them. The idea is that it is supposed to be off in the distance, so adding them to the open areas would not look right.
Before going any further paint your wall(s) a light blue. Very light blue. Many people use too dark blues for the backdrop. I just did that last week, got the colour cards, went outside and held them up against the sky and then picked a lighter shade.
Painting a backdrop is not very hard. You need a couple of stiff 1" round brushes, a small brush, and a 3" flat brush with short bristles. A stiff fan brush works for doing conifers. For colour, you need Mars Black, yellow, brown, and white. No Green!
You dab a mix of black and yellow onto the backdrop with the round brush, just keep stabbing it with the brush and before you know it, you’ll have a forest. Do not add tree trunks, because you don’t see them in the distance anyway.
Hello Betamax, thank you for the tips and advice, they are appreciated, it would be nice if you could post a pic of your backdrop so we can see the results of your work, it would give me and others some good ideas.
Thanks and have a nice day [;)]
I didn’t do this, but I assisted (as well as choosing the ‘sky blue’ and slathering it on with a roller the week before.)
This was done in a matter of 2 hours (with a short break to enjoy cupcakes with cream, strawberries and raspberries.)
Click on the “backdrop” link in the sidebar.
I think it can depend on the layout lighting conditions. I thought my first selection for sky blue was perfect until I painted a section, let it dry, and saw it under the florescent lights in the train room. Due to the shape of my ceiling, the lights are fairly close to the walls, and they really washed out that blue. It was far too pale for the kind of sky conditions I wanted to replicate, so I re-painted with a darker shade and I like the results much better.
My advice would be to paint a test section or fairly large scrap piece and see how it looks under the lights, then go lighter or darker (or keep it) based on what you see in your room.
Hello Betamax, thank you for the link ; it’s a very instructive slide show and it gives us a good idea how to paint a backdrop.
O’Dave I agree with you about the lighting conditions, I weathered buildings on my workbench and when I put them on the layout they looked too dark, I had to apply lighter colours so they can stand out more under the layout lights.
Glad you liked the pictures. The technique isn’t that hard to learn.
In fact, the painter did a clinic at an NMRA regional convention a couple of years back, and claims there is no one he can’t teach. He’ll also be doing a clinic at the upcoming Craftsman Structure Show (CSS).
He is self taught. Developed the techniques on his own.
He also said he gets his materials at De Serres. Cheap brushes and big tubes of acrylic paints, you could probably get all the materials for $30.
Hello Betamax, thanks for the additionnal infos. I have a Omer De Serres store in my area, that’s where I buy my pastel chalk and spray paint.
It would be nice to have a train convention in my area (Montreal) the only “Model Train event” I attended so far were Model Train Club Open-Houses…Luckily I have a LHS where I can meet dedicated hobbyists and also a “Gentleman” store owner who is always there to give me advice and answer all of my questions on any subject regarding the hobby.
Have a nice day [;)]
Anybody mention 1/2 -inch extruded blue foam for a backdrop?
It’s lightweight, cheap, takes paint well and you can leave it as it is until you add painted scenery or poster scenery or whatever