I got the idea of talking about illusion from a different post.
There are many ways we create illusion or trick the eye in model railroading. I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorites.
My favorite is the way I separated Rock Ridge from Train City on my 4 x 8 layout even thought they are in fact butted right next to each other. The are closer than two buildings on different sides of the street in Train City.
I used various techniques to separate the two. I used trees, I varied the type of landscape, I varied the elevation and I changed color. Of those, I think the change in color is my favorite. The rocks in Rock Ridge are red. In Train City they are grey. In train City, the ballast is grey, the retaining walls are grey and the rocks in the landscape are grey. In Rock Ridge, all of the above are red.
The effect is that if you look at Rock Ridge from Train City, you see a forested mountain. If you look at Train City from Rock Ridge, it looks like a city in the distance. These pictures don’t do it justice, but you’ll get the idea.
Good stuff Chip. I hope those of us who are expermenting with perspective will show our progress. There was a good article in one of the mags awhile back on tricks of persapective. It was interesting to me, though I can’t find the issue at the moment. I will contuinue to use N scale stuff and post pics if I get anything to work.
That’s ridiculous! [:O] Why didn’t I think of that? [banghead] I’m always on about track colour and condition… and your use of colour works so well. [8D]
It is a nice effect, Mouse, and I see it clearly. I also like your stratified look with the retaining walls and portals. It gives it all an interesting look without getting to “busy”.
I was kinda sorta hoping to get more people exposing their tricks. Don’t assume everyone knows it. How do you use back drops? Create space? Make it look like the Lilliputians are alive? Create distance between towns? Keep your wife from finding out how much you really spend?
… keeping my spouce from looking up my sleeves before the goods make their way into hiding in plain sight either on the layout or amoung the “stacks of stuff” to be worked on. Little did she know that she “taught” me the hiding in plain sight trick. “Where did that come from dear?” is answered by I’ve had that for ages. Reciepts and bags must be carefully hidden or disposed of however! Whoa to he who lets THIS PIECE OF INFORMATION out or we are all doomed.
If you agree that this photo seems to show a lot of terrain, especially in the distance, then my illusion has worked. I link it to something that you are going to do with your trestle…have some terrain behind it, heavily stratified, and then paint/paste a decent backdrop.
The hills for about 17" behind the trestle are formed, but above that, and then above even that is simply painted backdrop to give the illusion of many miles of hills up that valley.
I combine color differences and texture differences. The mountains in the backdrop are quickly painted with acrylics in a different color than the 2" thick plaster rock ledge in front of the backdrop. I also let the plaster drop down before it hits the backdrop which gives a shadow line between the plaster and the backdrop. Watch the lighting (the trees can throw a shadow on the backdrop - one of the reasons that I use flash for most of my photos, the shadow is directly behind the tree).
Amazing Chip! I have an upper level similar to that on my 3’x5’5" so that I avoid the “plywood prarie” look. (The small loop of track up there will not be connected to the lower levels) I did not want to simply build a wall or something. And I got the idea to carve out some area into the upper level under the track and put a trestle there. The scenery (of which I have not decided yet) would sorta cascade down from behind and under the trestle spilling down into the lower level. kinda like your trees!
