What color is your sky?

[wmshay06]

I took a photo from the season (fall) and region (WV) I’m modeling to my local Lowe’s, and after choosing several color sample cards that bracketed the color in the photo went into my railroad to make the final selection (this after the layout lighting was completed). Based upon this I used a color called First Light - painted all the walls this color. After mounting the backdrop (tempered hardboard), this same color was used for the base coat (2 coats), followed by a finish coat with the lower third with white merged in to form the horizon. The zenith was not darkened as is commonly done since the upper portion of the backdrop is in partial shadow anyway.

The same sky color was used as a tint base for painted hills.

Charles

[jecorbett]

First thing first,

I think it looks really goofy and unrealistic when I see blue sky on the horizon of a model layout, especially right behind a building built next to the backdrop, as seen in the May edition of MR. Ask yourself when was the last time you ever saw this effect in real life? Maybe in “Pirates of the Caribeans” when they fall off into another world, but I haven’t seen that scene modeled yet. I think the term I am looking for is “perspective”, and how the 3-D model turns into a 2-D backdrop, which needs more than a blue sky where they meet. And what really looks goofy are clouds at the 10 feet above the horizon. Unless you are modeling a train on Mount Everest, this just doesn’t make sense.

Now for the paint question, I used some blue paint that I used to paint my son’s room and then added white latex primer until I got the right color mix I liked. This isn’t rocket science as some people make it out be. Just mix some paints until you get what you like.

just my $0.02

While blue sky near the horizon is unusual, it is not completely unrealistic. It all depends on weather conditions. On a typical hazy summer day, the sky will be very washed out, nearly white near the horizon. On a real humid day, you will see this washed out effect overhead as well. On the other hand, on a really clear low humidity day, the sky will be quite blue, even near the horizon. In Ohio we get these days when a Canadian cool front moves in. These are more common in the late summer or early fall, but we occasionally get them at other times of the year.