wjstix In "the olden days" (like the 1990's), one method of doing a backdrop was to find a scene you liked and take some color slides of it. Then in the layout room, you could project the slide image onto your backdrop, and use the photo as a template for painting the backdrop scenery.
In "the olden days" (like the 1990's), one method of doing a backdrop was to find a scene you liked and take some color slides of it. Then in the layout room, you could project the slide image onto your backdrop, and use the photo as a template for painting the backdrop scenery.
I do the same thing, but with a projector hooked up to the USB stick..
It's really good for getting the scale right before the painting begins.
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No need to hire anyone for a backdrop. Are you wanting to focus attention on the trains or the backdrop? The choice is natural and you want to draw the eye to what's moving. Focusing on the still stuff is crazy since most of the money should get focused on the train, scenery, and structures. These matter far more than the backdrop.
riogrande5761 Yes, that cloud backdrop is not my cup of tea. To me it really dominates the view with a forboading, "storm is brewing", type of feeling. It appears back drops can often be not just a quality thing, but a personal thing.
Yes, that cloud backdrop is not my cup of tea. To me it really dominates the view with a forboading, "storm is brewing", type of feeling. It appears back drops can often be not just a quality thing, but a personal thing.
yup, they are definitely subjective. For some people, a flat blue color punches the ticket just fine. Others want or even require photorealism. I want some energy in a few choice spots. Eventually that storm cloud will be brewing over a mountain/valley with about 5 vertical feet from valley floor to mountain top. That will substantially diminish the visual impact of the storm clouds. In the photo, with no scenery yet, there’s nothing else to look at, so it’s all your eyes see.
Flat blue is really just a start, a basic thing to have in place on which other things can be added, such as clouds or hopefully a scene of landscape or city scape. The energy I get from the cloud scene gives me the "feeling" I need to seek shelter! j/k
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Drumguy yup, they are definitely subjective. For some people, a flat blue color punches the ticket just fine. Others want or even require photorealism. I want some energy in a few choice spots. Eventually that storm cloud will be brewing over a mountain/valley with about 5 vertical feet from valley floor to mountain top. That will substantially diminish the visual impact of the storm clouds. In the photo, with no scenery yet, there’s nothing else to look at, so it’s all your eyes see.
I get it. Its much the same as home yard landscaping. New houses are piled on one another these days, and homeowners think they have to fill the yard with a bunch of foliage to screen out the neighboring houses. What makes a big difference is just a few trees or shrubs. When there is somehting in between you and the neighbors house, it give the eye something to catch which in turn pushes the neighboring house into the background making it look farther away.
Not exactly the same concept, but the eye needs many things to look at in order to not focus solely on one thing.
Having said that, I like a simple pale light blue backdrop to focus the eye on the trains, with only low relief hazy hills to represent some distance. There will be a river and hill seen on my next layout and I'll probably use photo backdrops there in order to give depth to an area one would expect to see detail close up. The rest of the layout will have the low hazy humps representing hills in the distance.
- Douglas
Doughless New houses are piled on one another these days, and homeowners think they have to fill the yard with a bunch of foliage to screen out the neighboring houses.
What makes a big difference is just a few trees or shrubs. When there is somehting in between you and the neighbors house, it give the eye something to catch which in turn pushes the neighboring house into the background making it look farther away.
Having said that, I like a simple pale light blue backdrop to focus the eye on the trains, with only low relief hazy hills to represent some distance.
That goes a long way to help complete a scene!
As the OP, I considered all your answers. I found an artist on craigslist that sold small painting and offered to paint anything you wanted. I contacted her and after exchanging some info on what I wanted, she estimated $150-$200 total to paint my 2 ft x 40 ft backdrop. I did not think that was bad. Less than half the cost of commercial backdrops to cover same area.
She lives almost 3 hours away from me so she would paint the backdrop in sections (like wallpaper) but not sure yet what medium she might use. The challange is that my layout is in an area that is subject to temperature and humidity extreemes. Need to resolve that issue to my satisfaction before moving forward.
Another issue is how well she can represent city scapes and industrial areas on a backdrop. To me, landscale background with trees, hills, rocks and clouds should be very easy for an artist. However, I would expect that the details in a city or industrial scene would be much more challanging and difficult to render in an acceptable way (backdrop vs framed painting). I still have to work this issue with her. I have seen some of her work but none of it would be comparable to a city or industrial scene.
In case others are interested doing something like this, I will report on how this worked out. Right now, my gut tells me she will not be able to render the city/industrial scenes to my liking.
Side note - I am still considering some of the commercial photo backdrops but I have made some disturbing discoveries about them. I will save that info for a different thread.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
I made a decision on the painted backdrops by a local artist. I will not go that route. In the end, I was not convinced that an artist could render the city building and industrial sites to a level of detail that I was confortable with. I know the clouds, hills, trees and other natural features would not be a problem but I was not satisfied that the details on man made stuff would make me happy.
I am now focused on photo backdrops and other similar stuff. I will be posting a seperate thread asking question about that type of material.
Thanks for all the comments.
PED I am now focused on photo backdrops and other similar stuff. I will be posting a seperate thread asking question about that type of material.
Make sure you title it properly so we remember to look for it.
I'm interested in the subject as well.
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
railandsailMake sure you title it properly so we remember to look for it.
He already started it Brian, look for his thread: "Photo Backdrops vs other options."
Mike.
My You Tube