For anyone who got the Dream, Plan, Build it series, I thought I saw something on painting deciduous trees on backdrops, but can't locate it in the chapter headings. I use a serious of cut sponges to paint pine trees from an article I read years ago in MR. Can someone share how a non-artist can paint deciduous trees on a backdrop easily and acceptably? My LS&MJ is based on a fictuous line that runs from just north of Portsmouth along the Little Scioto to many of the former C&O railroad hubs in S. Ohio along the Ohio River, up to Mingo Jct. I have tons of pixs but would like to boarder my engine terminal area with a simple backdrop of painted trees. Smaller yards were and still are enclosed by plush trees. Sky and clouds are no problem, just the deciduous trees. Isn't this hobby great! Jim
Paint the trunk and a few wandering branches and let dry. Then, take a moderately dark green paint, dip the brush into it just enough to cover the first half of the bristles, and then commence a rapid, but controlled, series of light dabs beginning nearest the trunk and branches and working your way out...here and there, dab, dab, dab, just barely touching the first bristles to the backdrop surface, until you have something that is taking the shape of a tree...sort of. Let it dry. Then, a ligher shade of green, do the same thing, but cover some of the previous dabs...at lot of them, actually. Go further out from the limbs this time. Let it dry. Next, a bright green, and repeat. The idea is to replicate a three-dimensional tree with shadowed inner leaves, some of them newer and sunlit; hence the lighter greens over the first shade applied. You won't need a couple thousand dabs per tree, and therefore about twenty hours of painting as you might surmise. You'll get faster, and about 200 dots per tree will do a good job fooling you and other onlookers. Remember, too, that only the closest need this attention. Further away, you fan fake a canopy with bolder dabs and colour variations very quickly.
I would suggest you practise on waste paper or cardboard to develop a technique that you can do rapidly and well enough to make it look good.
loathar wrote:That's a good technique Selectors got. Sounds about like how that painter Bob Ross does his happy little trees. You could buy one of his DVD's and watch his technique. Remember, tree trunks aren't brown. They're mostly grey.
The late Bob Ross is the person I was trying to remember. Thanks for the memory jog!
Granted that he had done the same sort of thing thousands of times, Mr. Ross could cover a large canvas with a scene ideal for a model railroad backdrop in, literally, minutes - all while keeping up a clever, witty and very informative monolog. The DVDs of his programs will give even the least artistic enough inspiration and hard data to attack a backdrop with great gusto - and a high probability of success.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Selector has given you very good advice. Nothing much to add to that!
Just remember to create form you need tonal variations, and three distinct tones, as he suggested, are the way to go, so be careful you don't lose your darks as more paint is applied.
Use a fine 'rigger' style brush - about $3 in the art store - for the branches. A cheap fan brush should help you get tree-like shapes, but be careful not to get repetitive with it.
To subdue strong greens add some red - I used red oxide here.
Start with the darks.
Add a lighter shade
Go lighter again.
Add more highlights if desired, plus some branches.
They don't need to be the best trees you've ever seen, and should look perfectly ok behind your scenery.
Hope this helps.
Mike
Modelling the UK in 00, and New England - MEC, B&M, D&H and Guilford - in H0