Try some reference books on painting in general and model railroad backdrops specifically, like the Kalmback title "Painting Backdrops for Your Model Railroad" http://www.kalmbachstore.com/12425.html.
Rob Spangler
Ok.. this comes up a lot and MR has had a number of articles and books on the subject.
Sky color is pretty straightfoward.
You will need two basic colors for the sky - white and some base sky blue color (and no it is not really blue). One of my favorites is April Sky - but there are others that will work. Its a good idea to compare photos to the paint chips when selecting the base sky color.
Paint the top 2/3 the base sky bluePaint the bottom 1/3 whiteWhile still wet take a brush and mix the two areas to blend
There are other ways, but this works reasonably well.
Clouds are little more complex - they can be painted, sprayed on even pasted on (from photos). There used to be cloud kits at paint stores and there are stencils that will work too.
There are also lots of resources online that can explain the entire process better that this short message.
Charles
Welcome to the forums.
A photo backdrop always works if you are like me and don't paint well.
Springfield PA
Maybe it would help to remind yourself that we're born able to do three things: sleep, breath, and empty our bowels. Everything else has to be learned.
Perhaps if we knew what you were trying to do, it would help us guide you.
First, while some artists can paint from memory, most of them use a model or reference photo. Also, although I know people who have successfully brush-painted sky, an airbrush is usually helpful. Don't waste your backdrop materials at first. Try it on a sheet of easel paper, and do it a few times until it becomes easier. You don't need photorealism; the suggestion of sky, clouds, hills, and trees is usually enough.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
For the simplest backdrop, the blue/white/blend above is the way to go. There certainly are cloudless days and the blue sky with a slightly lighter horizon is very normal. If you don't like how what you have done looks, paint over it and start again. Cheap interrior latex paint is the way to go.
Practice making some clouds when you have a few minutes, when you get some you like, paint some on your sky. As I said above if you mess it up, paint over it, doesn't really take much paint at all.
Good luck,
Richard
A backdrop can make or break the atmosphere of a layout.
Most of the backdrops I have seen in my 48 years of being a model railroader were actually to "apparent", emphasizing the little depth our layouts usually have. This goes for painted backdrops as well as those photo-realistic backdrops you can buy.
I found that the simpler the backdrop is, the more it creates the effect of depth. Don´t forget that objects get blurred a little when viewed from a distance.
I am not yet ready to install a backdrop on my shelf layout, but it will be very simple. It´ll be near to a white at the bottom, turning into a very (I mean VERY) light blue going up. I will be using Masonite board for my backdrop and use a sponge to paint it. This helps blending the colors.
I"ve spent many fruitless years trying to make the "perfect" backdrop and I was always dissapointed. On my latest layout I went with the simple blue/white blend and I've never been happier! Painting clouds always looked fake and they never move, trying to paint hills or other terrain is a challenge when trying to make the colors match to a foreground that hasn't been modeled yet, and city structures is just too tedious for the results I got. A simple blue/white backdrop turned out to be the perfect solution, it's so simple even a trained monkey like me can get it done the first time with passable results. It does not anticipate or negate future layout foreground modifications, the actual colors used are not at all critical, and boom!; you can do a whole backdrop in one day.
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
How about painting Happy Fluffy Clouds. Watch these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raXanYjTF18&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCZObxeLU58&feature=related
Back again.
Just turned on the boob tube. Bob Ross on PBS, in 5 minutes he had sky and mountains (western), that would make us all drool.
The problem I see with such beautiful work is that it would draw attention away from the model railroad, which is suppose to be our center of attention.
My first attempt at clouds was poor, my second, better. However, I am thinking that I will just do the blue white blend, maybe with a few light wisps of clouds to break up the blue, similar to what I see right now when I look out my window.
Keep it simple.
Have fun,
I have surely had a blast trying to usethe Bob Ross style to get my sunset scene. I wanted it to be distracting as it is what is seen as you walk into the train room. I have also tried some clouds that way. They are fair, but they do stand out. That is fine for my model, maybe not for others. Practice is important. Buying a scene is easier and I did that for the Minneapolis/St Paul skyline in front of the sunset.
My point - if you know what you want, you can probably learn how to get it, but like all of this hobby, practice is more important than instruction.
I use the popular blending technique called out above. One difference is that I don't use white on the bottom - I use a lighter shade of blue.
My advice would be to practice on a scrap sheet of whatever your backdrop is (mine is masonite - primed white) to get the technique down.
I tried adding some puffy clouds and had mixed results, so I went with the "cloudless late summer day" look. Here's an example - please excuse the pinkalicious soil
One other thing, try to pick your shades of blue under layout lighting conditions. My inital choices turned out to be way too pale under my lighting and I had to repaint to get the look I wanted.
Good luck!
odave I use the popular blending technique called out above. One difference is that I don't use white on the bottom - I use a lighter shade of blue. My advice would be to practice on a scrap sheet of whatever your backdrop is (mine is masonite - primed white) to get the technique down. I tried adding some puffy clouds and had mixed results, so I went with the "cloudless late summer day" look. Here's an example - please excuse the pinkalicious soil One other thing, try to pick your shades of blue under layout lighting conditions. My inital choices turned out to be way too pale under my lighting and I had to repaint to get the look I wanted. Good luck!
What color blue are you using? Is it an off-the-shelf brand and tint? Or is it a custom mix? If so, what's it's formula, if you know it? I like your color. Mine is a little less blue. It looked good (under layout lighting) when I picked it but I might be less thrilled about it now that I see it on the backdrop.... wanna maybe reconsider.
John
jwhittenWhat color blue are you using? Is it an off-the-shelf brand and tint? Or is it a custom mix? If so, what's it's formula, if you know it?
The shade comes from a paint card - not sure what store. I went to lots of different paint departments and collected lots of them. I do still have the cans with the formula, but they are at home and I'm not. I'll post when I get back home.
The blue is actually a bit ligter in person than in the photos above. My lighting situation has fluorescents shining on the backdrop at an angle ("barn" shaped ceiling), so they wash out the lighter blues to near white. You could barely tell the sky was blue with the old shades. If I turn the layout lighting off and have just ambient light coming in from the windows, the current blue actually looks too dark.
Try this website: http://www.tttrains.com/tips/clouds.htm Hope this is helpful to you. TTFN. .........Old Tom aka papaHOsmurf in NH
OK - the top blue was mixed at Walmart, ColorPlace flat interior paint:
KX 8Y20.000\48
E 3Y16.500\48
V 0Y11.500\48
The bottom blue is Behr's "Utah Sky" from Home Depot, also flat interior.