What shade of blue is best for sky?

[Sheldon Beiler]

Hi,

I am building a model railroad and am curios what shade of blue I should paint the wall so that it looks like sky. Please do not say "light blue." I want something more specific.

Which is best? Eggshell, Flat, or Gloss.

Thanks

[riogrande5761]

Here is one suggestion since various stores have different brands and shades.  Go to your local Home Depot or Lowes or whatever is near to you and pick up some color cards in various shades of blue from the paint department.  Get a variety and bring them out side (stores have ones you can take home for color matching) and hold them up to the sky and visually match.  Keep in mind the color of the sky above your layout is not straight up where the sky is the deepest blue, but choose a color down closer to the horizon - it is usually a lighter blue at that level.   Also note that the sky blue color deepens as you go up from the horizon to straight above your head.

As far as finish type, I usually go eggshell or satin.

[dknelson]

I went with Glidden latex.  One one of those color chip sheets they had a sequence of blues which are related to each other in shade, so I got something called Aerial View (50BG 76/090 -- and I have no idea what that means lol) which was the lightest blue on the sheet and Wildflower Wind (50BG 72/170) which was the third lightest blue on the sheet.  A third blue, the second darkest blue on the sheet, is called Amsterdam (50BG 41/312).  Satin flat for all three.  And a white.  I blended the three blues and white on my backdrop following methods seen in several articles and instructional videos, but the advantage I think is that they were related shades of the same basic blue, and blending in white added still more variants of the related shades of blue.  

The sheet shows a shade of blue darker than Amsterdam and my first instinct was to go for that very darkest blue, even though in the store it looked like the blue of a beautiful sunny day.  I am glad I resisted that instinct.  As it happens I used less of the Amsterdam blue than any of the three blues, just the very top foot or so of the backdrop.

Dave Nelson

[angelob6660]

I picked up an Olympic A55-4 blue called Harbor Sky.

It works well with my Union Pacific, but not with my other railroads.

[selector]

It should be a very light blue, something like robin's egg blue.  Also, nearest the horizon it should be lighter. 

In the mountains, the sky will be a darker blue between fluffy clouds.  Near cities, or groups of them, the sky is more polluted and will have a slightly greener look to it.

[ROBERT PETRICK]

riogrande5761

Here is one suggestion since various stores have different brands and shades.  Go to your local Home Depot or Lowes or whatever is near to you and pick up some color cards in various shades of blue from the paint department.  Get a variety and bring them out side (stores have ones you can take home for color matching) and hold them up to the sky and visually match.  Keep in mind the color of the sky above your layout is not straight up where the sky is the deepest blue, but choose a color down closer to the horizon - it is usually a lighter blue at that level.   Also note that the sky blue color deepens as you go up from the horizon to straight above your head.

As far as finish type, I usually go eggshell or satin.

And bring the color cards into the train room as well. The color temperature of the artificial lighting inside could affect the color blue you perceive.

[mlehman]

riogrande5761

Keep in mind the color of the sky above your layout is not straight up where the sky is the deepest blue, but choose a color down closer to the horizon - it is usually a lighter blue at that level. Also note that the sky blue color deepens as you go up from the horizon to straight above your head.

Jim's got a good point here. You can also simulate this effect by judicious use of clouds, both low and high, and otherwise using light mists of flat white to lighten a well-chosen base layer of blue.

Here's a rattlecan solution that worked for me, Krylon Island Splash Satin, last 5 of the UPC is 53569.

And a pic to illustrate, taken on my Cascade Extension.

How it looks more recently as Black Cat Junction.

It may seem a little bright, but not so much if you're been up in the mountains on a nice clear day. I wanted the blue to be somewhat towards intense as it would be under those circumstances of clean air and altitude.

I used a somewhat lighter shade of blue to paint all the walls in the main layout room. This formed a base for a painted backdrop in several spots, including Silverton seen on the left in this pic.

Pay particular attention to where the horizon line is in relation to the deck level. You want to try to look up at clouds, so paint accordingly after dividing the areas you have available to allow for the lightening effect of surface haze and clouds that Jim discussed to work its magic.

I'll also second eggshell, plus satin as good options.

[doctorwayne]

I used cheap satin-finish paint from Walmart, a not-too-dark blue for the upper sky, and a lighter version of the same colour for the mid-sky.  I also bought an empty gallon paint can and two quarts of white, mixing a little less than half of the darker blue with the white. 
That shade, the lightest, was used on the lower 1/3 of the sky, with the mid-range blue on the middle 1/3 and the darkest at the top.  The paint was applied with a roller, overlapping somewhat at each colour separation.
Depending on the camera's setting, the sky can look more blue or less blue, but in all instances, it gives the appearance of a hazy sky, which is what I wanted.
It looks fairly light here:

 

...More bluish here:

...and almost overcast here:

It's tempting to use that deep blue colour which we see on a clear, sunny day, but it doesn't always travel well when our layout lighting is so meagre in comparison.

Wayne

[Mirobro]

As mentioned, pick out your color cards at the paint dept/store of your choice, Go outside and pick out a couple that are close to sky color. Take them inside under your layout lighting and see which still looks good. The last step, if you plan on photographing your layout, would be to take a couple of pictures and see how your camera sees them. On my last layout, no matter how much I played with the white balance, the camera saw the blue background as white.

[riogrande5761]

I got my sky blue at Lowes as it happens - and went with Valspar "clear blue sky" satin:

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Valspar-8-oz-Clear-Blue-Sky-Interior-Satin-Paint-Sample/3809841

 

[ndbprr]

It is going to vary with where you are geographically.
Deep south and east coast have hazy skies due to the humidity levels. Western skies have deeper blues and puffier clouds. Best to step outside and take some pictures to study. My east coast skies blended very quickly into an antique white to simulate haze and light polution (no EPA in the 1950s) I then quickly scrubbed some cumulus clouds into the paint while wet which barely show through the haze.

[tomikawaTT]

This is not a one size fits all situation.

If I were modeling my present locale on a sunny day, the top of my backdrop would be a deep cobalt blue, tapering to robin's egg blue at the mountaintops, with hints of white at the passes.

Modeling what I do, late summer/early autumn in humid Central Japan, the sky overhead and at the top of the vertical backdrop is indistinguishable from the white paint on the fourth garage wall.  More distant peaks are just blue-grey silhouettes, and even the higher levels of the 'modeled in the round' valleys get a generous overspray of 'humidity.'

Real, cobalt-blue sky?  Maybe if you're airborne at pressure-demand oxygen altitude.  At Kiso River (or, on my layout, Tomikawa) level -maybe in the depths of winter, but not now.

Chuck (Modeling sticky-humid Central Japan in September, 1964)

[CNSF]

I agree that layout lighting is all-important.  When I selected my sky color, I was using flourescent lighting.  I recently switched to LED striplights and it definitely changed the look of my sky.  Fortunately, they made it a little less turquoise/greenish, which was OK for my prototype region.  Use photos of your prototype rather than the real sky outside your house.  And, if blending different shades of blue to get a realistic clear sky effect sounds like too much work (it takes a lot of effort to do it right, trust me), then consider modelling one of those flat, grey, overcast days, which can happen anywhere but are especially common in some regions.

[mobilman44]

Hi!

May I suggest...........one color doesn't do a sky justice.  Those that know what they are doing will go from a medium dark blue to an almost white - starting at the top of the "canvas".   

I've done three large backdrops using 3 cans of latex (cheap is good).  One a medium blue, one a light blue, and white.  I would "slop" on a line of dark blue on top, and IMMEDIATELY blend it downward with the light blue, and then with the white for the bottom (horizon).  The trick is to work fast and blend in the colors as you work.

Remember this, "sky" can be any shade of blue you want - with overtones of greens, reds, black, etc.   Painting your backdrop the same shade of blue will be boring and certainly lack realism or character or interest.  Get creative and blend in the different colors (blend being a key word).  

And the good news is that if you don't like the results, just paint over it!

[jecorbett]

Sheldon Beiler

Hi,

I am building a model railroad and am curios what shade of blue I should paint the wall so that it looks like sky. Please do not say "light blue." I want something more specific.

Which is best? Eggshell, Flat, or Gloss.

Thanks

 

Sky isn't a specific color. Depending on atmospheric conditions, there can be many shades of blue. In a cloudless sky, it can be a very vivid blue. Hazy or partly cloudy skies tend to wash out the color. On a real hazy day, it can seem almost white.

There is no exact color that sky should be. Whatever looks right to your eye will work. I would suggest getting some paint chip cards from your paint or hardware store and when you get a day that has the kind of blue sky you want to model take the chips outdoors and see which comes closest and go with that. There are plenty of tough decisions that have to be made other than fretting what the exact shade of blue your sky should be.

[RR_Mel]

 

As suggested on another recent thread checkout a Bob Ross video

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4h6TC4CPJY

 

I'm going to give it a shot.

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

Yeah, I’ve got O. C. D.

 

OLD, CRANKY and DANGEROUS

 

[E-L man tom]

I went to my local Home Depot and chose a paint color called "Nevada Sky". I can't remember if it is a Behr or Glidden color, but I kept the paint swatch on file, so I don't get unmatching sky colors if I need to put up more backdrop or need to touch up the existing backdrop. And, as I've just moved, I believe that not only the former, but the latter is a possible scenario in my case. I was able to take my layout apart in bolted together sections and save the backdrop as well. Waste not, not want!

[Medina1128]

Once you get your stack of color cards from your paint dealer, take them home and look at them. The color may look totally different, depending on your layout room lighting; fluorescent vs incandescent vs LED.

[kasskaboose]

Picking a sky color depends on many factors including geography, time of year, and even time of day.  I model VA in the spring on my layout so I picked a light blue to give the backdrop a typical sky in May-June.  Pls don't spent a lot of time on the backdrop since you want to have attention on the trains. 

Get a few samples of blue paint in eggshell.  You might even stumble on a shadeof blue at the 'oops table' at the painting areas of HD/Lowes.  After you narrow down the shades of blue, get 1-2 paint samples and put them on the backdrop.  The blue will change depending on how much light you have.  Again, I suggest going with a light blue since you want to show the sky without worrying about capturing finer details of clouds, lights, and shadows. 

[riogrande5761]

So getting back to the OP's question, there isn't a single best color answer.

[CRIP 4376]

I use the paint recommended by John Lowrance and Miles Hale for their New London Industries cloud stencils.  It is Sherwin-Williams Interior HGTV Home Flat and the color is 1792 Bonnet Blue.  There is no green in this paint and the color will not wash out under lights for photography.

Ken Vandevoort

[CentralGulf]

CRIP 4376

I use the paint recommended by John Lowrance and Miles Hale for their New London Industries cloud stencils.  It is Sherwin-Williams Interior HGTV Home Flat and the color is 1792 Bonnet Blue.  There is no green in this paint and the color will not wash out under lights for photography.

Ken Vandevoort

 

Sherwin Williams does not seem to offer either 1792 or bonnet blue, according to their web site. Perhaps I am doing something wrong. Can you provide a link?

CG

 

[doctorwayne]

riogrande5761

So getting back to the OP's question, there isn't a single best color answer.

 

I agree:  this is similar to the "how long is a string?" question.   

Get some samples that look appealing to you, then take them home and see how they look in the layout environment.  Make your choice (or alter your options) and go from there.

 

I could have recommended the Walmart colours which I used (Blue Heaven, Blue Heaven lightened, and Blue Heaven lightened even further), but it's been over 15 years, and I doubt that it's still available. 
Don't let somebody else decide how your layout should look.

 

Wayne

[mobilman44]

Thank you DoctorWayne for these words of wisdom:

"Don't let somebody else decide how your layout should look."

[CRIP 4376]

I would contact Miles Hale and ask him what their current recommendation is from Sherwin-Williams. [e-mail]

Ken Vandevoort

[lifeontheranch]

Modeling the midwest in summer. Used Behr Eggshell 540C-2 Serene Sky.