Hey guys! I'm adding a raised urban area about a foot deep x 6' long across the back of a 4' deep downtown area. Seems like I've been building multi-story buildings all winter and I'm getting tired of putting window treatments in literally hundreds of windows. Some have printed paper drapes, some have City Classics Blinds or shades, and some are frosted on the inside with dullcote. All have black cardstock inserted inside the structures. Has anyone tried just painting the insides of their windows black, and if so, were you satisfied with the look? I love the City Classics blinds, but I need soooo many and its getting expensive. Also,since the buildings will be at least 36-46 inches away from the aisle, am I justified in spending the money and time on drapes/blinds/curtains?
3-4' away is too far to spend any time modeling a detailed interior.
I have frosted windows with dull cote. In my case, I wish it didn't do that so I could have an interior.
One idea would be to make your own blind decals from a scan of the City Classics. That would be cheap enough, scalable to hundreds of windows.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hi there,
If you think darkened windows are appropriate, (and it more than likely is) what about using Xray film with the effect of dim lighting behind it. As far as drapes are concerned, you do not normally see patterns from the outside so you could comtemplate using masking tape cut to the drape shape?
Hope this helps,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
What I do;
With a wide brush and tan-ish paint. Paint shades,some down ,haft mast or up. Can also paint drapes/curtains.
For blinds, google them, make copies, tape them in place,works for drapes too.
Unless building is right on the layouts edge,'' close'' is good enuff. All cheap and easy/fast
AS to painting them black,I have not tryed it, but wouldn't take much to try a few and see what you think
I bought a couple of City Classic Windows Treatments made copies on my copier then printed them on clear Transparency Film. One advantage of doing it that way is you can modify and resize them on your computer to suite your needs.
You can also use pictures off Google Images, manipulate them then print them on clear Transparency Film.
I've never painted my windows because I put interiors in many structures and lighting in all my structures.
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Jeff1952I love the City Classics blinds, but I need soooo many and its getting expensive.
I save the expense by making my own.
Lakeview Structures 2 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
Lakeview Structures 2
The blinds in the structure above were made by filling a text box in Microsoft Word with parallel lines. You can vary the spacing, line weight, and fill color to make different blind effects. They'e cheap and very fast to make.
Also,since the buildings will be at least 36-46 inches away from the aisle, am I justified in spending the money and time on drapes/blinds/curtains?
Since most window treatments can be accomplished with paper, cost can be negligible. It's mostly time.
Pax 1 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
Pax 1
Even for structures quite a distance from the viewer, having something other than a blank space behind the windows is noticeable. The building at left above is deep into its scene from some viewing angles, but visitors still comment on the window shades.
Rob Spangler
Hi Jeff1952
On all my structures the inside walls are painted black to stop the lamp shade effect.
All windows where it is apropriate have curtains or blinds, these where carefully glued on with PVA making sure they are well stuck and sealed down only bathroom windows are frosted although doctors windows could be as well.
The structures might be three feet away but the lack of window treatment will be noticeable particularly with the lights on and if the foreground windows have been done.
Some of my windows are blacked out hence the need to make sure the window treatment is properly stuck down before blacking the windows out if not done right black will seep under window treatment.
Unless the place is full of teenagers some rooms will have lights off.
I don't do interior details unless you count the cat sitting on the bar inside window ledge but thats a close to the edge structure never saw the need for it but having seen how basic the interiors can be I might give it a go on foreground buildings.
If the blacking has been done right you won't notice it untill the lights are on and even then it will just look like the light is off in that room.
Is it worth it doing all that work I think so because the difference between a good model railroad and a great model railroad is very often the attension given to the sometimes tedious smaller things.
Now you have started on the windows you don't have a lot of choice you will spoil the effect if you stop now consistency in basic detail levels throughout is also important.
Ultra detail is something that gets tacticaly placed where it will have maximum effect, but unfortunatly for you window treatment is a basic detail
regards John
After making detailed interiors for a couple of buildings, I realized that the windows have to be pretty good sized and not covered with shades of blinds, or the interiors won't be seen. So, that does make it easier to use window treatments rather than furniture and figures inside. More recently, I have sought out structures with large windows so the occasional interior is justified.
I have used the City Classics window treatments, and I still have some. I use them sporadically on multiple structures as needed. I have also scanned and printed curtains in multiple colors. If I had to do a lot of similar structures, I might go with tape or paper, with the occasional blinds mixed in for variety. Another option could be printing your own decals of shades, which would probably work pretty well on white-background decal paper.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Even at night and with a well-lit interior, in real life you don't see that much interior of a structure unless something (or someone) is right up close to the window. No detail. In daylight, hardly anything but a vague sense of something, again unless someone or something is right at the window. Painting the interior of the "glass" black might be effective but the uniformity of it might be "suspicious" and not as realistic and retaining the vague sense of space behind the window that is the goal.
Blinds and shades are right there against the interior glass so are seen to a certain extent. Shades when I was a kid were these tan things on a roller that you pulled down and I just use pieces of a manilla folder. For drapes I have used "corrugated metal" styrene so the corrugations are vertical, painted a "drape-y" color. I do not bother with rugs or furniture but appropriately sized pieces of wood or plastic would probably convey whatever vague sense of interior furnishings you would see from outside. That is also what I do with caboose interiors by the way.
Dave Nelson
I use the computer to print interior floors and walls where they can be seen, but nothing elaborate. A simple styrene box makes a great counter, and another one might be a bed or dresser. Using those City Classics blinds and drapes, I use the short, open ones for rooms with rudimentary interiors and the long, pulled down ones for empty, dark rooms.
I make simple interior floors and walls for most structures, so I can illuminate a few rooms but leave parts of the building dark, much more realistic than lighting an entire structure with a single source.
Thanks for all the input guys. Lots of great suggestions and things to consider, and as pointed out, since I've started down the blinds/shades/drapes path, too late to turn back now. I had NOT thought to create my own blinds on clear transparency film. Brilliant, especially since I could vary the sizes as necessary. Now I just need to order some transparency film for my printer.
Jeff1952Now I just need to order some transparency film for my printer.
I have mentioned a site called "Textures" several times in different threads about printed "trompe l'oeil" or trick the eye themes.
Take a look at these window graphics. I have used the Venetian blind images and sometimes the shutters:
https://www.textures.com/browse/shutters/13851
There's also stained glass which would look great printed on transparancy film:
https://www.textures.com/browse/stained-glass/13453
I have used downloads from this site to get wood paneling, brick, roofing, carpeting and rust stains for use in modeling projects.
You can even download building fronts to make background scenes:
https://www.textures.com/browse/18th-century-european/114538
Once you get familiar with a good photo/drawing program to resize and paste images you're on your way. I use an older version of CorelDraw, a vector-based image editor, better than using bitmap or jpg files.
By regestering you can get credits which allow you to download several decent-sized files a day. I've been registered for years and there is no spam or malware associated with the site.
https://www.textures.com/howItWorks
This tar-paper roof was printed on matte photo paper and fitted to this building. It was a Textures image:
PO_annex2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed