I hope the title makes at least a bit of sense.
On my under-construction HO layout I have purchased and installed photo realistic backdrops that have on one section a few small industrial trackside buildings (warehouse, supply company, etc.). Specifically, the buildings are part of the print.
I think that overall the backdrop looks great but I am wondering how I can make the buildings have some depth in the details to make them a bit more realistic. I suppose another way to express it is that I want to create a bit of a 3D effect to make them 'pop'. I am considering things such as adding thin roof fascia over the existing fascia on buildings and perhaps adding window trim and the window glass over the exisiting ones on the print. Again, I want to do this because the buildings, although background scenery, are trackside.
Any other tips or suggestions are welcome. I'd love to hear them!
"The older we are, the better we were!"
Jimko46I think that overall the backdrop looks great but I am wondering how I can make the buildings have some depth in the details to make them a bit more realistic. I suppose another way to express it is that I want to create a bit of a 3D effect to make them 'pop'. I am considering things such as adding thin roof fascia over the existing fascia on buildings and perhaps adding window trim and the window glass over the exisiting ones on the print.
Adding such details might enhance the appearance, so it won't hurt to give it a try.
I have some background structures which are printed photos on cardstock, and glued to .060" sheet styrene. Most of them are only a couple inches deep and others are less than 1/2" deep. Even with a quick glance, anyone can see that they're not complete structures. They don't bother me too much, though, as there's enough details in the foreground, and activity on the tracks, which tend to draw the eye.
Here's one of the deeper "structures", simply plopped down on the layout for a photo op...
I used strip styrene to create cornice atop the walls, scribing it with a knife to simulate sections of stone or concrete, but I don't plan to add any more details.
Similarly, I have other low relief structures of the same type, like this one. If it were in the foreground, it certainly wouldn't fool anyone that it was a well-detailed structure, but set back near the room's wall, it forms a decent backdrop for it and everything between it and the aisle-edge of the layout...
In this view, the Hoover factory was made from left-over parts from a bigger Walthers structure...
...while Cockshutt, only a half-inch deep, got a custom-made sign...it's background, and probably noticeable as such, until a train rolls through the scene and diverts attention from it.
This one, from the same company, is also on a .060" sheet styrene backing, but I curved it to make it fit properly into the coved corner of the layout's backdrop. It's somewhat larger than what's visible, but the only 3-D alteration was to open the alleyway through which that car has just driven...
By all means, feel free to add some details, and, if possible, show us what you've done. I have other backgound flats that are obviously flats, but being generally a lone-wolf modeller, I accept them as-is. If visitors comment, it doesn't bother me to simply reach in and grab it for them to see exactly how it was done, whether or not they found it realistic, or a phony distraction.
Here are some low-relief structures in the background...
...and some almost-no-relief structures, too...
Wayne
If you can post a picture or two of the photo backdrop, that would be very helpful in trying to give you some advice.
Rich
Alton Junction
Wow! Thanks for the reply and the pictures.
Your buildings are fantastic! Your pictures make me realize what an (elderly) novice I am. This is my first endeavor, and my sense of scale was off, strangely, as I now realize that the buildings on my print are 'trackside' only by the placement of my track and not by design. In fact, the buildings are meant to appear farther back from the layout foreground. Now, I'm considering whether it might be a better idea to add one or two trackside building flats scaled correctly and detailed and in front of the print buildings.
Mine is a small layout so unfortunately I can't move the track placement. I'm a bit embarrassed that I overlooked the obvious scale difference, but there you go.
I will prepare a picture or two and post it as suggested by Rich.
Thanks again!
Good idea. Will do, Rich.
The majority of my around-the-room-layout is about 2' deep from the aisle to the wall, but the Dunnville area, in the rough (and not-to-scale) sketch below, is around 3' deep, as is the area at Chippawa Creek.
The portion in grey represents the partial upper level, which is just slightly deeper than the original lower level, in order to allow proper lighting of the lower level. The other anomally is the peninsula, which is rather scrawny-looking in the sketch, but it's actually about 6' across - no scenery there at all yet.
Here's a view of the Chippawa Creek aisle before the partial upper level was added...
Here's a fairly long train going down the 2.9% grade on the peninsula...
...and here are a few views at Dunnville...
...but there's more of Dunnville yet to be added in the distance, and to the right.
All of my place names are based on real ones, but they seldom look anything at all like the real ones...that's my take on modeller's licence.
Well, I'm sooo impressed! Beautiful! I'm also trying to develop a steam era RR but on a much smaller layout. It's also an around-the-room configuration but packed into a roughly 8' X 12' area, the rest being my computer workspace, shelving and closet. Unfortunately my wife frowned on my suggestion to use our living room for this project.
Here is my first attempt to upload some pictures showing the background buildings on a piece of track (obviously no roadbed) positioned exactly where it will eventually and hopefully be located. The new and yet not-weathered Rapido boxcar is to show the scale and proper distance from the print scene buildings which is only 3 1/4" from track center. I'm seriously considering adding a couple of backdrop buildings with perhaps 1" depth (sides) and in the proper scale in front of the background buildings as a solution.
(The layout base is 1" foamboard on 1/2" plywood.)
Jimko, thanks for posting those photos. Your issue is similar to one that I faced on my old layout. I will find and post some photos of what I did to add some dimension to those backdrops.
Here are a series of photos of the backdrop on my old layout.
The first photo shows a series of four foreground buildings built with Walthers Modulars. They appear quite flat since they are one sided facades. Behind them are cutouts made from Walthers SceneMaster Background Instant Buildings. Not the worst background imaginable, but those foreground buildings were too flat in appearance for my taste.
Later, I modified my old layout, made it wider and decided to expand the backdrop.
But that just made those foreground buildings look even flatter.
So, I added a bit of dimension to the foreground buildings by adding styrenes strips to the sides of the buildings, painted to match the buildings.
Here is an expanded view with more Walthers Instant Buildings in the background and some actual "background buidings" in the foreground.
The final photo is a closeup of the completed addition to the backdrop.
In your situation, you could add those sides to your backdrop buildings to add some dimension.
Hope that helps, at least a little.
Thanks Rich! Those pictures and the buildings are great.
With the limited room I have, I think that I'll do something similar but with sides no more than 1" in depth. I think that strategically placed in front of the printed background buildings they will work for me.
With a bit of online searching I've found some downloadable (is that even a word? lol) HO background building prints that will work very well with the scenario that I'm creating. One supplier has very good tutorials on building these up with foamboard, etc.
Layers, layers, layers. To me that's the key to effective backdrops. I will often put one photo backdrop over the other, cutting away the sky of course but I do that on all backdrops anyway. Another trick I've used is to mount select buildings on Gatorfoam or similar material which is 1/8" thick. It's amazing how putting a few such raised structures on top of a flat backdrop increases the illusion of depth. The next layer would be low relief buildings. There are kits that are specifically made to be background structures but you can do that with any kit simply by cutting down the side walls.
If you have multiple layers of prints, a few flats mounted on 1/8" board or foam, with low relief structures in front, that will create the 3D look you are after.
Many thanks to both of you, Wayne and Rich for your many pictures and suggestions and for making me realize the error of my way (railway, that is).
I am comfortable with building, modeling, weathering, etc. but this background development has been a bit challenging.
Cheers,
J
That's a very attractive backdrop, Jim, and with those low-relief structures and perhaps a few details (signs, telegraph poles, etc.) will serve to provide a segue from the backdrop, to the track and any fully-modelled structures that you may chose to add.
There's no need to overwhelm the viewer, all that's needed is just enough "interesting stuff" to occupy the viewer's eyes.
No cause to beat yourself up either, because I do think that you've made a very good start.
doctorwayne That's a very attractive backdrop, Jim, and with those low-relief structures and perhaps a few details (signs, telegraph poles, etc.) will serve to provide a segue from the backdrop, to the track and any fully-modelled structures that you may chose to add. There's no need to overwhelm the viewer, all that's needed is just enough "interesting stuff" to occupy the viewer's eyes. No cause to beat yourself up either, because I do think that you've made a very good start. Wayne
Thanks John for your advice. I've learned that what you've described is a great way to create that optical illusion of depth in a scene and I was planning on doing that by using a few flat backdrop buildings from foamboard depth thickness and up to 1" depth by adjusting the side dimensions.
Thanks for the kind words, Wayne.
Yes, I have to remind myself that this is background scenery and while it's important, it's not the real focal point of a layout.
Thanks for the encouragement, Rich.
If nothing else I have time, patience and lots of ambition for this project.
There are lots of ways to make backgrounds "pop" without taking a lot of space. Here is is small corner I "expanded" by photographing the street in front of my house, printing it and stretching the road out on to the layout itself. I also added a few model trees to the scene just in front of the picture.
The building to the left was made with DPM modular sections, and angles into the wall, giving an impression of building continuity that's not real.
Speaking of DPM modules, they're flat sections which can be used for simple background flat walls, or expanded to full 3D if desired. Here's a full 3D building. The walls have a fire escape from Walthers which adds depth to the wall in less than an inch.
Many pre-made structures are just 4 walls and a roof. A brick face of a building can be built as-is, or made into a shallow building flat by adding strips of brick sheet as side walls. This is a DPM building, again built up, but the building is pretty flat and could be made much shallower.
You don't need a full-thickness building to add things like window glazing, illumination and in this case, an illuminated sign at the top. Those features draw the viewer's attention away from the depth of the building and into the details.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Effectively blending a 3D feature such as a road or a stream into a background requires controlling the viewing angle. What looks right when viewing head on becomes distorted when seen from the side. Some type of view block on either side, trees or a structure, will prevent the transition from being seen from an undesirable angle.
I have a backdrop stream that flows into a 3D one. At the transition, I created a small waterfall with some white water to disguise the transition.
I have one place where a street continues into the backdrop I painted the backdrop street and weathered it just as I did the 3D street and had the street slope upward into the backdrop street which is also on an up slope. This all contributes to blending the 2D and 3D portions of the scene.
To me, the whole purpose of a backdrop is to not create a distraction from the foreground scene. It should be the supporting actor, not the star of the show.
That's some nice-looking scenes Mister B.
I used a similar ruse for a background country road....
...but an overhead view (no longer possible due to having added a partial upper level over this area) shows the reality of the road from nowhere...
It is so helpful to me for all of you to add these photos and comments on your techniques for blending the background scenes to the layout elements. Transitioning background roads and rivers to those on the layout is something I will face and have pondered at times.
Your techniques are both creative and impressive!
Two building photos on the wall - one stop the other. Two 1/2" deep flats in front. The fence is about 1/4"
Tom
Tom Bryant_MR Two building photos on the wall - one stop the other. Two 1/2" deep flats in front. The fence is about 1/4" Tom
Looks excellent Tom!
I was thinking that 1/2" deep building flats would be about right for my limited space so your photo is a great example.
Thanks,
This is an excellent example of layering. Four different layers, layered photos, the fence, and the flats, create the illusion of depth in a very shallow space.