Do you put shades on the windows of your buildings? In the past I have just painted the inside of the top portion of most of the windows, but I am wondering if it is worth the effort to do something else.
Rick
I like to show a little variety in the look of my structure windows. In the case of this hotel I didn't want every window open to view so some have the drapes closed yet others are pulled back to reveal the interior.
Grand_Hotel-open by Edmund, on Flickr
This backing board has LEDs placed so that they will illuminate some areas and not others.
Grand_Hotel-backing by Edmund, on Flickr
The combined effect is what I was looking for. Some lamps are directly visible while others are dimmed by the drawn shades.
Grand_Hotel-lit by Edmund, on Flickr
Mind you this is a building that is set back away from the normal viewer's position.
I used similar window treatment on the next building as well.
City-Night-2-22 by Edmund, on Flickr
Hotel-noir by Edmund, on Flickr
Again these aren't "up-close" structures so I was only going for the effect of various window treatments. Factory and industrial buildings get a little different treatment, usually with fogged or "dirty" windows to somewhat obscure the interior, or lack thereof.
Hadlock_Window by Edmund, on Flickr
Hadlock_Noir by Edmund, on Flickr
Hope that helps, Ed
Very nice work. Thank you for sharing.
I also like some window shades in buildings, but not all. I particularly like the window shades from City Classics, which are shades with a clear plastic backing so they serve as window shades and glazing. They also have Venetian blinds. Beyond that, I have draperies ( just paper) from older kits that I scanned so now i have an endless supply.
I generally cut some shades longer and some shorter for variety.
EDIT: Here are a couple of pictures:
A Walthers Merchants' Row kit. I mixed shades with Venetion blinds here. I thought it was effective.
Shades on a couple of taller buildings by City Classics:
A room inside the Shamrock Hotel during construction. You can see how easy the Venetian blinds go in. This is the DPM M.T. Arms hotel kit.
Right. Tiny windows and shades make doing the interior a waste. Here's the same hotel from the outside at night:
Incidentally, all of these buildings happen to be close to, but not on, the back wall on a narrow shelf. Since the buildings have back windows and are at least partially illuminated inside, I make sure to black out all rear windows so there's no light bouncing off the rear walls of the room.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I use tape I find at the art store. It's sort of like masking tape but better quality, varying colors and stronger adhesive
https://flic.kr/p/2neAz1b
Scrapbooking paper is generally what I use for window curtains. I also use it for wallpaper and flooring in interiors.