I'm coming up to the point where I'd like to get my fascia painted, but I'm having trouble deciding on colour. An idea that struck me was that fascia that matches the general tone of the scene would look nicer in photos than, say, a stark black (though I do like the shadow box effect)
Since my layout basically has 4 palette tones, blue (lakes), deep green (forests), tan (dry west slope), and white (summit snow scene), I was thinking of having the fascia painted in those colours separately. One worries about the transition, of course.
Has anyone tried anything like this before, or am I just nuts?
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Rather than necessarily matching all the palette tones on the whole layout, I think it would work better to match the colours (Canadian spelling eh!) of the scenery where it meets the fascia. For example, if you have a lake abutting the fascia and snow further back in the scene I don't think you would want a white fascia. It should be whatever blue/green tone the lake is. If, however, the snow does come right to the fascia then white might work fine. Where it might get complicated interesting is if your are modelling deeper (i.e. darker) water in the middle of the lake where the darker water also meets the fascia. (Actually, I could see that working quite nicely if the different blended colours of the varying depths of the water were carried straight down the fascia).
I think it would also be cruicial to transition the colours smoothly between scenes. Abrupt colour changes would be very distracting which is obviously not what you want the fascia to be. The challenge there might be figuring out how to avoid unpleasant 'muddy' tones in the transitions. You sound like you have some knowledge of colour concepts so that might not be an issue for you.
Worst case scenario is that you have to paint it over so why not give it a try?
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I think one reason fascias are usually one (most often a dark) color, is not to distract the viewer from the layout. Personally I just think it would look too "busy."
It's your layout, do what you feel looks best to you.
Have fun,
Richard
I agree with Richard: the fascia is the divide between the layout and everything beyond on the other side of it. Muddying that, in my opinion, will be distracting.
Wayne
Hi Wayne and Richard:
doctorwayne Muddying that, in my opinion, will be distracting.
I agree that there is a significant risk of creating a visual nightmare, but he won't know until he tries it. Then I predict that he will know immediately, but lets not skin the cat before the chicken is out of the basket, or something like that!
Seriously, I personally find the abrupt transistion between the scenery and the fascia to be perhaps the most distracting aspect of model railroading. I applaud the OP's attempts to challenge the norm. Like I said, he can always paint over it.
doctorwayne I agree with Richard: the fascia is the divide between the layout and everything beyond on the other side of it. Muddying that, in my opinion, will be distracting. Wayne
Rich
Alton Junction
I’m probably splitting hairs but I regard the fascia as just being part of the frame which should serve to draw the eye towards the actual scene; that said some of the Old Masters paintings are in quite ornate frames so I guess it just goes to show I don’t know much about art apart from liking a picture or not.
I’m going with the consensus on this one, keep it plain.
BTW you're Not nuts!!
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
First for my personal taste I favor a warm green over cold black for my fascia.
Be that has it may..
I think the OP might be on to something having the fascia the same color of a lake or river would improve the illusion the water just didn't disappeared into the great void.
I recall seeing a photo of a Santa Fe freight train running through the desert that also showed the tan color fascia which I thought was a good idea since the it blended in with the layout scenery.
I would go forward with this idea on two or three sections and see how it looks and if the idea didn't pan out as well as I hope then no harm is done I'll just repaint the fascia.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I've seen layouts where the builder continued the scenery onto the fascia, seemed to work well. If nothing else, makes it easier to photograph as the camera doesn't show that the scenery on the fascia is flat (or relatively flat).
Early in my modeling career I tried to paint a section of fascia as a cross-section of the ground below the surface, sloppily copying a plate from a geology text. Ever snce, I've been happy letting the Masonite look like Masonite.
I may have to re-visit the geologic cross-section when I reach the point where the operating TBM is visible through a window in the fascia.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)