Layouts and layout building

Today I started painting my backdrop and I took a few photos as I went along.  There must be 10 different ways to paint one of these from very simple to extremely artistic and complicated.  I decided to try and keep mine as simple as was comfortable for me.  This is my first attempt at this and maybe as time goes by I'll get better.  I've got about 45 feet to do.

and last..

still have a lot of foreground to do in this area but at least I've gotten started.

Thanks for lookin' in..  :)

Jarrell

I looked.  I like. 

Darn, JaRRell, I almost want to start doing mine over again!   You had to go and show me up, eh?

Thanks Crandell.  I just wish I had more talent with this sort of thing.  Hmmm... I wish I had more talent with everything!  But, I think I'd have to go take a few months art training to do any better. 

Jarrell

selector wrote:

I looked.  I like.  Darn, JaRRell, I almost want to start doing mine over again!   You had to go and show me up, eh?

I used regular ol' Krylon spray cans.  I got the best results, to suit me, (heck.. wasn't anybody else around for me to ask!).. by holding the stencil slightly away from the backdrop instead of touching it.  By slightly away I mean about 1/2 inch to an inch.  There were a couple of times I used a stencil for the bottom of the cloud, but there again I liked it better when I freehanded that part.  You want the cloud to kinda fade away to blue so that when you put a cloud under it, the white of the next cloud will be against the blue sky and show up better. The trick is to start near the top and work your way down and when you get about a third of the way from the bottom really over lap the clouds.  And spray those bottom clouds in a thin manner, spray the upper clouds thicker but be careful to do it gradually so you don't get any runs.  Some 'parts' of clouds, like off to the side of a stenciled one, is freehanded in little puffs, kinda extending the stenciled one out a little.  Come back along with a light gray spray can and briefly puff some onto the bottom of a cloud here and there.  You're gonna get too much gray no matter how gently you try to puff it on but don't worry about it.  Let it dry a minute then puff on some white over the gray (toning the gray down)  till you get it like you want it.  Some folks like the bottoms of their clouds pretty dark, I like'm a little on the light side.  After you've gotten it pretty much like you want it, start at about the 1/2 way up point and using a sweeping motion with the white, do an overlay to the bottom.  The lower you go, the more 'sweeps' you want to apply.  That's where the 3D effect really comes in.  You want to go from a pale blue at the bottom and graduate to the blue of your sky up at that halfway mark.  Some folks like to start at a lower point in doing this.  Some don't like it so 'white' at the bottom.  It's all personal preference and if you do it slowly you'll know when to stop, when it suits you.

Jarrell

loathar wrote:

I AM gonna start mine all over after seeing yours! I know your using stencils for the clouds, but are you painting them with an airbrush or spray cans? Are you using stencils for the bottoms of the clouds or just free handing it?

Jarrell, I may be able to make some pretty neat things from scratch in N scale, but I don't have what it takes to do what you've done.  That back drop looks wonderful.  There's enough detail to insinuate trees and folliage, but it's not so much that it would draw the eye away from the foreground.

You've done a wonderful job on that.

Now, when can you come to St Louis to do mine.

Thanks Mike for the encouragement, I need all I can get!    I wish I was as good as some artists I've seen around here, I might not break out into a sweat everytime I pick up a brush.  Man, if I could scratch build like you and some of the others I'd be a happy camper.

Love to visit St. Louis, never been there! 

Jarrell

mls1621 wrote:

Jarrell, I may be able to make some pretty neat things from scratch in N scale, but I don't have what it takes to do what you've done.  That back drop looks wonderful.  There's enough detail to insinuate trees and folliage, but it's not so much that it would draw the eye away from the foreground. You've done a wonderful job on that. Now, when can you come to St Louis to do mine.

I only got one word for ya.

DANG!!!!!!

and I have one word for you..

thank you very much!

oppps.. that's 4.. sorry, can't take it back.. 

Jarrell

AltoonaRailroader wrote:

I only got one word for ya. DANG!!!!!!

John, the backdrop is made of hardboard.  You can buy it at most 'big box' home improvement type places like Home Depot.  It's smooth on one side and kinda rough on the other.  Usually comes in 4x8 foot sheets for around $9.  Cut one in half down the center and you have a 2 foot tall by 16 foot backdrop.  Mine is 1/4 inch thick.

Jarrell

JohnWPowell wrote:

I would really like to add a good looking backdrop like that to my layout,                              but ive  never tried anything like that before.Want did you use to paint the backdrop on? Any help will be greatly appreciated! thanks John

Thanks Dave!

My wife and I have been doing some traveling in the western states lately, such as Colorado, Nevada, Az. etc. and til then I'd taken all the trees around here for granted.  I was talking with a young guy in Co. (who'd never been to the Southeast) and he asked me quite earnestly, "isn't it real green there?"

Jarrell

Dave Vollmer wrote:

That looks excellent!  It really has that eastern woodlands look!

I like the technique Jarrell!

Your foreground hills and trees painting is great as well, care to shed some light on the format and technique you use for these areas too?

Thanks,

 Ryan