A far site better than I could do

Dan, that is a ton better than I could do, but the lighter green on the one mountain in the background still looks off, and to my eye, spoils what is otherwise a nice effect.

My impression is that colors fade as distance increases, and this seems to be the opposite case with that area.

Good start though!

AzBaja show us your painting

First time I ever tried to paint a back drop. this wall is gone now because after I stood back and really looked at the painting it just didn't look like any of the 25 photos I was trying to copy.

They don't look that bad..

Though the green does seem a bit off, the rest of the mountains look very nice and realistic.  I don't think I could have done that much better myself.

Ken L

cause I didn want to use a giant photograph on my wall

I wanted the back drop to come from me, anyone can buy a back drop. I changed the whole train room since then and that wall is gone as I took it down to expand the train room. I will try again some day but painting a 4 foot tall back drop is a major pain considering I've never painted any type back drop other than just sky and clouds, Since then I have been working at learning to paint by books.

Anybody know where I can get a paint by number back drop.

Dan

A brilliant idea (okay, not really....

You could always buy a photo backdrop and paint over it.  That's kind of like paint by numbers.....

Paint by numbers backdrop...

Well... this isn't quite that, but it isn't the same as buying a photo backdrop either.

Check out Pelle Søeborg's article in the July 2012 Model Railroader (yep, I'll reference the competition when they print something worthy of it) on creating photo backdrops. He used Photoshop and pieces of a lot of photos he took of his target area to create 45 feet worth of custom photo backdrop.

Even if if you have no intention of creating something on that scale, it's an article that is worth the price of the magazine at your local train store.

Why I dislike photo backdrops....

In some cases anyway.... A photo backdrop is nice with a narrow shelf layout  but I don't care for them on deeper layouts with lots of three dimensional scenery in front of them because to me they have too MUCH detail.  Same thing with going into too much detail with a painted backdrop. IMO the backdrop should be in the background and shouldn't be so detailed as to take away from the actual modeled scenery or the trains. Here's a pic of my last N scale layout that shows  what I call the "less is more" approach to backdrop painting.... The mountains are nothing but silhouettes and there is a lot of "haze" softening them up even more. The haze is created with a rattle can of flat white. Of course some folks might consider this layout a "cartoon" since it follows no real prototype or specific place but it pleased me. My new HO layout will be more of the same.

Michael

Paint vs Photo

Michael,

I must have missed it - did some one comment on your work in this fashion? I think your backdrop looks good, although under a bit closer examination you can see where the rattle can was applied. Maybe on your next one, an airbrush instead may give more even results.

There is no reason a photo back drop cannot be softened and used much in the same fashion; any picture can be faded, slightly blued, and or blurred to take a more non-distinct role on the layout. It seems contrary to the idea of a photo backdrop, but other than the printing costs, there isn't any reason it couldn't be done.

I for one am very jealous of modelers who have the skills or guts to paint their backdrops in a convincing fashion. For the rest of us, photographic backgrounds are superb alternative.

No no comments....but the attitude permeates

Someone referenced "cartoon modeling"  in another thread and it seems pretty clear lately that those of us who choose to model from our imagination are being looked down upon these days.  Any way, photo backdrops are fine if that's what someone wants. My basic point was that it's not that hard to paint a backdrop. Some modelers make it harder than it actually is by trying to do too much detail. Your eye does not see detail at a distance, at least mine doesn't.

Attitude?

How does a lack of comment translate to people looking down on you?  Seems to me that's presuming a bit much, and may be causing needless resentment.

If you're looking for feedback or approval, I'd say your backdrop looks appropriate for what you're doing.  In fact, given your preferred modeling style, it's probably a better choice than using photo backdrops. 

You misunderstood

Rob,

If you are addressing me then you misunderstood. If you read back through the last few post, you will see where I made reference to  "cartoon modeling" , a derisive term I picked up from another thread.  Then Scarpia asked me if someone had commented on my work in that way. My answer was "no, no comments" (of that sort)  but that type of derisive attitude seems to be prevalent around here towards people who choose to model from their imagination.

Unfortunately I have yet to figure out how to quote folks in a reply so I guess my answer to Scarpia might have been a bit confusing.

Getting back to the original topic of this thread, my point, aside from expressing my opinion that photo backdrops are too detailed was that it's also a mistake to try to put too much detail in a painted backdrop. I only posted the pic of my last layout to illustrate what I meant.  It wasn't to get feed back, approval or comments.....it's not even my thread and I apologize to Dan for taking it off track.

Michael

Got both

Misunderstanding? Maybe, maybe not...

I read the whole thread, but I probably could have phrased my reply better.  Anyway...there does seem to be a lot of concern around here lately about who's deriding whose modeling.

Yeah, that is a bit of a problem.  You can copy the text you want to quote (highlight with the mouse, right click, then click "copy"), paste into the reply (right click then "paste").  After you finish composing your reply, highlight the text you want to show as a quotation, and then click the quotation mark symbol in the bottom row of the icons above the area where you type your text.

Thanks

Yes, I do believe I know how to copy and paste.....the trick was representing it as a quote which I didn't know how to do on this forum. Thanks for explaining it.

Backdrops Scare Me!

I've got to applaud anyone who paints their own backdrop (from photo OR imagination) and then has the stones to show their work on a forum, any forum!  I'm not looking forward to the backdrop stage of my layout.  I'm seriously lacking artistic ability with brush in hand.  I make a mess of painting a wall one colour!

Honestly, I don't see this.  I don't get the sense that anyone is looking down on those who do not use photos.  Having modeled rocks both from imagination and from photos, I can say using a photo is helpful.

There have been more than a few comments lately about attitudes and perceived "problems" "here" that seem to suggest there are other forums that are exempt from any of the things that have been going on recently in the MRH forums.  I've been to most of those other forums and have not found the fabled oasis of understanding and goodwill, so far.  From what I have seen, all forums are subject to similar problems.  It's really starting to seem like some forum members are flogging the proverbial horse just a little too much.  If it's so awful "here" I have to wonder what the attraction is to keep coming back?  Even those who have stated that they no longer participate can't seem to resist coming back.  Members who have said, "it's time to take a break" are still around posting.  It doesn't seem to compute somehow...?

Sorry for following the off topic trend.  Getting back to backdrops now;

I recently acquired an overhead projector for free.  I had this idea that I could take a photo of the hills that I can see from my window, print it on a clear sheet and project it onto my wall, perhaps making it easier to begin the process of creating a backdrop.  Any comments on that idea?

Projecting the image

Kevin,

That sounds like an excellent idea, projecting the image.  It would certainly help getting the proportions right.

It sure might help me;  if I can't use a T-square, triangle, and scale, I'm about done in.

Now:  you know you'll have to report back with the results.  Thanks in advance.

Overhead projector use.

Kevin,

You mention the overhead projector use.  Today I was thinking about using one to project a real railroad yard up on a wall to the scale of my track, N scale, just to see how much space it would take up.  Once displayed on the wall I could measure it.  Then if it was a reasonable size I could put large sheets of paper and mark it out.

So, I am sure you could do the same thing with mountains as far as tracing them out on the wall.  You would still have to get the colors correct.  I always enjoyed how Bruce Petty did his mountains on his back drop.  See;

http://lariverrailroads.com/mountains.html

The mountains are there in the distance with shadows, yet there is no detail of trees or tree lines on those mountains.  Those mountains are a purple shade too!  He calls it wild indigo.  The nice thing is it looks like mountains in the far distance, it adds to the character of his layout and it doesn't have detail to distract from his model structures or trains.  He made it simple.  Again less is more.

Den

Projection & Mr. Petty's Mountains

Don,

When the time comes, not only will I share the results but I'll get some photos of the process to put up in my blog too!

Right now I am working on finishing up room lighting and associated wiring so I can continue on building a header into the wall I am dissecting.  Turns out a florescent fixture is not going to work out as well as I thought at first so I am looking at recessed pots in one area now.  On the upside, I have a dozen of them on hand already.  Off to the lumber yard tomorrow for more 2 X 4's

Den,

Your idea of projecting the yard sounds like a winner to me.  It's my hope that projecting the image will help me with the backdrop too.

Thanks very much for the link to Bruce Petty's backdrop painting, the effect he got looks really great.

Now back to pulling my wire! [wink]