More than anything on my posts regarding the railroad I have discussed my techniques for painting the backdrops on my Cascade Sub. For one, it is, in my opinion, more interesting than benchwork or wiring, but also backdrops can make or break the realism of a railroad. Since the start, my philosophy has been to great an element of believable depth without painting every single tree on the distant hills. Over the past year or so through both painting and thought on the process, I have revised my previous techniques into a three phase process: Installation and prep, base scenery, and final details. In this first post I will discuss my initial installation and painting to base scenery.
Similar to my fascia I use 1/8th masonite hardboard for my backdrops. In most instances, my backdrops are hung with screws directly onto the wall and into the stud so the thin 1/8 is not an issue, but a good starting point and smooth surface for further painting. I recently completed installation of all the backdrops on the railroad.
The backdrop for the Salmon Creek area near Oakridge screwed into place.
In progress image of installation in the Salmon Creek/Oakridge area (lower level) and Abernethy/Noisy Creek area (upper level). Note my use of 1/8th "tabs" to create a joint between pieces. This serves to hold adjacent pieces of backdrop together when joints meet between studs.
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Backdrops installed. After I have fit and hung all the backdrops I go back and work on the joints and screw holes, countersinking and sanding to create a smooth surface.
In the final step before painting I "mud" the screw holes and seams. Sanding cleans up and hides these imperfections before paint.
The sky color, or in my case "overcast" color is the first layer. I use a paint and primer (2 in 1) allowing me to only have to use two coats. I allow this layer to dry completely before proceeding.
Time was a major issue in previous painting efforts. I was spending way to much time painting a small area to a high level of detail, which was taking me away from my initial goal of simplicity, though the results were great. In an effort to expedite the process, I have divided my painting into two steps: base scenery and final details. The goal of final details is in the name and will be done along with scenery, specifically close to tree installation so I know exactly which areas of the backdrop need the most attention and detail.
Base scenery, however is all about color and shape. I use three colors to establish very distant, distant, and mid to foreground hills to quickly and efficiently expand my scenes. Additionally, these colors serve as a base for where I want to add more detail later in my scenery process. My past painting efforts allowed me to choose three colors which I purchased in sample size at the local hardware store.
With this new painting method I can paint a substantial length of backdrop in a much shorter time frame. The pictures below help illustrate this process.
In Westfir the two distant hill colors are in. As always I work furthest to nearest and focus on shape and color to indicate tree covered hillsides, not paint each one. Given the "in the valley" feel I am working towards here in Westfir, the "mid-ground" hills are most prominent behind what will be a fairly tall foreground.
Above is all I am trying to achieve in my base scenery stage. What has been painted is a great start for my basic terrain work for 3D scenery as well as a good base for later painting.
As development in Westfir continues, I will pick up the topic of backdrops again in my work on terrain forming as well as scene planning and development. Future posts will detail these processes, as well as some techniques for integrating the backdrop into the scene for the most realistic and convincing effects.
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