the MRH Forum

Progress on the Donner Summit - Backgrounds Journals/Blogs
Reply
Active Member 30 posts dmcree Active Member 30 posts
dmcree

I spent most of the week working on some backdrop paintings for my Donner Summit Layout.

I painted a nice backdrop for Grass Valley shown in these two photos.  I haven't put the track down in this area so I just put #9 on (NCNGRR HOn3) on some track for these photos.

 

P6198092.jpg 

P6198089.jpg 

Here are a couple of shots shwing how I paint backdrops.

First I put down a coat of very light blue latex in about 4 foot sections over hardboard or gator foam. I paint a line of cerulean blue acrylic at the top while the paint is still wet and then blend this into a gradient with a 3 inch foam brush.  When this is dry I add a layer of blue-green latex to represent distant hills.  I use latex to save moneysince it can be bought in large cans.

Here is a shot of the backdrop with latex paint applied:

P5158008.jpg 

This makes a perfectly good backdrop but I tend to get carried away and paint detailed scenes on my backdrops.

Over the latex I paint the mid-ground and fore-ground with oil paints. I have used acrylics also which are a lot safer and easier to clean up by adding extender to the acrylic to make it dry slowly.  Otherwise it dries so fast it is hard to blend colors.

 

Here is a shot of work in progress just below Colfax.  The light-green bottom area will be covered with scenery:

P6198094.jpg 

Duncan McRee

http://www.tamvalleyrr.com

San Diego
Reply 0
SPSHASTAROUTE Regular poster 175 posts
SPSHASTAROUTE

I think your backdrops look

I think your backdrops look great.  You use roughly the same techniques as I do.  I'll have to try the acrylic extender out, as I have that problem with the paint drying too fast sometimes.  The real test comes when you add the scenery, whether it blends well with the backdrop.

Mike

Mike Lozensky

Moder Railroader   Railroad Modeler
Reply 0
dmcree Active Member 30 posts
dmcree

I liked your Mt Shasta

I liked your Mt Shasta painting.  Pretty impressive if that is your first first painting!

Duncan

 

Duncan McRee

http://www.tamvalleyrr.com

San Diego
Reply 0
bkempins Regular poster 317 posts
bkempins

scenery materials

 Looks nice. The composition is great. Have you compared the backdrop colors to your scenery materials? On my monitor the colors look very saturated, and I worry that the scenic materials may not be so vibrant.  I would test against the scenic materials to make sure the colors are working together. It could just be my monitor.

 

Bernard Kempinski

​
 
Personal Layout Blog: http://usmrr.blogspot.com/
Reply 0
joef MRH Founder 17,367 posts
joef

I noticed that too ...

Duncan, I noticed the saturation as well - looks like the color could be too strong. It's tricky to get your colors to match your scenery materials - and it's always good to consider mixing in just a bit of sky color to add distance to your backdrop.

Don't trust how the colors look on your palate - they always look different once you paint them on the backdrop and see them in the context of a backdrop scene.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
Reply 0
dmcree Active Member 30 posts
dmcree

The colors look that

The colors look that saturated prtly because of the camera settings I used and the lighting.  In real life the colors appear more muted especially as the oil paint dries and the wet shine of the oil dulls down.  Oil painting is even more tricky because the colors look very different on the pallette.  However, later you can add more layers of glazes to change the tone of the color.

In any case I will have sections of the layout where the background is the main scenic focus - either because the shelf is very narrow (like near those yellow hills) or behind the town where the foreground is all track.  Other sections will be mountain scenery with just sky on the backdrop.  I won't be attempting to make a scene where the foreground blends into the backdrop - like say a road that continues on up the backdrop.  My experience is that you can get that right from just one angle and it never seems to be the one you want to take the picture from.

Duncan

 

Duncan McRee

http://www.tamvalleyrr.com

San Diego
Reply 0
dmcree Active Member 30 posts
dmcree

Looks nice. The composition

Quote:

Looks nice. The composition is great.

Thanks Bernie!  I got inspired to start painting by listening to your wonderful MRCS podcast about backdrops on your railroad.

Duncan

 

Duncan McRee

http://www.tamvalleyrr.com

San Diego
Reply 0
Reply