Wordless Wednesday #228

Wordless Wednesday #227 - A walk around the layout

A huge Milestone and mocking up backdrops

My original goal when I started this layout was to have the major infrastructure - benchwork, track, and wiring with basic scenery. I'm pleased to report that this afternoon, approximately 18 months after starting construction on the layout, all the track and wiring are completed well ahead of schedule. 
I've even gotten a start at roughing in the scenery, especially in the Enosburg Falls area around the implement dealer (come on, you didn't think I'd have a blog post without mentioning the implement dealer, did you?!)
One thing I've been thinking about before starting the around the walls scenery is the backdrop. One possibility I'm looking at is using Trackside Scenery's (for their website, click HERE) line of photo backdrops. 
I even mocked up a couple of possible arrangements. 
Trackside Scenery offers a varied and versatile line of backdrops, and the quality of the images is second to none. 
Unfortunately, they have a limited selection of fall backdrops, and the ones they do have are very - uh "vivid" - neat but as this test shows, so much fall backdrop might be a bit overwhelming on a relatively large layout. And since there's only a "Fall Valley" series (in the center of the image below) and a Fall Mountain series, I think the backdrop may end up just a bit repetitive. I don't know a lot about backdrops but I do know you (1) don't want them to be obviously repetitive and (2) they should complement, and not distract from the 3d modeling. 

For my second attempt I used backdrops from two different sets the Hickory Hollow and Valley Flats series - both of these are in the "green season." 
Frankly, I'm seriously considering doing the layout's scenery in the green season - for variety if nothing else. All, and I mean, all of my layouts since I was a teenager have had falls trees. Maybe it's time for a change of pace?
To that end, I even tried painting a couple of my fall colored Super trees with an overcoat of green paint. I'm happy to report that works, and actually adds another layer of color to the tree that makes it look pretty realistic. In fact, if I stick with the autumn trees I'd likely give each one a misting with the airbrush before installing them. 
But let's return to the backdrop:

Frankly, I think the profile of the distant landscape looks much better than with the autumn backdrop. 
I also like how the fascia (and the underpinnings of the layout) are all the same bluish green color. 
What I don't like about either of these is the obvious point where the top of the "sky" ends and the sky blue wall color begins. 
There's something like 2 feet of additional light blue wall up there - and it doesn't look natural. 
One solution would be to trim the backdrops at the treeline - and eliminate the photo sky. Frankly, I think that border between the photo backdrop and the wall can be as difficult to get right as painting the whole backdrop in the first place. 
A possible solution would be to simply paint the band of blue above the sky to match the fascia - creating an upper valence with paint. 
Photoshop makes it easy to rough this in, just to see how it would look. Forgive my rough photoshop skills, but I did this in literally 5 minutes before dinner. 

I wasn't sure I'd even like this, but frankly I think it sets the layout off better than running the blue up to the ceiling. 
I still haven't made a final decision on the backdrop, but I do really like the darker color defining the upper limits of the sky. 

Wordless Wednesday #226

Montville, Conn. c 1956, Courtesy J. Paganoni

Wordless Wednesday #225

Agricultural Implement & Paint Dealer - Part 11 Trim, Stairs, and Test Fitting

Over my lunch breaks on the last few days I got the windows glazed and installed, added the trim, installed the doors, and even scratchbuilt a set of front steps. 

Steps were made by stacking square stripwood,
which was sanded and painted to give a concrete texture.

Today I even got the initial coat of Sculptamold in place to "plant" the structure. (It needs another coat). 
Sharp-eyed readers will note the wires emerging from the side of the structure. 

Trim was added using pre-painted
 1x6 and 1x8 stripwood.

I even installed the subsurface of the street. 
Things are shaping up nicely. 

Agricultural Implement & Paint Dealer - Part 10 - Another sign

Here's everything needed for this project. 
Cut the .008" wire that the sign will be
"hanging from" long enough to fit between
the two printed signs with a few
scale inches of wire left protruding above the top. 

As I was test-fitting the implement dealer structure in position I decided the scene needed a sign out front - preferably an older, now rusted sign, hanging from a bracket on a pole. 
So I found a sign on the internet, sized it in Photoshop, and printed out two signs. 
Then I found a length of wood dowel, and some .019" and .008" wire. 
The photos show the basic process. 

The wire is secured to the rear of one sign with ACC, and then the second sign is added to the rear. Touch up the edges of the white paper and carefully dab some dark rust colored paint on the edges and surface of the signs with a sea sponge (below). 

Paint or stain the pole (I used some Hunterline Light Brown, followed by a wash of acrylic Burnt and Raw Umber. Then I drilled a hole in the pole and used ACC to secure a short length of .019" wire. The next step was to glue the sign to the horizontal wire, allowing it to hang a few inches down on the .008" "chain."



Sorry for the quality of the photos - I want to get this structure and scene completed, and didn't want to dig out the proper camera for this - and as you can from the photos above, this sign is really small!
But though it's small, I think it will add just a little something to the finished scene.