Analysis paralysis about backdrops

My first wall cover 20 years ago was a Cloud wall paper, (Sherwin Williams, paint store).

My immediate thought is just putting the backdrop along the two walls. It would cost the least. I was in the same boat as you about photorealistc backdrops being pricey but painting isn't my strong point. I dropped the extra cash and I'm glad I did. It was worth it. My layout isn't finished or well lit and the backdrop really makes a difference.

I think you should consider dividers after looking at your trackplan a little while longer. This would make the layout seem bigger but also would remedy some of your dilemma. The tricky bit is it will cost more because you'll be buying more backdrop and materials to do this. But it's something worth considering.

Sidenote: I love your track plan. Tons and tons of operating potential!

Don't obsess.  (I understand!)  There are numerous videos here on the forum and on youtube that demonstrate backdrop painting for sky, clouds, and hills.  A good backdrop is atmospheric - it's not a focal point - so perfection is not noticed.  IMO, making it too perfect can actually be a distraction.

If you mess it up, you can always paint over it. 

If you're still worried, buy a piece of hardboard (cheap) and do some practicing.  If you like the results, mount the hardboard on the wall and you're done.  If not, try again.

@Mallard4468 posted:

If you mess it up, you can always paint over it.

That's a great point!!

I was at best very mediocre in art class in elementary school, but I read about painting backdrops in a model train booklet regarding scenery, used acrylic paint, and painted the backdrop over and over again, letting it dry in between, until I was satisfied.

Painting the backdrop turned out to be one of the most fun to do aspects of model railroading to me.

See photos below.

I subsequently bought a couple of pre-made backdrops from one of our Forum Sponsors, railroadbackdrops.com, that I'm very happy with.

@chessiechick posted:

We are getting close to starting our benchwork, and I am stuck deciding what to do about a backdrop. I love the photorealistic backdrops, but I don't love the price and I don't think it would work well for our layout since there are aisles on three sides.

Well, I can't comment on the physical configuration of your planned layout, but I do question your assumption that photo-realistic backdrops are too expensive. A couple of years ago, I found an offshore supplier that produced a custom sized (4 foot by 9 foot) and cropped backdrop to my specs (I was able to modify one of their stock photos, but I could have instead provided them with my own selection, same price), tax and shipping included, for under twenty bucks! Sure, it took weeks to get here, and the prices may have gone up a bit since, but I've been more than satisfied with the result, which IMHO nicely echoes the mountain tunnel and ridge I built across the back of the layout in front of it:

My only small regret is that I didn't make it slightly larger (eleven foot by five foot) to better fill the available space.

Thanks for all the great ideas so far! A few more questions:

1. How tall should I make my backdrop? The benchwork height will be about 30-32" and there will only be a few inches of elevation here and there, so I'm thinking I need 36" minimum. Or perhaps I can do a shorter backdrop of rolling hills in the distance, cut out along the top ridge of the hills, and paint blue sky above to get lots of height?

2. How to mount the backdrop on the right side of the layout? The right side of the layout has an 18" aisle between the layout and the wall for access. I originally had this side flush against the wall, which would have been perfect for the backdrop, but I opted to pull it out as using the access hatches will be kind of a last resort for our aging bodies. So now what should I do to mount the backdrop on that side? It seems kind of silly to put up a 36" high masonite wall because that would negate the access. If I mount the backdrop on the wall itself, there will be an 18" gap where the aisle is, which will be awfully hard to hide. (I am modeling a fairly flat rural/agricultural area of SE PA, so huge mountains are not an option. )

3. Hubby is an excellent photographer and I'm game to work with photo editing software, so we very well may make our own backdrops. We do not have a suitable printer. Any companies to recommend? What kind of material do I ask for? I like the idea of something reasonably impervious to water, alcohol, etc, as I tend to be messy.

4. The extensions on the top and right walls will be Phase II and the specific scenery is still not decided (tunnel? mountain? passenger station? yard?). I probably should purchase all the backdrops together now so that they match, but I'm not sure what kind of scenery I'll need. I am also concerned about colors fading if I install some now and the rest later.

I know I am prone to overthinking, but I'd like to do this right the first time. Thanks to all for your help.

@chessiechick posted:

Thanks for all the great ideas so far! A few more questions:

1. How tall should I make my backdrop? The benchwork height will be about 30-32" and there will only be a few inches of elevation here and there, so I'm thinking I need 36" minimum. Or perhaps I can do a shorter backdrop of rolling hills in the distance, cut out along the top ridge of the hills, and paint blue sky above to get lots of height?

2. How to mount the backdrop on the right side of the layout? The right side of the layout has an 18" aisle between the layout and the wall for access. I originally had this side flush against the wall, which would have been perfect for the backdrop, but I opted to pull it out as using the access hatches will be kind of a last resort for our aging bodies. So now what should I do to mount the backdrop on that side? It seems kind of silly to put up a 36" high masonite wall because that would negate the access. If I mount the backdrop on the wall itself, there will be an 18" gap where the aisle is, which will be awfully hard to hide. (I am modeling a fairly flat rural/agricultural area of SE PA, so huge mountains are not an option. )

3. Hubby is an excellent photographer and I'm game to work with photo editing software, so we very well may make our own backdrops. We do not have a suitable printer. Any companies to recommend? What kind of material do I ask for? I like the idea of something reasonably impervious to water, alcohol, etc, as I tend to be messy.

4. The extensions on the top and right walls will be Phase II and the specific scenery is still not decided (tunnel? mountain? passenger station? yard?). I probably should purchase all the backdrops together now so that they match, but I'm not sure what kind of scenery I'll need. I am also concerned about colors fading if I install some now and the rest later.

I know I am prone to overthinking, but I'd like to do this right the first time. Thanks to all for your help.

I just saw this thread today.  Wish you had seen Neal Schorr's clinic on backdrop painting (at the MCR Convention this past weekend).  Fabulous.  To try addressing some of your questions:

1. I think (from what I can understand) that 36" is your absolute minimum.  You could raise the backdrop a bit and count on building clutter / low hills to hide the foreground.
2. I would consider mounting it on the wall itself.  If you are positioned at eye level and looking at it, it might be OK.  As you say, creating a divider hampers access.
3. This is certainly an option.  I don't know if they would be willing to do it, but RailroadBackdrops.com might be willing to print it out for you.  They did my backdrop (including the on location photography) and it was fabulous.  Expensive but worth every penny!  It doesn't hurt to ask.  The material you want is vinyl (like wall-paper).  Its durable (won't tear easily) and can be wiped off with a damp cloth.  You put it up with wallpaper paste.
4. Really can't help you with this except to say that my vinyl backdrop doesn't seem to be fading at all.  Colors pop.  Of course, it's in the basement.

I can't say this strongly enough:  Do NOT put up the benchwork first.

You will absolutely regret giving into that impulse.

If you are interested, I could send you my copy of "Painting Backdrops for Your Model Railroad".  Drop me an e-mail (in profile).

George

@chessiechick posted:

1. How tall should I make my backdrop? The benchwork height will be about 30-32" and there will only be a few inches of elevation here and there, so I'm thinking I need 36" minimum. Or perhaps I can do a shorter backdrop of rolling hills in the distance, cut out along the top ridge of the hills, and paint blue sky above to get lots of height?

I'd suggest making it large enough to cover the entire visual surface, from layout to ceiling, if the graphic lends itself to that.

2. How to mount the backdrop on the right side of the layout? The right side of the layout has an 18" aisle between the layout and the wall for access. I originally had this side flush against the wall, which would have been perfect for the backdrop, but I opted to pull it out as using the access hatches will be kind of a last resort for our aging bodies. So now what should I do to mount the backdrop on that side? It seems kind of silly to put up a 36" high masonite wall because that would negate the access. If I mount the backdrop on the wall itself, there will be an 18" gap where the aisle is, which will be awfully hard to hide. (I am modeling a fairly flat rural/agricultural area of SE PA, so huge mountains are not an option. )

Again, I'd size the graphic to cover the visible surface, even if that surface does not touch the layout. My backdrop is hung in front of the wall, about a foot and a half behind the layout, which is freestanding, so I have exactly the configuration you mention, and my only slight regret is not making the background a bit bigger.

3. Hubby is an excellent photographer and I'm game to work with photo editing software, so we very well may make our own backdrops. We do not have a suitable printer. Any companies to recommend? What kind of material do I ask for? I like the idea of something reasonably impervious to water, alcohol, etc, as I tend to be messy.

I was very happy with the company I chose, and they can print anything you'd like on either polyester fabric (which is what I chose, and is a bit cheaper) or vinyl. Both are waterproof, but I don't know about alcohol.

4. The extensions on the top and right walls will be Phase II and the specific scenery is still not decided (tunnel? mountain? passenger station? yard?). I probably should purchase all the backdrops together now so that they match, but I'm not sure what kind of scenery I'll need. I am also concerned about colors fading if I install some now and the rest later.

AFAIK, no issue on fading, but if you don't know what you're going to do on the layout, I don't know how you're going to pick a backdrop. It *is* possible to add one later, just a bit more work, but since you don't have a clear vision of what you want to do, I'd just wait and add it later. YMMV . . .

I know I am prone to overthinking, but I'd like to do this right the first time. Thanks to all for your help.

No problem, and good luck!

Hobby Lobby has inexpensive sky/cloud paper rolls in a couple of styles that work well. They can be mounted directly to an existing wall or on a panel (like 1/4' masonite) that you can glue or hang. See thread and pic below.

Affordable background, backdrop | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

One consideration is what is your background for. Will it be a major player in your photos and videos or just a compliment to your layout. If it’s just a compliment to your layout painting a generic background will probably be enough but if you intend to have your background a major part of your photos and videos then spending more now makes sense

@trainbob posted:

One consideration is what is your background for. Will it be a major player in your photos and videos or just a compliment to your layout. If it’s just a compliment to your layout painting a generic background will probably be enough but if you intend to have your background a major part of your photos and videos then spending more now makes sense

Excellent point! In my  case, the graphic directly influenced how I portrayed the 'ridge' over the top of the tunnel, with higher and more rocky ends and a middle that echoes the valley in the center of the photo.

I know a terrific hobbyist who believes that it is best not to make the backdrop spectacular so as not to have the attention of the audience focused on the backdrop, but rather on the trains and layout.

A good backdrop that blends in well with the trains and layout can be ideal.

Thanks to all for the ideas.

The backdrop is NOT a major element. I need some Lancaster County rolling farmland and hills to set the mood, but the main focus will be the trains and buildings/landscaping.

We are going to take our own photos, which will be good because we can get the perspective correct for our somewhat lower than typical benchwork. I have worked with a vendor before that makes inexpensive large vinyl banners. We will mount them on masonite panels, to be attached to the wall where practical and on a removable support frame for the side with the narrow aisle.

The layout is going to be on sliders, so it can move out from the wall for ease of installing scenery and to protect the backdrop and then get pushed back when done.

Let me know if you see any problems with this plan.

@BillYo414, thanks for the compliment on the track plan. I am on Version 25 now, having made a few more improvements since the plan I posted above. Considering I am new to this whole thing, I am quite pleased. I'm enjoying using SCARM's train simulator while I wait for the real thing!

Sidenote - anxiously awaiting delivery of my blue Chessie boxcar that I bought on the bay!

Sidenote 2 - looking forward to using up the big pile of leftover lumber in the garage to make benchwork legs!

@chessiechick posted:

.Let me know if you see any problems with this plan.

Sounds good to me. If you have the time and 'eye' to take and crop/edit your own pics, the result should be as good a match to your vision as can be achieved, and the method of attachment you plan is as flexible as any I've seen. I think that, instead of the hardboard panels, I'd instead be inclined to paste the backdrop directly on the walls (using removable paste or adhesive), if the wall surface is smooth enough. In any event, good luck!

Coincidentally, today I plan to remove my backdrop, in order to more easily install an extension of the rolling stock storage shelves I built into a step-back in the basement wall behind the backdrop. Since the backdrop is hung from hooks screwed into the ceiling, that should be relatively easy to do. In addition, I've been thinking of placing the paper mock-up I made (40 sheets of letter-sized paper taped together!) behind the shelves, so you'd still see a version of the same backdrop behind the rolling stock on the shelves, even with the *actual* backdrop rolled up. I'll post pics later, if it turns out well . . . 😉👍