So you think you want a backdrop???..pictures!

Great example of how to use a backdrop.

I have a desert back drop just to sort of take away the fact that my layout is on the carpeted floor of my basement and against a wall. Anyway, backdrops add dimension and style to any layout. I happen to love the desert colors, which explains why I chose a desert back drop. Add too the fact that I will be replicating a freight yard out west in some detail one day. So, this motivates me to keep the dream alive.

 

The pictures posted are quite beautiful and show true artistic abilities.

 

Really first rate.

 

Pete

Wow! What else can you say?  

Quick question - how tall is the backdrop?

-Greg

Great layout, great photos

Thanks guys....hopefully Mickey will chime in here...

 

Alan

I think that a backdrop really adds to a layout. We have slanted walls where one could be used that make this a little impractical for an illusion standpoint, so I decided to use cloud wallpaper which be itself I suppose is a backdrop.

 

 

Alan;

Excellent point on the backdrop use.

 

Brian;

I agree, your situation calls for the clouds and they work for you.

Getting a different backdrop with the perspective you need would be tricky.

You've done a great job of matching the images in the backdrop to the buildings in the layout and makes it effective. The colors and sizes match well and makes it look realistic. Do you have a row of building fronts in front of the backdrop before you start free standing building models? Thanks for sharing!

Gary...The row in front of the backdrops are mounted on cardstock and placed just in front of the backdrop so that they cover the bottom of the raised backdrop...

 

Alan

Hi Alan,

 

Those look great. Thank you for taking the pictures and sharing.

 

It sure makes me feel like getting some of those to put over the backdrop buildings I painted on the my walls when I started on my layout.

 

Hope to see you and LaKeeta soon - traveling to St. Louis?

 

Alex

Hi Alex....

 

Yeah, we found those backdrops during this past York. 

 

Hey, it is your turn to come this direction!!

 

Thanks,

Alan

 

Hey passenger train collector...that's a VERY good photo. Interesting looking layout.

Here is an interesting backdrop.

 

Art

 

 

Someday maybe...

Thanks for sharing the pics of the city backdrop.

Some nice work.

The layer technique works well.

 

I'd like to point out another aspect that makes this backdrop so successful... The photos are not super crisp and super realistic. The photos of buildings used on the backdrop seem to be slightly "out of focus" and lightened in tone. This adds a lot to the sense of depth.

I find that a photo backdrop that is too detailed and realistic becomes distracting, taking away the focal point from the modeling in the foreground and visually foreshortening the scene instead of expanding it. The brain "knows" what is real... A model in front of a photograph is always going to lose out, and the eye will go to the photo. This city backdrop is a fine example of reducing the detail in the photo to make it meld with the modeling in the foreground.

Very rare and talented work. Not quite perfect, as there is a little bit of a gap in the scale transition... But still very nice work.