Interior building lighting - Bright ideas?

[PJ-101]

I wonder whether anyone has any bright ideas (pun intended) on how to illuminate low relief buildings.  The issue is of course that they have no interiors as that's not really an option for low relief.  I'm currently working on some Bachmann low relief terrace houses (OO) and I'm struggling to get a decent effect. As summary of progress so far;

 

- 3 coats of white (to reflect light) paint on the inside and the resin building is still leaking light!  The idea now is to use black card with the odd window cut out to show as lit from outside.

 

- placement of led lamps is difficult to avoid shaddowing and bright spots.  I've tried the smd's on a roll but they aren't bright enough to shine through any film/paper

 

- woodland scenics film is ok, but the light reflecting film is about the same as black card for low relief buildings, as being resin the walls are so thick the film's set back from the actual window pane. The diffuser film is also ok, but looks worse when not backlit, and actually not that realistic when it is backlit. I think it has it's place, but maybe not representing 1930's terraced housing.

 

- Paper diffuser - I've tried a simple paper diffuser which has a pair of curtains printed on it (from a well known Swedish retailer) which is actually very effective when backlit, but not so good when unlit, although improved with the Woodland Scenics film in front to darken it when unlit.  This is the preferred option so far, but just wondered whether others have come up with any better or simpler ideas? 

Edited August 16, 2018 by PJ-101

[RexAshton]

This might be worth a look. It's not cheap but the idea shouldn't be too hard to copy.

[JeffP]

 

 

- 3 coats of white (to reflect light) paint on the inside and the resin building is still leaking light!  The idea now is to use black card with the odd window cut out to show as lit from outside.

 

Get hold of a tube of decorators caulk, or acrylic frame sealant, Screwfix, 99p.

 

This can be used inside to fill any holes where light bleeds out.

 

Remember that lit interiors are only really well visible when it's full dark outside. In daylight, even a lit interior appears darker than you'd think.

[WIMorrison]

Also choose the LED colour carefully, ideally a warm white colour (somewhere around 2400k) and then use a hiogher resistor than normal to ensure that the light isn't bright.

[PJ-101]

Thanks for the thoughts so far.  Unfortunately resin buildings leak light through the main walls, despite being quite thick they allow light to pass right through so it requires more than caulk to seal up a few gaps.  I also have warm white LED's which give a decent representation of incandescent lighting.  The difficult bit is getting the light to shine through the windows without showing empty interiors, as with a low relief building you can't really imitate a basic interior without giving away the low relief aspect internally.  I might have a go at creating some form of light box to at the least get the led light to shine correctly behind the relevant windows.   

[DCB]

Poundland do some clear LEDs with battery box and switch about 20 for £1.   I used some for artificial moonlight on the outside terminus but I reckon as long as you don't use rechargable batteries which can melt the insulation if you get a short, you could wrap each LED in coloured film (The sweet wrappings from a box of Cadbury's Roses) and create various degrees of glows for various rooms. Budget £1 for the LEDs £1 for a dozen batteries and £5 for the sweets (Pretend they are for the wife/ partner/girlfriend/etc)

The rooms need to be defined, dividing walls and floors have to go to the backscene to make the effect work.  I would line the inside of the walls with kitchen foil Uhu'ed on with windows cut out

I use Metcalfe buildings indoors, Ratio outdoors and find only minor light leaks round the joins, but you do need internal walls , floors and ceilings to make the effect convincing

[The Johnster]

I agree about the warm colour cast of leds for interiors, especially houses and other domestic situations; cool lighting is more suitable for factories and commercial premises.  But led lighting is very much 'point' lighting, spotlighting with a well defined pool of light; what you ideally need inside a house, where the light is diffused by lampshades, is a more diffused light source.  Perhaps the leds can be housed in something semi-opaque.  If you are modelling any period before the 80s, domestic lighting was from low wattage filament 'pearl' bulbs, about 40 or 60 watts typically, so keep the overall levels low and, to modern eyes, a bit dim.   This is an advantage in terms of controlling light leakage and ventilation as well.

[RexAshton]

Thanks for the thoughts so far.  Unfortunately resin buildings leak light through the main walls, despite being quite thick they allow light to pass right through so it requires more than caulk to seal up a few gaps.  I also have warm white LED's which give a decent representation of incandescent lighting.  The difficult bit is getting the light to shine through the windows without showing empty interiors, as with a low relief building you can't really imitate a basic interior without giving away the low relief aspect internally.  I might have a go at creating some form of light box to at the least get the led light to shine correctly behind the relevant windows.   

Bit fiddly but try lining the inside of the building with cooking foil.

[d00m]

You can get rolls of black wrap a self adhesive 2 inch wide roll of black foil. If leds are too bright, colour them with sharpies. Good luck!

[The Johnster]

Bit fiddly but try lining the inside of the building with cooking foil.

 

But watch the ventilation!

[JZ]

The back wall is all you're going to see and not that if the curtains are drawn, so my suggestion is the paint the other walls black. LEDs are two-a-penny these days, so I have used warm white to represent normal lighting. Also think about a light blue light for a TV and orange for a coal fire.

[The Johnster]

I like the tv idea; needs to flicker a bit, though!  

[Il Grifone]

I like the tv idea; needs to flicker a bit, though!  

 

Depending on period and number of buildings, they would all have to flicker together (saves on flicker generators! though tea lights are cheap enough). Before about 1953 very few and only BBC. Post c1954 (depending on area) two channels and 3 post c1965 (again depending on area). Colour came in from about 1969 onwards when all three networks went 625 line colour. Sets were very expensive! - of course, today everyone has one or more.

 

Line with tinfoil to prevent light leak. Tthe bottom half at least of the windows should have net curtains but after dark the curtains would be drawn, so one cah get away with a one dimensional representation of a room