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setting the (back)scene...


bcnPete

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Afternoon all,

 

A little progress since the last post has concentrated on trying to sort the backscene early so I can dress the scenery into it.

 

I started to look at a number of readymade backscene available but felt none really suited the context. My fallback is to paint the sky pale blue as there will be trees in front however I first did some research around Meeth and happened by chance to find two landscape photos from an Estate agent selling a house in Meeth and there were accompanying views of surrounding land.

 

I want to repeat what I did at Kyle which is basically a vinyl colour print which I applied onto a plastic sheet from some leftovers at the office model shop. This has worked really well and has not crinkled or delaminated since applied a few years ago.

 

The photo was cropped in photoshop and printed to A1 in length on the office colour printer. It’s a little hazy due to being a small image but I kind of like that as it’s supposed to be in the background ;)

 

The first attempt was cut and carved to drop into the layout to give a feel although the second attempt this morning seems to work better. The scale of the trees can I think hold their own for a 2mm layout. I have dropped in place the building from the mock up to give a bit more of a feel to it and also added the Farish 25 which needs its wheels turned down and sound chipped...

 

Overall I am quite pleased with it and may well try to get a few images on one sheet as I did for Kyle so I have some spares. It cost about £25 for the printing last time but I think it’s worth it and it means I can crack on with the soft landscaping which will take me out of my comfort zone.

 

A few pics from today - please note it’s a quick n dirty exercise hence the chopping out of the sky around the timber fascia supports - I will of course make a template to undertake the final insertion. By the way, the fascia light is switched on as that is how the final presentation will be perceived.

 

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Following the comments received here’s the first attempt at it...perhaps the scale is better on this and I just need to take out the big tree and fade to sky at the edges...

 

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As always, comments welcomed,

 

Pete

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  • RMweb Premium

excellent progress nice to see some green on the layout  :jester:

 

I think less than pin sharp backgrounds blend better 

 

Nick

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  • RMweb Premium

That looks like a good start, Pete.

If I may make a suggestion or two? I would 'lose' the big single tree at the extreme right, and keep the trees on the extreme left as low as the ones in the middle. Of course, only you can judge what looks good in 3D, but the two things I've mentioned tend to make the backscene look too 'close' at the ends.

 

David

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Pete, I'm very interested to see this as I've been thinking of building my next layout around a photo backscene.

 

I like the idea of a slightly out of focus background. If you don't mind me saying so, I wonder if you need to work some more on the scale maybe? Not sure whether it's the size of the trees - or perhaps more likely the grass and shrubs in the foreground. In any case, something about the scale relationship between the loco and backdrop is a little out, as I see it.

 

Just an opinion though, it may well be me!

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Evening Pete,

 

Great progress and the backscene sets the scene nicely. Perhaps agree with David about the larger tree to the right.

 

The mock up building looks great and must lift the modelling mojo no end?

 

Class 25 looks good! ;)

 

Look forwards to further updates.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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Don't suppose you know anyone local who could take a few suitable photos for you do you? Might give you more options to choose from. The coming week might not be the best time though unless you are after a snow scene.

 

It's not an area that I know very well - Devon is a very big place and there are lots of bits in the middle that don't get visited much. I did track down the former station called 'Hole' on the same line once - it took quite a bit of detective work because I couldn't find anywhere with that name on the map. Happily it was remarkably intact. It was a few years back so hopefully it still is.

 

Regards, Andy

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  • RMweb Gold
excellent progress nice to see some green on the layout  :jester: I think less than pin sharp backgrounds blend better 
Thanks Nick - there will be no green rolling stock though :no:

 

That looks like a good start, Pete.If I may make a suggestion or two? I would 'lose' the big single tree at the extreme right, and keep the trees on the extreme left as low as the ones in the middle. Of course, only you can judge what looks good in 3D, but the two things I've mentioned tend to make the backscene look too 'close' at the ends.
Thanks David - Good points - the big tree was troubling me before so enlarging the pic helped pushed it to the front...my photoshop skills will be tested with this so might need to get my friend to give me a hand...

 

Hi Pete, I'm very interested to see this as I've been thinking of building my next layout around a photo backscene. I like the idea of a slightly out of focus background. If you don't mind me saying so, I wonder if you need to work some more on the scale maybe? Not sure whether it's the size of the trees - or perhaps more likely the grass and shrubs in the foreground. In any case, something about the scale relationship between the loco and backdrop is a little out, as I see it. Just an opinion though, it may well be me!
Thanks Mikkel - as a follow up to David’s suggestion and now your comments I might resort back to the first backscene and then try and take out the big tree and add some more sky each side...the idea with the ground is that I will use burnt grass (a tip from Pixie) and then try and fade this into the ground of the backscene...I might try and post the first backscene under the pics above as that might be the one to pursue after all!...

 

Evening Pete,Great progress and the backscene sets the scene nicely. Perhaps agree with David about the larger tree to the right.The mock up building looks great and must lift the modelling mojo no end? Class 25 looks good! ;)Look forwards to further updates.Cheers,Mark
Many thanks Mark - yep there’s more work to be done following the comments - watch this space...

 

Don't suppose you know anyone local who could take a few suitable photos for you do you? Might give you more options to choose from. The coming week might not be the best time though unless you are after a snow scene. It's not an area that I know very well - Devon is a very big place and there are lots of bits in the middle that don't get visited much. I did track down the former station called 'Hole' on the same line once - it took quite a bit of detective work because I couldn't find anywhere with that name on the map. Happily it was remarkably intact. It was a few years back so hopefully it still is. Regards, Andy
Thanks Andy - not really and I can’t justify a trip down there at present to photograph some landscape - I think I can work with the photo and get some sort of compromise position on it...at the end of the day there will be a few trees planted in front of it so hopefully it will just fade into the distance as they should do...
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  • RMweb Gold

Last 3 pics now uploaded show first attempts...right, where’s my dummies guide to Photoshop book gone :jester:

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  • RMweb Gold

This is the point where I say: "Much better" and you then say: "Ha ha, I didn't actually change anything!".

 

In any case, I do think it looks better now! :-)

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This is the point where I say: "Much better" and you then say: "Ha ha, I didn't actually change anything!".

 

In any case, I do think it looks better now! :-)

 

Ha! Not at all Mikkel...first version was deemed not wide enough so I scaled up...which helped in length...but not in height :laugh:

 

I’m all over it...

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  • RMweb Gold

If you need extra length rather than making it bigger you can try adding a reversed imagine to the original that way it doesn't show that the trees are the same. It is possible to stretch a photo in one axis only but it does distort the shapes of the trees it is ok is you need an extra 10% but more than that the distortion shows.

I agree with those who prefer slightly less sharp backscenes. Too detailed a backscene draws the eye away from the layout proper.

 

Don

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  • RMweb Gold
If you need extra length rather than making it bigger you can try adding a reversed imagine to the original that way it doesn't show that the trees are the same. It is possible to stretch a photo in one axis only but it does distort the shapes of the trees it is ok is you need an extra 10% but more than that the distortion shows.

I agree with those who prefer slightly less sharp backscenes. Too detailed a backscene draws the eye away from the layout proper.

 

Don

 

Thanks Don - David (Kylestrome) is currently helping out with the image so I hope to be able to get it printed soon...

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