Adventures in Perspective

[Gary S]

Hey Ralph, it is a cool little bridge to model, too bad I am just going to paint it.

Here are some preliminary attempts of placing the bridge over various backgrounds

   

   

   

[doctorwayne]

I like the last one best, Gary, but I also thought that the last one from the previous set was equally useable. The bridges running parallel to your track are very plausible and you could easily get away with using them all along the backdrop - perhaps with some painted-on, one or two as low-relief-smaller-than-HO-scale background structures (right at the wall), and, if there's room somewhere, a more fully-modelled version.

Wayne

[hyawn]

I like #3. I think adding the little bridge helps to hide the backdrop separation.

Howard

[faraway]

My visual impression is
#1 looks like the water flows uphill
#2 water is at level
#3 looks like the water runs down hill

#2 has the best perspective.The left bank is also looking best as a logical continuation.

[Gary S]

Vicki liked Number 3 best also. Number 3 isn't bad, but I kind of like Number 2. Now, here is another, I redrew the bayou and bridge on one sheet of paper, added more definition to the bridge, changed the perspective just a bit, and put a shadow under the bridge. Does it feel like some green should be showing just underneath the lower edge of the bridge, instead of it being all concrete slope back there?

   

[Gary S]

Here is a photoshop with a bit of green under the bridge:

   

[faraway]

The colors are irritating. I suggest you stay with fading colors in the background.

[Gary S]

Sorry I missed your previous post, Reinhard. On the colors, I am stuck with a limited set of colored pencils to make the mock-up drawings. When I start work on the actual backdrop, hopefully the colors will be a better blend and more faded - thinned craft paints.

Here is a photoshopped version with some trees and grass added, just for a look-see. The trees will help block the observer from viewing the backdrop bridge at odd angles.

   

[Sumpter250]

The only other thing I might offer, is to try to take a shot of each "choice" from several different viewpoints, and choose the one "choice" that looks best in all the different viewpoints. It won't be "perfect" but will look the best overall.

[Gary S]

Great suggestion, S-250.

[Gary S]

Here it is Sunday evening, and just getting started on this. Should have started on Friday, but was too busy doing dumpsters and power poles.

Here's the bridge penciled in on the wall. Now I am looking through my photo library for suitable trees on the horizon.

   

[torikoos]

This is looking great.Very nice to see how you're experimenting and finding problems and solutions to it. In time I will have to do some of the same, but I have the added problem that my backdrop is not straight, it's a sloped roof, mirrors therefore don't work, and anything big is going to be very awkward (I don't want a hill or tall building leaning over the layout), I may just have to stick with a neutral blue and some clouds as is currently the case.

Koos

[Gary S]

Thanks Koos. An angled backdrop sounds like it would be pretty tough! Maybe some vague trees in the distance, low to the horizon?

[Gary S]

Further experimentation... Using photos to piece together ideas for the backdrop. Sort of makes me wonder about using a photo backdrop as several folks mentioned. Still, I think that painting is right for me. But because I am not an artist, but am decent at copying stuff, I'll go out tomorow and take a ton more pics around the industrial areas at work. Maybe even stand in the bed of the truck to get a higher vantage point. Then I'll print them out in various sizes and multiple copies so I can use them for the mock-ups.

   

[faraway]

...Here's the bridge penciled in on the wall....

Gary, that perspective fits. It is a seamless continuation.