Nothing against your fine model, Gary, but the prototype is one ugly building . Perhaps the workers of that bank should drive one of the many refrigerator-styled cars that are on the road these days

You did a great job on the model - I especially like the lettering.

Hey Kevin, the building is quite absent of architectural pizazz, but this is the rear of the building with nothing but railroad track behind it. Here is a pic of the front, a little bit fancier:

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I've also been working on the details around the white building from the previous pages, here is the small building behind the main building.

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We know that you are planning a robbery, even going so far as to build an exact scale replica of the building and the surrounding area. I'll bet you even know when the train is going to go by that you will escape on. Wait until the police see this set up you have to train your gang, boy are you in big trouble....
Pretty Boy Floyd.

Hey Charlie, don't tell, but the entire layout is just a mock-up for planning the robbery! Here's a photo of a train passing behind the bank, just gotta get the schedules figured out!

[attachment=19973]

But really, here is what I am working on tonight, getting the sidewalks and curbs put on.

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Gary, that is really looking good. I'm looking forward to some building detailing, but I will use what I have for "fillers" and add detailed models later. Right now I'm trying to make the terrain look reasonable, I don't care to be perfect, that can come after I've been anointed. .
It's all about fun.

Charlie, I need to be doing that too, concentrating on getting my terrain carved into the foam and painted. That way, when I do start putting detailed stuff onto the layout in earnest, I won't have to worry about those pesky little blue foam shavings clinging to all the details.

Still, this is one of those hobbies where interest in the various aspects comes and goes, so I guess it is prudent to work on the things that you feel like working on at the moment. Maybe this weekend I will get back to the foam sculpting.

Gary S Wrote:Still, this is one of those hobbies where interest in the various aspects comes and goes, so I guess it is prudent to work on the things that you feel like working on at the moment. Maybe this weekend I will get back to the foam sculpting.

Gary, that is the great part about the hobby. once you get bored with one thing, move to another. It amazes me how much different stuff we learn without really trying hard.

Gary S Wrote:Charlie, I need to be doing that too, concentrating on getting my terrain carved into the foam and painted. That way, when I do start putting detailed stuff onto the layout in earnest, I won't have to worry about those pesky little blue foam shavings clinging to all the details.

Still, this is one of those hobbies where interest in the various aspects comes and goes, so I guess it is prudent to work on the things that you feel like working on at the moment. Maybe this weekend I will get back to the foam sculpting.

Gary start with a section of the layout and do all of the foam carving, Then you can work on doing the detail work on that section as the mood strikes. You can also go on to carve the next section. That way you will never need to worry about the blue shavings sticking to details, but at the same time you don't need to carve 50 feet of layout before you can go on to other things.

Russ, that is probably what I will do. I can't see myself carving out the entire layout first. There are areas where I'm not even sure how I want them. So it'll get done in sections as you mention.

Okay, figured is was time to start on the backdrop, just to see if it is possible for me to paint a decent one. I started by printing out a photo of the area behind the Chase Bank building:

[attachment=19977]

Then I painted a piece of hardboard with the backdrop blue. From there, I used a color copy of the prototype scene to paint the tree and buildings and truck. I painted the experimental piece at my workbench. I painted one of the trucks, but didn't take the time to do the other since this is a throw-away piece.

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Then put that in place against the layout backdrop to see if it is acceptable. Now, I'll have to paint it on the wall, standing on a step stool... ugh! These photos are taken from my eye level and at the distance I would normally be at when operating.

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What do you guys honestly think? Should I carry on? I did notice that the painted truck needs to be shrunk just a bit... it seems to be a touch bigger than the model van.

Seriously, looking for opinions before I begin this in earnest. Yes, I know that the only person I need to please is myself, but I do want some constructive criticism!

I don't think I would bother painting vehicles on the back drop, I'm not sure that I would even bother with the dumpsters. I think that rather I would park model vehicles right up to the back drop and put in model dumpsters. I think for the back drop I would just paint distant static objects. Your back drop looks great, by the way. The problem with painting vehicles is that chrome just usually doesn't look right in a painting.

I just can't get over how realistic that scene is. If you photo-shopped a sky background I wouldn't be able to tell it was a model.
Ralph

I'm impressed (but not really surprised) by your painting skills, Gary.

If you're going to keep the truck, by all means shrink it a bit. I doubt that you've got room for model ones in the space available (and they'd be too large anyway). I'd leave the dumpsters in or out as you choose, but if you keep them, eliminate the detail work, especially on the tops. You want a backdrop to be noticeable only when you don't have one, so keep the details to a minimum.
I'm guessing that you're using craft paints - the results are more than satisfactory, and I may have to explore this for a couple of areas on my own layout.
As they say in the old country, "Wery vell-done."

Wayne

I am completely with Russ.

edit: If you paint cars on your backdrop you will have an oltimer show there in 20 years.

Gary,

Have you considered using photos for the backdrop? Perhaps not as is, but with a bit of post-processing to blur them or otherwise make detail a bit more indistinct? I have also seen a technique in MR where the author painted on top of photos, matching colours and so on, but that gave him the freedom to change details as needed.

But you asked for an opinion... As the movie critics used to say -

My only criticism is not with your skill, but with the layout of the scene. It appears as if the building behind the truck should extend out over the roadway. I am assuming that is not the case...


Andrew