Using photos on structures

[Brakie]

No matter how small the variation, I think the eye/brain is more aware of texture. Stand as far from a building as you stand in scale feet from a model building with "Photo-bricks", and you will see texture, that you won't see on the model.

our brains also want us to see something there that it expects to be there. In other words, we see a brick pattern, and we expect to see the texture we are accustomed to. If we don't see the texture, it simply looks "wrong". In a modeling sense, sometimes it is better to exaggerate a texture (rivets are a good example) than to do without.

Kevin,Our eyes can be deceived into not seeing things...I call this the "Hollywood effect" and it works like a charm..You see our eyes focus on the overall scene and not one given area.We will see the building,the train and its surroundings but,not the mintue detail unless we focus in on the buildings its self.Under normal operation viewing you will see the building but,not the details because our eyes will be focus on our work such as spotting or pulling a car...

This is how Hollywood uses the same extras in different scenes-we focus on the main actors and not their surroundings..

[Gary S]

I use photos for background and also for small parts. I glue them onto foam blocks and they solve the depth problem. I use 1” foam extensively for scenery on my layout. Photos of small parts like sheds, lockers, signal boxes, etc. also work well and are almost impossible to tell the difference.

Interesting idea, and a time saver too. Do you happen to have any photos of your small parts photos?

[Brakie]

Gary,Here's another idea for buildings along the backdrop.






These are printed buildings on mat board..

I liked 'em well enough that I added 2 more different background buildings.

The cost was less then $15.00 including shipping for both buildings.

[Ralph]

Look great to me!
Ralph

[Gary S]

looks good from here too.

[Dave Harris sctchbld]

Gary S wrote:
Again, I think our brains want to see what they expect to see. There are many things out in the real world that if we modeled them exactly, we would think they didn't look right.

Gary --The KEY word here is BRAINS. There was a researcher years ago who wanted to see( no pun intended) just how far our brain would go to try to make our eyes "see" what they should --or expected to see. He had glasses made that reversed the image -with them on he saw everything upside down!! After a week or so seeing that way suddenly things turned themselves right side up! Took another week or so for his vision to return to normal without the glasses. Guy was braver than me --- he figured that would happen -- I would have been afraid my eyes might get stuck upside down!!

[Gary S]

Pretty freaky experiment! hock:

[Catt]

A trick I learned from Robin is to not use just a flat photo.If there is rasied detail on the building make several extra copies of the building to cut up for for these raised details and glue them to the surface of the photo.The same goes for recessed details like doors and windows except install these from the rear of the photo.

I have several Z scale buildings that I have actually laminated several copies together with the doors and windows cut out,and then glued one more copy to the back of these with the windows and doors untouched.I have also done this with O scale buildings .It gives a great 3D affect to the building.

[Gary S]

Great idea! A multi-layered building would seem to be the solution. Thanks for that tip. And even adding 3D details like downspouts and electrical boxes would be a plus.

[torikoos]

What the eyes see, the mind believes!

That's the concept many 'David Copperfields' use :-) Some of those techniques are quite useful in modeling. I'm a great fan of Lance Mindheim's work. All techniques have their place. I wouldn't put a photo structure at the foreground perhaps, but towards the back, to 'make the scene' so to speak, it's worth trying.