Backscenes

This might be helpful to other new-to-the-hobby modellers.

Before starting this layout I read a lot about backscenes.  There are some superb off the shelf as well as bespoke photographic products available.  I was sorely tempted but then went back to the only rule I had set for the layout in the first place - to try and make as much as possible from scratch.  It wasn't about what the final result looked like, but the satisfaction of trying something new and learning from it. So that had to include the backscenes.

Here are a few snaps - close up and from a distance.  I found that mixing a few different shades of greens, browns and greys and suggesting shapes of trees, buildings, fences and so on rather than trying to paint anything too technically accurate (which would be way beyond me) produced a satisfactory enough result, provided you didn't look too closely.  For the landscapes, the paint is just splodged on using different size brushes and sponges.  If I tried to be too careful, it didn't work.  Making the colours paler towards the horizon seemed to be the right thing to do.  As to the street scenes, I copied outlines of buildings from photographs and then added a few random strokes to suggest rooftops.

Close up, the backscenes look pretty unconvincing - from a distance, they're OK. At least I am not displeased with the effect.  If I started from scratch, I think I could do a better.  But I can't be bothered.  I'll just try and do a better job on the remaining backscenes on the layout.

Close up ........

   

 .... far away (sounds like Father Ted explaining perspective to Father Dougal).