Background Buildings

Using Your Computer

& the Internet
Marshall D. Abrams

1 Revised 9/8/2011 Visit the Abrams Railroad Empire at

http://home.comcast.net/~abrams_railroad/
About Backdrops
 What is a backdrop
 Vertical surface picturing scene from very far away to
immediately behind the horizontal railroad and scenery

 Start with sky and clouds

 Add middle distance scenery
 Nature (e.g., mountains) or man-made (e.g., urban)

 Why backdrops are important

 Adding a backdrop (background scenery) to your model railroad
is one of the simplest and most effective ways to enhance its
overall appearance
 The backdrop helps set the context in which the railroad
operates

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 Backdrop Alternatives
 Alternative ways of making a backdrop
 Ready-made or custom
 Paint
 Build-up using cut-out pictures
 Focus of this clinic

 Discuss others first

 Ready-made can be incorporated as cut-outs

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On-Line Backdrop Creation Ideas (1 of 3)
 Background skylines, structures, ads & more
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/download.htm
 Vintage Product Advertising Signs
 Industrial and Warehouse Buildings
 Building Interiors
 Background and City Skylines
 Riverfront Backgrounds

 Backdrop Painting Know-How

http://www.tttrains.com/tips/bkdrp.htm
 Introduction to Backdrop Know-how  Deb's Advice
 Successful Backdrops  Make Some Decisions
 Construction  Colors
 Preparation  Painting: Some different Techniques
 Procedure

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On-Line Backdrop Creation Ideas (2 of 3)
 Tips for Painting Clouds
http://www.tttrains.com/tips/clouds.htm
 Introduction  Preparation
 Creating Distance - a quick lesson  Procedure
on perspective
 Cautions or common mistakes
 Supplies
 Helpful Hints
 Making Stencil
 Painting Backdrops with Ease
http://www.sierrascalemodels.com/Art_Paint.htm
 The sky
 The paint
 Clouds -- cumulus, cirrus, and
status  Force perspective
 Fair weather, puffy little clouds  If you are not happy with your
results, remember you can repaint
 Sometimes clouds have rain in the wall blue and start over
them
 Personal experience Painting Clouds
http://modelrr.oakviewresources.com/paint.htm

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On-Line Backdrop Creation Ideas (3 of 3)
 Typical presentations on You Tube. Search for more.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDwMkPebUGA
66 min - Amy Colburn, Professional Mural Artist, explains the
components, or elements, that create a really outstanding
backdrops.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=nym45geDiz4
5 min - Hand painted backdrop for an O guage model train
layout
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJGHBTvOG28
4 min - Fast and easy way to make a backdrop for model
railroads, war scenes, dioramas.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zoFs9HOsTE
22 min - How to Make Backdrops for Model Trains

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Commercial Urban Backdrops (1 of 2)
 Install out of the box as backdrop
 Glue to Masonite, sheet styrene or other backdrop support
 Can’t mix brands —each has own tone, color balance, size, style,
sky color
 Walthers Instant Horizon Background Scenes
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/949-712

 Detail Associates
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/229-7502

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Commercial Urban Backdrops (2 of 2)
 Backdrop murals canvas for model railroad layouts
http://www.backdropwarehouse.com/indexbdwh.htm Appear to be
http://www.backdrops4models.com/indexbd4m.htm } same site

 Backdrop Junction http://www.backdropjunction.com/

They sell Cut Out Kits printed on an adhesive vinyl paper with a
matte finish. Also do custom orders.

8  Others — search on “model railroad backdrop”

Using Individual Buildings (1 of 2)
 Cut building out of commercial backdrops
 Cut out using straight edge and sharp hobby knife
 Need to eliminate all sky because it will be wrong color
 Scan the picture for duplicate or different size

 Use prepared cardstock cut-out buildings as low-profile or flats

 Check out http://www.cardmodelers.org/
 Free files for you to print (try searching for more)
 http://www.gatewaynmra.org/download.htm#backgrounds

 Actual historic buildings associated with Abraham Lincoln &

Illinois main street
http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/construct_mainstreet.htm
 Free paper models of buildings from around the world
http://www.ss42.com/pt-buildings.html
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Using Individual Buildings (2 of 2)
 Cardstock cut-out buildings for sale
 Preprinted
 Kingmill Radical Flats backdrop buildings are digitally
printed on high quality 11 x 17 inch, 80 lb. cover stock
http://www.kingmill.com
 Qaz

 Wsx

 Download & print yourself (sometimes a freebie)

 http://www.scalescenes.com

 http://clevermodels.squarespace.com/

 http://www.rpgnow.com/product/16634/Cheepsville-USA-
Rural-America-Commercial-cardstock-buildings?it=1
 http://www.erichotz.com/whitewash.html (wild west)

 Software design program

 Modelbuilder — create custom buildings & print
http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com

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Painting Backdrop
 Sky – needed whether you paint or paste buildings
 Sky is darker overhead and lighter at horizon
 Use two shades or tints of blue paint. Blend where they meet to get
third shade
 Clouds
 Pictures of clouds
http://www.freefoto.com/browse/?query=clouds
 Make stencils for the clouds out of cardboard
 The "wisps" (A) turned out to not be a good
idea when the stencils were used repeatedly
 Decrease cloud size from top to bottom of backdrop
 Use paint sparingly

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More Cloud Tips
 Change stencils often
 Never spray near the outside edge
 Change position of stencils between blasts of paint: clouds will
appear 3-D with the different layers of paint
 For the tops of clouds- hold the stencil 1/2 inch away from wall,
giving a sharp edge
 For the bottoms of the clouds-hold stencil 1-2 inches away from
backdrop, giving a soft fuzzy edge
 Overlay stencils to achieve shape/size variations
 Begin with the small horizon clouds: these multiple horizon clouds
will receive overspray from the clouds above them, thereby creating
atmospheric haze
 For storm clouds (below), spray gray paint first and then over spray
with white to the desired density.

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Pictures from Internet Resources
 My personal collection
http://www.trainweb.org/BackdropFigures/
 Great Buildings http://www.greatbuildings.com/
 Image Collections for Architectural History
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/imgb/chartnn.html
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/imgb/digcapt5.html
 Urban landscape http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/diap/
 Library of Congress Architecture
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/collections/gottscho/
 National Building Museum http://www.nbm.org/
 National Trust for Historic Preservation http://www.nationaltrust.org/
 Building photos by city http://www.buildingphotos.com/

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More Pictures From the Internet
 Search for Backdrop Pictures
 Image search engines
 List of list of major well known photo-sharing websites @
Wikipedia
http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photo_sharing_websites
 Google images
http://images.google.com
 Yahoo image search
http://images.search.yahoo.com/
 Flickr pictures
http://www.flickr.com/
 Pic search
http://www.picsearch.com/
 Regular search engines
 Search for specific images (e.g., firehouse picture)

 Use “picture,” “photo,” or “image” as search term

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Great Idea for Pictures From the Internet
 Register on auction sites (such as eBay http://www.ebay.com/ )
 Postcards, photos, pictures
 Many auction items contain pictures
 Search for your interest (e.g., Pittsburgh)
 Save search so that “hits” are emailed to you
 Search: pittsburgh –pirates –steelers

 Click on: Add to Favorites

 Check box:  Email me daily whenever there are new items

for 12 months
 Typical Ebay email extract

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Using a Picture from the Internet
 Select the largest image available
 Right click on picture
 Select “save picture as” or “save image as”
 Save as type “jpeg”
 Save in dedicated directory that you’ll remember

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Crop & Resize Pictures
 You need a tool (application) that will crop & resize the picture
 Powerpoint will work
 Most photo programs will work
 For Windows I recommend a free program “Irfan View”
http://www.irfanview.com/
 iPhoto, which ships free on every Mac, will handle the image
editing
 Crop the picture to select the item you want

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Perspective
 Try to keep a roughly consistent perspective on all the buildings
 Not good to be looking down on some and head-on to others
 Select pictures with consistent viewpoint

 Where is the sun?

 Beware of inconsistent shadows
 Try to choose pictures without shadows
 Flip building pictures horizontally to get all shadows on same
side
 The two pictures below are inconsistent in position of sun

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Sharpness, Resolution & Printing
 Distance makes object look fuzzy & obscures details
 Air pollution also makes them look dull
 Use software to reduce brightness, contrast,
and color saturation

 Resolution suitable for web pages is good enough


for backdrop
 100 dpi (dots per inch)

 Print on heavy non-glossy paper

 Such as Hammermill Cover Stock
 67 lb Vellum Bristol
 Try using cream color to soften images

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Touch-Up Pictures
 Pictures may not be exactly what you want
 Use photo touch-up programs
 Skill gained from experience
 Example
 Remove unwanted foreground detail
 Cut & paste to fill in
 Some unwanted
background can be cut
away

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Another Touchup Example
 Original

 Final

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Perspective
 Creating illusion of distance ― a quick lesson in perspective
 Smaller objects appear further away
 Overlapped objects appear behind
 Objects in the distance have softer edges
 Objects in the distance appear grayer
 Example: warehouses progressively smaller gives illusion of being
further away
 Add “hints” (these buildings are numbered 1 & 2)

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More on Perspective
 Forced perspective
 Article: http://ezinearticles.com/?Perspective-and-Background-in-
Model-Train-Layouts&id=3472134
 Blog: Handling 90 Degree Corners...my Trials and Tribulations with
Forced Perspective http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/5114
 Book: Building City Scenery: For Your Model Railroad (Model
Railroader) by John Pryke
 Use scale to measure height of known object, such as door or
distance between floors
 Reduce size to give illusion of distance
 Close, foreground 100%
 Near, 100-500 yards 90 – 100%
 ¼-½ mile 80 – 90%
 Miles 30 – 50%
 Detail in building further away always
smaller than one in front of it (e.g.,
height of window)

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Mock Up the Scene
 Attach cut outs to backdrop to see how they look
 Use Post-it™ correction tape

 Take photo to guide you when you actually paste

 You have to paste back-to front
 Include some reference point
 Example, building is in front of backdrop

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Paste Buildings to Backdrop
 Grayscale print is good enough to use as guide

 “Paint” slightly dilute white glue to back of building

 Slide into place if necessary
 When glue is dry (overnight) spray with clear flat for protection

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 Standoff Spacers for 3D Appearance

 Gluing the picture onto a spacer that is cut to the same outline will
provide a 3D illusion effect of depth (distance)
 Foamcore board is probably best and cheapest for this
 Multiple overlays will increase this effect, but you don’t want to get
carried away
 Bigger ones in back, usually. This violates the forced perspective a
bit
 You’ll get a little bit of shadow effect as well, depending on your
lighting

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Views of the Result (1/8)

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Views of the Result (2/8)

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Views of the Result (3/8)

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Views of the Result (4/8)

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Views of the Result (5/8)

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Views of the Result (6/8)

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Views of the Result (7/8)

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Views of the Result (8/8)

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Reference: Top Free or Shareware Photo
Editors
 Before you purchase graphics software, it may be worthwhile to try
some free software, or at least download the trial versions of the
software you are considering before making your purchase. Check
these out at
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/findsoftware/u/whattobuy.htm#s2
Gallery of Free Graphics Software Picasa Free Digital Photo Software for
Free Photo Editors for Windows Windows and Linux
Free Photo Editors for Macintosh Windows Live Photo Gallery
Web-based Image Tools Wink Tutorial and Presentation Creator
ArtRage Free Version Screen Shot & Xee for Mac Image Viewer
Mini-Review XnView - Free Multi-Platform Viewer
FastStone - Free Image Viewer for Free Image Viewers and Browsers for
Windows Windows
Google SketchUp 6 for Windows and Free Image Viewers and Browsers for
Mac Macintosh
IrfanView for Windows Review Free Screen Capture Tools for Windows
JAlbum Free Web Photo Album More Free Graphics Software
Generator (Multi-Platform)
Paint.NET Free Photo Editor for
Windows
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Reference: Articles
 Chick, Ken, “Seamless Aluminum Backdrop,” Scale Rails, October
2006.
 Dolkos, Paul J., “Making Realistic-looking Buildings From Photos
and Plastic,” Model Railroader, May 2012.
 Johnson, Tom, “Continue Your Roads Into the Backdrop,” Model
Railroader, October 2010.
 Pryke, John, “Expanding Horizons With Basic Photo Backdrops,”
Model Railroader, July 2012.
 Seeborg, Pelle K., “Using Photos to Make A Panoramic Backdrop,”
Model Railroader, July 2012.
 Shindledecker, Greg and Angel, “Seamless Aluminum Backdrops
Revisited,” The Philadelphia Dispatcher (newsletter of the
Philadelphia Division, NMRA), October 2011

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Reference: Books
 How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery
 Frary, Kalmbach, 1982
 Scenery Tips and Techniques
 Kalmbach Books, 1989
 Scenery for Model Railroads, Dioramas, & Miniatures (3rd Ed.)
 Schleicher, Krause Publications, 1999
 Building City Scenery for Your Model Railroad
 Pryke, Kalmbach, 2000
 Scenery for Your Model Railroad From Backdrop to Tabletop
 Danneman, Kalmbach, 2001
 Painting Backdrops for Your Model Railroad
 Mike Danneman, Kalmbach, 2008

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