DIY Photo Backdrops (203)
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- Опубліковано 30 лис 2024
- Having photo backdrops of actual scenes from the area you model can greatly enhance the realism of your model railroad. In this video I'll show you how I create photo backdrops using photos I take and process in programs such as Photoshop or Affinity Photo and print out on my own photo printer. I'll also share some tips on places where you can get large backdrops printed at a reasonable cost. So let's get started!
WOW! This is great. Thanks.
Two thumbs up for another great tutorial. 👍🏻 👍🏻 I don’t have a lot of back drop to do but will have some and this really helped me understand the process.
Excellent Larry, thanks for all the Tips, this really enables your to fully replicate the Background for your own chosen Railway. Best Wishes.
Nice job with the prep and install of the photo background, Larry. You are mistaken about "repositionable" spray adhesives. If you spray one surface and apply it wet it is repositionable, but if you spray both surfaces and let them tack before applying they are permanent and will not peel or lift off. The same is true with Super 77. If you apply it while the adhesive is wet it is repositionable too.
Ron, if you search the shelves at Lowes you will find spray adhesives listed as being easily repositionable, meaning an object glued up with them can be easily peeled off the wall or surface easily and then repositioned. I have used at least one made by Loctite following their instructions on the can and it was very easy to move the prints as they said. However after a couple of weeks they began to peel off the wall on their own and I had to reposition them with Super 77. I have never had that problem with 3M Super 77-once up it stays put for years unless you hit it with some heat to loosen the bond. The Loctite brand actually comes in 3 different bonding strengths: Light weight 100, Middle weight 200, Heavy weight 300. I would only use the heavy weight formulation for cases like this. As for Super 77 being repositionable that is only “initially” according to their instructions. Once it is on there for any amount of time it is permanent unless you hit it with a hair dryer.
👍👍👍Larry great as usual
A cutting mat would be a good investment when working on things like this. Compared to a piece of plywood they will grip the photo much better, and will preserve the point of your blade for a longer life. And being so smooth there will be no chance of any surface imperfections being "imprinted" onto the print paper and "telegraphing" through the final product as is the case with plywood or other off cuts of construction materials.
Thanks Larry! 🐾🚂
Looks really good. The weakness is always going to be the vertical joins between pieces (as it is with commercial backscenes), particularly if someone's not as precise as you. Running an appropriately coloured felt tip pen along the cut surface is sometimes useful, especially with thicker paper.
Presumably you've tried it leaving the "sky" square (i.e. not trimming it to a small border above the treeline) and that was more obvious to the eye?
I have used the felt tip trick too and it does hide the joint rather effectively. You can also overlap the two prints a hair with the upper piece facing away from the typical viewing angle. However the best way is to slightly overlap the two prints, run a knife blade down the middle of the overlap, then peel,off the cut pieces. This leaves a perfect joint but it is extremely hard to get just the right amount of overlap and still have the images match up. Wall,paper hangers use this trick to get seamless joints. Another trick is to hit the print with heat from a hair dryer which will loosen the bond enough to allow you to slide one print up against the other.
My problem has always been trying to judge the size of the objects in the background so that they look in scale with the modelled objects, specifically in an urban/industrial setting. Perhaps you could talk about that a bit?
That is an issue that is difficult. Basically it takes a bit of trial and error to get the correct scale and really falls into the area of art. In the past I have used a number of photo flats from the Lynchburg area on the layout and you may have seen them in some of the videos of the Charlottesville yard area. Most are to scale but some are a bit undersized and I usually put them in the rear for forced compression to creat more depth. You can also use N-scale images for the same purpose. When making your own photo backdrops I would make up several scales of them in the photo software and print them out on an inkjet printer to see which version works best. Paper mockups are a great way to test different arrangements.
G'day Larry, nice job with the backdrop. Thanks for sharing. Question off topic, if I may, please - if I have understood things correctly, parts of your layout are modules... Can you please explain what you use for connections with your cabling, going to and from each module? Thank you.
Sorry - I just watched episode 143 and found the answer to my question. Thank you!
Well, I want to point out that I built a two module portable layout that is not part of my permanent layout. However I use the same techniques for the permanent layout as in the modules. Most of my main level comprises modules just like those in the videos just longer-typically 2’ x 8’.
Hi Larry,
Very much like the technique you’ve showed of cutting a 16th of an inch above the tree line.
It makes me wonder about how many of us modelers just use this flat backdrop method, either with or without the 16th of an inch border. The hill you’ve shown might not be an excellent example for my comment, because it truly looks like one earthly unit; geographical or geological.
However, when in our backdrops there are multiple of those ‘units’ coming together in a single photo the field of depth can be shown even more by putting the different elements of the visual on low relief projections. Let’s say on different pieces of cardboard of a millimeter or two thick. I imagine the same kind of effect we were all familiar with as kids when we made our shoebox show-box. Am wondering if you ever used such a technique in a similar as you’ve shown, or, if you consider such a method. On urban canyons such a layering of the backdrop could also work very fine.
Love your thorough explanation, thanks very much for sharing.
I have done something like that for photo prints of buildings in urban areas. In that case I used various thicknesses of black gatorboard (foam core with a cellulose based outer layers) for the 3D effect. It does a good job of replicating the real feeling of urban canyons.
In all honesty, I'm done with the screwed in Masonite backdrops where you have to patch over every single screw hole and gap. Going forward, I'll be using one continuous roll of sheet aluminum or sheet styrene plastic. You can order either to the dimensions you need for your layout. No more Windex curves, or screwing down Masonite, or patching screw holes or seams for me.
So just how do you intend to attach the aluminum or styrene sheet to the wall or studs? I used styrene sheet on my last layout and basically had to do the same process with it as with hardboard. Matter of fact I still have a roll of 4’ x 8’ 0.040” thick syrene sitting i t he train room. I have found the hardboard easier to work with than the styrene. Good luck with it. BTW you could also use sheet linoleum.
@@TheDCCGuy Thanks so much for your reply Larry. I'm not going to buy the styrene in 4X8 sheets. I might as well use hardboard then. There's a plastics company near me who I've spoken with who will let me order .040" styrene, 48" tall on a roll of up to 100 feet in length. My backdrops need to be 24" tall. So I'd get 200 feet using that method. As for attaching it, I was going to consider letting the backdrop semi free-float by using U-Channel at both the top and bottom (both not visible to the viewer). Or, I could tack it lightly at each stud with a quality silicone. I've heard of using sheet linoleum, but the weight would preclude me from using it. As always, Than You! I love your channel!
Do you print on paper or photo paper ? Glossy or Matte
I use Canon photo paper luster, but you can use whatever floats your boat.
Damp sponge equals no drywall dust!
I have known folks who were so good at applying the mud they never had to use sandpaper, they just smoothed it with the sponge.
not so useful if you are not american people....wallmart ...stapple.....