Got started on the backdrop this week. The lighting in the room makes it look way more blue than it really is. It's a work in progress, so there will be more clouds, etc. It's kind of like weathering...you have to do little bits at a time or you overdo it. The shelf brackets may get painted blue. I'm debating on that.
Excellent question. It's not that bad. The layout is a 32" wide around-the-wall shelf with one peninsula. The original plan was to buy and attach professional backdrops. As a result, I left a pretty good gap (approx 3/8") between the wall and the back of the layout. Backdrops are now so expensive that I decided to buy a cheap can of paint and do it this way. My layout room is roughly 20' X 20, and the backdrops would have cost hundreds of dollars. Since there's space between the layout and the wall, it's not too bad painting all the way below the top of the layout so there's not a gap in the paint. With only 32" to reach over, it's not hard on a small step ladder to reach the wall. Once the blue was painted, I took some slightly watered down white and went over the sky just above the layout to make it look more like what the horizon really looks like. The clouds are a work in progress. My wife has been huge help with ideas, picking colors (I'm color blind), etc. Here's a question for you--something I'm debating on. Should I paint the shelf brackets blue or leave them silver? Thanks!!!
That is a great start! Since you asked, I would take the time to paint the shelf brackets blue. They won't disappear completely, but will not draw attention to themselves.
Thanks for all the input. The shelf brackets have been painted. Three out of the four walls have the base coat of blue. Clouds still need to be painted / adjusted. Lots of work to do, but it's well on the way.
p.s. in case any of you are wondering about the strange looking round hill that's on the edge of the layout on the right side of one photo...there really is a hill out here named Kiowa Peak (pronounced by the locals "Kiowawh Peak"). It looks like a volcanic cinder cone but it's actually a limestone formation.
Thanks, and yes, it does look better. One wall to go and then learn how to paint clouds. This week I got sidetracked working on a kitbash / scratchbuild crane project, but the backdrop is next on the list to complete.
Made a little progress on the backdrop today. The blue is done all the way around. It will get adjusted a little so the horizon is a little less blue. The clouds have been started but have a long way to go.
