Just finished my benchwork! I also just hung the backdrop. My question is what color blue should I paint the backdrop? The second question is should I paint the top of the benchwork a brown or not paint it? I also would like to spray paint both. Thanks to all that reply!
DO NOT spray paint in your home. I did it once, Wife almost killed me. Garage might work, Outside is better. I would brush on latex paint. Worked fine on the layout. (I picked a brown at home depot .) I'm going to try the backdrop this week. ( Some leftover blue. ) 2 cents Loco1999
What color blue? Wow, that's probably a subject for a PhD dissertation on perception of blue. If I remember correctly, humans see only hundreds of blues, compared to tens of thousands of yellows. (I may have reversed that, as it's been 38 years since I studied it.) I think it depends on where you are modeling. I'm using photos that I've taken over the past thirty years in most parts of North America--either slides or recently, digital. Out in Big Sky country, you can use almost a pure blue. Back east, where I'm modeling, there can be a reddish tinge except on the clearest of days. The axiom lighter at the horizon, deeper as you go higher usually applies. I think the same applies to ground color. Out west, you can use a fairly light tan, as the landscape is rarely Irish green. Back east, I've used something that is almost granite purplish--or at least a dark brown, copiously covered with green. One thing I've found is that I've had to use a lot of brown and yellow WS foam for contrast, and to tone down the green. Brown, or a dark brownish green, portrays shadows; yellow portrays sunlight. I found it very hard, when I first started my new road, to make a convincing Eastern scene over a light tan base coat. Jeanne and I ended up airbrushing the tan bare spots with a darker brown. So, decide where you're modeling first, then pick what looks correct to you for the location.
I prefer a light bright blue. I think it's more neutral and thereby emphasizes the layout and the foreground rather than having a visitor looking for birds in the sky and interesting freudian cloud patterns. The darker the blue you use also means the brighter or more intense lighting you'll need. If you mean the front fascia color, I would pick a dark color that matches your layout. So if there's a lot of greenery, then a dark green. If a desert brown, I'd use a dark brown. In any case, you want to emphasize the layout to the eye, not the frame. Use latex paint with a brush, it'll dry pretty even and flat and the sprayer will cause too many problems.
