New Backdrop Painted

I just finished painting the backdrop for my new N scale layout inspired by the Upper Cajon Pass (Summit to Frost/Mojave Narrows)



Starting on the left is Quartz Mountain, Mount San Jacinto, Mount San Gorgonio, and then the foreground hills south of Martinez Spur. Quartz Mountain will be mostly blocked by the rocks of the Mojave Narrows; Mount Saint Jack and Gorgonio will be distant behind Gray's Hill at Frost; and the more detailed hillside at Martinez Spur will hopefully blend well with the dense chaparal of the foreground.

If I can brag a little, I don't think the photo does the backdrop justice. The lighting in the photo is not ideal, and the jpg is five photos stiched together. The entire backdrop is eighteen feet long and two feet tall.

For more information about the layout, check out the link to my web page below.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. It took a couple coats of flat paint for the blue (about an hour); an hour to spray the clouds; and about four hours to hand paint the scenery.

 

Ed you are a good artist . Most model railroaders don't get into backgrounds like you do. Excellent work. What did you use to spray the clouds? They sure look real.

 

Thanks! The clouds were spray painted with gray primer and flat white paint. I practiced with some blue poster board until I got the technique down. I take the New London Cloud Stencils and mist the bottoms of the clouds with the gray primer. I then do three or four over-sprays with the flat white. Less is more with this technique. Be sure to keep the stencil an inch or so off the backdrop so you have a soft edge. I'm sure you could cut your own stencils, but the New London stencils are less than $10 and can be used forever.

 

I am not a fan of painted backdrops, only because so many that do it can't paint and it shows. However, I like what you have done. It is effective, but dominating, and sets the tone nicely.

 

I had many of the same feelings about backdrops. On previous layouts, I had gone the photo backdrop route but there was usually too much detail and it distracted from the models. I debated for a long while about whether I would leave this backdrop as just clouds or add the hills. I finally decided to go for it knowing I could just paint it blue if I didn't like how it came out.

This photo is of the prototype, Quartz Mountain, several miles behind the scene I will be modeling. Since I have to compress the scene on the layout, I also had to compress the scene on the backdrop. I kept the height though, and I think most people familiar with the area will recognize the scene.