Backdrop painting before or after ?

[DALDEI]

I'm making good progress on my benchwork, a L-Lattice framework 'around the walls' in a U shape. (flattened dogbone).
I expect to put on a 2nd deck but not there yet. I've attached 2x2's to the walls to studs and then attached braces to those to support the framework.
Looking at this now I think I should put up the backdrop (? whats it called?) the flat stuff, "Masonite" that goes behind the layout. I have some 4x8 pieces and and am thinking now's the best time before I start putting up the L-girders because I can still access the walls without a bench. So I am thinking even if I put up a upper deck, I can put the backdrop up now, then screw through it to the 2x2's for shelving for the 2nd deck.

Question in mind. Should I paint this now ? certainly I have no clue about any *details* for painting but I could paint it a base coat of say 'sky blue' as a start ... or I couldput it off until I am much further along and ready to construct scenery ...

Does it make sense to put up the backdrop early in construction like this ?
Does it make sense to paint it now ? or later


Suggestions welcome!!!!

 

[Larry]

Paint it before.

 

[RW&C]

Painting a backdrop is really not as hard as you'd think. Basically, just paint the top blue, the bottom white (or very light blue), and fade them together with a brush (horizontal strokes). Hills don't have to be really detailed; so long as they're close in color to the hills in your scenery, and they don't draw attention to themselves, they'll be reasonably convincing. The backdrop doesn't have to be a work of fine art. Practice on scraps before starting on the Masonite. Also, prime it first (white) so that if you miss a spot, you won't have brown masonite showing through. (Yeah, I didn't, and it shows here and there.) There are loads of articles/threads/books on how to do this, and most of them have better descriptions than this.

If you're unsure where you'll have hills, what earth colors you'll use, etc, I guess you could put off putting up a backdrop at all, and just stick a masonite spacer (or the backdrop wrapped in waxed paper or something) between the scenery and the wall, then pull it out and paint it when you're ready. If you're going to attach it now, however, then paint it before you add scenery. (No sense spilling blue paint all over your scenery, track, etc, and besides, the scenery will get in the way of the brush.)

 

[cajon]

There are alot of printed backdrops available like from Instant Horizons. Some modelers have even used photographs as back drops. Do a google search of "Model Railroad photography backdrops" & you'll get quite a few hits.

 

[Beachbum]

If you're using Masonite, you could put it up now and screw through it later when you do your upper deck. For the time being, I'd paint it with sky blue and white paint. That way you'd have at least some semblance of sky while you're working and considering whether you want to paint the backdrop or apply Instant Horizons or ???

Analogously, my HO shelf is pink foam. I slapped on medium green paint with splotches of brown with no ground cover yet. Far from realistic but it covers the gawd-awful pink while I plot out my scenery...

 

[nephthyr]

Paint it blue first. After you've slung plaster but before you've done scenery, paint in the details (trees, hills, etc). It also depends on reach in distance, if your layout is over 3' in width you might have difficulty reaching the backdrop to paint it, do then painting it first is a must.

 

[DALDEI]

Thanks for all the great ideas. The one I still am struggling with is if I should put up a say 4' tall backdrop and mount the brackets for the 2nd deck overtop that,
or put up the brackets and try to squeeze in 2 seperate (apx 1 1/2 foot) background strips over the main deck and over the top deck.
At first I was thinking the former would be simplier. But the books I have all show it done the other way. There's probably a good reason for that ... maybe access to wiring or something I dont know. Any suggestions ?

 

[station wagon]

Like RWC suggested, I would paint a thin panel and slip it into place. Pull it out to rework it. Hook and loop patches can hold it very well against the wall or studs. Have any mountains peak and drop just before the panel to hide the intersection of the two.

 

[DALDEI]

Your brilliant !! Thank god for the internet.
All this time I simply didn't imagine any other way then just screwing them into the 2x2 poles, and never removing them except for emergency. This is great. It solves my chicken & egg problem of not really knowing where the scenery is going to be until I get my trackwork more complete. I'm learning that my "perfect visio diagram" just doent quite pan out when I see the benchwork in full scale !!! Even my 3D model I made of wood doesnt give the real scale justice ... (also didnt help that I mis-measured 1 wall component by 16 inches ... how could that have happened ??? ) So I'm taking the "plan" as more a general guideline and trying to refine it in full scale as I work it out. This idea really helps with the process of being able to incrementally make design changes.
thank you !