Background Update

I had put off painting the background for so long because I felt I lacked the artistic talent to make it realistic. Bruce encourage me that I could do it and and sketched in the outline of the hills. Nicholas and Adam helped me get the right shades of green for the painted trees to blend in with the 3 dimensional ones. I started with the hills around the fake tunnel portal at the end of the trestle bridge, figuring it was so hidden, few would see it and if I did not like how it turned out, Bruce and I could paint over it.

Background started with the fake tunnel protal

I was very happy with how it turned out, so I continued. I painted from the tunnel, which is just west (left) of East McKeesport into the corner and it appeared to me as though it kept getting better. I doubt this was due to an improvement in my technique but more because as the background grew, it blended more. Bruce stopped over when I had reached the corner and thought it looked pretty good.

The stage of the painting Bruce was able to review

Now, I could not stop! Every time I stepped into the train room, I painted a little more. I finished the right side of the layout from the trestle bridge to the tunnel in Herminie. I was really excited with how realistic I felt it was becoming - not terribly artistic, but like the rest of my work, illustrative enough to get the idea across.

Completed background on the right side of the layout

The final background was really in two parts. The scenery divide between Uniontown and the tracks running along the back needed some background hills from the Uniontown tunnel to the end and these had to blend with the hills along the back wall and around the corner behind the barn. 

The complete background on either side of the peninsula

I really like how the project turned out, and when you first walk into the train room, it really comes to life! Now I need to invite my friends over and run trains while I add figures and more details to the scenes.

All aboard!