The one rule about my backdrop is that I don't want it more detailed than the layout, I don't want it to draw your eyes from the layout.
Right now the backdrop is same color blue as the rest of the layout and in time I'll paint it with trees and clouds to match the rest of the backdrop throughout the layout, but I plan to add some buildings to it. I had always planned to make some 3D flats by cutting up some models, which I still may do?
Several years ago I ran across a seller on eBay called Trackside Flats. This seller took images of actual buildings and cleaned them up to make them look like generic buildings, these are then glued to 1/4" foam board so you can attached them to your backdrops to create an urban scene.
I thought these, combined with painted trees, hills and clouds might be the answer I've been looking for?
So I ordered two of his flats from his website, one of the shortest and one of his tallest flats to see if they'd get me somewhat of what I was thinking of.
They may not be perfect, but they do add a lot of depth to an otherwise flat scene. My thought is to not have them all side by side, but have a group of 2-4 buildings sitting next to one another and then leave some space where you can see trees and hills between them.
Having a solid run of buildings across the entire 16' of backdrop would, I think, look to be too much?
The building on the left looks all right, but the building on the right looks more like it belongs in downtown Chicago. Unless Chicago is what you're trying to model, it will stick out like a sore thumb on a layout based on Little Rock and points south.
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