Pen y Bryn on RMWeb.

adrian

Flying Squad
I'm starting a new thread now because I can't find the original thread I wanted to. Somewhere in the back of my head I remember a discussion on a muted colour palette for layouts and how difficult it was to strike the right balance.

Anyway to cut to the chase I've just stumbled on a new layout thread on RMWeb for Pen y Bryn.
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68451-pen-y-bryn/

Of a similar ilk to Wencombe and Penhydd I was very impressed with the way he's blended in the photo backgrounds . Being Western in origin, I thought others on here may be interested.
 

Simon

Flying Squad
That's just lovely, loads of atmosphere and as several RMwebers have observed a great fusion of foreground and back scene.

And all built in quite a challenging space too from the look of things:thumbs:

Simon
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
I like it very much :) & very effective use of backscenes too :cool:....... the discussion you mentioned could have been in Cynric's proposed layout thread perhaps? (I seem to remember it being discussed there) or could it have been Neil's layout thread ? .... Neil has used muted colours to great effect IMO with his superb backscenes :cool::cool::cool:

Back to this layout though, I personally much prefer the pics that do not make use of Photoshoped steam........ excellent model though :thumbs:

Phill :)
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
I find the pictures slightly puzzling in that some of the images scream "00" - narrow gauge / wide treads" and other images show no leaning towards the 16.5mm world. Indeed, the first few photos around the signal box have a most realistic appearance to the permanent way.

What is most noticeable is that overall the modelling has been applied to a consistent standard.

regards, Graham
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
a great layout, wonder what he has been doing during the ten years he has been away from railway modelling?

cheers

Mike
 

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
That's very impressive and yes there does seem to be a problem small problem in combining the real views with the modelled views, could this be something to do with the photo's being taken in natural light and the layout being in artificial light, just a though as it does not detract from the amount of effort he has put in. I like the personal touch of adding himself and his son nice
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
I like the layout lots, but I too have doubts about the backscene. I'd not thought of the natural light vs artificial light angle on why it doesn't work, but that might be a factor. For me it's the detail that the excellent photography used to produce the backscene clashing with the inevitable impressionistic modelling of natural features like ground textures in the foreground that gives the problem as we'd expect to see sharp detail close to and fuzzier features further back. This is why I always paint my backscenes and keep them very simple so the foreground looks more detailed, my scenic work isn't that special but the backscene's simplicity flatters it.

But not everyone is happy to break out the paintbrushes, so what to do. Well I'd advise the use of a photo backscene, but I'd whip it through one of those effects programmes that turn photos into oil paintings; here's one I've prepared earlier.

cader 1.jpg

cader 2.jpg

I can see that it tempting to utilise the full detail that a photo would give, we're conditioned to an almost knee jerk reaction that detail is good, but in this case I believe that the detail works against realism rather than for it.
 

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
I hope to be snapping this layout in June, it will be interesting to see how it works under controlled lighting. Hi Phil, (owner) if you're reading this thread :)

Neil, I'm with you with the photo backscene bit, for those looking for a filter 'paint daubs' filter in Photoshop does just what you've done here. I used it for Paul Marshall Potter's Albion Yard backscene. It helps it recede and stops the eye wandering away from the modelling. A backsene should always be a side dish, not the main event.
 
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Phil.c

Western Thunderer
It's all a matter of taste, for example this first picture has a subdued back scene, the second also did, (picture three) before I PS'd it for the effect I was looking for....just to make a change:)

Talking of effects, the forth pic is a PS water colour evening shot posted on the other forums.


15_zps31199e79.jpg


6b_zps8799bcdf.jpg


6_zpsadf718c8.jpg


A5_zpsbf853f0e.jpg
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
..... Neil, I'm with you with the photo backscene bit, for those looking for a filter 'paint daubs' filter in Photoshop does just what you've done here. I used it for Paul Marshall Potter's Albion Yard backscene. It helps it recede and stops the eye wandering away from the modelling. ....

Yes I've seen the work in this months Modeller and very effective it is too, but as Phil says ....

It's all a matter of taste, ....

.... and I'd have been tempted to 'detune' the image some more to get it closer to paint than photo. Interestingly over on RMweb Marc Smith and Mr Ten both have used a combination of printed photo backscene (off the peg rather than bespoke) but modified with thinly misted coats of paint which gives a recessive tonal quality and blurs the detail.

However this digression into backscenes doesn't alter the fact that it's an attractive well composed and constructed layout. I do like the last watercolour image, it illustrates just how effective a model can be when there's a seamless transition through the scene.
 

Phil.c

Western Thunderer
I class modeling especially model railways as works of art and like all works of art it comes down to who likes what, it will never be solved, some will like distinct prominent backscenes other the opposite and there's nothing wrong with that.
My job involves artwork, the last engraving job I did on an over and under shotgun took me ten months, I was very pleased with the way it turned out, ( it's actually the one on my avatar) so were a lot of other engraving forum members but there, as always were some that didn't:) What's the saying...you can please some of the people some of the time etc. etc.:) :) :)

Phil
 

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
It's a cracking layout Phil - everyone will agree with this I'm sure. I'm always looking for something that pushes the boundaries and you've done that.

Luckily everyone has their own like or dislike, if we all went for the same thing, the hobby would be so dull, which is why given the choice I'll always favour an individual's layout over a club layout which will have been designed often by a committee and therefore often quite dull - but not always.
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
............. which is why given the choice I'll always favour an individual's layout over a club layout which will have been designed often by a committee and therefore often quite dull - but not always.
That's very true....never really thought of it like that, but most of the layouts I find inspirational have been built by one person rather than a group or club:)
 

Phil.c

Western Thunderer
Thanks Jordan, yes it's still in progress, I did mention somewhere on another forum that that edge needs sorting...in fact there's a lot that needs sorting. In fact some of the area's that I recently got back to and thought were finished i'm still adding to, I'm working on the scrap yard area at the momment, the office shed is covered with corrugated sheet, the room gets so hot in the summer that it has gone totally out of shape.

Phil
 
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