I stared building a new tinplate layout after Thanksgiving last year. After I finished laying track, I figured that the backdrop was the next task since buildings and other scenery are closer to the table edge. I have close to 120 feet of wall that requires a backdrop. My criteria included relatively low cost and not too labor intensive. I started by picking a sky color and painting the walls. The ceiling has recessed lighting that gives the impression of a lighter blue at the bottom and darker blue at the top. The lighting effect eliminated the need to spray while haze near the bottom of the sky. I copied Charlie Comstock's method of clouds, they turned out great! The pictures don't render the blue or the clouds properly - the blue has more color and the clouds really look three dimensional. I have two airbrushes that were my Dad's - a Binks wren and a Binks raven. The clouds were airbrushed. Three colors were used for mountains of varying distance. Highlights and shadows were added with the airbrush, the tree effect was stippled on with a brush, and I finished with a few yellow highlights. It turned out much better than anticipated and only took about six weeks.
