Scenery in Autumn Colors

Hi Arnold, I model autumn, but with a bit of summer still lingering. I tend to keep some green, such as grass, fir trees, and some bushes. Other bushes and trees are further along. This works for me. What do you think?

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Hi Arnold, I model autumn, but with a bit of summer still lingering. I tend to keep some green, such as grass, fir trees, and some bushes. Other shut us and trees are further along. This works for me. What do you think?

Looks good, Artie.

I got an idea: I have some videos of model railroads made by highly skilled hobbyists, who have some autumn scenery on their layouts. I've decided to watch those videos and look at photos on the Forum showing autumn scenery, including yours, Trumptrain's  (Patrick) and a few others. Then, I will take a stab on it.

I like your approach, Artie, of including some green as well as the autumn colors. I have 2 baseball parks on my layout, so early autumn (October when the World Series is played) is ideal.

Also, I think I will use mostly nuted autumn colors (reddish brown, yellow) and only a little of the bright colors (orange and red).

In my experience, when I get started, the results are only fair at best, and usually get much better as I make modifications. I will post photos as I make progress on this project. Arnold

It is Autumn in a corner of my pike...

Here are a couple photos of my layout with fall colors. I added the “first snow fall of the season”  since taking these photos, but I enjoyed the look of the autumn colors.

I don't have many trees in yet but I am doing a fall theme.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I don't have many trees in yet but I am doing a fall theme.

Gorgeous

Here is an update:

Before:

After:

In addition to changing some of the structures, which I do every few months, I added a little yellow and reddish brown lichen, to the green lichen. In the next day or two, I will add a little clump foliage in Fall colors to the trees, and then post some photos of it.

Another update:

I have started adding autumn colored scenery materials in small doses to the trees on my layout.

To my eye (I think this is highly subjective), as I originally thought, autumn colors look better when muted so they are not too bright. If too bright, they look artificial to me, which is not necessarily true in real life because autumn colors at its peak can be very vivid and not artificial at all.

I'm not sure I have the best materials to make autumn colored O Scale trees. Clump foliage does not look that good to me. Yellowish or brown turf sprinkled on  looks better, but not ideal.

If any of you have an opinion on this or can give advice regarding the use of autumn colored materials to make trees, please share same.

Arnold

This is a new one I just made on the in progress end of my layout.

While not there yet, l plan a lot of bright fall yellow aspen groves interspersed with dark green blue spruce.  In New England, birches offer the bright yellow backed by not only evergreens, but all the multicolors of hardwoods.  Seen that in the UP (upper Mich. ), too.  I think what looks artificial is all the same color on a tree and in a same ,non aspen, grove.  This demands individual touching up with shades of green as well as other shades of your prime color.  Overpraying/ touching up comnercial trees,  laborious and time consuming, but better effect.

Arnold, Woodland Scenics makes something called “Fine-Leaf Foliage” in an autumn mix. It uses thin weed stalks to represent trees, and has enough to fill out one of their standard trees. Here’s some on my layout. Some can be used for small bushes as well.

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Arnold, Woodland Scenics makes something called “Fine-Leaf Foliage” in an autumn mix. It uses thin weed stalks to represent trees, and has enough to fill out one of their standard trees. Here’s some on my layout. Some can be used for small bushes as well.

Thanks so much, Artie. That Fine Leaf Foliage product by Woodland Scenics looks great. Arnold

Another update:

I can see this autumn colors project being a never ending project. That is because whatever you do can always be improved.

I think you’re off to a great start, Arnold. With the autumn colors, a little goes a long way. I live in the Poconos, so, even now, there’s still some green around, and more brown tones from fallen leaves.

I should have mentioned that the backdrop beyond the signal bridge in the top photo is an actual photographic autumn scene, so it makes a great guide.

Here’s some shots of mine. I went for early fall when some green can still be found. I did about 350 scenic express super trees with various fall colored paper leaves. When it comes to ground cover I learned that a little bit of fall color goes a long way.

Beautiful layout and scenery!

@EricTrainMan posted:

Here’s some shots of mine. I went for early fall when some green can still be found. I did about 350 scenic express super trees with various fall colored paper leaves. When it comes to ground cover I learned that a little bit of fall color goes a long way.

PRR Steam, your scenery and photos are magnificent. Thanks so much for mentioning the Scenic Express product(s) you used and sharing these beautiful photos. Arnold

This thread is becoming a clinic on making scenery in autumn colors, which is very helpful IMO.

The Scenic Express product(s) mentioned by PRR Steam seem superior to what I'm currently using, which IMO is good, but not great. I will look into the availability and cost of those Scenic Express products, and consider completely upgrading my scenery down the road.

Nice scenery is just as important to me  maybe more important  than any locomotive. Scenery is almost medicinal for me, something I need to appreciate, enjoy, relax and be at peace.

Something else PRR Steam said resonated with me: a little fall color in ground cover goes a long way. No doubt, that is absolutely true, IMO, especially because of the baseball park and World Series theme of my layout,  which is in October, fall colors includes a lot of green.

So, in 3 minutes I went downstairs and removed two-thirds of the fall colors on my ground cover.

Here is my latest update:

My favorite is the 2nd photo from the top. I didn't realize when I took it that the giraffe car was in the background with the giraffe looking directly at the camera. LOL, Arnold