Backdrop Painting at Michel Boucher's D&H

Well Michel has added a new section to his D&H and he asked me to teach him my technique for backdrop painting. He did a great job in his main railroad room but he wanted something special for the family room beside the fireplace. A scene from the Adirondack Mountains. So I offered to help out. I took a freelance approach as I figured there would be lots of trees with views into the great distance. Had no Idea how it would look when I started...like always.



Here is the first view you get when you walk down the stairs and look toward the scene. I think I took this from the wet bar area:)

Then as you get closer you can see the curved bridge. under construction.

Now you are at the layout and you can see the tracks and how the landscape is sculpted from foam board and covered with plaster. The makings of the curved plate girder bridge are visible.

I really enjoyed expanding the palette using blue and white to get clouds and then adding some crimson red for the distant hills. A little of the tree mixture helped create distant forests as I painted toward the foreground.

As you can see the rivers, roads and lakes were added here. The brushes I used were a three inch cheap course flat. A two inch fan brush, a half inch flat and a fine liner round. Again there is only the perception of trees lakes roads. No detail. It is really rough as can be seen in this real closeup less than a foot away.

Michel is a real gentleman and I enjoyed the 4.5 hours painting this scene. I am looking forward to more activities re painting and operating in the future. Thanks again Michel for letting me enjoy a part of the hobby I really like.