Weekend Update 3/22/15

[Coxy]

I spent all afternoon hand-building an N scale code 55 #8 (16"/12" radii) curved turnout.  If this little gem works, it will complete the Seaboard System track on my layout, being the final piece of the puzzle needed to complete the yard ladder at the south end of Hamlet Yard:



DFF

Nice work!

[nscaleSPF2]

In this installment: Backdrop angst...

Oh well...they are done, fill the space and, in the spirit of full disclosure, are my weekly update for this week. 



md

Mark, I don't think that you need to feel badly about the backdrop, at all.  If you want to improve it, though, allow me to offer a couple of suggestions.  Based on your photo, the colors of the buildings appear to be a little bright, and you might want to "weather" them to make them blend in a little better.  I tried to load your photo into Photoshop, to demonstrate what I mean, but my version does not allow me to create a "mask" for the backdrop.

You could experiment by putting a piece of colored cellophane (maybe gray, or brown) over the buildings and see how
that looks.  Failing that, you might try using chalks to do the weathering.  Worse case, you could always wipe off the chalk, to get back to the original.

I do have a question, though.  Do you have a natural artistic ability, or were your results the product of trial and error combined with practice?  The reason for the question is that I plan to do a painted backdrop eventually, but have zero artistic ability.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Great work again this weekend.
I finished a couple of weathering jobs for a friend.

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I used the same technique described by Tom Mann to dull the shells.
Worked okay.
Rod.

[Scottl]

Great work Rod.

[Smike]

Great work Rod.

+ a couple, really nice work, nothing like a good airbrush fade with oils for accents.

[mark dance]

Mark, I don't think that you need to feel badly about the backdrop, at all.  If you want to improve it, though, allow me to offer a couple of suggestions.  Based on your photo, the colors of the buildings appear to be a little bright, and you might want to "weather" them to make them blend in a little better.  I tried to load your photo into Photoshop, to demonstrate what I mean, but my version does not allow me to create a "mask" for the backdrop.

You could experiment by putting a piece of colored cellophane (maybe gray, or brown) over the buildings and see how
that looks.  Failing that, you might try using chalks to do the weathering.  Worse case, you could always wipe off the chalk, to get back to the original.

I do have a question, though.  Do you have a natural artistic ability, or were your results the product of trial and error combined with practice?  The reason for the question is that I plan to do a painted backdrop eventually, but have zero artistic ability.

Hi...thx for the suggestion.  I may try weathering chalks or more likely Pan Pastels on the roofs.  The Pastels will give a more dense result and hopefully look a little less like pencil crayons.

As to artistic ability, I am a firm believer in the "talent myth".  There is no such thing as innate talent...it is all learned and whomever gets to their 10,000 hours become the ones with "talent"   I do have a lot of drafting training which is why my painting is really more technical than artistic, if I were to categorize.  And the thing about technical drawing is it is all rule-based and straight lines so anyone who studies it can do it!

Hope that helps...give them a go.  I find painting backdrops really relaxing and satisfying...and a great opportunity to push your abilities (sometimes too far! )

md

[JanesCustomTrain]

I used the same technique described by Tom Mann to dull the shells.
Worked okay.
Rod.

Great job, looks very real.

Jane

ps: did you weather the missing handrail piece as well ? 

[Santa Fe Guy]

Thanks guys I get a kick out of doing these for friends.
I knew one of you sleuths would see that missing hand rail Not guilty your honor, it is missing in action.
Rod.

[nscaleSPF2]

As to artistic ability, I am a firm believer in the "talent myth".  There is no such thing as innate talent...it is all learned and whomever gets to their 10,000 hours become the ones with "talent"   I do have a lot of drafting training which is why my painting is really more technical than artistic, if I were to categorize.  And the thing about technical drawing is it is all rule-based and straight lines so anyone who studies it can do it!

md

Thanks, Mark.  There may be hope for me, yet....

[jmlaboda - RIP]

There is just something about a gray engine with red graphics and yellow sill stripe that really catches my attention and this model is no exception.  Really beautiful, Rod!!!  Thanks for sharing your work!!!

[chicken45]

As to artistic ability, I am a firm believer in the "talent myth".  There is no such thing as innate talent...it is all learned and whomever gets to their 10,000 hours become the ones with "talent"   I do have a lot of drafting training which is why my painting is really more technical than artistic, if I were to categorize.  And the thing about technical drawing is it is all rule-based and straight lines so anyone who studies it can do it!

I get and understand what you're saying. I think it takes 10,000 hours to become "expert." But what happens on the highest level? I know trombonists better than me who could practice doing the right thing for an entire lifetime and never be as good as JJ Johnson.
You can get, good, even great, but some people are still just freaks of nature from the womb.

[peteski]

I agree, that there is a learned and natural talent.  Person with a natural talent will always be better than the person who just spent thousands of hours trying to perfect their skill. 

This applies to all skills, but it is really visible in artistic fields.  Having a draftsman background does help since that provides some basic drafting experience along with understanding perspective and similar things. But if one doesn't have a natural talent, they will never be as food as a person that possesses that natural talent.

Expanding this a bit, this also applies to any field where creativity or a logical or creative way of thinking is important.   For example, computer programmers. Some are better at writing good code than others.  And it is not just the level of education or level of experience. Some people just have a better way of thinking for creating a good code.  In the end, the code written by both types of person will do the same thing, but the code written by the person with a natural talent for code will be better:  It will run faster and be more compact (and probably be less buggy).

Even with professions requiring mechanical aptitude (like a car mechanic) can achieve various results. For example 2 people with identical level of education will achieve different results. One person might just do the bare minimum to repair a car, (just quickly slap things back together), while someone with natural talent or a person that really pays attention to the details will do a much better repair (with everything neatly put back in place).  I think we all have encountered both types of people.  But the fastidious ones are much harder to find.   

[BCR751]

I get and understand what you're saying. I think it takes 10,000 hours to become "expert." But what happens on the highest level? I know trombonists better than me who could practice doing the right thing for an entire lifetime and never be as good as JJ Johnson.
You can get, good, even great, but some people are still just freaks of nature from the womb.

We have a fellow in our wind ensemble that plays baritone.  He's been doing it for about 30 years (so he says) and he sounds like somebody in the 6th grade that just picked up the horn for the first time.  I guess some have it and some don't.  I, too, play trombone, by the way.

Doug

[Hamaker]

Buddy Rich....the incredible drummer.....never had a lesson.  A lady I know has a son who is an INCREDIBLE artist in ALL mediums......never had an art lesson !

[chicken45]

We have a fellow in our wind ensemble that plays baritone.  He's been doing it for about 30 years (so he says) and he sounds like somebody in the 6th grade that just picked up the horn for the first time.  I guess some have it and some don't.  I, too, play trombone, by the way.

Doug

You, me, @tom mann, and @Dave Vollmer. The Railwire trombone choir: "Tom Mann and his Merry Menn."
I had a lot of fun in community band back in the day. I remember there was this weird tuba player...well, weirder than usual, who it seemed like he woke up one day and said "I'm going to play tuba." He had a brand new horn and every piece of gimmicky ***** you could imagine. He had a special stand that he used while playing, he had a special towel that he would set his horn on when not in use, he had another special towel for his stand, he had a stand caddy, leather lacquer guards, multiple clip on pencil holders, a clip on tuner... and he was terrible. I guess I shouldn't make fun of the guy, but I've never seen any musician anywhere like him since.

Buddy Rich....the incredible drummer.....never had a lesson.  A lady I know has a son who is an INCREDIBLE artist in ALL mediums......never had an art lesson !

It's something, guys like that. Buddy Rich was a monster, but he sure was one of the best of all time.
My favorite medium?