That really is where photography scores.  Take some "reference" photos as Marty suggests Jeff ,then transfer the "ideas" to your backscene.  You don't need to be "exact" with your sizes just as long as you know what size the building on the photo is.

In the "old days" of film photography, you could use a 35mm negative.  Mount it as a slide and using your normal slide projector, project the image you wanted then just paint around it.

We did some wonderful but huge "murals" for theme parties like that.  It worked a treat.  In fact, I wonder if that's how Michaelangelo did his church ceilings …………….:roll::roll::roll:

SWMBO (Wendy) uses a thing call an epidiascope, or something like that, to project pictures on to a canvas.  Sometimes she does a little sketch of what she wants, then projects it up for progressing with the full size work.

I think it's like an Overhead Projector.  :???:

" In fact, I wonder if that's how Michaelangelo did his church ceilings .. "

Pricked out a drawing and used charcoal to transfer it to the ceiling, Peter.
Vermeer and company all used forms of the contraption that Max describes.

Others used a transparent squared off frame (like graph paper) and looked through an eyepiece at the subject, transferring it to matching squared off medium.

Other methods are available.

This is a famous example:

http://virtualterritor…rawing-a-lute-sml-512.jpg

… and here's another, illustrating the 'graph' frame method I describe above:

http://www.princeton.e…egs/Durer_Perspective.JPG

Maybe Durer (Albrecht the younger) used that system DD - he's German so needed to be precise.  I'm pretty sure Michaelangelo used Kodak Ektachrome 25 and a large format plate camera - you get wonderful skin tones with that film.  :lol::lol::lol:

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

I'm pretty sure Michaelangelo used Kodak Ektachrome 25 and a large format plate camera.

I'm not sure.  His "Last Supper" is a bit blurry at the edges which suggests a box Brownie.

He probably got some paint on the lens.  It happens.

Mike

One of the things I love about this forum, is the sheer depth of wonderful and inspirational topics, for a new member like myself there is an awful lot of catching up to do, but boy is it worth it. The big disadvantage of having the PC in the "Railway" room as SWMBO often comments I seem to spend hours modelling, but with little or nothing to show for it :roll:

I must admit I've always been a fan of high backscenes, and in the past used 4ft x 2ft sheets of hardboard (just returning back to the hobby after a 20 year break), will be doing the same again, and after following Mike's tutorial, hopefully will make something of a viewable standard.

Paul