Gibbon, Cozad & Western - "The 100th Meridian Line"

[C855B]

You'd think that, but the problem with water+sand is water will seek the bottom regardless, as demonstrated    by the growing puddle below the one leg I filled; the black caps are anti-skid footings and not sealed plugs. The sand was sold by volume, not weight, and there really wasn't that much water. It was just annoying to work with because the wet sand would stick to the sides of the funnel as the leg was being filled. Next one will be much easier.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I consider my ballast to be a zen garden. 

So do I.

[C855B]

Testing for fascia color:





This is just paint on the bare frame and foam. I'm trying black is because that's the most common choice in textured ABS sheet. The paint will be covered by the finish material.

I don't like it. As feared, despite the openness of the room and the over-the-top lighting it still sucks the energy out of the scene. I can special-order textured ABS in a medium-dark gray, or I can paint the plastic in another color, subject to the usual problems of paint on plastic.

On the list for consideration are the gray ABS or dark brown. Not hunter green, but maybe a dark (not quite navy) blue in the same hue family as the sky.

I dunno. Thoughts?

[coldriver]

I've had issues over the years getting my local Lowe's to match my fascia color exactly.  I bring in the formula and color samples for them to match and they still seem to screw it up.  So whether or not you feel black is the best color (looks fine to me) it's probably a safer color to match 10 years from now when you decide to make a layout change (like I'm doing now...)!

[Wolf N Works]

Black is a classic and it looks good. It is also one of the color that is hard to mess up down the line when you need to color match.
My thoughts on fascia colors are either a Dark Grey or Black.

[GaryHinshaw]

I'm definitely more inclined towards a warm dark grey, but it's just my personal preference.  The black is especially stark against the white walls beneath the layout.  Will you have any curtain treatment, or such, underneath?  You'll probably want to make sure they harmonize with the fascia.

[Philip H]

I'd actually be interested in the blue.

[CRL]

I would lean towards a very dark brown if modeling a dry climate or a very dark green if modeling a wet climate. Both should be very, very dark.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This sounds like a job for... Photoshop!

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[Ed Kapuscinski]

Two more variations.

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[C855B]

Oooo. Lots to think about there. Ed - try gray fascia with black skirting and see how that goes. (I don't have PS on this computer.) I might go slightly warmer, closer in hue to the floor, and maybe a smidge darker.

Dean and Wolf, you were reading my mind about future matching. I should probably contact my plastics wholesaler about a sample of the gray ABS, but that, too, has potential "unobtainium" issues down the road.

[TLOC]

Behrs Wild Rice and black stage skirting. 5000c daylight LEDs behind a valance with aisle lights off.

Starting on background buildings

TomO

[wazzou]

I like a nice charcoal gray...like PollyScale Tarnished Black.

[C855B]

Now that I'm home on the machine with PS, how's this?:



Robyn's not liking the black skirting and suggests having it closer to the floor color.

[GaryHinshaw]

Yes!  That's exactly the fascia colour I like.