KING OF BACKSCENES

‘Westcott’s’ backscene is a work of art in itself, which is not surprising as it was made by Paul Bambrick. In contrast to ‘Bucks Hill’s’ largely rural backscene, ‘Westcott’s’ townscape is loosely based on High Wycombe. Paul’s 3D backscenes incorporate two-dimensional imagery alongside semi-relief and fully three-dimensional models. The scale of the backscene is dramatically reduced as it draws closer to the horizon line. To achieve this, buildings overlap one another and are built to reflect the reducing depth and scale. Some buildings are three-dimensional and others are simple printouts, folded and used alongside spacers to create varying degrees of relief. If you’d like to find out more about Paul Bambrick’s 3D backscenes, we’d recommend reading his new book Creating a Backscene - A Railway Modelling Companion co-written with John Ellis-cockell. The 224-page hardback publication provides detailed information on how Paul sources inspiration, plans, and builds his 3D backscenes. It also covers tool selection, working with both photography and paint, how to replicate cloud cover and realistic lighting, and more. You can buy it from www.ian allanpublishing.com