Mosslanda: Night Shift - washed with colour…
I have been curious as to how these small LED lights will bath the layout in colour. They’re described as ‘warm natural white’ but I like their subtle yellow tint, and whilst not as strong as a sodium orange they change the way the models look in their illumination…
Curiosity is what drove this project really - was it possible, in N, how would it look, what could be done to manage shadows, how would it feel, in the dark…
Each step forwards answers and delights.
The structures, if you can described them as that, even with this being N are quite a handful. Adding colour under normal lighting seemed the best approach - as the models that populate the space were before them. Humbrol enamels, thinly applied and weathered, monolithic perhaps but hopefully as a result, visually homogeneous.
Placing these on the layout looked promising, their faded shades washed with the same natural warm white, looking at the whole a sense of illumination rather than of artificial modelling.
Whilst the project can move quickly I am living with each stage to help me focus on the steps that are required rather than what I would usually do… one thing that needs addressing before I go much further is a light in the end warehouse. I want to be able to turn this on, and light wash out of the doorway onto the tarmac, the reverse of what I achieved with Fancy Another Beer. Track needs finishing off and painting, ballasting and some scenic details will be gently added - but there is no rush.
The layout sits quietly out of the way, it’s shallow compact form would mean many of you could achieve something similar in your own home - but a word of caution. Mosslanda, in my experience, work best in N… anyhow, until next time, more soon…
If you want to check out the other parts of this project use the ‘Night Shift’ label, or for other Mosslanda projects that one.
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Superb James. Those two photos are so atmospheric.
ReplyDeleteSilly question (which I don't really know how to articulate), but do you feel that light somehow has to be 'to scale'? Does it need to be subtler in our miniature world? In the same way that colours in general sometimes need to be adapted from real life.
Please feel free to laugh at the question... I'm not convinced I know exactly what I'm getting at!
I think it’s tricky to manage because if we need it to illuminate it must be a particular luminance. I wonder if it’s a balance of brightness and size. These LEDs are tiny, and run through a 2k resistor to knock them down a touch on 12v…
DeleteOn Denton Road the underpass and station lighting is knocked down further (as was Fancy Another Beer) with a 3k resistor - as the purpose here isn’t really to supply much light rather to appear lit.
It’s fun experimenting and it’s not a silly question.
Layouts of this nature reward curiousity.
Dave Hall makes a great point, I feel that many modern layouts have lights that are far too bright, especially on locos, but these ones work a treat James.
DeleteNow a sodium orange bathed scene would be interesting and nostalgic too.
It looks wonderful.
John
Thanks John. I’m perhaps minded to try Tamiya clear orange on the LEDs which would I think, give this effect. The issue would then be, it’s less useful for a contemporary stage… perhaps that is for another time.
DeleteThanks. Fascinating responses chaps. I think you're right James - perhaps it's that balance of brightness and size.
DeleteI love this: "as the purpose here isn’t really to supply much light rather to appear lit..."
I'm with you too John. I find many layouts too bright nowadays. Something subtler may be required.
Fascinating topic!