How to Make a Good Backdrop

[WesternOutlaw]

As some of you are aware, over the past few weeks, I've been building a large Jungle Indy/Adventure Diorama (Jungle Adventure).

It got me thinking, how many of you have tried to make your own custom backgrounds for photos? Sure, one can photo-edit a background using Photoshop or other software program, and/or take images of their MOCs surrounded with white sheets, but how about a real background? Personally, I like the real thing, and it looks great when displaying your MOC.

As an example, I found this high quality image on the web:

After re-printing the image a few times (and reversing/mirroring the image), then gluing the pages on some cardboard, this was the outcome:

Before:

After:

Share your tips on creating backgrounds for your MOC displays.

[SirNadroj]

WOW! *wub* That looks incredible. You know, I've never created an actual backdrop for MOC displays. Actually, I did once for Cafe Corner.

Is used this official backdrop for making movies from the largest Studios set: http://brickset.com/detail.aspx?Set=1349-1

http://peeron.com/inv/parts/x252px7

It looked nice. *y*

Anyone, great job! I should do this more often! ;-)

[WesternOutlaw]

Neat. How large is that? I did not know that a backdrop was included within the large Studio set. I'd love to see lego make some more of these.

You don't have an image with Cafe Corner, do you?

[SirNadroj]

Neat. How large is that? I did not know that a backdrop was included within the large Studio set. I'd love to see lego make some more of these.

You don't have an image with Cafe Corner, do you?

No, I don't have any photos. :'-( It's probably, from memory, about 1 ft. x 2 1/2 ft. That's just an educated guess, though. ;-)

[hollisbrick]

WOW Brickster thats really cool *y* thats gonna be my inspiration for today!

[WesternOutlaw]

WOW Brickster thats really cool *y* thats gonna be my inspiration for today!

Thanks HB. More pictures are also available under the Jungle Adventure WIP thread.

What are you planning on building/backdropping?

[hollisbrick]

Thanks HB. More pictures are also available under the Jungle Adventure WIP thread.

What are you planning on building/backdropping?

hmm idno, mayby my latest alternate MOC, junchi's passage, or mayby one of my alternate oldskool mars mocs i guess it's a surprise.. 8-

[WesternOutlaw]

mayby my latest alternate MOC, junchi's passage

This would be interesting to see.

[hollisbrick]

This would be interesting to see.

yea it would, have you seen it?

exept it will be a bit hard because it is supposed to be a closed environment..hmm anyway i'mm figure it out..

[oo7]

Since I don't own any complex digital photo editing programs I typically find a suitable image in a historical reference book to use a backdrop in a photograph, for the printing is higher quality than what my printer can print. Notable examples are as follows;

When I don't use a two dimensional printed ink as a backdrop, I usually use either authentic snow, rock, grass, dirt, or any possible combination thereof. Some notable examples of this as well;

Plus, photographing MOCs outdoors guarantees an excellent source of natural, unfiltered light nearly every time. It makes tedious flash-less photography of plastic models much easier. :-)

[WesternOutlaw]

Interesting. So you go for the more historic images.

I really like this one:

I never tried photographing outside. Perhaps I'll try one day.

[hollisbrick]

Thats realy cool oo7!!! love what you've done!1 hmm but i don't wanna know what those girls are doin to that man X-D

[MrTools]

I know you can get some real good bacdrops at local pe stores. yor probably thinking What?! Its easy just get the sheets they sell that you put behand fishtanks or lizard cages ! they work well and are two sided with two seprate designs. You can get, Desert, forest,sky, sand, feilds and others depending on where you go. And its cheep but i dont remember the price. last time i got it was for my lizards

[Peppermint_M]

Do you make frams for you backdrops? To hold them up?

I end up having to blutak them to boxes...

[Randal]

I use picture backdrops, but since I use them in a comic strip, I have to be careful that they are either public domain or i have to get permission to use them. (or process them to make them mostly unrecognizable from the original.)

[JLP603]

I used to use a white tarp I thought that was all to it but clearly I now know better.

[LuxorV]

Please do not revive a 2 and a half year old topic if your comment does not add anything to the discussion.

[tedbeard]

Please do not revive a 2 and a half year old topic if your comment does not add anything to the discussion.

I kind of enjoyed the Thread popping up again actually.

I built a background for my Xmas village last year and liked it so much I used it in the spring for a display (picture below) and will be putting it back up for Xmas in a week or so.

Used up my entire stash of 1x medium blue bricks. :)

[LEGO Historian]

Very nice backdrops... and very creative!!

For my 2800 page Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide (as DVD download)... my Table of Contents has as its' top image, a 1960s LEGO built building (made of original and often warped Cellulose Acetate plastic of that era) model of a hotel, with a plain blue background. I chose this image mainly because I liked how the background complemented the image. This was designed by Dutch collector Jeroen Van Dorst... and sometimes pure simplicity works very well....

All of these LEGO parts (some worth 200 Euro) date to 1960-65. My collectors guide can be found available in the Eurobricks Bazaar...

Edited November 17, 2012 by LEGO Historian

[Hey Joe]

IMO the best backdrops would be something along the lines of the ones on the early Lego Pirate boxes, for example. Simple images that are a little blurry with large swatches of simple colors, they make the models stand out and complement them. The backgrounds are a little too busy and/or in focus in some of the images here.

Edited November 17, 2012 by bjtpro

[Amiko]

Wow Tedbeard... those tents in your big pic are absolutely brilliant... are they from a set that I've not heard of or are they home designed ?

I'm loving everyone's backgrounds... really good stuff.