Shiny People

billk

Active Member
Every so often I'll see somewhere a model railroad picture, either on the web or in a magazine, and I will apply my "acid test". This consists of asking my 8th grader if it looks real and then, if he says it doesn't, asking him why not. Usually, if the picture has people in it, his answer is that the people are "too shiny". If you look at a lot of the pictures on The Gauge, I think you'll see where he's coming from....

Not being into photography (yet), I would like to know if there is a reason for shiny people, or is it something a shot of a matte overcoat of some kind would cure?

Also, do you think "Shiny People" would be a good name for a rock band?
Bill K
(PS - I won't even mention what he says about plaid skies!)
 

Tyson Rayles

Active Member
Hey Bill, the better figures (like Preisler) come painted in flat colors so aren't a problem. The rest can be shot with dullcote and given a wash of india ink/water mix and it should solve the problem. What's wrong with plaid skies?:D
 

shamus

Registered Member
Originally posted by billk
(I won't even mention what he says about plaid skies!)


Hi Bill,
A spray over with matte clear varnish will dull the lot off in one go.
I tend to use matte paint to start with.:p


Go tell us what he said about plaid skies:confused:

:rolleyes:
 
Billk has revealed his dark secret...

He is a Dave Berry fan!

Also, "Plaid Skies" is a better name for a band than "Shiney People"
 

billk

Active Member
One of my favorite Dave Barry bands was "The Miami Relatives". I also like Stephen Wright ... no wait, that wasn't me.

On a more serious note, maybe my son's interpretation of "shiny people" needs some elaboration. Here's an example where I circled what he's talking about (sorry Shamus, it was the first thing I grabbed). Could it be only in photographs and not when viewed for real? Maybe using (or not) a matte finish isn't the answer. All I know is that ever since he pointed this out (I think in a MR magazine photo) it's been bugging the heck out of me.
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
Hey all,
Maybe the person who staged and too the picture wanted all his people to be shining examples......................

Plaid skies aren't natural??!!
I'm going back to just scotch and soda!
Pete
 

roryglasgow

Active Member
Alright...laugh all you want! But at least my plaid skies aren't SHINY!!!

BTW, I moved the layout the other night and put it in a corner. Now the plaid sky lies along a different side. I have cottage cheese skies on the "western" end now.

-Rory


P.S. - Hmmmm... It looks like that light pole didn't take the move too well...
 

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roryglasgow

Active Member
A front is moving in, covering the clear paid skies with cottage cheese clouds...

-Rory
 

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roryglasgow

Active Member
Here is the area just a few days ago. My son is taking a much needed Giant Lollipop Break after a hard afternoon digging in the yard.

-Rory
 

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Rory, Great photos, and that mini forsest is fab! ... If you're not careful Shamus will have you install a logging outfit to it!:D

I guess that now you've used up all the weeds in the No-Mow area it will now be mowable??? ... Drat! I hope your wife doesn't read this last bit! :)

Errol
 

roryglasgow

Active Member
Actually, the No Mow Zone is the fault of my [sarcasm starts here] exceptionally intelligent [sarcasm ends here] landlord and landlady. You see, Mr. Landlord supposedly decided that the pine trees surrounding the house were killing the grass. So, they had them cut down. Obviously, they needed the money from the timber. And there is no real "grass," it's just weeds. The guy who cut the timber took the choice bits, and left debris in a pile in one quadrant of the yard. That's the No Mow Zone. All of this happened before we moved here, and we were desparate to find an affordable house, so we moved in without thinking too much about the consequences of not having much shade--HOT summers and HIGH electric bills. Anyway, we weren't going to live here for long, but it's been almost a year. I guess that one good thing has come out of it: I got some spiffy little trees.

Too bad they don't provide shade for 1:1 scale people... :(

-Rory

P.S. - Mr. Landlord had mentioned to his son that he was thinking of burning up all of the debris when his son, who is a firefighter, pointed out the obvious (to people who don't drink too much alcohol) fact that setting a pile that big ablaze will probably start the rest of the surrounding woods on fire as well.

P.P.S. - There are more ironweed plants in another area of the yard not very far from where I found the first two. I might go harvesting some more this weekend!
 

Drew1125

Active Member
Nice pics Rory...plaid skies & all!:D
And once again, I love those trees!
Billk,
I have noticed the same thing as your son...& I notice it in the pictures I take of my own layout.
I use Preiser figures that I paint myself, & I use flat primer, & colors, but depending on the light, they will still give off a shine sometimes. Maybe it's some property of the type of plastic they're made of???
Or maybe it's their "happy"inner selves coming through! :D
Or maybe that's what happens when you get too much exposure to the plaid sun! ;)
It's too early in the morning...I need more coffee...
 

billk

Active Member
I did a little web-surfing and came up with this, which was new to me (or I forgot, more likely):
Light reflected from metallic surfaces is the color of the material of the surface.

Light reflected from non-metallic surfaces is the color of the light source.

I don't know what this means with respect to shiny people, though, except that it might help if the paint was metallic.
 
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