Model Railroad Spray Paint Technique

Who knew adding intrigue to your model railroad scenes could be as simple as spray painting a couple colors on the backdrop? Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong! You may not have known that with just a store-bought template and two cans of model railroad spray paint (or regular spray paint), you can take all of your model railroad scenes to the next level. And the best part is, using this quick model railroad spray paint technique doesn’t require an ounce of artistic talent! So let’s get started making 2-D clouds that pop off the backdrop.

Model railroad spray paint tips and tricks

In another of our videos on scene painting, we demonstrated how to create clouds on your scene’s backdrop by using a stiff paintbrush and a basic stippling method. In today’s lesson, we teach you how to achieve a similar look with an expert model railroad spray paint technique. This alternative method for using model railroad spray paint is easy on both the wallet and the patience.

To help you hone your model railroad spray paint skills, expert modeler Tom Lund walks you step by step through the basic process for adding clouds to a backdrop. All you’ll need to complete this trick and add depth to your scene are two halves of a template, some masking tape and white and grey spray paint.

Tom talks a bit about the do’s and don’ts of using this model railroad spray paint technique on a basic backdrop, as well as some things to look out for while picking up and setting down the template. He also shows you how to use light and dark colors in the proper way to make soft shapes and give the illusion of shadow. With Tom’s expert tips for using model railroad spray paint, you’ll be able to create a more lifelike and intriguing scene that is sure to amaze!