3D Backgrounds

3D Backgrounds

We all struggle with what we want to do with our backgrounds. Do we hand paint them or maybe we buy some of the fancy photographic sceneries you can find now days, but the bottom line is, they all leave you flat.
Here is a unique and very easy way to get things popping, well popping out that is and give you a 3D look. The nice thing is that you can do this with just about any scenery item you want to enhance your backgrounds and bring them to life.
1) Choose the background you want to use.
2) Find a building you want to pop out, maybe a bridge or tower, you choose.
a) If you are using a building from the same background as the example below, print out 2 background pictures, one will remain as the actual background, the second one is the one you'll cut your building out of.

3) Cut out the building carefully.

4) Glue the building onto some foam board. I recommend some form of spay glue like 3M 77, as it coats evenly when sprayed. White glue can lump up under the picture and even make the ink run when it soaks through.
5) You can pop the building out ¼ inch, ½ or more, just don't go to far or you will loose the illusion.
6) Place the pop out foam piece right over the original building on the background. Stand back and look at it from a couple different angles. When it looks right, spray the back of the pop out and then glue it in place to the background.
7) If you are using another structure that wasn't on the original background, it is a little more tricky. Your going to have to trim the structure here and there to make it fit into your scene, like the bottom of the barn below so it looks like contours with the hill.

When your done, you'll have a nice scene with depth to it. Your imagination is the limit here, go for it.