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Should I use a palette for painting?
Posted in: Painting
3rd June 2019
If you are using small pots of game paint, it is fine to give it a good stir and use straight from the pot. However...
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What is CNC?
Posted in: Design and Planning
10th February 2025
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) is a manufacturing process that uses computer-controlled machines to cut, engrave or...
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Can Corgi or Matchbox style vehicles be used on a OO gauge layout?
Posted in: Best practices
16th May 2022
To better answer this question it is probably best to establish a working scale for any comparison. The reason for...
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What is Route Availability?
Posted in: Model Railway
26th October 2020
The route availability of a real-life locomotive is another way of saying which tracks an engine is permitted to...
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How did train drivers read semaphore signals at night?
Posted in: Power and control
28th August 2023
Semaphore signals were a common form of railway signalling before the advent of modern electronic signals. During the...
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What is forced perspective?

Perspective is something we see every day out there in the real world. A tree in the far distance, for example, will appear very small, despite it being as large as a tree close by. Our brains know this, but, our brains can also be easily tricked with the use of forced perspective.

The most common application of forced perspective in modelling is the use of back scenes. Apart from their primary purpose of providing a backdrop to layouts, they also often provide a forced perspective. It's not uncommon for a back scene to feature hills and scenery some miles away, even though the back scene itself is placed just centimetres from the main features on the baseboard.

Forced perspective can also be achieved using models. A modest approach to this would be the use of progressively smaller trees and buildings the further back you go. A more extreme example would be the use of N gauge track in the background and OO gauge in the foreground. Most modellers using forced perspective favour techniques somewhere between the two.

The trick to using forced perspective is to have some sort of scene break between steps in gauge or scale. Placing models of different scales too closely without a visual distraction will result in the brain not being tricked. However, locating your building either elevated on a hill or slightly obscured by a hedge can have compelling effects.

The exception to the rule is when using low-relief buildings layered to create a tiered town effect. In this scenario, only a very small gap is left between models with little or no distractive features. Some very convincing dioramas have been produced by modellers in this way, however, the method only really works when the scene is viewed head-on. Any other perspective leaves the scene looking a little bit like a pop-up book.

Posted in: Scenery

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