The background in the bottom pic had been bugging me since I made it; since it was simply blue paint it looked quite flat. While just having a blue sky does add some depth - better than unpainted masonite, a little more effort could yield a better look. So I repainted the sky, this time with a band of white towards the bottom, about 3" . Then I applied a new band of blue that blended into the white, very simple. Dave Frary paints many of his backgrounds this way. If you don't plan on using a photo background and want to try an easy, inexpensive way, this is it. No artistry required, just brush from left to right . It 's impossible to screw up....but don't do what I did; repaint after scenery is in place...what a pain.
For distant green fields I used an acrylic green and mixed it with the sky color. This immediately imparts a haze to the green.
Overall it's a subtle change, but does add the depth I was looking for. Give it a try.
