March 2013 Video tutorial: Creating Neon and other Noble Gases

Let me make a general suggestion: Contrast, the difference between two things, is an artistic element, and it can work for you, or against you if you can't see it or change it, or play with it.

Now, in the video, I used a dark background so people could clearly see the glow effect, light against dark, as it were. And probably, to show off a labor-some rendering of neon, you'd usually want to use a dark background.

But there are degrees of everything, aren't there? Low contrast images can be beautiful because they can tease one's eye, almost, but not quite revealing a design. A classic example is the Mona Lisa. She is calm in the foreground, yet there's a very active waterfall in the background many people never take note of. Because the contrast between action and inaction is a subtle one and today we see a washed out sepia background, further making it a subtle background contrasting element.

I like the second composition better, because the texture of the cactus is there, but not overwhelming and it doesn't fight the lights you created.

Overall, you have more visual complexity in the current comp, and there more interesting stuff there is (well-composed stuff!) in your work, the more there is for the audience to linger over, right?

-g

Thanks for the feedback Gary. Two important things then, contrast and balance. Taking that onboard, I decided the stars were to much so changed to balance with the rest of the cactus. Sorry to drive you mad with this image but it is a interesting image in that it can be made pleasing with the neons and glow and yet add a shadow figure and made a little sinister leaving the viewer wondering who it is and what are they doing there?

Stygg.

@stygg—

I'm very, very pleased you're getting into this and exploring.

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This is such an important topic—balance—that I might re-post this later if the topic comes up again.

Like most things, “balance” is an equation best approached artistically in degrees; there’s “balance” in a symmetrical composition, but I personally feel this gets old real quickly if all your compositions are balanced in a traditional way all of the time. “Balance” can also be achieved by taking contrary items and making them live together in a single composition. I’d mentioned the calm Mona Lisa contrasted against the very active waterfall behind her earlier as a method DaVinci used to create dynamic tension in the painting the longer the audience looks at it.

You’ve hear of “opposites attract”? Well, that’s both a domain of Balance and of Contrast! I’ve got an image here with two compositions. Now, which one is more visually interesting and why? The one at left has two equally sized circles of the same color, aligned horizontally, and you know what? Big yawn here, as far as Art goes. It’s balanced, but we can do better, as in the image at right. There are contrasting shapes living dynamically within one composition. Blue contrast with red, large contrasts with small, upper left opposes lower right.

Attachment 95391



I think the photo I donated that you’re working with has good balance and contrast. The large squarish building at left, the tall skinny cactus at right. The asymmetry of the elements is interesting.

My point is that balance and contrast shouldn't be completely in agreement or necessarily harmonious, unless it’s your intention to create a relaxing, boring home wallpaper that no one studies. Sometimes balance is a struggle; elements fight each other, and you know you have a dynamic piece of Art when the elements don’t resolve the fight in the piece, but continue in interesting opposition.

My Best,

Gary

Thanks Gary for a very interesting feedback, especially the last part, when the elements don't resolve the piece but continue in interesting opposition. I've found that a couple of friends of mine who viewed my image, said the same thing as each other, both when first viewed say, oh that's good but eventually get drawn to the shadow figure, so can I say the blends and glows and the shadow figure are interestig oppositions? I'm just trying to come to grips with the terms you have used and putting them into a visual context and the first thing that came to mind was the warm glows look so inviting and then this shadow figure sort of throws you off a little, but it seems to have worked. They had more questions about the shadow than the rest of the composition.

Stygg

Hi stygg—

I'm sorry if I've caused you to do anything other than just try to accept some of the terms—things such as "contrast" can have more than one meaning, but surely not a "mysterious" one!—so let me back away just about as far as possible with describing a piece of interesting artwork here.

One of the "mind games" that is a good and legitimate sport of artists and designers (and musicians and other creatively expressive individuals) is putting things together that seem awkward, or seem not to naturally go together, or just plain pushing seemingly opposing items together. The result if it's done skillfully is a dynamic quality: dark fights light, large fights small, the left disagrees with the right—we can see examples of this all the time in modern art.

Perhaps "fight" should be qualified. When dissimilar items co-exist in a painting, or music, or other art, there is a relationship, a tension, which can be pleasant or unpleasant—the reaction one wants usually is up to the artist's discretion.

The result? It can be a revelation on the audience's part: yes indeed, an elephant would look partially disguised and definitely silly if it were painted pink and green two very clashing (conflicting) colors, as I have here, plus the pun of giving the elephant a new skin ("hide"). This is not the world's best example (I just had it lying around), but hopefully you all can see that there is contrast in this composition—the modeled and rendered elephant put into a photograph has some dissonance, the visuals of large contrasting against small, the asymmetry in the composition—all forced together in an artistic and unexpected way. The result here is humor, not a revelation, but the oddness is a carefully crafted thing to sustain the audience's attention.

Attachment 95430

Stygg, to remark on the reaction you received—your audience had more questions about the shadow figure than anything else? Me, I'd consider this a triumph and a job well done because you yourself are intrigued with the figure. Your audience is in tune with what intrigues you about the piece, then.

Don't think too deeply about this contrast stuff. Just let it flow and be aware of it while you work, and I hope I'm not sounding like Obi-Wan here! Don't try to explain a piece to anyone.

That's the job of your artwork.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

—Gary

Thanks Gary for such an informative reply and as regards sounding like Obi-Wan, well if getting such great replies sounds like him, well may the force be with you ::D I did'nt have to explain the shadow to any of my friends, they were as you said, just as intrigued with it as myself so yes, I was well pleased.

Regards
Stygg

Okay, back to Neon...

Attachment 95432

(Hallowe'en, not my street clothes, obviously...)

This was not the best image to create neons but it still looks quite effective, I think :rolleyes: For all none British guys and gals who may not know, it's a photo of a famouse British Landmark, Blackpool Tower.

Stygg

I love it and can you either post a larger copy so we can see your work more clearly, or upload the XAR file?

Or just post a zoomed-in detail area?

I love it regardless of where it is! :)
-g

It was a bit crappy that first image Gary, I apologise, so here is a better one I hope with the xar file for everyone to do what they please with :D

Stygg

Hi stygg—

You don't have to give away your efforts or tell people to "do what they please" with it!

It's your call, of course. I just wanted a better look at your work!
Now I can see a well-done perspective effect, and an interesting choice of fonts in a well thought-out composition:

Attachment 95475

Thanks for sharing, stygg!

—Gary

Glad you like it Gary and I don't mind sharing at all, if someone else learns a little from it as I have done then great. I've posted one more image which is the one I meant to post in the first place :o

Stygg

Your use of very dark and low contrast elements is wonderful, stygg.

I think this could be your artistic "signature". Or "stygg-nature"...

I thought I'd contribute to the overall sense of menace...

Attachment 95479

-g

Aaaayyyyyyy! I had to put it off for a few days but I finally finished the diner scene! When I first saw the scene it sparked a memory from my youth, a favourite sitcom :) Do any of you remember the gang that hung out at Arnolds?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

Your use of very dark and low contrast elements is wonderful, stygg.

I think this could be your artistic "signature". Or "stygg-nature"...

I thought I'd contribute to the overall sense of menace...

Attachment 95479

-g

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Love it Gary, that would soon clear the crowds at the central promenade.

Stygg Prince of Darkness >:)

Nice one Francis, it reminds me of an American type diner that was here in England many years ago when I was a lad called Pats'ys and many from the American airforce base at Warrington use to call there with their families on their way into Manchester, they loved their milkshakes, hotdogs and jukebox then shopping in Manchester :D Ahh those were the days, we were never short of bubble gum! :D

Stygg

@ Frances—

I wasn't thinking about the "Happy Days" TV series when I rendered the diner scene, but yeah, I guess it's appropriate for the late 1950s/early 1960s, as would be Mel's Diner from the Lucas film "American Graffiti."

@Stygg—We called them "trailer diners". They were literally moved into place at a shopping center or roadside with a huge truck and a tow, not unlike mobile homes that were very popular in the 1950s/1960s. My grandparents owned a "mobile court", also known as a "trailer park"—a lot of farmers converted land to residential when they retired from farming—and yep, we had one of these aluminum, bullet-shaped, really, really narrow diners not far from the place. Not to be confused with a carhop diner, like the A&W places that are long gone because carhop service sort of begged fuel prices that are long-gone!

People don't even use trailers a lot to tour the US anymore, even though Airstream and other brands used to be designed specifically for travel. You put them up on blocks of cement at a trailer park now, and that's more or less your permanent residence.

So we now have diners and movie theatres...where else might you find a neon sign?

-g

You will find some neons at my Chip & Fish shop :D

Stygg

Oh. Yeah. I forgot.

That used to be a Burger King, didn't it?

:)

-g

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gare

Oh. Yeah. I forgot.

That used to be a Burger King, didn't it?

:)

-g

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I think that's what you said it was, we used the image for one of your first tuts. using the mould tool.

Stygg

That's okay. There's a very high turnover in the fast food industry due to poor management and low profit margins.
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Here's a photo, part of a personal series I was doing on signs in Central New York—that I messed up big-time* to make early morning look like twilight (if you use your imagination a lot).

Attachment 95503

If anyone wants to light this sign up as I covered in this month's tutorial, go for it!

My Best,

-g

*I applied DFT 55mm Effects plug-in "Day For Night" and I don't think this works in Xara, then Flaming Pear Glitterato plug-in for the stars ad finally Flaming Pear LunarCell for the moon.

a year or two too late for the tutorial and ensuing discussion but i followed along and came up with my first neon design. (made it on a black background for a custom power-up animation on cell phones) Thx for the tutorial Gary! I only posted this to "bump" the thread back up coz it was one of the more fun and useful threads imho

https://copy.com/D6H0ydCEh0UX

I think your GIF came out a little more contrasty and therefore has a little more nuances and impact, like the way the "A" stutters like real, aged neon gas (or argon, whatever).

I love typography, having been a writer for 20 some odd years and never being let to do my own layouts in books, "You're a writer, Bouton, we have a Production Department so stick to what you do."

Except the books TEACH typography and good page and cover layout. And the poor slaves who work for a pittance cranking out book covers and stuff for publishers necessarily cannot give too much inspiration or attention to the book cover.

FINALLY, the Production Department at Cengage let me do my own cover for a book I wrote, because they freelanced their Production Department 100%.

Happy me!

Attachment 106584

Somewhere between multi-talented and scatter-brained is where I live. I'll try very hard to keep the upcoming tutes engaging and relevant to what people like to do the most (that's legal and moral).

My Best,

Gary

Congratulations Gare. I like that cover, makes me want to buy the book, even though I do not have CS3 or use adobe products.