FX-COMP/DIF CIRCULARS
Implode
When I first played with Implode about the only things I thought it capable of were the pinwheel look of Implode 1, the opening in the center created by any number larger than 1 and the oval or circle (depending on image size), of Implode with negative numbers.
Imp. 1 | Imp. 2 | Imp. -12 |
I don't mean to downplay these basics. They're great fun and useful for a lot of things and I was completely wowed by DoJean's Amazing Framing Technique but, it wasn't until I learned about "Preview" and Misty got Mr. C to make the numbers on Preview bigger and more legible for us little black box users and a bit of blundering on my part, that I began to see other possibilities.
I didn't use any circles or ovals with the following
The basic formulas covered on this page are:
Implode &/or Swirl, Composite/Difference
Or for Neons & to keep the original lines of an image:
Implode+, Implode-, Comp/Dif
As I said, I came upon it when I started playing w/preview at IM. I took one of my old AFNs (Art-From-Nothing, created from a transparent gif by paint, implode, mega composites) and looked at "Implode" using "Preview" at Image Magick.
0.6 thru 0.8 looked interesting and I started playing.
Original | #1 | #2 |
To create image #1
Imploded +0.8, Swirl 80, implode -0.8, Comp/Dif
To creat image #2
Used image #1 for my original and used the same steps
The great thing about abstracts is I'm not looking for a particular form, I just want to be surprised.
Susan explains it like this:
"I know how you're getting the ovals. With implode set at 0.4 (or whatever), the outer part of the image is not affected so, when you diff comp with the original, the unaffected outer part becomes black (just as diff comping an original with itself makes the whole thing black)"
This is the key to who knows how many "formulas". It explains why results are obtained by using Implode and/or Swirl, as they both work from the center of an image, leaving the outer regions unaffected. To get the circles or ovals rimmed in black I've had the best results with Comp/Difference. Comp/Minus also works but with darker results.
Any image you take to IM and only use Implode &/or Swirl and then Comp/Dif., you are going to get the image rimmed in a circular or oval black background.
Now I will apply this to an image of a face.
Original | Result #1 |
Swirl 60000, Implode -60, Comp/Dif with the original.
Not all images with skin tones are going to turn blue after comp/dif. When using implode, it's dependent upon the color of the center of an image because that's what color the negative implode will be and an image comp/diffed with it will be the oppposite color. Since I have chosen to use this image as an example, here are some possible solutions and alternatives.
One way to deal with this is to Floodfill the center of the swirl with blue using the paint option before imploding, to get a blue explosion.
Floodfilled Swirl | Result |
After putting the blue splotch in the center of the Swirl with floodfill,
Implode -60, Comp/Dif
Or to ovalize but maintain the original image, use Floodfill-Black
Floodfilled Swirl | Result |
After putting the black splotch in the center of the Swirl with floodfill,
Swirl 600000, Implode -60, Implode -160, Implode -160, Comp/Dif
By using negative implode at least 3x I get a very fine line around the oval
Using Result #1 from above, I'll show the result of using Hue & Comp/Bumpmap, and lastly using Negate for an entirely different look.
Hue & Bumpmap | Negate |
| Hue 20, Gamma 1.6 Comp/Bumpmap, Gamma 1.6 | Gamma 1.6, Negate Gamma .6 |
Result #1 is pretty dark so I lightened it for the "Hue Solution" to prepare for the darkness of Bumpmap.
I lightened it before the "Negate Alternative" because the lighter I get it before Negate the darker it will be after Negate. Actually I could have lightened it more because for my taste, I still had to get it darker with gamma .6 after negating.
...Or at least a definate neon look!
Going back to milder Implode parameters, here are some examples of getting neon looking outlines of images.
Using the Original from above, I tried a 0.1 Implode so as to minimize distortion. The original didn't really look any different but it was enough to produce this result after a Comp/Dif:
Implode 0.1, Comp/Dif, Brightness 150
Neon Queen
I decided to try this on some of my U/W photos. I found I can eliminate the distortion of a positive implode by following it with a negative one. For the turtle (below), I used Implode .3 and then Implode -.3. I also tried .5, -.5, but found I had to use -.7 to bring it back to some semblence of the original so that the outlines of the image will line up when I composite. You will have to play with the negative number counter-part for the positive implode. I've found it can be just a little different with each image. The larger numbers seem to detract from the sharpness of the lines but are more colorful. Of course, there's always Saturation if I want even more color
 |
 |
| Implode .2, Implode -.2 Comp/Dif Saturation Gamma to lighten |
A | B |
| Implode .1 Comp/Dif | Implode .3 Implode-.3 Comp/Dif Gamma 1.3 Shade 110% Sharp 3x3 |
To get my entire photo neon, I tried adding a black border to be croppped off later.
Decorate 50x50 black border, Implode .3, Implode-.3, Comp/Dif
From there it was just a matter of how I chose to lighten it. Usually I use Normalize, but in this case it gave me too much pink for my taste, so I did this:
Sharpen 11x100, Shade 30x30, Gamma 1.6
Cropped 55 pixels off all sides
In an attempt to retain some of the original colors I tried bigger numbers.
Implode +1, Implode -6, Comp/Dif
Result
Sleeper Too suggested doing a floodfill with interesting results. I used Octopus image "A" for examples. I had thought light colors would be the way to go, but with this image dark flooding kept the lines of the image from looking scattered
 |  |
| Floodfill #000333 Brightness 140 | Floodfill #000333 Saturation 260 Brightness 140 |
I also found it interesting to comp neons with BGs and other images. I just finished an image that I comp/diffed a neon with a nature scene, and then comp/diffing the solid original 2 more times over that with very interesting results.
NEW!
Nyght tried this method with Reset
I decided to take it a few steps further with very interesting results!
To understand the use of making art with Paint/Reset, you should first read and experiment with Tigerlily's excellent tutorial "The Painted Comp"
If you haven't seen this tutorial yet, I guess I'll see you back here in about a week.
PAGE 2 is dedicated to NYGHT
WARNING: The example used on Page 2 is a partial nude.
Fx/Dif with Reset
The image below was created by using a Swirl/Implode method that Nyght has come up with. Click on the image for her Tutorial.
Thanks to Sleeper and Nyght, new possibilities have already come to light. I'm sure there are many more ways to incorporate these basics and go far beyond!
Related Pages...More ways to get weird at IM
...but first, the fine print
Warning: My tutorials are experimental works in progress. I will add to them as I learn more about the combinations of effects I am trying to describe and try to refine my techniques and explanations, There are two other factors that are important here.
1. All images are NOT created equal. What works with one, may not work with another.
2. Things change at Image Magick from time to time, sometimes radically. I try to keep these pages updated.
Color Wrapping Images
Enhancing Gray Shade (Emboss)
Mock Emboss
Equalize Experiments
Using Level
Using Chop
remove interior areas
Making BGs at IM
for Classic and Plus units
by ~Stranjer