9 Replies Latest reply: Nov 10, 2010 8:37 AM by jr4292 RSS

    Dot "lights" background

    jr4292 Community Member

      Does anyone know of any good tutorials on how to make a background similar to this in either illustrator or photoshop?

       

      http://mailings.go-media.com/uconn/pitt1110/images/e.jpg

        • 1. Re: Dot "lights" background
          Mike Gondek2 Community Member

          You are better off doing this in photoshop, as Illustrator would slow down.

           

          In photoshop this is easily done by creating a pattern of radial gradients(Use Edit >> define pattern). Fill a layer with a pattern of bulbs and then use transform to distort them. Put them over a black - blue - black gradiant and you are done.

          • 2. Re: Dot "lights" background
            Kurt Gold Community Member

            In Illustrator, you'd use opacity masks or the various blending modes provided in the Transparency panel, for example.

            • 3. Re: Dot "lights" background
              Wade_Zimmerman Community Member

              This is done in Illustrator.

               

              Create a circle

               

              copy it and drag t vertically to make a blend with specified distance as the blend option

               

              the drag the blend horizontally holding the option and shift key to make a copy and keep it parallel

               

              expand both blends and make a blend of the expanded blends (now you have a whole lot of circles

               

              Place a rectangle over it and give it gradients dark color stops where you want it to be dark and light color where you want it light , use black and white and grays.

               

              select the gradient fill rectangle and the circles and go to the transparency panel and make an opacity mask, you can make more tha one mask.

               

              OK the circles look the opposite of what you expect, that is right

               

              Now create another rectangle fill it with black and send it to the back of the circles, now it looks right like  this

               

              Screen shot 2010-11-09 at 7.02.02 PM.png

               

              I forgot I added a 3D rotate to the whole thing for the perspective look and then draw another rectangle to make a clipping mask

              • 4. Re: Dot "lights" background
                Wade_Zimmerman Community Member

                If you use in your gradient solid whites the color will be at that point the most opaque and brightest.

                 

                Brightness of the brightest light depends on the color you pick.and you can use more than one color and opacity of the circles depending on how you make the blend

                 

                Screen shot 2010-11-09 at 7.18.39 PM.png

                 

                BTW none of this creates any performance or speed issues what so ever. You can probably do this whole thing in three minutes. I did not time myself but it is pretty simple.

                • 5. Re: Dot "lights" background
                  Mike Gondek2 Community Member

                  If you need only want to take this project as far as using hard dots than use illutrator. If you need some softness/bevels/spotlights than I would recomend photoshop to comp this together.

                   

                  Picture 1.png

                  • 6. Re: Dot "lights" background
                    jr4292 Community Member

                    Hey thats awesome. Anyway you could send me that file? My email is jason@one-stopmedia.net

                    • 7. Re: Dot "lights" background
                      Wade_Zimmerman Community Member

                      Maybe maybe not

                       

                      Screen shot 2010-11-10 at 10.53.32 AM.png

                       

                      I forgot you can add a spotlight and such kind of good to know  and i guess with a gradient mesh over the art,since it now has trandparency it might make this even more interesting I will have to experiment.

                       

                      Screen shot 2010-11-10 at 11.04.19 AM.png

                       

                      But considering what the OP just wrote I certainly won't do anymore work to even experiment.

                       

                      Anyway I am glad the OP is asking you to send him the file. Make certain you get the payment from Pay pal before you send the file.

                      • 8. Re: Dot "lights" background
                        Wade_Zimmerman Community Member

                        I do like the gradient mesh with the transparency at the anchor points.

                         

                        Screen shot 2010-11-10 at 11.24.29 AM.png

                        • 9. Re: Dot "lights" background
                          jr4292 Community Member

                          I'll pay you if you want me to. This is not for a client or anything tho. Just volunteering my graphic design work for my school marching band.