13 Replies Latest reply: Apr 20, 2011 11:52 AM by Rodieck RSS

    Iridescence

    Rodieck Community Member

      Can anyone point me to a tutorial where I could learn about creating iridescent color effects in Illustrator. If this is more like a Photoshop job, could you let me know?

       

      I have AI CS5 and PS CS5.  I have some experience with both, but since I usually keep applying the techniques I know over and over, I'm really not very experienced at all.

        • 1. Re: Iridescence
          Scott Falkner Community Member

          It would help to know what you mean. Can you attach an image that you are trying to imitate or give us a link to an appropriate image?

          • 2. Re: Iridescence
            Rodieck Community Member

            Hi, Scott: I'm working on a stylized peacock design destined, eventually, for printing on fabric.  I'm trying to get the iridescent effect seen in the breast of a peacock -- here, for example: http://www.animalpicturegallery.net/animal_picture_peacock_Laur.htm . The size of my total design (peacock breast, tail feathers, and some surrounding design) will be approximately 1 ft x 1 ft.  A gradient gives me somewhat of the effect I want, but I'm trying for something better.

             

            I've been trying a striped pattern with the stripes alternating between darker and lighter shades of teal.  The problem with this is that I can create somewhat of an irredescent look by using a very small pattern size applied to a very large area.  But when it's reduced to the small area of the peacock's breast, the iridescent effect disappears. I'm thinking that using a style in PS might be the way to go, but I'm  not sure how well this would print.  It costs me a bit of cash for each  sample I print, so I want to minimize the number of test swatches I submit.

             

            Any ideas gratefully received.

            • 3. Re: Iridescence
              Gernot Hoffmann Community Member

              The meaning of 'iridescence':

               

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridescence

              • 4. Re: Iridescence
                Rodieck Community Member

                Yes, that's the effect I'm trying to achieve.  That picture of a butterfly shows the effect perfectly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_morpho_butterfly.jpg

                • 5. Re: Iridescence
                  Doug Katz Community Member

                  Difficult at best in Illustrator. Were I to try this (and I wouldn't relish it), I'd experiment with gradient mesh patches. They'd most closely approximately the "sheen"… the soft-edged, free-form, high-contrast highlights and shadows. But that effect is also the result of extreme color saturation, independent of the reflectivity. Might take specialty inks to reproduce in any print treatment no matter whether it's raster or vector art.

                   

                  My two cents. I think I'd rather try this in Photoshop. Others may have a more robust set of vector ideas and a more hopeful prognosis.

                  • 6. Re: Iridescence
                    Rodieck Community Member

                    A good point --quoting from the fabric processing shop: "  Highly saturated dark colors over solid areas will not have the visual  impact they do in the digital version of your design; they are more  prone to flaws in the print process, and will not carry as much  saturation when translated onto fabric."  I'll experiment with gradient meshes, as you suggest.  And I'll also experiment with PS, especially styles.  But I may have to just give up on my iridescence idea.  Thanks for your helpful ideas.

                    • 7. Re: Iridescence
                      Doug.S Community Member

                      Perhaps an easier way is to use a 3D program with an

                      iridescent procedural shader.  I use Carrara Studio with a free plugin.

                       

                      You can render the shader to a plane (or curved surface), save as .jpg, apply in Ps or Illy.

                      • 8. Re: Iridescence
                        Luke Jennings Community Member

                        I would consider searching for an iridescent fabric, then use 4/C ink + white to cover the non-iridescent areas.

                        • 9. Re: Iridescence
                          Mike Gondek2 Community Member

                          For a long run print job look into spot gloss varnish to get the irredescence, or for short run printing look into a pearlescence substrate. You can contact www.andresimaging.com, they can print direct to  substrate and have consistently come up with with amazing solutions for me on challenging jobs.

                           

                          You can simulate irredescence in 4/c process with photoshop, but to really deliver the effect, look beyond 4/c solutions if you can.

                          • 10. Re: Iridescence
                            Rodieck Community Member

                            Some great suggestions.  On this project, I don't have enough time to learn a new software package such as Carrara Studion, but I'll look into it in the future.  I think Luke's suggestion, of using an iridescent fabric, will give me exactly what I want.  Thanks all!


                            • 11. Re: Iridescence
                              sevymn Community Member

                              Sorry to butt in but I just had to post. I was looking up "iridescence sheen in Illustrator" and came upon this post. How weird is it that I'm doing the exact same project for a digital illustration II class I'm currently taking.

                               

                              I'm using the same type of image too!

                               

                              How did your's turn out? I'm making a few different kinds of feathers and just copying and then moving them around, changing the perspective/size..etc as needed. I'm having a hard time with peacocks "scales" I don't know how else to describe them...it's the really pretty feathers (?) on his upper back. Is this why you asked the question?

                               

                               

                              Have a good one!

                              Nancy

                              • 12. Re: Iridescence
                                $Alphadog Community Member

                                It is possible to get

                                remarkable results by using this simple

                                technique. I have not played

                                with it enough to be able to get predictable results. Printing it is another matter.Iridescence.png

                                • 13. Re: Iridescence
                                  Rodieck Community Member

                                  Nancy, I unfortunately ran out of time before I could turn what I could see in my mind to something that others could see on paper.  What I finally did was to export my .ai layers into a .psd file and use some "iridescent" styles on selected parts of my design in PS.  But I should really go back and work on the problem some more for future reference.  I think I may start with the technique that $Alphadog is using -- that looks very promissing.  Thanks, $Alpha.