Sunday, May 03, 2009

A Mesmerizing and Fabulous Resource

Ever heard of "Phong.com"? Neither had I until, as is often the case on the web, I was looking for something completely different & stumbled across this amazing website.

Last month whilst focusing on colour & doing some research on something totally unrelated to hat I found, I ended up following a trail of crumbs & ended up here "astro.phong". There I discovered a plethora of online colour & pattern inspiration.


If you click on the link called /kscope & then the link with the .swf extension - you will find yourself in a mesmerizing world of kaleidoscope patterns for big people! (Your browser will have to be flash enabled to play here, most are unless it is deliberately turned off).

Aside from this 'adult' spending far too much time playing in a supposed 'childs territory' - I was amazed at the inspiration gained with the possibilities of colour combinations from simply exploring the subtle movements of my mouse over one image.
When the image displayed is affected by the most delicate shift of a mouse movement to display new possibilities using the exact palette as was available a second earlier, my mind goes into an overdrive of wonder at how much more there is to explore should I shift my mouse this way or that way.

Try it - you will be inspired. Just by observing how the amount of a colour affects the look of the end design - can give you insights into how it will impact on any art or craft we can create. From beads & paintings through to quilts & décor there is a lot to be gained & learned from looking at the way this particular kaleidoscope interacts.


The first image I loaded (the default when you go to the page) started subdued & innocent enough...

but eventually burst into a myriad of colours.

The next (image 2 on the site)performs similarly.



A simple black & white combination can be used for design idea's.



Take a look - explore the site further. There is some fabulous imagery & an absolute wealth of photoshop & flash tutorials.
Above all play, have fun....& remember to move your mouse v-e-r-y- slowly!

3 comments:

angelinabeadalina said...

Oh, yeah, I can see some gorgeous turquoise and amber beads in those top pictures. They'd be very intricate and ornate. Mmmm, beautiful. The ones in the middle would need to be boro or 96 to capture that electricity. Now, the black and white really caught my imagination, too. I don't have the patience to even make a nine patch quilt, but I'd love to see some of those patterns in a quilt top. You do find the bestest online toys!

P.S. Kate was beaming at your comment just now :)

rosebud101 said...

Looks like I need some time to play. Thanks for the link!

Andrea Eames said...

Hi Deb! I found you through Leah's blog. :) Was so nice to meet you the other day, and thank you for your kind comments about the interview.

Andrea xx