**themed: Fractals With Or Without A 'twist' & How Did You Create Them?

I'll start off with this one, which is one of a series. I created the original fractal with a free program "Sterling 2" and then i added the Angel to a black background and added the Bible Verse in "3-d" silver text and border in PhotoImpact X3

I used Apophysis for both of these:



Variations on a theme - I was experimenting with three-sided shapes (it was St Patrick's Day and I was thinking about shamrocks) and managed to make these two very different designs. After working on them in Apophysis, I used Photoshop to add the finishing touches.

Great to have a fractal thread, thank you Rose!



Pink colored fractal art, beautiful golden light. Created with JWildfire.

I created this in Apophysis and then I made it into a kaleidoscope.

Roseann's Fractal Fires has wonderful coloration. This is sort of my take on that color scheme. I use my photo manipulation program to create my 'fractals' (digital abstracts). there is no push the button and it happens; it requires some guessing as to what will happen if you do this or that, if you slice and dice and put it back together. I don't really keep track of the number of layers that are merged and then reworked with more layers and merged before the 'finished' work is satisfactory. These two were created from the same start - and I don't really know which one I completed first and then went on to create the next image; the titles are more the function of which was uploaded first:



two more:

Thank you, Roy. 009 is my favorite. I like the designs and the colors.

All is made in apophysis 7x + gimp for post processing
sadly no buyers for my work on this site :/




But on the other hand my lightning fractals are doing well on stock sites, so I will upload all my work ( I made especially wor FAA ) on microstock after my premium acount expires.

I absolutely have fallen in love with fractals. Here are some of mine that I used the program Mandelbulb 3d. I used Photo editor online to post process.









I dont have many visitors with these creations either.

@roy: i adore your digital abstracts, every one of them would make a wonderful center-piece on the living room wall.
@martin: '"Blue Fantasy Flower" is gorgeous!
@melissa: 'Enter In' is a cool gothic fantasy, love the colors.

i used apophysis and photoshop - what i do with all my fractals is layer them many times, or layer parts until i have the desired effect. sometimes i add a background.

excepting the above mentioned, nothing added:



removed some very minor bits, added the larger pale boxes to the right:



added background:



added background:



i've sold others but not these except as greeting cards. edit to add: and i don't know why because - in my not so humble opinion - i think they are some of my best work and illustrative as well. sometimes i wonder if terming them what they are - fractals - puts people off.

Enjoying this display of fractal imagery tremendously...everyone brings their special signature to their creations.

This video is one I created especially for a solo exhibition I presented in 2011. Apophysis mostly used for this.


Focused entirely on the premise of fractals, Self-Similarity -- which is the nature of them -- repetition of form in varying scale, was a multimedia exhibition in which there were approx. 15 digital/fractal based prints on canvas. Fused glass works bridged each print -- I replicated the elements of the images in fused glass designs placed between the pieces.

On the feature wall of the gallery -- center of the 26' x 10' wall -- I projected this video. All glass & new media/digital imagery was the inspiration/basis for my video.

Creation/production of the prints/video & glass works was approximately a year and a half.



carmenhathaway.com

Very cool stuff being posted here! Thanks to all who are commenting on the works posted above yours!

Carmen, as always, you are an inspiration to me, and I'm sure many others!

Here is a few more of mine created from a single fractal design in which I saw a heart....then zoomed in on that heart. I then recreated that fractal in a few different colors in Sterling. Next I blackened out around the heart shape (in PhotoImpact X3) and copied and pasted, mirrored, etc the hearts on a new background and added words to the one in PhotoImpact X3.

Some really great work on here - Menega's Moebius City has such an ethereal quality to it.
Martins work is inspirational.

I see that Rose uses her's to make other images by combining components of one to another.

I have, and sometimes do, make a negative of an image "I" am satisfied with, but I try not to let it be just that, but to add some 'new' twist to it. I don't really remember how I get from one to the other - I only sometimes wish I had kept a copy of the separate layers - would be useful, on occasion, to add a layer from one image to another totally different one.

This is an example of fractal sculpture.

The description reads..
Bath limestone.

195 million years worth of stormy seas pounding away at primitive lifeforms created this stone...
And now a (slightly less) primitive lifeform pounding away at this stone created these stormy seas..

What a beautiful fractal universe we are!

And these are two fractal images I created by using the digitally displayed fractal sculpture image and a camera..and thus, adding another layer to the fractal. I can't wait to get some fractal software:-)

Built On Before.

Tyre Tracks On Enceladus
The description reads..
A series of un-edited abstracts exploring the nature of memories,the mind, and the human experience of universe.

Footnote: Enceladus is one of Saturn's many moons.

I think roughly around 66.666666% of my art is Fractal in nature, just not always on the visual side.

Hey..do any of you "fractalists" fancy doing a collaboration? Take one of my fractal photographs and run it through some programs..and take the fractal to the next level? My offer stands at 33.333333% of any profits :-)

We could all have a go and just let it grow..check how many "new levels" have been added every week/month..then divide the weeks/months profits equally between every one who gets involved.. the ultimate pyramid scheme...the ultimate fractal! :-) but remember.. the more that join the less we all get so don't tell anyone!!!
:-)

And a few more! Using the same technique.
The Slime From Your Video.
Turning Point.

Most of my fractals are manipulated in some fashion.



This is two fractals blended into one. The second one is sat on top of another and melded with a image of a bird on a branch, to represent a memory.



I made the background for this one to look like water, then designed the fractal by modifying all levels of a Spider2 fractal base to look like lace. puting the two together and a little more work merging the two together I came up with the Lace on Water look.

i'm really enjoying this thread and the peek at toher peoples's techniques.

@barry: very cool stuff!
@dan: great colors and silhouettes!


as i mentioned above, i use multiple layers of the whole or just parts of the rendered apophysis image to flesh out the bits i want.

this one, 'The 13th Dimension', required alot of careful layering and editing, finally some lines and the framing black were added to complete the grid.



my statement on life and beginnings - a straightforward matter of adding the pure red background to the black and white, it sells quite well but only once or twice here on faa.



the fractal with a thick wooly, textile like quality didn't need much except bringing out areas that were too dark.



now on the "Horus" one, the bird with the glowing eyes and disks behind the head came out of apophysis more or less as is, layering brought out the glow more and of course the hieroglyph background was added.

Menega - I like the Strong Fabric of Dreams. One question, can you bring the colors out more? Lighten them a bit? I love the design/shape of the fractal(s).

These three are pure Apophysis, but I really like how they came out.




This one is a composite of a couple of different fractals.

Thanks Roy, but I am done with those fractals, I will do lightning fractals like this

I have only these two here but much more on my microstock sites and it sells really good there. But I am not going to upload it to this site because there is no proper watermark.

roseann, i could but it now looks the way i intended it to, the weave i slowly coming out of the darkness of the unconciousness.

gorgeous coloring and textures on your coral reef fractal!

I use Apophysis. I see animals, objects or people in the randomly generated fractals the way you might see shapes in clouds. Once I visualize a shape, I manipulate the fractal to enhance it further. I usually save about a dozen variations and then go through them and pick one.

I then bring it into Photoshop to enhance the colors and clean random pixels. I might also trim away or add a few lines to enhance the effect.




-- Susan Savad

Thank you very much Menega!

I used Mandelbulb freeware and StereoPhoto Maker (SPM for short) freeware and created a fractal based 3D stereo anaglyph. Red/Cyan filtered 3D glasses required for viewing depth...

What a great thread!
@Brian..Stunning work..and I haven't tried it with the glasses yet. @Susan..Your bird is exquisite! @Martin..speechless! @Roseann.. Love the coral, a beautifully serene and soothing fractal." @Menega..Great work..loving the quilted fabric effect.
I am amazed at the variety this thread has produced. Superb!... Here's a few more...
Close-Up of a Sphere.

And again..
Fractal Sculpture..into digital fractal image.
Original Sculpture
Kaa's Folly.
An extract from the description..
"A poison dart frog being eyed up as a potential meal by a naive serpent.(they both die in the end)."
"Ahh.. the Ouroboros that is life! The futility of it all. Life devouring itself to stay alive. Pointless really! Absurd and extravagant and foolish and totally pointless!
But isn't it pretty?"

Fractal image
Prince of the Third Metamorphosis.

For anybody keeping up with this, just to add another fun layer to all of this and to keep you all "in the picture" :-)... I used a "bug-eye" glass and delayed exposure to create this image... It's a Bug's-eye view...and of course the bug is just a tasty wee snack for the frog or the snake..and not forgetting those carnivorous plants.. :-)

Like Mathias -- enjoying the potential of Andreas Maschke's J Wildfire Fractal Software, edited in combination with other animations from my archives.

Wildfire latest free downloads page







carmenhathaway.com

Wow all of you are amazing. It is wonderful to see that everyone has there own 'fingerprint' style in these works of art.

Besides the normal digital stuff, some actual Copy Cut and Paste was employed

Printing my original shrimp fractal in various sizes ,cutting them with a pair of scissors, placing them on the printer screen, and placing the spiral background over them, and scanning the result.

At my age, I'm entering this digital world rather slowly


Edit:

I did go back and digitally enhance/clean up the image, though

I'm going to try out the Wildfire, I have gotten pretty good with XaoS, and about time to move forward. :)

LMAO..Roger.. BRILLIANT! I've got tears in my eyes with laughter...:-)

edit: Thanks for the tip Carmen..I'll be sure to check it out!

Hi everyone,

I create fractals in JWildfire and my twist is adding scripture! Here are some images











I hope I added the images correctly. I've never posted to a discussion here. The artwork I've seen posted so far is beautiful! Great work everyone.

Feel free to visit my site at http://missygainer.com

Missy! Such gorgeous work. I'm amazed by the wonderful fractals people are posting...keep them coming! And thanks to the forum members who got me started in fractals, and who told me about the simple program (Sterling) that I create them on. I must confess, all the other fractal programs have me scratching my head, and I can't figure out how to use them!

Here are a few more of mine. I created these (for a contest that was posted on FAA) by combining my fractals and my photographs.

Here are 4 of mine, all made using XenoDream:









Enjoy,

Manny

Beautiful fractals everyone.

I hope you allow fractalius-type fractals, Rose. The effect is created on an image with Fractalius as a plugin with Photoshop.

A Mandlebulb and SPM freeware fractal-based side-by-side Stereo Crossview image. You can see depth if you view the image as you would when looking at those "Magic Eye" type of images. Gently converge (cross) your eyes and focus on the middle image that appears while ignoring the outside. If successful with this viewing method, it becomes easier with practice and eventually 2nd nature...

Great stuff everyone! Love those magic eye things Brian...having trouble seeing yours right now tho...tired eyes!

Here are more of mine that I added Bible Verses to.

Like Barbara I have some images in my portfolio where I used the Fractalius Plugin. No real fractals of course but for some photos (not for all) I like the effect...

Here's a 'twist' -- lightning was mentioned earlier -- here's how a lightning fractal pattern is created on wood.... it's known as the Lichtenberg pattern



Check this out too ...Lichtenberg Figures: The Fractal Patterns of Lightning Strike Scars

haha, that is cool

It sure is...if anyone's into sharing fractal flame scripts, or parameters...found an Apophysis one -- very easy to work with....

Once first one's created -- you can layer it -- resize, flood fill, etc.

Base fractal on rendering

Adding shadows, layering etc.                 Same one -- red fill





carmenhathaway.com

What a great thread!! All of the above work is gorgeous!! I've noted some of the software that has been mentioned and plan on looking into them. I've been playing with fractals for about a little while -- "playing" being the operative word! :) I don't really know how to use the software correctly and have little time to really study it. I've been using Apophysis and Ultra Fractal and have gotten some fun results:

Apophysis example:


Ultra Fractal example:


Sometimes I combine the two in Ultra Fractal and/or layer an image in:


I had no idea that you can "layer, resize, flood fill" in Apophysis! Again - really have no idea what I'm doing in either of these = I just play with it until I like it!!!

Really hope this thread lasts for awhile ~ I might actually learn something!
Thank you so much!!!!

I love your Golden Rose Elizabeth..looks like a seller to me :-)

Here's a few made with Apophysis using some of my scripts, and postworked in Photoshop...

Elizabeth -- the flood fill & layering,etc. is post processing & done in a photo program -- I use Photo Impact which is basically a Photoshop clone.

Your Apophysis fractal/flame is rendered as a .png on a transparent background -- you can then layer it, etc. endlessly in post process.





carmenhathaway.com

This one is actually three fractals merged together. It represents dementia, like Alzheimer's which my Grandmother died from.



This one was just creative I felt. It is two fractals merged together, the second had a picture of a rose in it, but I made it look like it was refracted from the inside out as if the rose was inside a block of ice.

Fractal-based digital design created with ChaosPro 4...



Abstract Fractal and Smoke image created with Livebrush...



A rose, digitally manipulated with the Photoshop plugin Fractalius...

Some really great art here. I've been going through some old 'unfinished' works in my files - trying to clean out some old 'dead wood' and free up some space. I found this one in pieces and thought that it doesn't really need any more work - just press it together.

Great work Roy..a great description and superb title too!.."Drawing you in behind the veil...."has you waiting to see just what is behind and in the depths" .!

Here's some more from my "seen it all before" series..

Uniformation.

The Mind's Eye.

I searched for "Free Fractal Software" and found these sites. Thought I'd share the links with you all. I haven't tried any of these, so I can't vouch for them so Please let us know if you have tried any of these. Thanks!
(Hopefully the links will work here)

STERLING2 is the EASY program I used to create mine above: http://soler7.com/Fractals/Sterling2.html

===============

This site lists over 20 free Fractal Programs! http://fractalarts.com/ASF/download.html

================

Under this site ( http://fractalfoundation.org/resources/fractal-software/ ) were listed the following free downloads:

XaOS Windows: http://fractalfoundation.org/XaoS-3.4-win32-Installer.exe (also available for MAC) at the site above.

FRAX (for iphones and ipad): http://fract.al/

MANDELBULBER: http://sourceforge.net/projects/mandelbulber/

MANDELBULB 3D: http://www.fractalforums.com/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=14

ULTRA FRACTAL: (Free Demo Available): http://www.ultrafractal.com/

ELECTRIC SHEEP: http://www.electricsheep.org/

FRACTAL GROWER: http://cs.unm.edu/~joel/PaperFoldingFractal/paper.html

==============

GNOFRACT: (Free/Open Source) http://gnofract4d.sourceforge.net/

==============

APOPHYSIS: http://www.apophysis.org/

==============

INCENDIA: http://www.incendia.net/

==============

VARIOUS: http://en.softonic.com/s/freeware-fractal-software

==============

Another great fractal resource site for software & tutorials -- breaks down apps for MAC & Windows Amazing Seattle Fractals





carmenhathaway.com

Thank you so much for all the information and links to software (Rose and Carmen). I see now that I may have to invest in Photoshop or something for post-rending. Since I'm not a photographer, I never could see spending all that money on a product that I will not be able to utilize to it's worth... makes me sad :( LOL!!
Anyone know of a similar product that is not so expensive and relatively easy to figure out?

BTW Barry - sold a card of Golden Rose... still living off that $1 profit! :)

Also - sorry for the delay in reply (and any future replies) - I work nights and never know when I'll get to FAA.

(Following ALL of you now :)

Just to reiterate, I don't use a fractal program, just my Serif "PhotoPlus" currently v5 although most were created using v2. V2 actually worked much "smoother" but the v5 will do a few more things. Like Elizabeth - I don't really KNOW what I'm doing - and I'm learning new 'tricks' all the time - things he program will do. My biggest problem with the program right now is that at some point it just won't do anything else - I have to save the layers - close the work I'm not - not the program - just the work - and open it again - then I can continue to play with the layers. Most of my digital abstracts are at least 8 layers - merged and continued to be worked on - there is a limitation on just how much memory this program uses up - and I've got a new computer with a t of memory to work with - it often helps to have cleared the cache and have no other programs running in the background. I try to make at least one new one a day - but then there are days I don't make any. Sometimes X marks the spot:

Elizabeth -- you're very welcome. Look up Gimp in the forum discussions & online -- many enjoy this as post process software & I believe it's free.

Photo Impact came installed with my system back in 97. The college where I taught Digital Dreams, a new media course, installed the program in the computer lab on my recommendation & was very well received. At 29.99 -- a great product that floored higher end software users when I showed them I could replicate any maneuver or process with this much less expensive product.

Looks as though there's still a trial download available -- definitely worth looking into. Photo Impact


Re: Not knowing what you're doing. I'm a proponent of the 'go for it' mode --explore, enjoy, etc.

However, checking out instructions can also be a terrific 'reveal'. I'm also a proponent of reading instructions -- being open to direction.
Many a 'leap' has been accomplished this way ;)




carmenhathaway.com

I don't have Photoshop...can't afford it...but I did download a workable FREE copy of Photoshop CS2, and that combined with PhotoImact, PaintShop Pro, and some free programs are all that I use.

BTW, if anybody has any other software links to pass on please do. There are a LOT more then what I posted. Thanks everyone for sharing your images, processes, and expertise here. Love to see all these. Please keep them coming!

Carmen - you did notice I have a beard (and I don't live in a circus) so reading instructions - what's that about? Occasionally I do get help from "up there" or somewhere - or perhaps I just bump into some information I didn't know - I've never been good at following instructions (you could ask a few people around here - where I occasionally have to do a mea culpa) and reading directions is a bore - and half the time I don't understand the language the instructions are written in (I only speak and read English {actually I can follow some Spanish and French} ). Even being shown, my eyes present at the time, I have to do it several times before it gets locked into the memory.

3D stereo crossview of a "Chaos Pro" fractal generated design using a parameter to simulate coral.

To freeview the format: You can see depth if you view the image as you would when looking at those "Magic Eye" type of images. Gently converge (cross) your eyes and focus on the middle image that appears while ignoring the outside. If successful with this viewing method, it becomes easier with practice and eventually 2nd nature...

;) re: Instructions...whether one is in hirsute mode or otherwise -- to each his/her own methods.

Vue Esprit/Eon render



Here's an old school/traditional red cyan style render you'd need the cardboard/cello 3Dglasses to view.



3D stereo crossover styles rendered in XenoDream




carmenhathaway.com

I used Chaoscope freeware to create the fractals and then turned them into a 3D anaglyph format: Red/Cyan filtered 3D glasses required for viewing depth. They still view nicely without 3D glasses but will appear flat. I just took each picture and inverted them for a "negative" view...

Love the variety of fractals displayed here....awesome works!

This first one is a fractal/digital composite. The mountains in the background are one fractal and the foreground is another (both are Apophysis). The paper cranes are a photograph with a fractal overlay.



This one is Apophysis as well. This is one of my favorites because of the rich colors, movement and texture.



These last two are from a program called Tiera-zon. I downloaded it from Amazing Seattle Fractals (Carmen put a link above) several years ago and I see they still have it.

Here are four more fractal forms that I created using XenoDream, my favorite fractal and geometric artifact construction software:





Enjoy,

Manny

Manny...they're beautiful....nothing quite like Xenodream to achieve lush, jeweltone fx




carmenhathaway.com

WOW! Manny those are STUNNING! Wow, EVERYONE, wonderful works! Loving these!

Some composite images using fractals and mixed media and turned into 3D stereo anaglyph images. Best viewed with Red/Cyan filtered 3D glasses...

I'm getting really inspired by all of the fabulous work you guys are showing... so much to explore - so little time!!! :( Need to schedule some vacation time!

Thanks Carmen, I'll look into Photo Impact and Gimp! "Heart of the Matter" is STUNNING, btw!!
Roy ~ Thank you so much for the visit!!!

Here's one I did in Apophysis:


Then used it as the background/base layer in Ultra Fractal to create this:


Have a great day everyone!!!

Thanks to Missy for sending me this link to her favorite program to add to our list here:

"JWildfire. I think you'll find it is the most complete program out there. Here is the download link: http://www.andreas-maschke.com/?page_id=351 "

;)     Posted same link to Wildfire 3 days ago -- along with a video created with it.

Carmen Hathaway 3 Days Ago    Like Mathias -- enjoying the potential of Andreas Maschke's J Wildfire Fractal Software, edited in combination with other animations from my archives. Wildfire latest free downloads page

Enjoying seeing everyone's beautiful results in process!




carmenhathaway.com

Oops! Thanks Carmen, Missy (and I) did not catch that it had already been posted.