Light Textures: The Take Over

For those of you that don't yet know what a light texture is, it can be a few things. The ones i'm speaking of particularly today are called "dotty light textures." Here's an example.

See how there are spots, and how they look all...spotty. Well, set that to "lighten" or "screen" and all of the black will disappear - the color, however, will stay resolutely present and what you get is a great way to cover almost anything up. Lighten is a great function and Light textures are fun. I use them a lot - particularly in icons. Hell, this one is exploding with them. Course, it's of a 12 year old girl in a pink sweater, so, ya know, she's pretty sparkely in and of herself. For the most part, however, I prefer a different variety of light texture - subtle. Take this desktop as an example - there is a light texture that I made applied to that - it's dark red and barely visible. It's an accent, not the focus.

Why did I choose two different kinds of light texture for two different kinds of graphics? Well, I did it because they had a different feel. In the icon, I was working with a young female who had a great big smile and a generally bubbly disposition. In the desktop, I was working with an adult male pulling a total James Bond with the jacket and the pinstripes and the fedora and it was like the 1940's on a canvas - using sparkles would have been a smidge inappropriate, not to mention cluttered.

So what am I saying - when you use something, consider your audience, consider your subject and consider your desired effect.

Why am I saying this? Well, because today, ladies and gents, I saw this. Now, to spare this person any embarassment, i'm certainly not going to pick out names, but - oh man - did i laugh....then blog.
Okay, first - these are men. Men don't like dots unless they're kissing girls. At least the dots aren't pink, though. Second, I don't know if you know what show these men are on or from whence this image came but it's from a show called Prison Break (FOX) and they play ex-cons breaking out of prison. The show is about stress, death, guns and beer. Things explode all of the time. It's a show on FOX. Third, these are their wanted posters. What about any of that says sparkles to you?

Normally, a single graphic wouldn't make me gripe like that. Sometimes people do crazy things but, of late, light textures have taken over the world at The Dark Arts and it seems to have started at Pandora's Closet and I must put a stop to it! I must! I must!

Or, at least I have to go on record begging for the cessation of hostilities toward my brain.