Figure 1, cropped final image of oobleck flow.
Figure 2, full page view of flow after 24 hours of drying.
Figure 3, original photo before cropping and editing.
2/16/17
Contrasting Colors of Oobleck Flow Down Incline
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Report and Images by Summer Thompson for Flow Visualization, section 1, 2018.
For my first Flow image project, I photographed two colors of oobleck, flowing across a page of paper. I created the oobleck with two parts cornstarch and one part water with the initial intent of recording the oobleck reacting to sound waves from a sub-woofer. The project was successful but I was unhappy with my video quality so I decided to photograph the oobleck flowing across a page the next morning. I was excited to work with oobleck because it is much more viscous and slow moving than water or oil, which made it much easier to capture with only two hands. While conducting this flow I was able to change the direction or incline of the path and photograph the flow without worrying about losing the image quality or aesthetic I wanted.
To give a measure of scale, the longest finger of the flow spanned 10” from the opposite edge of the initial pour site. Figure 2 shows the flow on the page from above and gives a better reference of scale compared to figure 1 which has been cropped and was taken with a magnifying lens.
I made my oobleck from cups of cornstarch and one cup of water in a pint plastic container. To create the two colors of the oobleck, I mixed ½ cup of oobleck with about a tablespoon of artist pigment then mixed until the pigment was evenly dispersed. I set a 9” x 12”sheet of acrylic canvas on a table next to a window in my room. I then poured about ¼ cup of the blue oobleck onto the canvas. I then poured the red/brown oobleck on top of the blue and shifted the plane of the paper to make the two colors flow together across the page. Figure 1 has some lumpy texture near the pour spot. I wonder if my addition of pigment may have decreased the shear thickening force of the cornstarch.
Non newtonian fluids have a viscosity dependent on shear rate. Oobleck is a shear thickening fluid, so the more force one enacts on it, the more solid it becomes. This was most apparent when mixing the pigment with the oobleck as the particles had to be mixed slowly or else the oobleck would freeze from the force and not mix.
I decided to go for a contrasting and intense color palette of Sennelier Red Ochre (259) and French Ultramarine Blue (314) dry artist pigment. I mixed a heaping tablespoon of each pigment into each of the ½ cup containers of oobleck. I chose these two colors for their vibrancy and visibility next to each other. I was satisfied with the resulting aesthetic of the two colors on a white ground.
When pouring the liquid, I shifted the plane of the canvas to control the flow of the oobleck across the page. When I was satisfied with the shape of the oobleck, I set the paper down and the flow stopped without shear force while I photographed it. The flow dried flat and turned into a powder when scraped. Figure 2 show this solid after about 24 hours of drying time.
I took this image using my Nikon d5100 and my AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8 lens.
My exposure was 1/100 sec, f/5, ISO-400. I was about 2 feet from the flow when I shot figure 1. Figure 3 shows the un-cropped original image, where the size of the image plane is about 6”x5” at about a 45 degree angle to the plane of the canvas. The lens I own is meant for a larger sensor camera, so the image was extra cropped. Post production, I increased the exposure, vibrancy and contrast. I also upped the whites and spot treated some distracting marks out of the final image. I took this image next to wall which reflected morning light onto my image plane. The wall is pink so the light was very warm originally and compensated for with temperature controls in lightroom.
The Image shows particles of orange and blue pigment layering into rings and deforming with the force of gravity on a flat plane. The pattern of the two colors reveals how the thickening fluid moves with shear force down an incline hill. Overall I am satisfied with this image. I really liked working with oobleck and am considering working with it again with a more complex force like rotation. I’m still curious if my addition of pigment compromised the thickening force of the oobleck, and what that may have changed in my flow.
48 Comments. Leave new
Very crisp and pleasing to look at. Demonstrates flow very well.
The colors of this picture are very pleasing. The details are very clear and visible they clearly show the different directions the fluid takes. The focus of this picture is great.
Art: I really enjoyed the colors used. It has a feel of earth and water connecting. Almost like a dirty swamp being taken over by water.
Flow: The flow is perfect on the rough texture of the canvas.
Technique: Strong focus where it needs to be. It really pops with colors which is nice.
Art : the image feels like rebirth of earth
Flow : the flow feels like popping out
Tech : Very clear image and well focused
The focus was very clear. It showed the details of the colors the picture had. The picture was controlled and the intent was showing.
The focus of the image combined with the contrast does a great job at showing the mixing of the two colors. The texture of the background does a great job at moving focus around the image. Were brown and blue intentionally chosen?
Great use of aesthetically pleasing colors, great contrast between the texture of the oobleck and the background. Image is very nicely framed so as to draw the eye towards the main subject. Lighting is subtle and very effective. Interesting portrayal of the fluidic behavior of non-newtonian fluids.
Art: Nice color comp by keeping color palette limited to 3
Flow: Interesting patterns from the splatter’s viscosity
Photo Technique: Good exposure, I like the subtle background details
This is a beautiful image with two contrasting, aesthetically pleasing colors. The lighting aids in the flow pictured and the resolution is so clear.
Great contrast and choice of background. The color choice really brings out the depth of this picture
The colors, lighting and framing are all really nice.
It looks like a strange Earth map, with brown being land, blue being sea / river, and white being… the background!? COOL!
Great overall composition. The texturized background adds a great sense of depth to the photo and the colors are very vivid with the white background.
This is a beautiful image. The brown, blue and white create a captivating image. The multiple directions of flow are interesting. I am curios how the setup of this image occurred. The random brown dot all alone is cool as well.
This image really pops. Awesome colors, composition, contrast and focus. I love the two drip flows perpendicular to each other and the little island drop. Really beautiful.
I think the two different pigments of the liquid worked well together and made a cool looking flow on top of the white background. The flow looks very cool and it is interesting that the flow seems to move in different directions as well as having one lone drop away from the flow.
The textured background comes through really nicely. The color is beautiful and very rich. The way that the two longer arms flow in differing directions evokes a really strong sensation of movement – nicely done.
I really like how sharp the flow boundary is here, especially with the thickness of the ooblek. The two colors are a nice contrast as well. I especially enjoy the lone drop on the right for some reason.
The pigments in the oobleck clearly illustrate the direction of the oobleck’s flow and is highly pleasing due to the contrast between the colors. Thanks to the framing of the photo, there is a feeling of motion and tension in the image, almost as if the fluid wants to keep flowing but cannot. Everything is in focus and the details are visible as a result. The texture of the background helps the eyes focus on the flow better and is a great addition to the image.
Very nice flow! I like how the colors are mixed. Very nice lighting, makes you see so many details, especially the background!
Also, I like the angle that image was taken at, makes you feel as if the oobleck is actually sliding!
Beautiful image, nice flow, great lighting and focus!
The colors of this image are very vibrant and beautiful. Very nice image!
Art: Intent was clear and this was a well communicated image
Flow: the colors truly highlight the different parts of the flow, anyhow each pigment relatively does not mix on it’s own causing those streaks.
Technique: the lighting and contrast are very good. Well done.
Wow, this one is very nice. The two colors were chosen really well, and the paper texture is cool. It shows the flow very well with the single drop of fluid off to the side. The picture was also focused well and the depth of field adds a nice touch.
Awesome colors and good choice of container/background. I think you could maybe experiment with different framing and cropping with a few drips of the oobleck for more unique flow patterns.
The color and texture contrast is brilliant. Also, the perspective leads to an ambiguous idea of size. Each flow could be 1 foot in length or 1 inch, and I love it.
This is a beautiful image. I like the flow of the oobleck. The textured background is really cool. The focus is perfect and the extra drop on the side is a really nice additional touch. I love the flow of the colors too.
I do not know how to make this better. It is an excellent image.
The mix of colors really make the picture interesting. The lighting shows the details and texture of the fluid and the background. It was a good idea to make the background white because it gives the picture a lighter contrast and makes the colors really stand out. Good picture of the fluid flow as well.
This image is very attention grabbing. The difference in texture between the background and the oobleck, as well as the color contrasts, create a very interesting image to looks at. The way the two colors of oobleck mix creates an interesting flow pattern.
Great the composition and contrast of the image. Nice focus, I like the texture of the white paper background. Good lightning. Also the way you use two different colors make the flow more clear.
The texture of the background add a little extra depth to the picture rather than it just being perfectly smooth. The image seems to thin out at places and stays thick in others. Was that on purpose, or did it just happen due to the substance used?
Art:
The mix of colors is soo nice. I like the blue path lines in the brown goo.
Flow:
Nicely shows dispersion. Is this flow gravity-driven? What phenomena are you demonstrating?
Photographic Technique:
Very clean and crisp. Consider blurring the background—the fine lines of the white paint are a little distracting…
Very cool fluid, it looks alien. I like that the background has texture. Great photography, other than some slight distortion in the bottom left the image is perfect.
The color is very bright and appealing. The lighting is great and the image has tremendous clarity. Was this flow natural or was it forced from some method? Overall I think it is a really great picture.
Art: I like the two colors that you decided to make with the oobleck
Flow: you perfectly caught the oobleck in its flow down the page under gravity with the intermixed colors
Technique: the lighting and exposure are great
The image has great composition, the contrasting textures are really cool.
The focus in this photo is amazing, everything is really sharp and in focus. The texture of the page adds a nice feel to the image as well. The different colors mixing together highlights the flow across the page as well as what is going on internally with the mixing liquids.
Very beautiful picture. The flow is understandable, and flow is controlled. Focus and time are good. Good idea.
I think you nailed the focus on this image, I really like the contrast between the two colors. I really like how smooth the surface looks in this also.
The aesthetic is great, the textured paper with the smooth ooblek is pleasing. The flow is great, very artistic like paint flowing down a page. The photography technique is nice, I like how the picture is at a slight angle rather than just head on to the flow
I really appreciate how clear your image is. I can even see the pleats of the surface that this oobleck is traveling upon. What surface was this? I think this image is beautiful, maybe one suggestion would be to focus more on the fluid and possibly see the details of the brown-blue mix and limit the amount of white surface. I would’ve just liked to see the details of the flow within the flow.
I like the colors and how the fluid flow fits in this image. I would try different colors just for fun, to see which contrast would look best.
I love this image! Your framing and color is absolutely beautiful! Nice work!
The visual flow of the ooblek is very appealing. Your contrast of colors is excellent. The flow down the page and the single droplet that formed on the right side looks very cool! All in all, great image.
I love the drop to the right of the main spill. I would love to either see more droplets, or more streaks. Of course this involves changing the flow of the specific liquid.
The blend of fluids show is quite great! Along with the setup and lighting. Also the juxtaposition of textures is alluring. Good job
Really like the contrast and texture of background. Really good lighting and color choices. The flow is creative with how two different colors mix up together.
Art: I like the brown and blue, this is a nonstandard matchup that plays together well.
Flow: Knowning this is non-newtonian, it doesn’t seem to illustrate anything different from regular viscous fluid but I may be mistaken.
Editing: Great focus, minimal editing benefits the photo greatly.
The complimentary color choice really defines the flow against the crisp white background. The lighting looks ambient and lights the picture really well.