Design

Glow Doodle Makes Painting With Light Simple

Windows/Mac: Glow Doodle turns your webcam into an extended exposure camera, perfect for creating hand-drawn light streak art.

We’ve previously showed you how to use extended exposures to photograph light trails left behind by moving objects, including stars. While your web cam is nowhere near the level of sophistication you’d need for capturing star trails, thanks to the simple app Glow Doodle, you can use it capture images created with bright lights, like LEDs. The red spiral shown above was created using a small red keychain LED flashlight.

Glow Doodle works best in a darkened room, although the galleries at the link below show off ways people have used Glow Doodle under regular lighting conditions for cools effects. If you make a doodle you’re proud of, make sure to share a link in the comments below. Glow Doodle is freeware and available for Windows and Mac.

Glow Doodle [via Make]

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • logie100

    Dark matter i had same problem but it does work, you just have to wait a while.

    logie100

  • Darkmatter91

    I can't seem to download WinVDIG v1.0.1

  • Gonz

    I find this kind of art really cool, this app should get me an idea of how it works.

    Well done, Jason ;)

  • chaitanyak

    ok chill i got it here [www.goomusic.com.hk]

    glow Doodle works now

  • Gonz

    @Blake380: Couldn't even install the firs thingy on my 7 RC.

    :(

  • chaitanyak

    WinVDIG v1.0.1 doesnt seem to be downloading for me :(

  • foocs

    If you'd like to fool around with this app and don't have an LED handy, you can try using an optical mouse. Just flip the mouse over and draw in the air with its light source.

    I made some cool pictures like this with my digital camera by setting the exposure time to 10 seconds or so.

  • Blake380

    Is it just me, or does this program not work on Windows 7 RC?

    Blake380

  • Jason Fitzpatrick

    @Darkmatter91: It wasn't a particularly speedy download when I grabbed it for testing... I can't imagine that being featured on Lifehacker is doing it a lot of good.

    Try this mirror of the file I just dug up, the DL speed is radically faster than the link at Glow Doodle:

    [www.eden.net.nz]

  • mawcs

    @Gonz: Bummer.

  • ArmoredCavalry

    @Gonz:
    Yeah, a couple weeks ago I set the exposure to 30 seconds and moved my green laser all across my wall.

    Same idea, cool results.

  • markbowman

    @markbowman:

    I'm stupid. My window showing the final file was hidden under my other desktop windows and I didn't see the .jpg file.

    I'd still like to see an option to save the file without it being uploaded to his site everytime though.

    markbowman

  • markbowman

    The Mac screenshot shortcut works fine for local saving.

    Neat app but being tied to his website is major flaw with the program. You should be able to choose from saving locally or uploading to say flickr or your website directly.

    I can kids trying this out and then not understanding that their creations go right to the internet. Besides they are going to want to show their parents their creations. Won't somebody "please think of the children!"

    markbowman

  • markbowman

    How do you save the files? I can't seem to figure that out? Do I need to use a screencapping program or something?

    markbowman

Post Your Comments

Got something to say? There are two ways to comment:

1. Guests

Click here to comment instantly.

2. Facebook Users

Click below to comment using your Facebook account.

We're looking for comments that are interesting, substantial or highly amusing. If your comments are excessively self-promotional, obnoxious, or even worse, boring, you will be banned from commenting. All comments are moderated.