LED Light Drawing Pens: Tools for drawing light doodles

Step 6 Finished product and drawing examples

It works for me! Now drawing is another story.

To see what we have done, visit our website: LightDoodles.Com

See even more of our drawings on Flickr.

My next Instructable will outline our techniques for actually doing the art. In the mean time see the Write or Draw with Light Instructable.

Comments

[s.orellanawps]

wow u have to move like super fast to draw those in the air tolatly amazing

[DigitalSilence]

 They do it by setting the camera to stay open and sensing light for a really long peroid of time. So it captures all the movments of the light pen in one image. CReating the drawing. So they can move as slow as they like. :)

[zixx65]

this is an awesome light up pen... i made alot of colors out of this idea and it made me think of new ideas to add to this................ YAY!

[Freakymonkey]

Those are so cool what an awesome christmas gift to give!!!!

[Reece 24]

way coooool

[sw33t]

using the led pen can draw a pic on a wall or..? if anyone know where to buy pls let me know thx... [e-mail] :P

[unklstuart]

Most of our pictures are drawn directly toward the camera, but you can point the lights at a wall and draw there. The results will be different and may appear more like spray paint. Try using a laser pointer when drawing on a wall. The concentrated beam will give a more defined image. Any light source can work. LED lights on key chains are available in most stores and work well for this. thanks

[Reece 24]

how much dose the supply cost

[rewena]

cool! you and your wife are so creative! keep on rockin!!!!!!

[MauveMaster]

Very interesting... how do you achieve the pictures?

[unklstuart]

Thanks for asking. I wrote a tutorial on my web page that you might take a look at:
http://lightdoodles.com/pages/drawing1.htm

[555mst555]

hey...i saw ur web....u use a D80 for the pics......what number did u put the ISO at?

[unklstuart]

I generally keep the ISO at 100, hoping for less noise.

[555mst555]

how bout shutter speed?

[unklstuart]

Shutter speed is set to bulb and I just hold the shutter open until the artist says she is done drawing. Of course the environment is very dark. I start with the f stop around f/8 (you have to start somewhere) and adjust it after looking at the first picture if the LEDs are coming out too bright or not bright enough. There is some trial and error involved.

[rhcpinferno]

i dont get how the photograph sees the whole picture? does the person there see only what is happening that moment or does the camera capture the finished product despite being invisible to the human eye. if so how does it capture it?

[unklstuart]

It is strange, but unlike the human eye, any light that enters the camera permanently changes the film or, in the digital camera, is permanently recorded by the optical image sensor and is displayed as a picture. Light entering our eye is retained on the retina (or maybe in the brain) for less then 1/25 of a second. This video might help: http://lightdoodles.com/pages/drawing1.htm

[m4r7in]

? I dont get it how do you make those pictures? by moving fast the LED light?

[unklstuart]

It is not easy to show as you are working in a low or no light environment. I try to illustrate it with video in this tutorial http://lightdoodles.com/pages/drawing1.htm

[aeronut01]

Awesome intructable! for the power supply, couldn't you use one of those 3V button cell batteries? i have tried them and all my LEDs have worked, and it eliminates the need for a resistor. i can post a picture of this battery if you'd like.

[unklstuart]

Thanks. When you consider the internal resistance of the battery and the tolerance of the LEDs, the 3v cell works. But since these blue LEDs prefer a forward voltage of 4v, I thought I would be nice and give it to them.

[BraisedDuck]

THANK YOU!!! your tutorial helped so much in my own things!

[unklstuart]

You are welcome. Good luck on your projects.

[ferome]

waaauu....i want light drawing pen. I think that you should sell these items in ebay...i could buy it....becouse i understand nothing about electronic ...i cant to do it. Regards from Spain

[coreyjune12]

Yeah I agree with @ferome you should sell these maybe on etsy.com I would buy one.

[bassmonkey]

esty.com?

[Schooniedude]

its a site where anyone can sell stuff... kinda like ebay, only with craft items

[bassmonkey]

k.........

[pitty]

You can get some pre built lights from Dealextreme (Very Cheap). Although I still think the ones made here are better for light painting.

Mini Multi-color LED Flashlight Keychain (Multi-color 4-Pack)

Cool Blue Light LED Keychain

[anemites]

wow!! hello!! this is great...!!! congrats...! =)

[m1sterb0b]

beautiful pictures. I love the intense color. Cool design of the lights to. This is definitely one that I'm planning on making when I get some $$$

[Brennn10]

These are absolutely amazing!