Product Review: Alien
Skin's EyeCandy 7
Eye Candy 7, by Alien Skin software, is a plug-in for Adobe's Photoshop, or Photoshop Elements, and contains a great number of effects filters that is best described by this plug-in's own name. With Eye Candy 7, you can create unique logos and type, as well as use it for enhanced photographic and special effects.
A couple of years ago I reviewed the previous incarnation of Eye Candy, and I must say that there are numerous improvements in functionality and the interface is now looking very sleek.
Note that Eye Candy 7 is for only available for use in Adobe Photoshop CS5 or later and Photoshop Elements 10 or later.
Eye Candy 7, once installed, is accesible in the 'Filter' drop-down in Photoshop, which I am using for this review. When you apply Eye Candy, the interface opens in a new window. As I mentioned, the new Eye Candy interface is much improved over the previous version. Not only does it offer easier and better functionality, but it just looks fantastic.
Eye Candy 7 interface in Photoshop
The effects are divided into two groups: "Shape" and "Texture." The Shape effects are ones which require a selection, an object, or text to work. The Texture effects, on the other hand, can work on an entire image.
The Eye Candy 7 effects menu, by "Shape" and "Texture."
What I found really cool in version 7 is that once you select the effect you want to use, you can hover your cursor over the presets for that effect and see an instant thumbnail preview in the lower left portion of the interface. This makes it quick and easy to find the look you want.
Not sure of your choice? Just hover your cursor over an effect's presets list in Eye Candy 7 for a quick thumbnail preview of other presets.
With each effect, you get a set of controls to fully customize the look of the effect. And, if you create a look that you really like, you even have the option to save your own presets.
Eye Candy 7 allows you to save your own presets
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Each effect in Eye Candy 7 has extensive controls to get just the look you want. You also have a 'Random Seed' button to help you out.
In this image, I used Chrome for the text, then applied the Electrify effect.
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Need a nice sky background? Try Eye Candy 7's Clouds.
Eye Candy 7 allows you to make eye-popping logos...
This image, courtesy of Alien Skin Software, demonstrates some of the popular effects in Eye Candy 7.
Upper Left: Electrify (new in version 7) + Brushed Metal + Shadow
Upper Right: Wood + Extrude + Fire + Shadow
Lower Left: Animal Fur + Shadow
With each effect in Eye Candy 7, you have extensive control of the parameters to get just the look you want. You can simply start with a preset and customize it to your liking. And, in some cases, you can even import other imagery to add to the effect.
Using the Eye Candy 7 Ripples effect
Endnotes
Eye Candy 7 sports a great new interface, better functionality for full control of effect parameters, and plenty of effects that would surely come in handy time and again. More than that, Eye Candy 7 is easy to use, and just downright fun to experiment with.
Note that what I've shown in this review are just some of my favorite effects. To see everything that's included in Eye Candy 7, be sure to have a thorough look at the examples on the Alien Skin site and even try a demo for yourself. There are also very helpful tutorials at the Alien Skin site that can show you how it works and may even help you decide if Eye Candy 7 is right for you.
Price: $199.00 (USD)
System Requirements
1280x768 or greater monitor resolution Intel Core 2 processor
Macintosh:
- Mac OS X 10.7 or later
Windows:
- Windows 7 or later
Quick Links:
Nick C.
Sorbinis a digital artist, sculptor, writer, and
Managing Editor for Renderosity's CG Industry News. With a keen
interest in motion graphics, Nick's weekly Motion Corner
column highlights the tools and techniques in this vast area, as
well as spotlighting current motion designers and software
developers.Renderosity Homepage
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