awesome gradients

[makc]

ok, so I couldn't resist another go at log scale Mandelbrot and calculated the image that looks like this:



(except it 100 times larger...)

It looks rubbish but it's actually smooth gradient in (R*256+G)*256+B, if you zero all channels but red you would see standard black-to-white coloring. So now I am looking for color gradients to map it to, like



So my question is, is there any particular palettes that Mandelbrot looks best with, or does any smooth transition work equally well?

[hobold]

My default colour map, when I have no idea what structures to expect, is usually just (a) cycle(s) through the rainbow. This has no intensity contrast at all (except against the black interior), but reasonably uniform local contrast everywhere (assuming reasonably good colour reproduction by your display device).

Adjusting the "phase" and "frequency" of this colour "standing wave" can (de-)emphasize certain areas almost arbitrarily. I find those colours a nice tool for exploration. But for artistic purposes they have been done to the death, so beware (and the lack of intensity contrast is another downside).

[makc]

(and the lack of intensity contrast is another downside).

so right about this part...

[hobold]

Well, you can always globally dial contrast up or down, by making more or fewer turns around the circle of saturated colours. Or you can modulate the intensity with a higher frequency to add smaller scale local contrast. If you go from black to full intensity and back (like the "copper bars" of yore did), you'll get the impression of parallel tubes. Palette cycling of those can look particularly weird.