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Surface & texture · Simulated material

Chrome & 3D render

Metallic, rendered, ray-traced forms.

A design choice in Stylogeny’s vocabulary, under surface & texture: what is the material finish?

styles make it: 22
as a defining choice: 4
as a usual one: 7
now and then: 11
avoid it: 38

Styles defined by it 4

For these styles it is one of the choices that make the style.

Demoscene Graphics (Cracktros, Demos & Text-Mode Art)1985–present · Northern Europe, Central Europe, Western Europe, North America, Global / networkedThe graphics of the demoscene, a mainly European community of coders, graphicians and musicians that grew from the intros software crackers added to pirated Commodore 64 and Amiga games in the mid-1980s.
Y2K Futurism1997–2005 · Global / networkedThe optimistic, chrome-plated vision of the future that surrounded the turn of the millennium, spread by consumer electronics, music videos, games, fashion and dot-com branding.
Synthwave / Outrun2006–present · Global / networked, Western Europe, Northern Europe, North America, OceaniaThe retro-futurist look of synthwave music: a 1980s revival that grew from mid-2000s French electro and online synth scenes, took its other name from Sega's arcade racer Out Run (1986) and reached the mainstream with Drive (2011).
Acid Graphics / New Ugly2016–present · Global / networked, Western Europe, Central EuropeA late-2010s club and poster style that updates 1990s rave graphics with modern 3D tools: liquid-chrome and melting lettering, neo-tribal spikes, wireframes, op-art patterns and acid-green palettes on black, mixed with blackletter and stretched grotesques.

Styles that often use it 7

A characteristic choice: usual in these styles, though not essential.

Styles that use it now and then 11

An occasional choice in these styles.

It often goes with

Choices that the styles making it make more often than the atlas as a whole.

Gradientsin 19 of 22
Gloss & highlightsin 15 of 22
3D renderin 13 of 22
Cosmic & celestialin 15 of 22
Motion & broadcastin 14 of 22
Illusion of depthin 16 of 22

Styles that avoid it

Styles that deliberately leave it out.

Other choices in surface & texture