Home Sign Up!

Browse Community Submit

All Art Craft Food Games Green Home Kids Life Music Offbeat Outdoors Pets Photo Ride Science Tech

Make your own Camouflage

by minerug on July 21, 2008 Table of Contents Make your own Camouflage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Make your own Camouflage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: How does camouflage work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Colour Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 4 6 6

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/

Intro: Make your own Camouflage

For one of my subjects at school, I had to find a client with a need, and meet that need. My animal-nut friend asked me to make his an item of clothing that would allow him to observe his favorite animals in the wild, without being spotted (by the animals presumably, because secretive animal watching is well.. odd) There are plenty of 'ibles out about camouflaging things, usually paintball guns etc, and there are a couple of ones about ghillie suits. What happens if you, like me want to make some wearable camouflage that isn't a ghillie suit, or some of the usual army surplus? Hopefully this Instuctable will give you enough info for you to start designing you own camouflage This Instructable is a work in progress, as I'm still in the process of making my camouflage item

Step 1: How does camouflage work?

Before we get into the details of how camo works, we need to know what the different types of camo are. Mimetic camouflage -Mimetic camouflage mimics the environment that it is in, usually by the use of colours or and/or shapes -Stick insects are a prime example of Mimetic camouflage Disruptive camouflage -Disruptive camouflage disrupts, or breaks up the outline of a figure -This involves only patterns and colours, not physical shapes -This is what all just about all the camouflage patterns used by militarys around the world use, hence the name of some being DPM (disruptive pattern material) -The patterns on some snakes act as Disruptive camouflage

Vision Here's a quick summary of a few things you need to understand before designing an effective camouflage pattern If you want to know more about these things, I've thrown in a few links at the bottom Focal vision/central vision (If you sound smart you can use the medical term- Foveal Vision ) - Colour plays a major role -100% of visual clarity in the range of focal vision - Relies on conscious input; ie looking at things Peripheral vision -In humans, colour does not play an important role in P.V., only movement and contrast. -Animals have better peripheral vision than humans -Plays a key role in threat detection -More rod cells in peripheral zones of retina causes peripheral vision to work better at night The brains perceptions -Brain is more likely to perceive something as an object or figure if it is one solid colour -Black in the environment perceived as depth. Shadows are a source of the colour black, as well as distance (the air will gradually absorb colours, creating grey-black)

Making Camouflage work Confusing focal vision - Using colours in the pattern that are similar to, if not the same as the colours in the environment - To a certain extent, using shapes similar to that in theenvironment - Different colours breaking up solid colours and forms will limit the brains ability to detect the object Confusing peripheral vision -Using environment-specific colours will reduce the contrast between the material and the surroundings -While peripheral vision relies on contrast, reducing the contrast between the colours in the pattern will negatively affect the foveal confusing properties. Confusing/Altering the brains perceptions

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/

-The dithering effect can be implemented to create the perception of more colours, confusing colour vision more by increasing the patterns ability to blend -The use of black or other dark colours will create a perception of depth, adding a 3rd dimension to design

Links More info on how camouflage works >here< Info on Peripheral vision >here< Focal vision >here< The Dithering effect >here< lnfo on German 'Flecktarn' (this will help explain the Dithering effect a bit) >here<

Image Notes 1. OMFG! Its a snake!

Image Notes 1. "I'm a leaf I'm a leaf I'm a leaf I'm a leaf... Crap you can see me" **hides under front legs**

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/

Image Notes 1. This demonstrates the 'Dithering effect' used in some camouflage designs

Step 2: Colour Selection

This is obviously the most important step of the design process, and plays a very important role in whether you pattern works, or you just end up looking like an idiot. This is especially true if you produce something with the effectiveness of the Universal Camouflage Pattern from a few years back. Since when did an assortment of greys blend into a green environment, or a dusty brown one? You decide. Criticism aside, here's the method I use for selecting colours-Find or take a picture of the environment you want to make a camouflage for. This could be a sandy environment like the beach or some desert, the woods outside you house and just about anywhere. -Transfer the picture onto a computer and open it up on paint (assuming you are using PC) -Click the re-size button and a pop up should appear -Type in '1' in the 'Horizontal' and 'Vertical' boxes -Click OK -The picture should have turned really tiny -Open up the re-size box again, but this time type '500' into the boxes, then click OK -Repeat this step until you have the image size you want, for me I only do it twice in total

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/

Image Notes 1. Pop up 2. Resize button

Image Notes 1. Because this is going to work...

Image Notes 1. Tiny picture

Image Notes 1. 500%

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/

Image Notes 1. Not so tiny

Related Instructables

DPM Platypus holder on a standard PLCE Yoke (Photos) by mattyuke

Digital Camera Lens Hood / Rain Hood by maudlin

airsoft sniping by airsoftsniper#1

Sniper Rifle Camouflage. by Valdravulfr

The Complete Guide to Airsofting by taz2020

Proffesional Ghillie Suit by americaneagle

Comments
5 comments

Add Comment
Apr 26, 2011. 4:25 AM REPLY

minerug says:
New instructable up and running

ducktape.mac says:

Jan 1, 2011. 12:47 PM REPLY how does this have 4,765 views? because, i don't know if my computer isn't wanting to pull these pics up, or if you accidentally did this. whatever you did... it seems to have worked!!!

minerug says:
Instructables won't let me delete it, so next time I make something, I'll put it in here

Jan 17, 2011. 10:34 PM REPLY

ducktape.mac says:
ah, i see. maybe i should try what you did.

Jan 18, 2011. 1:29 PM REPLY

Patented says:
it seems very tasty! but picture would be nice too

Aug 9, 2009. 7:56 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-great-burgers-at-home/