How to Make Glitch Art
The Basic Steps for Creating a Glitch
More often than not, when most people think of a glitch, they think of that horrific moment when their television forgets how to be a television and decides to ruin whatever movie or show they were watching. It’s basically the equivalent of that weekly weather testing that comes out of nowhere and restarts your heart. Something like, well, this:F
But, what if I were to tell you that there is another form of glitch that is exponentially less annoying, easy to make, and the basis of a new art medium that you can learn in a few easy steps?
Step One
Pick a photograph, any photograph (as long as it is a digital version that is already available on your desktop). Preferably one that is not near and dear to your heart, since we are, you know, glitching it. Now, listen closely, this is important — make a copy of your original photograph and only use the copy, never the original. If you take anything away from this tutorial, please let it be to always make a copy.
Step Two
Right click the photograph (control click if you are caught in the multi-billion dollar clutches of Apple like I am). Now, in the options panel you will see that second from the top is “Open With” and an arrow with more options, select the “Other…” option.
Step Three
At this point you should be faced with a menu titled “Choose Application,” in which you should use this menu to choose an application. It’s almost as if they label these based on their function.
Under the “Choose Application” menu you are going to scroll to the bottom of the Applications options until you reach the “TextEdit” option.
And you guessed it! Click open. Boom.
Step Four
Your screen likely looks something like this now.
If you do not have experience with coding you’re probably thinking “O_o I broke it.” But today is your lucky day, because you have actually not broken anything! Congrats.
What you are actually looking at is the coding for your digital photograph and the canvas for your future glitch. Everything that you delete, move, or add to this text will ultimately alter the photograph in one way or another.
When altering the text it is important to remember to skip the first ten or so lines of code to avoid erasing the photograph entirely. So, go ahead and scroll down to the middle of your image to be safe.
Select a large section of text from within the editor and delete it, copy it, or add something entirely new! I added the entirety of The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe to a glitch once so don’t feel like you have to be cautious! Be creative, be bold, and play around! There are no right or wrongs when it comes to glitch.
I added the entirety of The Raven by Edgar Alan Poe to a glitch once so don’t feel like you have to be cautious!
Step Five
When you are done playing within the text editor, click “file” and “save.” And voila. You have officially made your first glitch!
If you are not happy with how your turned out, I wouldn’t worry too much. Glitch is all about trial and error and it takes practice to understand which parts of the image should be repeated to make an interesting composition.
Remember, you can always start over by creating another copy of the image and following these steps over again!
Since I was glitching right along beside you (ie the purpose of a tutorial), I’ll show you the before and after of my glitch so you can have something to compare yours to.
Like I said, glitch isn’t perfect. It isn’t always going to turn out like a masterpiece from Monet or Manet, but it is innovative and artistic in its own right. In this day and age our daily lives are often consumed by technology — glitch is a chance to take control of the technology that has come to control us. The fact that we can completely alter the visual and textual components of an image is both beautiful and incredible. So, every time your television glitches, just remember, that in itself is a technological advancement (then feel free to go Hulk, I won’t judge).
Glitch is a chance to take control of the technology that has come to control us
I was going to end this with a bittersweet goodbye or a witty Star Wars quote that was along the lines of “May the Glitch be with you,” but I think you’ve heard enough of me for one day.
*drops mic and walks out*
