Neon Light Without Clipping Skin
Neon can rim a cheek. It should not replace the skin with a flat magenta or cyan patch that has no detail.
Neon light clips skin when the color replaces the cheek instead of edging it. A thin rim of pink or green on the side away from the street can look like a real shop sign down the block. A face painted solid magenta, with no pores and no nose shadow, is a poster. Keep a neutral light on the front of the face, and let the neon be the edge.
Rim, not fill
Say "thin colored rim on the far cheek, front of the face in neutral street light." "Bathed in neon" is the phrase that deletes skin. You should still recognize the person.
No readable signs
Signs in the background become fake words. Ask for colored light and a blurred street, not a shop name. If the brand is yours, put it in the caption.
Both eyes still match
Colored light changes the catchlight. Both eyes should still agree. One eye cyan and one eye unlit means the face was composited.
A worked example
Night street, face readable in ordinary light, a thin pink rim on the hair side. No sign text. A fully magenta face is rejected.
Check the still
- The front of the face is still skin.
- Neon is an edge.
- Background signs are not readable.
Where Scro fits
If this is the locked host, approve the still in Scro only when the face still matches the reference. Neon is not a reason to redraw the eyes. Life photos the next day should be able to stand beside it.
Use neon as an edge, not a mask. Finished samples are on the examples page.
Related: Rain on the Window, Subject Dry.