Pixel gradients

[Kiwi]

Hi,
Can anyone say how the effect in the pic is done of gradiating the colors of a Pixel painting in an organized fashion?
Is this a filter, or perhaps a specific software package that allows this effect.
Any help appreciated ... Thank's

[remi]

Hi Kiwi,

I'm not sure, what kind of effect you're searching. Would you like to know, how to create fine transitions or how to create the pixel effect?

Remi

[Grafixman]

Posterize?
Looks something like it, or at least that's what I'd try first. Reducing the colors creates banding like that...
But I also recall some pixel art tutorial where the artist built up the shading manually.

[Kiwi]

Yep!
The centre effect above
My partner believes this is achieved manually, but I look at so many of the pixel art drawings from the net that she's got, and it would take a lifetime to manually draw in the progressively lighter shades not to mention doing it in the right order
Many of the pics are given a more 3d'ish appearance (eg;Dolls faces) by lightening the centre and shading gently towards the outer edge. Is this "posterise?"
We haven't been able to find any clear written explanations on this process.
Thought I'd ask the "Graffic Guru"s"

[Soquili]

Hi Kiwi,

I'm not sure what you are actually asking.

The attached image shows a jpeg of a rose that I drew a few years ago using Xara X. To the right of that image is a small portion of the jpeg (the portion within the white box in the rose image). The small portion has been enlarged and the antialiasing has been turned off. You see the individual pixels that make up what appears to be smooth transitons of the light and dark area on the rose petals in the original bitmap.

There are several techniques to create the pixellated effect. One is to simply enlarge a section of a larger image. Others employ filters to do something similar.

If I had been using the original vector image, enlarging would not show the pixels because vectors scale without causing the pixels to show. That is why vectors are desired for images that will need to be used in many different sizes. If you use a bitmapped image and enlarge the pixels begin to distort the image so it is unrecognizable and jaggie.

[Kiwi]

Thank's for your explanation Bill

I am talking about Paint based programs (Microsoft Paint, psp, PhotoImpact, GraphicsGale etc etc that people use to draw tiny pics (Dolls, Sprites, Smilees etc) and some how manage to get this pixelated look which does really enhance the finished look.
Grafixman could be right with "Posterise" effect but I'm hoping someone will be able to point us at a tutorial explaining methods and/or filters?
Thank's again

[remi]

I've used Xara Xtreme and a little trick to create the image, but you can also use a bitmap editor with a mosaic filter (the freeware Artweaver has a nice mosaic filter).

Regards,
Remi

[Soquili]

It's been a long time since I used Paint Shop Pro, but I seem to remember the 'mozaic' effect that Remi mentioned. If you create you doll face or smilie with smooth gradient then apply the mosaic effect it would look pixelated without enlarging the image.

I also think Photoshop has a mosaic effect.

If I were at home instead of at work I could look them up as I have both programs installed on one of my computers there.

[RTK]

This was done a long time ago (and yes, I was probably extremely bored at the time)... Pixels in vectors with Xara X - sampled one by one. I'm sure there are tracers that can do the same job, but at the time...

Bit of a waste of time, but still - thought I would toss in here. The .xar file is attached.

Risto

[Grafixman]

Do a google search on "vexel"
Here's one tutorial where posterize was used:
http://www.moltovivo.net/tutorials/v.../vexeltut.html
Just don't continue on where the pen tool is used to create bezier curves.
Haven't tried it on tiny pixel arts, though.