From d4c835c33ed4ed9add5a13f0a4745cdc8491fcaf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Akshay Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2020 21:37:20 +0530 Subject: new post: Pixel art in GIMP --- posts/pixel_art_in_GIMP.md | 134 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 134 insertions(+) create mode 100644 posts/pixel_art_in_GIMP.md (limited to 'posts') diff --git a/posts/pixel_art_in_GIMP.md b/posts/pixel_art_in_GIMP.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd9e7ad --- /dev/null +++ b/posts/pixel_art_in_GIMP.md @@ -0,0 +1,134 @@ +I've always been an admirer of pixel art, because of it's +simplicity and it's resemblance to bitmap font design. +Recently, I decided to take the dive and make some art of my +own. + +I used GIMP because I am fairly familiar with it. Aseprite +seems to be the editor of choice for animated pixel art +though. + +### Setting up the canvas + +Picking a canvas size is daunting. Too small, and you won't +be able to fit in enough detail to make a legible piece. Too +big and you've got too many pixels to work with! + +I would suggest starting out with anywhere between 100x100 +and 200x200. [Here's](https://u.peppe.rs/u9.png) a sample +configuration. + +Sometimes I use a 10x10 grid, `View > Show Grid` and `Edit > +Preferences > Default Grid > Spacing`, but that can get +jarring at times, so I throw down a couple of guides, drag +right or down from the left or top gutters for vertical and +horizontal guides respectively. + +### Choosing a Brush + +The most important part of our setup is the brush. Use the +Pencil Tool (`n` on the keyboard) for hard edge drawings. +Here's a small comparison if you don't know the difference +between a hard edge and a soft edge: + +![hard edge vs soft edge](https://u.peppe.rs/kz.png) + +I turn the size down all the way to 1 (`[` on the keyboard). +Set `Dynamics` off. [Here's](https://u.peppe.rs/Fs.png) a +sample brush configuration. + +### Laying down the pixels! + +With the boring stuff out of the way, we can start with our +piece. I usually follow a three step process: + + - draw a rough outline + - fill in the shadows + - add highlights + +But this process are better explained with an example: an +onigiri. Let us start off with a 100x100 canvas. + +#### Drawing the outline + +For the most part, our figure will be symmetric. If you are +on GIMP 2.10+, you can take advantage of the Symmetry +Painting feature. Go ahead and enable vertical symmetry, +`Window > Dockable Dialogs > Symmetry Painting` and +`Symmetry Painting > Symmetry > Mirror > Vertical`. Your +outline might look something like this: + +![rice_outline](https://u.peppe.rs/mn.png) + +Go ahead and fill it in with the fill tool (`Shift + b` on +the keyboard), add in some seaweed as well, preferably on a +different layer. You can toggle symmetry on and off to save +yourself some time. + +![with_seaweed](https://u.peppe.rs/xu.png) + +#### Shadows + +For now, let us focus on the shadows on the object itself, +we'll come back to the shadows cast by the object on the +surface later. + +Shadows on any surface always follow the shape of the +surface. A spherical onigiri would have a circular shadow: + +![riceball_shadow](https://u.peppe.rs/FU.png) + +A couple of noticeable changes: + +**Layers**: The layer containing the seaweed has been hidden. +**Color**: The color of the shadow is just a slightly +lighter version of the original object (reduce the Value on +the HSV scale). +**Area**: The shadow does not go all the way (notice the bottom +edges). + +The shadow does not go all the way because we will be +filling in that area with another, darker shadow! An image +might explain better: + +![shadow_all](https://u.peppe.rs/Br.png) + +To emulate soft lights, reduce the value by 2 to 3 points +every iteration. Notice how area `1` is much larger than +area `4`. This is because an onigiri resembles an oblate +spheroid, a sphere that is slightly fatter around the +middle, and areas `1` and `2` catch more light than areas +`3` and `4`. + +Do the same with the seaweed. The seaweed, being a smaller, +flatter object, doesn't cast much of a shadow, so stop with +1 or 2 iterations of the gradient: + +![shadow_weed](https://u.peppe.rs/T3.png) + +We're getting there! + +#### Highlights + +This step handles the details on the strongly illuminated +portions of the object. Seaweed is a bit glossy, lighten the +edges to make it seem shiny. The rice is not as shiny, but +it does form an uneven surface. Add in some shadows to +promote the idea of rice grains. Here is the finished +result: + +![highlights](https://u.peppe.rs/VE.png) + +### Finishing Touches + +Some color correction and `a e s t h e t i c` Japanese text +later, our piece is complete! + +![small_onigiri](https://u.peppe.rs/cn.png) + +Hold on, why is it so tiny? Well, that's because our canvas +was 100x100, head over to `Image > Scale Image`, set +`Quality > Interpolation` to `None` and scale it up to +700x700, et voilà! + +![big_onigiri](https://u.peppe.rs/CH.png) + -- cgit v1.2.3