Pixel Art Challenge: Wide Pixels

From challenge winner Stickman comes this challenge.
Choose the title of an existing book or novel (from the bible to Harry Potter) and pixel an original cover (no refs) for it emulating this vintage console using the Amstrad CPC palette and using only a 1x2 pixel brush (no single pixels).

The book title must be included in your entry, author may be included

Size template with 1x2 grid (vertically only, grid goes the other way for landscape)

This means 160x200 measured in single pixels but pixelled using double pixels (1x2) as a coloring unit.

Color Palette - 16 colours from fixed palette (no 1 bits ;)
Canvas Size - 160x200 horizontal or vertical
No transparency
No Animation

Reference Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_CPC
http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/games/pf-cpc.htm
http://www.gfxzone.org/articles/cpc_graphics-article_01.html

There is a link to a tutorial about making 1x2 brushes in MSPaint, see the links page.
*many unnoticed links are there too so no direct links, ya lazy bums :p

The challenge thread will have all the challenge updates. The thread is also a great place to post your WIPs.

Posted by jalonso @ 3/3/2008 05:01 | 41

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Opacus (Level 7 Ichikyu) @ 3/10/2008 03:40

Ah crap I completely forgot to finish this.

Metaru (Level 8 Brigadier General) @ 3/8/2008 21:00

I failed at being a book reader. the only novel I found interesting(and read it) was one hundred years of solitude,

and that was 8 years ago.

0xDB (Level 5 Detective) @ 3/8/2008 03:52

[nitpick] Usually when referring to the dimensions of digital 2D-images, the format is "width x height". So by saying that the pixel size should be 1x2, this could be easily understood as having picture elements that are one pixel wide and two pixels in height and not two pixels wide and one pixel in height as the template image suggests.
So, I would refer to 1x2 as "tall pixels" rather than "wide pixels", which are actually 2x1. [/nitpick]

Carnivac (Level 8 Shodan) @ 3/7/2008 08:18

ugh. I think I've done my piece too big. The whole pixel size debate confused the crap out of me and I've been doing my picture as a fullscreen Mode 0 size. Which is technically 160x200 but stretched to 320x200 when using the wide pixels.

I may just submit the image outside of the challenge then. I've lost the motivation for it anyways now...

dammit

Carnivac (Level 8 Shodan) @ 3/4/2008 09:13

OK I finally chose a darn book and made a start. Whether it'll be finished or not is debatable. I have other things to do this week but I couldn't pass up a go at a CPC related challenge :)

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/4/2008 08:32

Heh heh!!! My apologies!!

You have to enter this contest now tomic :)

tomic (Level 11 Admiral) @ 3/4/2008 07:29

most revised challenge rules evar =P

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/4/2008 04:40

Thanks Jal!

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/4/2008 04:23

Yeah Tomic my bad. I should of put 160x200 1x1 pixel canvas size. But using wide pixels for the actual pic

!!!
Smaller would be good as it gives people time to pixel something. I'll ask one of the mods to update this!

Sorry for the confusion guys...

tomic (Level 11 Admiral) @ 3/4/2008 04:18

checking the provided links and several cpc-pieces i've stored on my harddisk i believe you're not right with the resolution rule / the template..

it seems you want to emulate 'Mode 0' witch is 160x200. from what i understood, that mode doesn't consist of widepixels, rather than that the widepixel-look just results from displaying it on a screen which naturally is 4:3 and thus the template must be 320x200 with 2x1 slots (or 160x100 with normal pixels and streched later on)

thatswhy the guy on this 160px pic here http://www.gfxzone.org/articles/cpc_graphics-example_mode_0.png is quite narrow and only looks right if streched to double the width when displayed on a screen

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/4/2008 03:54

@Flarfy: The challenge says "Choose the title of an existing book and pixel an original cover". So the title needs to be in there.
@Surt: Use 160x200 1x1 pixels for the canvas size. Use wide pixels for the pic

Flarfy (Level 5 Detective) @ 3/4/2008 03:28

Is a book cover just the picture or must it also include title-n-stuff?

surt (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 20:11

So is this wide pixel format or painted with a two pixel wide brush? They are very different things.

Acherhar (Level 5 Lieutenant) @ 3/3/2008 18:45

Landscape grid.

Note: The black and white used in both grids are exactly the same as the ones in the palette. The white is pure (default) white, but the black has a slight difference from default MS Paint black.

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/3/2008 16:11

@Wolverine: 160 x 200 in regular 1x1 pixels (just to keep things simple and small enough, so people have enough time to pixel something.)

(an example: http://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/28668.htm)

Book based on a tv show is fine if you want to do that as the challenge is existing book or novel.

@Jal/Inkspot: Good point. If contestants could just try their very best to check their lines, that would be good. (There won't be any benefit if you don't). Just leaving it to the mods would be insane and not very fair :))
No one is going to lynch you if you mistakes with this one as it's a pretty tricky thing to do. But just try to keep the lines in order as best as you can.

Carnivac (Level 8 Shodan) @ 3/3/2008 15:21

I'm still puzzled. When you say 160x200. Is that 160 wide pixels that equal 320 in regular 1x1 pixels? I mean we making a typically sized Mode 0 fullscreen picture right? I just noticed that it may look like people are doing wide pixels that equal a total of 160 wide. Or is that correct and I'm wrong?

And I didn't get my book question answered. Does it count if the book is based on a TV show (the novel I had in mind was never an actual filmed episode, it's just based on the characters and setting of the show). I'm just trying to sketch out some rough ideas. Does it matter if the book has been a film also?

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 14:22

How critical/strict should we be on that for this challenge?
Is maybe just the 'look and feel' of CPC ok?
State your choices quick cuz ya noes, before stickman comes by.

...Stickman?....

Acherhar (Level 5 Lieutenant) @ 3/3/2008 14:18

Something like this, jal?

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 14:07

Members and Mods I suppose : /

inkspot, do you have a grid handy? post it maybe?

inkspot (Level 4 Button Man) @ 3/3/2008 13:56

Whos conna check if everything lines up exactly to 1x2 pixel scale grid?

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 13:14

Skeedles, maybe Fight Club or War & Peace tho your style is more Nancy Drew Mysteries :p

Opacus (Level 7 Ichikyu) @ 3/3/2008 13:10

google

skeddles (Level 11 Psychopath) @ 3/3/2008 12:56

one problem... I cant think of a novel

tomic (Level 11 Admiral) @ 3/3/2008 12:47

i might do the holy bible*, or my fav book about the numeric calculation of heat flows, thermal briges and surface temperatures.. or wait: disney! my chance to do mickey mouse =P

* in case someone wants to illustrate the coran, keep in mind to not depict the prophet (to avoid ppl burning pixeljoint-flags =)

Platnium (Level 1 Depressed) @ 3/3/2008 12:29

I'm guessing this is the MsPaint brush tutorial:

Here...for all you lazy people

Zephiel87 (Level 4 Lieutenant) @ 3/3/2008 12:22

Never done wide pixels before, but definitely wanting to try this.

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/3/2008 11:40

@zAk: It says it on the challenge.

zAk (Level 3 Stalker) @ 3/3/2008 11:16

160x200 in 1x2 pixel term or 160x200 camvas size?

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/3/2008 10:47

Cheers!!! Jal

!!!

Please make sure that it is 1 pixel high and 2 across. (some examples)

http://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/5776.htm
http://pixeljoint.com/pixelart/25548.htm

Okay everybody!!! Get pixelling!!!!

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 10:44

Thanks, stickman. I have changed the rules to conform.
My bad, sorry guys : /

Stickman (Level 7 Sheriff) @ 3/3/2008 10:42

Hello guys. I really hope no one has started this yet!

Choose 16 colours out of the 27 (I had originally wrote this)
And use the 160x200

Please enjoy and feel free to call me all sorts of names for not explaining properly!!

tomic (Level 11 Admiral) @ 3/3/2008 09:40

isnt't 150x200wide (320x200) the mode in which you can only pick 4 colors out of the 27 color platette and 80x200wide (160x200) the one with 16 out of 27? i mean, you're talking about "emulating" the cpc

also, just because i'm interested: found some 384x264x4bpp cpc-pieces on my hdd, fakemode? enlighten me

heyy13 (Level 3 Private Eye) @ 3/3/2008 09:03

This might be the challenge to get me to actually post something here. ;D

I've allways wanted to try widepixel and this seems like the motivation. Maby i'll do and Ian Irvine book since that's what i'm currently reading. : )

tomic (Level 11 Admiral) @ 3/3/2008 08:33

i hope the ops will reject every single harry potter piece for revision..

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 07:54

I think the CPC 'look' is important to achieve, I think. Too few colors might not have it.
I hope stickman comments on this detail soon, since its his challenge : /

skamocore (Level 11 CEO) @ 3/3/2008 07:09

:P apparently...as long as it's not 1 bit

inkspot (Level 4 Button Man) @ 3/3/2008 06:32

"try to use them all..." so that means I don't have to use them all... 3 colours are ok?

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 06:17

btw, all if you use MSPaint I placed a tutorial link to making 1x2 brushes in Paint. Where?
In the links section :p

Varock Shade (Level 7 Underboss) @ 3/3/2008 05:39

I definetely want to do this challenge! I always wanted to do a 1x2 pixel piece, but somehow every time something stops me from doing it (bad memory, other projects etc). But what I am going to make us a mystery for me at the moment...

jalonso (Level 11 Godfather) @ 3/3/2008 05:15

I thought that too about the colors?
The links I placed there discuss this. Apparently 16 colors was the limit from the 27 color palette.
Use then as needed just no 1-bit and cal it CPC, ya know.
Let's hope stickman answers these type of details.

Carnivac (Level 8 Shodan) @ 3/3/2008 05:07

Woo! A CPC challenge. This is my kind of thing. Hope I'll have some time to do something.

One question though, it says to use all 27 colors? Why, when the 'wide pixel' mode of the CPC had a limit of 16 of them at once?

EDIT: a book cover eh? darn I knew I shoulda been reading more over these years. Can the book in question be based on a tv show? Most of the books I own are past Doctor Who novels :P

Also... the dark blue has a 127 value when other colors are using the 128 value. I tend to use 127 in my usual CPC stuff. Will that matter?

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