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how to use graidients in gimp

Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: The Lounge
Forum Name: Resources and Support
Forum Discription: Help your fellow pixel artists out with links to good tutorials, other forums, software, fonts, etc. Bugs and support issues should go here as well.
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7141
Printed Date: 11 October 2022 at 2:54pm


Topic: how to use graidients in gimp
Posted By: hyperhopper
Subject: how to use graidients in gimp
Date Posted: 24 September 2008 at 6:44pm
Hello!
I am interested in starting isometric pixel art.
I run linux and the programs I have are mtpaint, kolourpaint, inkscape, and gimp.
I have just dabbled in it, and have been following the tutorial http://www.rhysd.com/tutorial/chapter2.html, and as you can see by my avatar I have gotten to the triangle. but when I try to make a cylinder in gimp, I try to add a gradient but it says it cannot add gradient on indexed layers, how can I.
Also, how can I copy and paste selections?


Replies:
Posted By: Hapiel
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 12:03am
In gimp, you will have to set the image settings to non indexed/full color/16bit/32bit (or the layer settings)

However, using gradients is extremely forbidden in pixel art.
Isometric does not always have to do much with "pixel" art. For example your triangle, there is not much pixel by pixel work in it. If you want to explore the non pixel art way of creating isometric images, you can use gradients, but you are not allowed to post those images here :)
Succes!


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Posted By: hyperhopper
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 11:42am
I'm confused, the tutorial says to color the cyliner, use the fg to bg graidient, how else can you color a cylinder?
Also, how is my triangle not pixel art? I did everything pixel by pixel, Exept the colors I just did a fill...

P.S. my short term goal is to contribute a look-alike of my room to the joint project and also something to gooncity.com...any ideas?

Posted By: Monkey 'o Doom
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 12:40pm
When it says to create a gradient, it means a smooth gradation between two colors, which you can do by hand well enough for anything. Using a tool to create gradients for you causes a huge number of colors to be added and means you have less control over how the image looks. You can make a gradient by hand by using dithering to create the illusion of midtones between your actual colors and by carefully picking a set of colors that're evenly distributed in lightness.
 
You might also be advised to avoid using tool-made gradients because they look perfectly smooth and real life is pretty devoid of perfectly smooth and uniformly reflective objects. While there might be some on polished metallic surfaces, it's best to do things by hand so you've control over more.
 
I think what lollige meant about your triangle is that it's not very detailed and so there weren't many places where you displayed the single-pixel level of manipulation. He was probably trying to emphasize that once you've done more pixel art with small, pencil-tool-at-800%-zoom work and the like you'll understand more fully why using tools for gradients or other nontrivial elements of your art is a problem.
 
I've used mtPaint and I would recommend it over the Gimp for pixelling, but I won't impose anything on you; whatever you're most happy with is probably best.
 
Cheers, and happy pixel-pushing!


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http://pixelmonkey.ensellitis.com">
RPG is numberwang.

Posted By: hyperhopper
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 1:08pm
A I did make this triangle in mtpaint, in which I also made a square and a uncolored cylinder. I do not know how color the cylinder, with gradients, or without, in mtpaint or gimp.
This is what I am trying to figure out.

Posted By: Hapiel
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 1:15pm
You can create a gradient just like monkey said: Get some colors, sort them on your cylinder and use some dithering (look it up) inbetween

There is no exact rule that says that your triangle is no pixel art. However when the filling part is larger than the pixel by pixel part, its often (by me) said its not 'really' pixel art. This is however just my personal opinion.


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Posted By: hyperhopper
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 1:20pm
I looked up dithering and what it looks like, but is there a precise method to it or do you have to kinda guess and do it pixel by pixel every time...

Posted By: hyperhopper
Date Posted: 25 September 2008 at 7:44pm
Is the wikihow article right??? it says

  • Learn to dither. Dithering is a technique that blends your colors together, making them look smoother, or just creating interesting textures. There are 3 types of dithering: Basic dithering, stylized dithering and anti-aliasing. You will only learn basic dithering here, but it is easy to learn other two thereafter.
    • Basic dithering is a 2x2 checkerboard pattern that is created outside of the color to make it blend with the other, lighter color (or darker) color. You can practice dithering by applying more or less to the image. See what the results look like.
    • Once you master basic dithering, you can move on to stylized dithering, which instead of a checkerboard pattern, creates a random pattern of dots held together. It is used to create textures and more effects.
    • Anti-aliasing is used on lines to make them smoother. You will not need it in basic pixel art, although sometimes it can be useful.
  • http://www.wikihow.com/Image:Balls.PNG">
    http://www.wikihow.com/Image:Balls.PNG">
    Shaded ball: Before and After.
    Practice shading and lighting. When shading objects, you must always consider the lighting point, or sun. Once you decide where it is, imagine that object is in real life and shade it the way it would be shaded in real life. Decrease lum value of a color by 30 and increase hue by 5 and shade the area in. Then, dither it so the colors blend. Now, modify the shaded color: decrease lum value by 30 and increase hue by 10. Shade the area inside the shaded area; however, make it small, like 2 pixels or so. Then, dither. Now, depending on what material you're drawing (shiny or not), you need to add in lighting. This is done by increasing original color by 40 or 50 (whichever one looks better) and drawing a line or a little circle opposite from the shaded areas. It has to be about 2 pixels away from the outline and it should look real. Again, use dithering to fit it in.

    		•

    Posted By: Hapiel
    Date Posted: 26 September 2008 at 12:15am
    Wikihow is indeed right, even though this tutorial seems to be made by someone not that experienced either.



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    Posted By: hyperhopper
    Date Posted: 26 September 2008 at 7:51am
    so let me get this straight, no tools besides pencil and fill, and to dither I cannot use gimp's dither gradient, or gimps color A to color B graidient, and you must do it in those patterns?

    Posted By: Monkey 'o Doom
    Date Posted: 26 September 2008 at 12:45pm
    That's correct, though you can use the line and circle tools if you want faster straight lines or perfect ovals. The basic rule of thumb is that you can use a tool for something if you'd be able to do it with the pencil tool, given enough time. According to that rule of thumb, gradients are out because they add in colors you wouldn't have used if you'd been picking your colors by hand.

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    http://pixelmonkey.ensellitis.com">
    RPG is numberwang.

    Posted By: hyperhopper
    Date Posted: 27 September 2008 at 2:16pm
    no to contradict you monkey, but I think gimp has a gradient which uses dithering instead of adding colors, if this is true, could I use that?

    Posted By: Monkey 'o Doom
    Date Posted: 27 September 2008 at 7:54pm
    Craaaap! I had a whole post typed up before and the internet ate it. I'll summarize quickly, because I'm annoyed now.
     
    -You probably don't use math to figure out your dithering so you and the dither tool will produce different results.
     
    -There are many, many other ways to dither, with different textures implied by each. http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=2008.0 - See here for a few examples.


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    http://pixelmonkey.ensellitis.com">
    RPG is numberwang.

    Posted By: Metaru
    Date Posted: 01 October 2008 at 3:10pm
    for once the internet saves us from WallofText.mod

    thanks you internet


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    I ate leel's babies

    Posted By: Hapiel
    Date Posted: 02 October 2008 at 12:35am
    I wish met wrote walloftexts too :(

    Hyperhopper, if it is true you can not use it :D


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    Posted By: minipuck
    Date Posted: 03 October 2008 at 6:53am
    he could use it and then see what awesome dithering techniques the computer uses, study them and then use them in his pixel art right?

    Posted By: Monkey 'o Doom
    Date Posted: 03 October 2008 at 3:40pm
    The problem is that the computer's dithering techniques aren't very awesome. They're generic and bland, and there isn't much artistic merit to them. Here's a sample of some computer-generated dithering patterns:


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    http://pixelmonkey.ensellitis.com">
    RPG is numberwang.

    Posted By: kotchomet
    Date Posted: 12 October 2008 at 5:30pm
    agreed, that doesn't look very good. i think this poor fellow would be helped out a lot if someone provided a link to a decent dithering tutorial (it would help me a great deal, too), but i think the real problem here is that the man thinks that the fancier tools that come with programs are what makes up most pixel-art. i'm definitely not an expert when it comes to making pixel-art, but from what i've gathered, the good artists do everything, or almost everything, by hand, in fact that's one of pixeljoint's rules: NO GRADIENTS. it all has to be done manually, and i think that's what this person doesn't get.


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