8 BPP art -- how do you do it?
category: general [glöplog]
What tools do you use to produce graphics such as the Pouet.net logos?
Are you doing everything from scratch in GrafX 2 or Deluxe Paint run in DOS compability mode in Windows XP, or are you sitting with some funky Amiga-exclusive software on your A1s?
If you do in fact draw them entirely by hand, how do you select the colors for the palette? Do you pick some ranges that you think that you'll need and optimize as you progress? Do you base the new palette on some earlier one?
Ooor... do you first render something in a 3D modelling program or use Photoshop (or similar) to create a rough "sketch" that you can manipulate in all eternity in your 8 BPP painters? Or do you use the powerful, modern tool(s) exclusively and then just export as 8 BPP and let them do the converting (dithering)?
I realize that some of the logos here are hi-color, but most seem to be GIFs, and thus obviously 256-color. They usually seem perfected to the last pixel, leading me to believe that they were created by some really talanted people who spent lots of time on them...
So... how's it done?
Are you doing everything from scratch in GrafX 2 or Deluxe Paint run in DOS compability mode in Windows XP, or are you sitting with some funky Amiga-exclusive software on your A1s?
If you do in fact draw them entirely by hand, how do you select the colors for the palette? Do you pick some ranges that you think that you'll need and optimize as you progress? Do you base the new palette on some earlier one?
Ooor... do you first render something in a 3D modelling program or use Photoshop (or similar) to create a rough "sketch" that you can manipulate in all eternity in your 8 BPP painters? Or do you use the powerful, modern tool(s) exclusively and then just export as 8 BPP and let them do the converting (dithering)?
I realize that some of the logos here are hi-color, but most seem to be GIFs, and thus obviously 256-color. They usually seem perfected to the last pixel, leading me to believe that they were created by some really talanted people who spent lots of time on them...
So... how's it done?
Yeah. That and converting a truecolor image to a dithered-256-colors-palette-gif. You just learn to know the limits of dithering, aliasing and available colors.
SPiTe: Which did you mean by "that"? Both/all ways?
hello kimmo. there is no right answer for this question. every artist does it own way, but most use photoshop nowadays...
a good 24bit->dithered 8bit routine can make wonders. if you stay in a selection of shades of colors its a piece of cake for a good algorythm
dithering algorithms are for wimps. real men dither by hand.
pure 8bpp art - brilliance at amiga, and hand dithering only, oi!
besides doing it _all_ (incl. hand-dithering) in PPaint I have a convenient method for lazynes :D
Do it in a regular environment (f.e. Photo$høp or ArtEfect).
Keep an eye on using common colours (i.e. the orange that you use in one part...try to use the same in another).
Save the pic as a .pcx|.bmp|.ilbm(iff 16+ bit).
Start PPaint 7 (works perfectly on WinUAE and on Amiga + gfx board). Load the pic and let the palette-reducing do the PPaint. Palette re-rendering config should be set to "Quality", rendering form "normal". You also have the choice to set the rendering form to simple-dither or Floyd Steinberg dither...but the results can be awful if you have a very detailed pic.
From PPaint you can save that thingie as a 256 colour .gif
done
Do it in a regular environment (f.e. Photo$høp or ArtEfect).
Keep an eye on using common colours (i.e. the orange that you use in one part...try to use the same in another).
Save the pic as a .pcx|.bmp|.ilbm(iff 16+ bit).
Start PPaint 7 (works perfectly on WinUAE and on Amiga + gfx board). Load the pic and let the palette-reducing do the PPaint. Palette re-rendering config should be set to "Quality", rendering form "normal". You also have the choice to set the rendering form to simple-dither or Floyd Steinberg dither...but the results can be awful if you have a very detailed pic.
From PPaint you can save that thingie as a 256 colour .gif
done
Note:
Do always reduce the palette from the original pic.
Do not first reduce to 8bpl and then to f.e. 5bpl (32 col).
That result is totaly whack.
Try from original (24, 16 bit) to 5bpl instead.
Do always reduce the palette from the original pic.
Do not first reduce to 8bpl and then to f.e. 5bpl (32 col).
That result is totaly whack.
Try from original (24, 16 bit) to 5bpl instead.
Note:
wipe your ass after dumping.
wipe your ass after dumping.
Quote:
Are you doing everything from scratch in GrafX 2 or Deluxe Paint run in DOS compability mode in Windows XP, or are you sitting with some funky Amiga-exclusive software on your A1s?
Neither... This is the professional's choice:
ProMotion
Note:
and don't forget to wash ya hands.
and don't forget to wash ya hands.
In a few months, every lamer with a copy of ppt 2007 will just slap 3d effects on big text and save as gif. :p
Actually, the Photoshop auto converter does a really great job. Of course, this is cheating...
ProMotion might be nice, but it's payware.
Only very old versions of DPaint exist for DOS, right? All the later ones are Amiga-only, correct?
I use GrafX 2 (DOS version -- ironicly, the Windows port is crappier than the original even on Windows...), and while it's a beautiful tool, it annoys me to no end that they never implemented the gradient rectangle effect and text mode. :(
ProMotion might be nice, but it's payware.
Only very old versions of DPaint exist for DOS, right? All the later ones are Amiga-only, correct?
I use GrafX 2 (DOS version -- ironicly, the Windows port is crappier than the original even on Windows...), and while it's a beautiful tool, it annoys me to no end that they never implemented the gradient rectangle effect and text mode. :(