Lesson 04
Dithering

Definition
Dithering? So...whats that?!?! Let me show you! Take a look below

Yep thats it people! Those little dots that blend it together and give it texture make up a design called dithering. However, that is only very basic dithering.

Variety
So...how many types of dithering are there you might ask...there are tons!
There are many different patterns. Take a look below to see a few...

Dithering is a very cool way to smooth out your sprites while giving it a cool texture. It also reduces the amount of colors needed.

Assignment
Your assignment. Take one of your previous lesson's finished product and dither it for me. Show me the before and after. If you already dithered it, then make another one.

Credit: Chessmasterriley

DR if u are going to do it, pm me so i take this one down.

Are we supposed to make the dithering effect by hand (placing every single pixel... pain) or should we use some automatic dithering functions?
You used paint for the monkey right? (you said it's the best pixeling program so why using anything worse? ;))
Paint doesn't have auto dithering (from what I know) so how did you actually do that?

What I'm trying to say is, giving out a few more details on what exactly we are supposed to do doesn't hurt.
Especially since some of the students (assumingly) never ever used dithering.

Auto dithering is not pixel art so I'm guessing (well actually I am pretty sure) he means that you do it yourselves. Dithering isn't actually that hard once you get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect, as they say.
;)

-DM

Since when isn't autodithering pixel art?
In photoshop I use masks for dithering that's similar to an auto dithering feature. (a little more complicated though)
So are all the pictures created that way not pixel art?

Or do you consider taking a photo and letting the program reduce the colours and dither it automatically autodithering?
I didn't mean that, i mean having the program create the dithering pattern while using the pencil to draw (if you know what I mean).
Placing every single pixel by hand just hurts and slows you down, especially when working on bigger pictures.

Okay, I dithered my earth:

Before:


After:

Oh, right, I thought you meant you set the places of shading and then let a script or program place everything for you. I myself, do everything by hand.

-DM

Before:

After:

I do everything in paint 'cuz im used to it. I cant stop you from using the autodithering tool, but i just like to place everything by hand. Im not totally sure how the autodithering works.

PS its a cow, and i did it quite a while ago(something like a year or so).

just wanted to say something quick:
pivotman-with your bird, notice how the reds are hard to tell apart. using contrast will help out a lot. heres an example:
before-----after

notice how much of a difference that made. the only things I changed were the colors.

hey pivot man. I edited yours. You needed a bit of a higher contrast, less saturation, and a slight fix up on the lineart. I did a version with a shade change.

Is there a way of Auto-Dithering in the GIMP? If anyone knows how, I would greatly appreciate the help. Or any other "freeware" program for that matter. (huh)

As I so fail sofar at dithering. Believe me CMR makes it look too easy lol.

Or if you have any advice for me on dithering I'd be happy to learn, but manually adding the pixels *sighs* is so hard lol. Especially for my Techno-Trousers...

Gaming4JC

Guys Autodithering is NOT Pixel art. Ok, for proof, Indigo even fought against it ;) Look at pixeljoint, and look at one near the top. It's like this abstract blue thing, and some other stuff. I think it has the word 'time' in the title? anyways, Indigo even fought against it ;) So why isn't it pixel art? Because in pixel art, you place each and every Pixel where YOU want it and need it to be. You don't let a computer choose where they chould go ;)

Anyways, good luck with this lesson guys :)

Matt

umm cmr, my naruto had AA in it, so should i get rid of the parts that use AA to shade?

edit... actually, can i create something different that has dithering in it? cause the naruto anime is cell shaded, and it would just look weird. im already in the midst of this new cartoony penguin scene.

as long as you maintain control at a pixel-level, auto dithering is considered pixelart. Dither-Brushes are an example of such and are, in my mind, okay to use in pixel art. MS paint also has a sort of dither brush. Use one of the caligraphy brushes and click it every other pixel to get fast and easy dithering. ProMotion, the program used by most serious pixel artists, also has auto dither brushes (and a bit easier to use).

So does anyone know of a good "free" auto dithering program (

Or a better tut on it (O_O)

Well, Heres mine. Yeah i know it sucks..

Heres a WIP:

Umm guys...how on earth is dithering hard?!? You just place the pixel a certain distance apart to simulate another color...I dont under stand how autodithering is not pixel art...technically when you post it, no one will know...I think it hurts you though, because you can't choose perfectly where each pixel goes.

A PUMPKIN!!!!

looks way too jagged, too many colours, and it looks like it was made with clay

Since when are 3 colours too many?
But I agree with the other points and have to add that the anatomy is way off.
You should draw the complete outlines first.
It looks like you just drew a leg, then deciced to add a torso and stick another leg to it and now you want to add arms and a head.
This can't end up good.

Here's my attempt, I used Pixia's dithering tool, it was slightly auto, but I had to trace it all etc. manually.



It's a bit better than before, but not as good as CMRs...

eh i didnt zoom in, but it looks like thgeres a ton of colours in there, hese using too much constrast i think

If you're using a browser zoom function (like Operas), don't rely on what you see then because they sometimes interpolate colours or mess with dithering with the result of you seeing additional colours that actually aren't in the picture.
I used a graphics program and zoomed in.
I need to correct myself, he used 4 colours I still don't think that's too much.
The 2 dark tones are very near to each other and would need to contrast more -or be replaced by 1 dark tone.

yeah, i didnt zoom in before, and i use IE so i had to put the pic in paint

Heres mine i dithered my moniter pixel




and in this pic there is 8 colors not 3

What do you think of mine? :(

I don't see any dithering here.
Just some blurry noise.
It also has a massive ammount of colours (100+) so I think pixia interpolated the colours which is one of the worst things to do to pixel art.
I also don't quite get what that is.
Robot pants? o_O

Oh... :crys: lol...

Well, It is Wallace and Gromit's Techno Trousers. But I really need practice in this part of class....

Left: dithered
Right: non dithered.



The colours are supposed to rape your eyes and make them bleed.
That's the whole point of the picture :)

Nice one 9_6! I love the bright pink design and the 3d-ness of the chameleon.

Really nice.

-DM

Hey CMR, can you keep this one opened for a while? cause mine might take a few days

edit: well screw that! im already done (but now my hand hurts...)

Anything about mine? No comments or suggestions or nothing? :(

All my lesson work is shaded so i need to make a new one, but does i then need to show befor/after?

hey CMR, we r eventually going to learn advanced dithering right?

Hopefully, that's where i'll come in.

CMR, can I teach lesson 6? I've got a lot of stuff going on this weekend so I can't do it then.

What lesson do you have planned next? I might be able to modify my plans.

@ Savaril...if you want your art to be cced by me, pm it to me
@Silent S if you want to know more ways to dither pm me and ill give you a great example...i have to find it...
@DR im doing AAing next...so yeah

Holy crap... where do you get the time for something like that.

Ok, wells here my thing. I didn't dither too well... Sorry I haven't been participating lately, I've been really busy. I've had a tournament or a practice like everyday for the past 2 weeks. Anwyays, here it is. Tell me what you think.

I have no idea what i shall make :(