Pixel Art Making a 3d Sphere

	Before you begin, make sure that you have done the Tutorial " Pixel Art Tools In PhotoImpact " and knows all the setting, cause they are always the same and save them in your Easy Palette for a fast access and also the previous projects, they build up from previous one. Remember, no soft edge, none whatsoever. We are going to make a cylinder first, which are very easy to make. All a cylinder is really made up of a two circles joined by a middle section. Look at the example of a cylinder at the left.
To create a circle in the isometric view we first have to make an isometric square, making sure that our circle fits within those boundaries. In previous project, you have learn to make an isometric square, now you just have to make your square in mode, then you click out of mode. Click on mode again with a different color make your iso-circle inside of the square then click out of mode. Save your work.
	Ok Now, you will select your square and delete it, we won't need it anymore, it was just our guideline to make sure we had an iso-circle. Select your outline circle and duplicate, move it down the length you would like to have your cylinder. Make sure that they are align. Once that is done, draw in mode one line with a straight line option, on one side to join the two circle. Click out of mode and duplicate. Position on the other side. Select all object and merge as a single object. Save your work.
	The shading as you can see, is simply a gradient of colors, going from dark to light. This shading technique gives the illusion of depth as the 2D object is transformed using shadows and highlights. From the example on the left you should be able to paint your cylinder in the color of your choice. I have 5 colors of green shades and a black color for my outline. Once you are done, save as a transparent gif format, you may want to save one in your Easy Palette also for future use.
	Now let's have a look on the left here at the circle, one of the most difficult shapes to create in the isometric viewpoint is the sphere. Spheres are basically flat 2D circles; coloured and shaded in such a way as to make them appear 3D. The shading is much like the way I shaded my cylinder. Starting from dark and gradually bringing the lightness of the color up, giving an illusion of depth. As you can see in the example image on the left, I have provided the basic outline and then the complete piece.
Let's have a closer look here on the left. You can see that I’ve used dithering that make the gradient appear less ugly, making it blend in more. Dithering is the process of taking a color next to another color and placing a checker type pattern, or sometimes a random pattern of dots within the other different colour. When zoomed out fully the dots and the different color blend quite well, creating a color that is somewhere in the middle of the two, thus mixing them and making the join look smooth.
	Ok, let's make an outline circle in mode. Once done click out of mode and save your work. You will need 1 color with 4 shades. Here I have chosen a brown color for my example. Choose the color you would like.
	Ok, now that you have your colors, we are going to paint our darkest color in, as you could see in the example on the left, I have more brown paint on the right and on the bottom, the reason for this is that I have decide that my light source was coming from the left top corner. If my light sources was directly coming from the front and in the middle, my painting would have been centered. It is very rare that we have such a light sources and easy to do, so we are learning for this one to have it from left top corner. Once you are done click out of mode and save your work.
	By looking at the example on the left and trying to keep the same kind of line pattern paint the second darkest color in mode. Once done, click out of mode and save your work.
	Repeat the same process with the third color. Save your work.
	Here you could either paint it or use the fill bucket, depending on what version of PI you are using. Once done, save your work. It is looking real nice, but we are going to dither it to make it even more nicer.
	As I did explain earlier, dithering is painting like in checker or sometime in random. Color pick your darkest color from your color palette you have made before and with the example guide on the left add your dither dot. Once done click out of mode and save your work.
	Repeat same process here too with the second color. Save your work as a transparent gif format and one in your Easy Palette for future use.
	You could also make an oval shape and turn it into an egg, and had someone face in it and turn it as a Humpty Dumpty...lolll Let's move on, what else we could do.
	On the left, using what we have learn from the triangle shape, we could make some lovely evergreen trees. Here the dithering are random, but keeping in mind the light source. Make a few trees and save as a transparent gif format and don't forget one for your Easy Palette, they are very useful to have around. At the bottom here, I have add 4 of this little tree to the landscape around my little house. Sure enhance a nice little scene. And since you already have a little house done, you could add your tree to your little house, or make a new house to go with it. My house here is just a front view.

Be creative, with all the previous shape and these one that you have learn here you should be able to do lots of things. with the cylinder you could make a fence, or what ever you feel like. If you want some help or critic, please use the critics Icon and post as well a screen shot of a zoom, so I could see better your work and help you out. It won't be possible for me every time to download your work and open in PI to zoom on it. Thanks. Don't forget to show what you have done in the Pixels Art Workshop forum. at PhotoImpact International Board. If you are not a member, you just have to register, it is free. Don't forget to grab your award.