Pixel Art Vectorization with Gradients
K.K. Berzins (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
M. Molenaar – Mentor (TU Delft - Computer Graphics and Visualisation)
P. Kellnhofer – Mentor (TU Delft - Computer Graphics and Visualisation)
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Abstract
Pixel art is an art style that uses low-resolution raster images with few colors. This style was ubiquitous in video games and computer programs in the late 20th century before high-resolution screens and powerful computers were widely available. In order to remaster these old games, or to use pixel art as an intermediate format to create vector images, conversion to vector formats such as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is desirable. Existing tools have several limitations, notably a lack of support for gradients. We introduce a new method that expands upon an existing pixel art vectorization solution to add support for gradients, while maintaining compatibility with SVG and enabling real time editing for ease of use. Our method works by blurring parts of the image and then using various techniques to improve the quality of the output. We test our solution by creating example images with our tool’s automatic generation capabilities and modifying them with the available controls. We conclude that our method is useful for imitating smooth lighting and real-world gradients, enabling artists to create more expressive vector versions of pixel art.