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Click
here to see final image.
Take a look
how to achieve the same effect in Photoshop.
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We will cheat a little bit in this tutorial:
we will use Photoshop to pixelate image. See the footnote
below the tutorial explaining why.
Open your image in Photoshop.
Go to Filter > Pixelate > Mosaic... In filter dialog box choose
cell size big enough to produce a grid of approximately 20-30 squares
in a row.
My image is 460 px by 320 px and I chose cell size of 20 px for it.
You can figure out the optimal cell size for your image by dividing
width of your image in pixels by any number between 20 and 30 (this
is the number of cells in a row), depending on how detailed your image
is and on the density of dots you’d like. Try to get number
without fractions. You might want to adjust your image size before
pixelating it.
In my example, width of 460 px divided by 23 cells in a row gives
me 20 px cell size. And it also gives me 16 whole cells in a column
(320 px height / 20 px cell size = 16 cells). We don’t want
any incomplete cells here. Write down your cell size, we will need
it later. Click OK.
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Now we need to place resulted image in Illustrator. Launch Illustrator.
File > New to create new document. Be sure to select the same color
mode for your document as a color mode of your image in Photoshop.
Go back to Photoshop. Select All (Ctrl+A), copy image (Ctrl+C), go
to Illustrator and paste it in a new document.
The part in Photoshop is over. Now we are going to finish our mosaic
in Illustrator. |
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Select your bitmap image and got to Filter > Create > Object
Mosaic. Dialog widow will open. Leave everything to default except
Number of Tiles fields. In Width field type in the number of cells
in a row (23 in my case). If you figured out how many cells you have
in a column type this number in Height field. If not click on Use
Ratio. If you want check the Delete Raster box to delete original
bitmap image. Click OK.
You might want to ask me: Why did we have to pixelate image in
Photoshop if Illustrator has the same feature? Good question.
See the footnote at the bottom of this page for
an explanation.
You should end up with the same looking pixelated image you started
with, but now it’s vector. Try clicking on image cells; you’ll
see that now each cell is a separate vector object.
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Now we will create dots. Select Ellipse tool and click on top left
cell. In a dialog box type in Width and Height fields type in the
same number – it should be a slightly less then your cell size,
so the circles won’t touch each other. In my example I typed
18 px. because my cell size is 20 px wide and 20 px high. Click OK.
Fill the circle with white and set Stroke to none. Position the circle
in the middle of first cell. You can use guides to do that. Do not
attempt using Align feature: it will shift cell from its place. We
don’t need to be precise, just make sure that circle’s
edges do not touch or go over cell’s edges. |
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Select the circle and Ctrl+Shift+M to open Move dialog box. In Horizontal
field type in your cell width (20 px in my example) and 0 in Vertical.
Click Copy. You got two circles. While second circle is selected press
Ctrl+D to Transform Again. Repeat until you got a full row of circles.
Now select the whole row and open Move dialog box again. This time
type in 0 in Horizontal and negative cell height in Vertical field
(-20 px in my example). Click Copy. Ctrl+D until you got whole image
covered with dots.
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Select all of your dots and Object > Compound Path > Make (Ctrl+8).
Now select everything (dots and cells) and Object > Clipping Path
> Make (Ctrl+7).
Here we go! We are basically finished. If you want to make more detailed
image read on.
Duplicate the layer with finished mosaic. Name one of them Dots 1
and second Dots 2. Hide and lock Dots 1 layer. Select your grouped
image on Dots 2 layer and Release Clipping Path. Make new layer and
move there the compound path. Release Compound Path. Fill your circles
with white.
Select the circle and Object > Transform > Transform Each. Set
Horizontal and Vertical Scale to 80%. Set Move and Rotate to 0. Make
sure to set reference point to center point so that each circle will
scale to its center. Click Ok. Hide circles layer for a moment.
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Now select your cells and Adjust their colors with Filter > Colors
> Adjust colors and Filter > Colors > Saturate. Make visible
the layer with small circles and repeat step 6.
You can add 2 more layers like that. At the end make visible all layers
and enjoy the work you’ve done.
Here are the color adjustments for each layer
in my example:
Dots 1 – original colors, circle size is 18 px;
Dots 2 –
duplicate Dots 1; Filter > Colors > Adjust colors (R:G:B 10%:10%:10%);
circle size 80% of original;
Dots 3 – duplicate Dots
1; no color adjustments; circle size 60% of original;
Dots
4 – duplicate Dots 1; Filter > Colors > Saturate (50%);
circle size 30% of original;
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Tip:
When making color adjustments turn off the selection edges (View >
Hide Edges, Ctrl+H) and check Preview box to clearly see the changes.
Try different settings to get other results.
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Note:
Why did we have to pixelate image in Photoshop if Illustrator has
the same feature?
Though Illustrator has the same feature (Filter > Create > Object
Mosaic) it produces vector mosaic with much worse quality. See mosaic
image on the left that was created in Illustrator.
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