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What is a Vexel?
A vexel is a style of digital art that uses block shapes of color to create an image.
For a long time these images were always referred to as "vector art" regardless of whether they were actually vector or not. The word "Vector" refers to "creation of digital images through a sequence of commands or mathematical statements that place lines and shapes in a given two-dimensional or three-dimensional space" (*Whatis). To put that more simply, vector art is something made in a vector program (eg. Flash, Illustrator, Freehand) and can be resized without any kind of pixelation or quality loss. Vexels on the other hand, can be raster or vector images. Vexels are often seen as cartoon versions of an image or photo.
You can make a vexel in any graphics program, it doesn't matter if it's Illustrator or Photoshop, vector or raster, a vexel is nothing to do with the format.
What is the difference between vector and vexel?
That is like comparing apples to.. elephants. Vector is a type of art, it doesn't have to look like anything in particular. Just like "painting" doesn't have to look like anything in particular, it is just a medium. Vexels on the other hand are a style of art - usually seen as a cartoon version of a photo (although a photo is not always used).
Are airbrushes or digital paintings vexels?
No. The main defining feature of a vexel are the clean block shapes. Airbrushes or paintings do not have block shapes.
What about gradients?
Sometimes. If the gradient is well defined and can still be seen as it's own shape then yes.
Is anything made in a vector program a vexel?
No. Programs like illustrator have features such as the gradient mesh tool which allow people to create images which are nothing like vexels. Remember, the main defining factor of a vexel is the clean block shapes of color.
Is it just tracing?
For some, vexelling is tracing over a photo. For others, it is using a photo as a base and manipulating it in such a way that it is not recognizable. Some people draw their vexels from scratch or from a sketch they've done. For some people, duplicating a photograph is looked down upon, others find it admirable.
Does a vexel have to be of a person?
No. It can be of anything, it can even be an abstract piece. You will find many of the vexels on this site are of female people - this is for a few reasons:
I used a filter, is it a vexel? It looks like a vexel!
No. Simply using a few filters such as posterizing, live trace, trace bitmap or cut out does not make your image a vexel. These images are easy to pick out from real vexels as no program can give attention to detail like a human eye can.
Where did the term Vexel come from?
Seth came up with the term. It is a mixture of "Vector" and "Pixel" - meaning a pixel based image in the style of a vector. You can read the text from the original thread here.
How do I make a vexel?
Check out the vexel tutorial listing.
I use vector therefore I and my art are better.
No, if you think that, you are not grasping what vexel means. A lot of vector art is still vexel art and vice versa.
For a long time these images were always referred to as "vector art" regardless of whether they were actually vector or not. The word "Vector" refers to "creation of digital images through a sequence of commands or mathematical statements that place lines and shapes in a given two-dimensional or three-dimensional space" (*Whatis). To put that more simply, vector art is something made in a vector program (eg. Flash, Illustrator, Freehand) and can be resized without any kind of pixelation or quality loss. Vexels on the other hand, can be raster or vector images. Vexels are often seen as cartoon versions of an image or photo.
You can make a vexel in any graphics program, it doesn't matter if it's Illustrator or Photoshop, vector or raster, a vexel is nothing to do with the format.
What is the difference between vector and vexel?
That is like comparing apples to.. elephants. Vector is a type of art, it doesn't have to look like anything in particular. Just like "painting" doesn't have to look like anything in particular, it is just a medium. Vexels on the other hand are a style of art - usually seen as a cartoon version of a photo (although a photo is not always used).
Are airbrushes or digital paintings vexels?
No. The main defining feature of a vexel are the clean block shapes. Airbrushes or paintings do not have block shapes.
What about gradients?
Sometimes. If the gradient is well defined and can still be seen as it's own shape then yes.
Is anything made in a vector program a vexel?
No. Programs like illustrator have features such as the gradient mesh tool which allow people to create images which are nothing like vexels. Remember, the main defining factor of a vexel is the clean block shapes of color.
Is it just tracing?
For some, vexelling is tracing over a photo. For others, it is using a photo as a base and manipulating it in such a way that it is not recognizable. Some people draw their vexels from scratch or from a sketch they've done. For some people, duplicating a photograph is looked down upon, others find it admirable.
Does a vexel have to be of a person?
No. It can be of anything, it can even be an abstract piece. You will find many of the vexels on this site are of female people - this is for a few reasons:
- Most tutorials feature females, so that is what people learn
- They are easy to customize and make your own with different hairstyles, makeup, clothing etc.
- They are beautiful and people want their work to be beautiful too.
I used a filter, is it a vexel? It looks like a vexel!
No. Simply using a few filters such as posterizing, live trace, trace bitmap or cut out does not make your image a vexel. These images are easy to pick out from real vexels as no program can give attention to detail like a human eye can.
Where did the term Vexel come from?
Seth came up with the term. It is a mixture of "Vector" and "Pixel" - meaning a pixel based image in the style of a vector. You can read the text from the original thread here.
How do I make a vexel?
Check out the vexel tutorial listing.
I use vector therefore I and my art are better.
No, if you think that, you are not grasping what vexel means. A lot of vector art is still vexel art and vice versa.
How it all started
post #521309 on nova-boards:
What is a vector? And what is not vector?
Princeton University WordNet calls a vector:
"a variable quantity that can be resolved into components"
This is the "general" definition of a vector. Often, in computer science and graphics, we can elaborate more specific instances of a vectors, and the Free Online Dictionary of Computing has some of these instances:
"1. (mathematics) A member of a vector space."
a /member/ of a vector space. As in not a collection of vectors.
"2. (graphics) A line or movement defined by its end points, or by the current position and one other point. See vector graphics."
A line, not a collection of lines.
"3. (operating system) A memory location containing the address of some code, often some kind of exception handler or other operating system service. By changing the vector to point to a different piece of code it is possible to modify the behaviour of the operating system.
Compare hook."
A code pointer... not related.
"4. (programming) A one-dimensional array."
a one-dimensional array composed of points could comprise a segmented line, however, if the line were at all broken, requiring another dimension, it's not encapsulable into a one-dimensional array.
(source: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=vector )
--
Now, where does the phrase "vector" come that refers to a "posterized" "raster" image? posterize: http://www.ftgimp.com/help/C/tools/posterize.html "... intelligently weigh the pixel colors ... and reduce the number of colors while maintaining a semblance of the original image characteristics." raster:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=raster "the set of horizontal lines composed of pixels, used to form an image on a CRT screen"
Posterization is the operation performed on the image of a type "raster". It's not a PostScript file, but a raster image that is being displayed.
So when we say, "here's a vector I made" on Nova, we really mean "here's a _posterized raster image_ I made."
Frankly, I have no clue where the term "vector" came from as used in the context of a posterized raster image. If somebody can trace back the first instance of this inappropriate usage meme, I would appreciate it immensely. Let\'s not obliterate the English language when we have terms already available, in wide use, and foremost, correct.
Thank you for your time,
Seth Woolley
who got an A in his 400-level 3D Computer Graphics class, where he dealt with _real_ vectors in complex 3D-space
... after much discussion about what words to use or not ...
- Seth
What is a vector? And what is not vector?
Princeton University WordNet calls a vector:
"a variable quantity that can be resolved into components"
This is the "general" definition of a vector. Often, in computer science and graphics, we can elaborate more specific instances of a vectors, and the Free Online Dictionary of Computing has some of these instances:
"1. (mathematics) A member of a vector space."
a /member/ of a vector space. As in not a collection of vectors.
"2. (graphics) A line or movement defined by its end points, or by the current position and one other point. See vector graphics."
A line, not a collection of lines.
"3. (operating system) A memory location containing the address of some code, often some kind of exception handler or other operating system service. By changing the vector to point to a different piece of code it is possible to modify the behaviour of the operating system.
Compare hook."
A code pointer... not related.
"4. (programming) A one-dimensional array."
a one-dimensional array composed of points could comprise a segmented line, however, if the line were at all broken, requiring another dimension, it's not encapsulable into a one-dimensional array.
(source: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=vector )
--
Now, where does the phrase "vector" come that refers to a "posterized" "raster" image? posterize: http://www.ftgimp.com/help/C/tools/posterize.html "... intelligently weigh the pixel colors ... and reduce the number of colors while maintaining a semblance of the original image characteristics." raster:
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=raster "the set of horizontal lines composed of pixels, used to form an image on a CRT screen"
Posterization is the operation performed on the image of a type "raster". It's not a PostScript file, but a raster image that is being displayed.
So when we say, "here's a vector I made" on Nova, we really mean "here's a _posterized raster image_ I made."
Frankly, I have no clue where the term "vector" came from as used in the context of a posterized raster image. If somebody can trace back the first instance of this inappropriate usage meme, I would appreciate it immensely. Let\'s not obliterate the English language when we have terms already available, in wide use, and foremost, correct.
Thank you for your time,
Seth Woolley
who got an A in his 400-level 3D Computer Graphics class, where he dealt with _real_ vectors in complex 3D-space
... after much discussion about what words to use or not ...
- Seth
post #532851 on nova-boards:
Like how a texel is a texture pixel in 3d graphics and a voxel is a volume pixel in 3d graphics.
- Seth
Alea: "What people don't realise is, whether you made it in illustrator/flash/etc. or not, once you save it, it's a bitmap image it's no longer a vector. I wish people would drop it with the 'OMGWTFBBQ DAT IS NOT A VECTOOR!!!!!1111' :roll:"
I did realize that, and that was actually one of the points I made somewhere in the thread.
"We use the term 'vector' because in essence, it's a generic vector, or a mock-vector if you will. There's no reason to change the lingo just because it's no politically correct."
OK, new word: "vexel" a cross between vector and pixel. Crossing between vector and raster wouldn't work too well. To be used as an adjective and a noun.Like how a texel is a texture pixel in 3d graphics and a voxel is a volume pixel in 3d graphics.
- Seth