Color Palette Generator

I do a lot of portraits. And I work from a lot of photos. I ALWAYS do a color study and I find that I can save a lot of time working in a limited color palette to work through values. I used to "eyeball" this process, but now I can get some handy help from my computer ( or phone).

Here are a few notable sites with FREE palette generators;

The first from DeGraeve.com ( A FANTASTIC SITE!)

http://www.degraeve.com/color-palette/index.php

The second is from CSS Drive:

http://www.cssdrive.com/imagepalette/

You can then save the palettes as:

 Save as CSS stylesheet (.css file)

 Save as Photoshop swatches (.aco file)

ASCII Art

OK. It's admittedly wonky, but I love this stuff.

Maybe you've gotten those little text messages with art created from type. I found a FREE generator that will take your photo or art and convert it instantly.

Here's Abraham Lincoln as generated in TEXT from a small JPEG:

..............,.,.,,,,,:,,~Z$O8Z+$=:,,,,,,,,.,.,,....,...... .,...,....,...,,,,,,,,,,,8ND8O8DOZDD:,,,,,,,,,.,.....,...... ..........,,,,,,,,,,,,,,+DDDDDDDD8DD8.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,.. .........,....,,,,,,,,,$DDDDD8?.~+8DDZ::,,,,,,,,,,,,........ ,..,....,,.,,,,,,,,.:,,ZZZ?==,::,:7$ZZO.,,,,,,,:,,,,,,,.,... .,...,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,.=$$+~::::,:~=ZOO8$,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,...., .,..,,::,,,,,,,,,,,,,:=7Z?+===:,~=?$O8D8.,I,,,,,,=,,,,,,,,.. ,,,:,,,,,,,:,,,,,,,,,,ZD88I?O8O7~=I88888.,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,., .,,,,,,:,,,.,.,,,,,,...O8O8:788$$:$8$Z?Z~,::,:::::,,,,,,.,,. ,,,,,,,,,.,,,:~,:=:,,::Z$7+==:?~:=IO:Z++,,:::~~~~=~:::,,,,,, ,,.,,,.,,,,~:~~~~=~==~::?$~~~=:=I$88?+?~::~~==~~~~~~~,~~,,,, ,,,,,,,,.,~:=~:++~~+=~==OZ8?=~7I7I$$=~O:~++==~+?~~==~~::::,, ,,,,,,:~:::~===?+++==+?=ODZ??77777$78?+=++=+?~+=======~:::,, ,,,,,,:::~=?~=????==?I+=O8OI?I7$$ZOZO+=+++I?=??++=~+=~~=~:,, ,,,,,,~~===+?I++?II7?+??88OO$ODD8D$O=+?II??I??=++++=:~~:::., ,,,,.::=+?~~?77???77++?I+DDDDDDD8::~O=?I77=+7I=+++?~:~=~::.. ,,,,~,~~?I=~III$II$$?I$+?+NDDD8::::DO877Z7=?Z7II++I+~~~~::,, ,,,,:~~++?++I?$$IIZ$7$7+IN78$O~,DDDDD8N$Z$II$I$?+?I+=+~==:,, .,,,,:~+?+I$+?77O8IZ$7?DNDDO88OD8D8N8DNDD8$II7$II?=??==~~~:, ,:,,::=++?I7II77OZ$Z$8DDD8N8DDO7NDDNDNDDDND87I?7I+=+==+~~~:, ,,:~:~?+++?77$IZZ$$ODDDNNI$=~=7DDDONNDDDDDDDDD+?I+===~+=~~:: ,:::::+?+?+?$I?Z$DDDNNND,,:,,=DDD888DNNDD888DNO8D+?::?~~:~,: ::,~==~=?7I?=I$7DDDDD8DD,,,,OD88DDDDD8NNDDDZDOD888?+?~===::: :::~==+?+=?77I?DDDDD8DD:::=DDD88OONNDDD8NN8NDZND887+==+::=~, ,:~~=:+?=+??$IZDDDNNDDD?~DD8D88DND8DDD8D8DDZ88DOZD$=~+=~~:,, ,:=~=+~~+?++?+DNNDDODN+~DN888DDMDDDDONODDND8O8ODO8D~=+===::, :::==?~=+++I=8D8DDD8DD+=D8OODN8DZDZNNOD8DDN8Z8ZZOZZZ==~=+::~ :::~=+=++=??~8DDD88DDD+?D8DDDZ8OD8OO8D8ODDD888D8D887+~=+~==: ,~~:==??=+??8DDDN8ZDDDIDDDNDDDODOD88OODN88DN88DOZ$$O~~+=~=~: ,:~=====+I~~DDD8DNDDDNNDD8888ODZ8ODDDZZO8DZZO$D88$ZO===~~:~~ ,:~=++~+I?+ZD8DZDODNNNND88$8ODODDOZD88O8ND888DZ8788OZ?===:~~ :,==I+~???IOOND7D8DDDDN8D$8$Z8OO8ZD888ZO$D8O7D8$$OOO7?+=+:=~ ,::=+=+??IOZIOD$8D8NDN.OOO8O8O8DZO8$Z$O8DNOD8$D$Z$ZOO$++=~~~ ,:,~~++==?$788DZ88NNDND$OO8O8OO87DOOOODO88Z$8DOOZ88$$7++=~~: ,:~~===+?78ZZZO8DDD8DDO88ZD88OO8O8$OO$$8DDZO$OO$$OOZ7Z+~==~: ::~~+=+??8$8OZ$7O8NDNOO8OZ$8$ZOOIOOO8O8ZZ8Z7OZ8OOZ8?Z7~=+=~: :::=+=++7$O$8OZOODD8NDOZ7$8Z8Z7$OO8ZOZ$$8O88$OI$$$7ZO=+=:~:: ::~=~+=?ZOOOZ8$O8ODD8OZOOO887$8Z7Z77ZZOO88DO8Z7ZI$$7I?=::~:, ,~~+++~=$8O877OO7D8DOZ8DZI+O78Z$O87Z8$O$Z8OOZIO$8ODZ+$?:~~:, :::=+++$O8D8$?8$ODOZDZZZ88ZZZIOIO8O77$?O7D8D8ZOOO$I+$7=~==~: ~::===IOOZ8OD8O8ZDDDOOZ8OOND8OOI8?8ZDOO$8D8OZOZ$OI8$$$8?=::, ::~~=?+=+OOZI8$$87O$DZ8I$$I$ZZ$ZZZ$Z?$$I7OOOOZ+O$~O?Z??~~~,, :~=~==?7IIOOIO8Z?7$IOO$Z$ZZ77ZZZIIZ?ZZZZZZ8ZOI$OOZ$I777~~~,, :~:~=I+7+?$OZ$7ZZ$ZOO8OII$I7?~ZO=I=?II=$IZZOZZI7=?Z7I$:~~,,, :,:~=~???~77$O$8ZZI7IOII++I?+7+?Z?7$7+II+ZZ$$$$$$ZZ?$+~~,,,, ::~~:?II7+Z7$I$I$7Z$IO?IIZZ7?Z7??~=+~+++?ZI?$7O$7$77O:=~:,,, ,:::+?:?~=IOI$I$+IZZOI=?7IZZI++++?+?+=77?O=OOZOO7?Z:~~,,.,,, ,:,:+I?+~?I7$?+Z7=I?II77++?7=?=++~$==+=7+ZIZ7I$OZ=::~::,,,,,                                              GlassGiant.com

This little program converts your picture to ASCII text art - a jumble of letters, numbers and symbols that do not appear to have any significance until you step back and look at the whole picture. It has no practical purpose, other than the neat factor.

ASCII Art has a long history among geeks. One of the first things I printed on my Commodore 128 in the mid 80's was an ASCII rendition of Spock. I remember waiting for what seemed like hours as my 8-pin printer slowly inked it out. But it was worth the wait when I stepped back and the full effect hit me.

If you'd like to find out more, there are several sites and news groups dedicated to this "art form". Just search for "ASCII art".