Tutorial: Advanced Effects

Master ASCII Motion's effects system to enhance your artwork with professional-quality color grading, texture, and transformations.

What You'll Learn

• Using the effects system effectively
• Color correction techniques
• Creating specific visual styles
• Combining effects for complex results
• Effects workflow best practices

Prerequisites

• Complete Pixel Art Basics
• Complete Creating Animations
• Understand the Effects System

Effects Philosophy

Non-Destructive Workflow

Before applying effects:

1. Save your project as a session file
2. Duplicate frames if experimenting
3. Use preview before committing
4. Remember Ctrl+Z to undo

Color Correction

Making Art Pop

Use Levels to increase visual impact:

Creating Mood

Grayscale Conversion

Create a monochrome version:

Character and Color Remapping

Palette Swapping

Change your entire color scheme:

Example: Convert a green forest to autumn colors:

• Green → Orange
• Light green → Yellow
• Dark green → Brown

Character Style Changes

Convert between character styles:

Example mappings:

Adding Texture with Scatter

Subtle Texture

Add organic feel without overwhelming:

Retro Halftone

Create a vintage print look:

Smooth Dithering

For gradient-heavy artwork:

Combining Effects

Effect Order Matters

Apply effects in this sequence for best results:

1. Levels - Tonal range adjustments
2. Hue & Saturation - Color adjustments
3. Remap Colors - Targeted color changes
4. Remap Characters - Character substitutions
5. Scatter - Texture (always last)

Recipe: Cinematic Look

Recipe: 8-bit Retro

Recipe: Horror/Dark

Timeline Mode Effects

Applying to All Frames

For animations, use Timeline Mode:

All frames receive identical adjustments, maintaining consistency.

Frame-by-Frame Variation

For effects that vary over time:

Example: Fade to grayscale

• Frame 1-5: Full color (no effect)
• Frame 6: Saturation -20
• Frame 7: Saturation -40
• Frame 8: Saturation -60
• Frame 9: Saturation -80
• Frame 10: Saturation -100

Advanced Techniques

Color Grading

Professional color grading workflow:

Creating Silhouettes

Subject becomes dark silhouette against background.

Posterization Effect

Reduce color gradients to flat zones:

Tips and Best Practices

Preview Strategy

1. Make changes with preview active
2. Toggle preview off to see original
3. Compare until satisfied
4. Only then click Apply

Iteration

• Apply effects in small steps
• Test between each change
• Undo and try different values
• Save milestones as session files

When Less is More

Effects that work well subtle:

• Shadows/Highlights input: 10-30 point adjustment
• Saturation: ±20
• Hue shift: ±15 for correction, larger for stylization
• Scatter: 10-30% for texture

Troubleshooting

Colors Look Wrong

• Check if multiple effects are stacked
• Reset and start fresh
• Apply effects in recommended order

Effect Not Visible

• Increase strength/amount
• Check preview is enabled
• Verify the right frames are selected

Unexpected Results

• Undo and try different order
• Apply one effect at a time
• Check Timeline Mode setting

Next Steps

Now that you've mastered effects:

1. Experiment with combining different effects
2. Create presets by documenting your favorite settings
3. Export your polished work
4. Share with the community

Quick Reference