Although they are widely known for playing an essential role in comic printing during the 20th century, Ben-Day dots were also significant in the work of American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The purpose of Pointillism extends beyond mere technique. Pointillist artists aimed to challenge conventional methods of colour mixing and capture the effects of light and colour in a more scientific and calculated manner. By meticulously applying individual dots of pure colour, they sought to create vibrant and harmonious compositions that were rich in visual texture and luminosity. Lichtenstein carefully selected and placed the dots to mimic the halftone patterns and shading techniques commonly found in printed images. This technique allowed him to recreate the bold, graphic style of commercial illustrations and comment on the pervasive influence of mass media on society. Since this is an alternative universe, let’s just treat it like a film that is told from the point of view of somebody in one of those comics.

In both techniques, the dots are arranged on a square grid, though Ben-Day dots are of the same sizes while halftone dots are of different sizes. However, the production team’s most challenging part was to avoid making something that overwhelmed the storyline or was not overly permissive. His main goal from the start was to include all these elements from the comics without compromising moments that felt natural, believable, or human. Of course, the exaggerated moments of mystic fun had to be there, but without overshadowing the importance of the character’s journey. Roy never painted Ben-Day dots; instead, he painted his own dots. For example, if you compare one of Lichtenstein’s pieces titled Sleeping Girl (1964) with its comic book source No Cure For Love – Heart Throbs no. 70, Feb –Mar 1961 by John Romita, you will clearly spot the difference. They do not look alike. Most art commentators and writers agree that Lichtenstein painted dots “similar to” or “derived from” the Ben-Day dots of the comics. Only non-professionals and journalists with little knowledge of art state downright that Roy painted Ben-Day dots. In Most Wanted Men No. 6, Thomas Francis C., Warhol based the mural on police mug shots and painted them over before they were seen by anyone. The two paintings are currently located at Los Angeles’s Broad Museum. It is usually referred to as a later form of 2 of the 13 Most Wanted Men silkscreens that the artist was invited to hang on the façade of a theater at the New York World’s Fair of 1964.We are almost done. Since we are creating this effect for an avatar, you might want to make the dots smaller or bigger after seeing how it looks like a small icon. You can keep the width of the dots even if you change the illustration size. His dot patterns were made up of one color that filled the surface. It is a pop-art way of engaging with an artist’s craft, and once Lichtenstein’s reproduction of old pulp comic panels hit the mainstream media, “dots” became a part of comics. That was throughout the 20th century, but why did this technique that worked wonders in a stencil emulated in a modern animated movie that hit our theaters decades after the evolution of printing technology rendered Ben-Day dots obsolete?

The exhibition highlights Lichtenstein as primarily an easel artist, exploring his career as a painter., Other artists such as Tracy Emin who used her bed as a source of exploration are in some ways similar to Lichtenstein in the way she focuses in on the bed, composing it like a painting and reinterpreting the narrative of the bed, Lichtenstein is doing something similar except he is using popular culture, comic books and advertising to reinterpret their original context. The exhibition shows a deeper more complex side of Lichtenstein’s creativity, exploring his style from past to present, indicating that it is not so much the subject matter that interests him but more the way he approaches his subject.

Shelving

Whaam!" (1963): This large-scale diptych is one of Lichtenstein's most recognizable and celebrated works. It depicts a fighter jet firing a missile at an enemy plane, with the onomatopoeic word "Whaam!" emblazoned across the canvas. The painting showcases Lichtenstein's expert use of Ben-Day dots to create dynamic and vibrant visuals, capturing the energy and action of comic book imagery. In the early days, Ben-Day dots were often used interchangeably, or it was assumed that Ben-Day dots were a type of halftone dots.

In his paintings, Lichtenstein replicated the mechanical printing process by meticulously applying Ben-Day dots, creating a unique visual texture and a sense of artificiality. The dots became a signature element of his style, giving his works an instantly recognisable appearance. To use this technique, small colored dots are widely spaced, closely spaced, or overlapping depending on the effect, color, and optical illusion you want to achieve. However, he was not the only one with this revelation at the time. In fact, many believe Roy Lichtenstein enjoyed the success he had because he got his paintings into the galleries ahead of Andy Warhol, which made Andy feel he’d been beaten to it, forcing him to take another direction. Ben-Day Dots in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Lichtenstein's incorporation of Ben-Day dots in his paintings also raised critical questions about authenticity and originality in art. By utilizing a mechanical reproduction technique, he challenged the notion of the artist's hand and the concept of the unique, one-of-a-kind artwork. Through this juxtaposition, Lichtenstein provoked a reevaluation of the value and significance of mass culture and the relationship between art and society. With Pointillism, artists move away from the traditional method of directly mixing colours on the palette. They instead rely on the viewer’s perception to blend and interpret the individual dots, resulting in a unique and striking visual experience.Ben-Day was first used in newspaper images, prompting the ensuing collaborative relationship between comics/newspapers and dots. Before the technique was applied to fine art, it was applied predominantly in comic books, comic strips, and newspapers. But as cheaper and faster printing methods adapted toward mass consumption were invented, the dots became an alternative production technique in the world of art.

Lichtenstein’s success is best remembered for his Romance and War paintings series he created between the early to mid-1960s, using predominantly images obtained from DC comics. While he stopped sourcing images from comic strips, he continued using three signature styles that he refined throughout that period, albeit also derived from the art and printing methods of the comics, namely: By appropriating this technique, Pop artists explored the visual language of popular culture and reinterpreted it within the context of fine art. Also, since in comics, frames change color when the character’s emotions change or where there is a predominantly expressive moment, Thompson felt adopting this into the film would help the audience feel like they were in a comic book with Miles Morales. Choose your colors. You can decide to go for the colors used predominantly in pop art comics to create a more noticeable effect or choose the tones that you want to express the character’s emotions. There are numerous ways in which you can create these famous dots right in your studio, but we will talk about just a few of them today. Use Crayons

Before applying the Ben-Day dots, the artist would first get transparent overlay sheets, which came in various sizes and distribution, allowing for a broader range of shades, depth, and dimensionality when an image is rendered. Particularly, these overlay sheets were cut into different shapes and tonal regions, delivering shading once the image was reproduced photographically. Ben-Day Dots vs. Halftone Dots Lichtenstein uses the materials of his time in his work. His artwork ‘Sandwich and Soda’ 1964 is a screen-print on polystyrene. Printed on plastic, this is one of Lichtenstein’s earliest Pop prints and the first to be made on a surface other than paper. I love Lichtenstein’s use of colour. As much as he is considered a commercially inspired artist, there is something spiritual about his work also. , ‘Moonscape’, 1965, screen print on plastic is a wonderful deep hue, and the intensity of that blue conjures up so many emotions. Again seascape, 1965 uses materials of the time, plastic and screen print to celebrate the materials and ways they are used within the artistic process.