Real-Time Halftoning: Fast and Simple Stylized Shading

Halftoning in its original form is the procedure used to print images with gray levels using only black ink. It does so by varying the size of ink dots, and thus, the ratio of paper area to inked area. Viewed from a distance, a certain tone is perceived. A similar effect is used when an artist is drawing a picture with pen and ink, where more lines are put in areas that should appear darker. Yet another variation is employed in engravings or wood cuts, where the width of lines is adjusted to depict variations in shading. All these styles can be recreated by applying real-time halftoning.