Stipple art using SnapDot app

Stipple portrait

"That's cool" I kept cooing as my sister showed me how to make a stipple portrait using an iPhone app called SnapDot. In less than two minutes, she created a stipple portrait of the two us (right photo).

Stipple is a method of drawing using dots or in the art world, the technique is referred to as  pointilism.


The creator Jim Collier was inspired by the pen and drawing headcut portraits in The Wall Street Journal. He said in an interview with Gigaom's Erica Ogg  "In the 1980s as a student at Harvard Business School, Collier said he’d often be distracted and reading the paper in class. 'I would see the stipple drawings in The Wall Street Journal and think, I wish I was doing that instead of sitting here'.’” Fast forward to 22 years later, he is now sharing his passion and created this app together with Adrian Secord of Dotwwerx.


The itunes description says "SnapDot gives your iPhone the ability to draw professionally with the ideal fine art format: dots! SnapDot applies your creativity to your favorite photos with intuitive controls..... each setting turns your photo into a unique work of art to share with friends and hang on your wall." 

How to use the app:

M-Maybe by Roy Lichtenstein (1965)

The stipple drawing instantly reminded me of Roy Lichtenstein's artworks where he uses dots in various sizes and colors.  I was lucky that I caught his retrospective exhibit recently at the Art Institute of Chicago, the largest so far mounted with 160 works from 1960s to 1990s.

Jim says though that there is no comparison. His app is not pop art but stipple. Well, they're both dots to me <LOL!>.

I do like the SanpDot app since its easy and fast to use, there is an option to convert to black and white and also choose the background paper (I chose sepia). The android version is yet to be made.


The app was released on June 22  is already highly rated. The introductory price of $0.99 is only up to July 15. If you want to create dot art like Lichtenstein or as Jim insist on calling 'stipple' portraits of yourself or your friends and family, check this app out.