Pixel Art
Pixel art is a computer raster image that has been hand-painted pixel by pixel. Pixel art was used in older 2D video games, but today is used in games for mobile phone, other hand-held devices and icons for operating systems. It is also a popular art form used by amateur and professional artists.
Tools
Photoshop or any other graphic editing tool can be used to create pixel art. The basic Photoshop tools needed are the pencil, eraser, brush, magic wand, marquee, and eye dropper tool. The pencil and eraser tools are used to create the precise lines needed for the outlines. Brush tools are used when covering larger areas with color. The magic wand is useful in selecting areas of color so they can be manipulated without affecting surrounding areas. The marquee tool works the same way as the magic wand by selecting geometric areas of the drawing to isolate or reproduce. The eye dropper tools copies a selected color allowing the brush or pencil tool to duplicate a color in another area of the pixel art.
Set Up
Pixel art should be created in a file set at 72 dpi. Since pixel art is created for the Internet, that is the resolution at which the art will be viewed. It is easier to work within Photoshop at an 800 percent view so each pixel drawn can be clearly seen.
Constraints
The choice of drawing size and color depend on if the artwork is a static illustration or if it will be used in an animation. Less detail and a smaller size is used for animation. A sprite can be two or three dimensions. A sprite is an image that is integrated into a background. It moves within the background but is always seen from the same angle. A three-dimensional sprite is made by using an isometric drawing. An isometric drawing is a two-dimensional drawing with the illusion of three dimensions.
Line Art
Pixel art starts with an outline drawing. Creating an outline is done with the pencil tool set as one pixel. After it is drawn freehand it is cleaned up pixel by pixel with an eraser set on one pixel. Hand drawing lines takes practice. The lines should not have jagged sections in them. Angled lines look better when they have a regular pattern to them. Think in terms of a grid; draw one pixel, draw the next pixel one grid down, one grid over and repeat.
Creating Line Art from a Scan
More complex images are easier to create from a simplified pencil sketch that is scanned and opened in Photoshop. With a hand drawn sketch there is a lot more clean-up to do, but less drawing time. The scanned layer is duplicated and positioned on a new layer above the original scan. The original scan is made fainter with the transparency slider so it can be distinguish from the pixels being cleaned up over the scan.
Lines Inside the Object
The outer lines of an object should be dark so they stand out from the background. The inner outlines that distinguish features in figures and define objects should be lighter than the outer outline. They can be a color associated with a fill, but not the same color as a fill.
Fill Colors
Bright colors are more cartoon-like and may be hard on the eyes. Muted colors with more gray in them are earthier. Softer tones with less color saturation may be more pleasing to the eye. Only a few colors should be used. In Photoshop and similar programs the RGB slider is used to create colors beyond the default palette.
Shadows
Shadows and highlights will make or break a drawing. The light source is chosen first and the areas farthest away from the light source are shaded with the darkest color. Soft shadows are added next. They are lighter areas of shadow that transition from the darker shadow. Highlights are added last. They are the area where the light hits the object directly.
Drawing Tablets
Pixel art can be created with a mouse, but if this is something done regularly an investment in a drawing tablet should be considered. The pen-like tool feels more like a real pencil and is easier to draw with after some practice. When used, the tablet will relieve the muscle fatigue associated with repetitive mouse clicking.
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