How to start making pixel art

Author: Matej Jan

Step 1

Here are 8 steps how to go into it:

Choose some drawing/pixel art software and doodle to get used to the four basic tools.

Step 2

Play around with advanced tools as well to know what’s available to be more efficient.

Step 3

Copy an existing pixel art sprite by looking at it as a reference.

Step 4

Learn about jaggies and clean lines in pixel art. Draw a black & white sketch of a landscape/cityscape in side view. Here you might spend some time learning how to sketch (with pixels or pencils) in side view to get a hang of it.

Step 5

Learn about limited color palettes and recolor an old screenshot such as from a Game Boy game.

Step 6

Learn about color banding and color ramps and practice shading different materials.

Step 7

Learn about clusters and anti-aliasing and copy a photograph reference into pixel art. You’re just combining lineart drawing from step 4 with colors/shading from steps 5–6. You can simply trace the lineart from a photograph or first learn how to copy a reference with a grid or sighting.

Step 8

Learn about dithering and different outline styles. Try to make a copy of a reference with more limitations or put a personal style to it. Here’s a couple of artworks drawn from reference with old computer limitations or palettes (NES, ZX Spectrum, Atari 2600).

[Tabby Slime]

how do i make symmetry?

[amk]

I quit after step 3

[russell0627]

This is further than I have gotten. I have mostly just used this app for making tiny game assets.

[Mynx-In-Match]

This is actually a well planned tip guide for being introduced to the common tools of pixel art graphics. Well done!

[gerd]

cool

[[ERROR]]

What about animation?

[jjojsu |TTV|]

Im new in pixel art, ty for the guide <3

[Karmdal]

this is amazing actually