An Intro to Drawing Pixel Art

Pixel art has become the go to for many game creators of late for a variety of reasons including nostalgia and a perception of ease of creation. This art often comes with a bad rap of it being something only lazy and me-too artists use as well, especially in a more and more cluttered marketplace. The art of creating great still pixel art is tough to master, as the difference in skill and quality can be very evident across the swath of independent games. In this class, we will cover some key tips, both general drawing and pixel art specific, to create art that will set your games apart from the crowd. 

This class will cover a variety of topics. Students will be given an overview of general drawing fundamentals such as lighting, line quality, volume, color, and shape. Pixel art specific topics include: the importance of a clean starting sprite, starting/optimizing your art, adding personality in limited space, getting your art ready to animate, setting up workflow using references, and creating art for top-down and side-scrolling environments.