The Pixel Art images or “Spriting” are a type of digital art that owes its origins to the need to represent shapes in the limited storage space of retro 8 and 16-bit computers and video game consoles. In this sense, pixel art video games are one of many examples of the scope of Spriting.
Obviously, this art form is not easy to master. However, to take your first steps you only need a handful of items that are not difficult to gather and, of course, a pinch of creativity. That is why you will find the following tips on how to make Pixel Art images more than useful.
Programs to make Pixel Art images
To dedicate yourself to Spriting, you don’t need powerful hardware or software. There are certainly countless mobile apps for drawing, but if you prefer to do your projects on Windows, something as basic as Microsoft Paint will suffice.
Logically, although your creativity is the most important thing, it is also crucial to choose a program that is easy to use and, above all, to completely master. In addition, the software you choose must have at least four fundamental tools such as the pencil, the eraser, the dropper and the paint bucket.
Based on the above, one of the most recommended platforms to take your first steps in Pixel Art is Aseprite, since it includes all the aforementioned resources and a little more.
Finally, in terms of hardware, you only need a computer, smartphone or tablet. In the case of the PC, you will also require some peripheral that serves to achieve precision and details, such as, for example, a mouse or trackpad.
Steps to create your first Pixel Art drawing
Like all art, in Pixel Art there are countless methods to start creating shapes. However, the following steps can serve as a starting point:
– Make a sketch: Start drawing lines with your pencil as you would on any piece of paper, it doesn’t matter if they aren’t perfect. All you will do is capture an initial idea, the rest you can improve later.
– Polish the strokes: It’s time to remove harsh lines and clean up stray pixels. In this particular, the problem is usually disproportionate strokes, that is, either very long or very short. What we will do is try to achieve a uniform length. Of course, always keep in mind that it is impossible to eliminate irregularities completely.
– Add colors: You can now start using the paint bucket to color your drawing. To do this you will use the color palette that you have available, although you can also generate your own.
– Add details, lights and shadows: At this point you will make your drawing start to stand out. Choose a light source and use darker colors to shade the areas furthest from that source.
– Save your project: All that remains is to scale the design to the desired size. Then, proceed to choose a file format, preferably PNG. We advise against using the JPEG format, as it is designed for digital photos and images with soft gradients.
