AuthorTopic: First Pixel Art  (Read 3642 times)

Offline Landbanana

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First Pixel Art

on: November 24, 2016, 09:26:54 pm
This is the first time I really tried to create pixel art. I used Paint.net with some built in blur and noise effects. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be using those, but I couldn't get it to look half-decent without those effects. This is *supposed* to be of my cat. I don't really know how to shade at all, so I didn't attempt it. If anyone has any tips regarding shading or what other art aspects could be added to this, let me know. I'm not sure how to show images, so I'm using photobucket. If there is an easier way, could someone let me know?

Offline TEETH

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #1 on: November 24, 2016, 10:43:05 pm
I know when I first started drawing, I was afraid to shade too. I didn't want to ruin my art and I didn't know how things are even shaded in the first place.

A good start is to think about the form of your cat.. Your cat is not a 2D object. Its round and its nose sticks out and it's eyes sink in a little bit.
Let's look at this cat ripped straight from google as an example:

It's good to look for references when drawing if you're not sure how something is shaded. In fact, even when you're not drawing and just out and about, you can look at objects and sort of "draw in your mind" the lights and shadows on it. This cat has a light source in front of it's face, so the shadows are mostly symmetrical. The cheeks and mouth stick out the most because that's where the lights hit them. The nose sort of dips in so it doesn't get the light.
If we highlight all of the shadows, this is what it looks like:

The best way to shadow is to start thinking of your object as a 3d image in a 2d plane. With practice, you can only get better so don't give up  :lol:

Offline Landbanana

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #2 on: November 25, 2016, 12:46:52 am
I started on a new one, trying really hard to get the shape right. Unfortunately, I ONLY had time to get the shape the way I want it. I didn't get any features or anything finished, except for one highlight. Let me know if it looks any better, you know, without the face and all. By the way, this is not your cat. I didn't get a chance to add the white part in. Anyway, got to go, I'll check back tomorrow.

« Last Edit: November 25, 2016, 12:49:58 am by Landbanana »

Offline TEETH

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #3 on: November 25, 2016, 01:36:07 am
That's a good start and your outline looks very 3D! Keep us updated with your progress (if you want)

Offline Landbanana

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #4 on: November 25, 2016, 11:42:43 am
I added a bit more features, and tried to shadow in a bit more. It doesn't look horrible, but it doesn't really look good either IMHO. What do you think?

Offline eishiya

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #5 on: November 25, 2016, 02:22:42 pm
Try roughly blocking in the forms before you worry about pixelling individual features. It's easier to get the mistakes out of the way if you're not spending time pixel-polishing every single one.
Don't put the details in until your forms look like a cat without the details. In reality, you can tell a cat is a cat if you squint or put on someone else's glasses, that's because when the details are blurred, you still see the forms, and that's the important thing. You may even want to do this when you look at reference images - squint so that the image is blurred (or blur it heavily in Photoshop), and pay attention to the general shapes that emerge and how they correspond to the 3D form.

I recommend doing some studies from ref to get a feel for the form of a cat's head. The outline you drew looks good, but the shading within doesn't correspond to anything. A cat's head is basically a sphere with the muzzle sticking out of it, and the areas around the eyes are gentle dips/flats. Think of the shadows that would create. Don't think of your work as a flat thing, imagine the 3D forms you're depicting. If you don't know what those 3D forms should be, look at cats. If you don't have a cat you can look at, there are plenty of photos and videos online, the Internet loves cats. You don't have to draw them all, just pay attention to what you see, break it down into basic 3D forms and try to understand how they're put together.

You may also want to take a step back and do some exercises drawing simple 3D forms like cubes, spheres, and cones. It's is a common exercise for artists, but it looks like you skipped that step. By learning to draw basic 3D shapes and to think in those 3D shapes, you'll have an easier time drawing more complex 3D objects of all sorts.

Offline Landbanana

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #6 on: November 25, 2016, 02:35:18 pm
I guess I'll try and draw a cube on a blank-ish background, and see how that goes. Thanks for the advice, guys!

Offline BadMoodTaylor

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #7 on: November 25, 2016, 05:16:44 pm
I added a bit more features, and tried to shadow in a bit more. It doesn't look horrible, but it doesn't really look good either IMHO. What do you think?

I don't think it is looking bad—it usually doesn't start looking good until you get the shading looking right.  I would say the colors could use more contrast though.  It looks like you are already using 4 or 5 grays but the change isn't that notable.

If you are a beginner then I recommend starting with smaller size (like 32x32) and limit yourself to 3 shades for each color.  At least that is what seemed to help me.

I admit, this doesn't look good, but I drew a cat quickly using only 7 colors and its under 20x20 sized.  (probably could have gotten rid of one of the grays, too).  Smaller sized canvas will take much less time but you will still see improvement.


(I think it looks more like a dog  :'( said it doesn't look good—I need to practice drawing animals!)
Here to learn pixel art.  Feedback always appreciated.

Offline Landbanana

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #8 on: November 26, 2016, 06:28:39 pm
Alright, I combined a bit of your advice and created less than 32x32 ball with basic shading. I used 3 reds and 2 grays, and I tried to use dithering correctly. Please let me know if the dithering and shading look okay.

Offline MysteryMeat

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Re: First Pixel Art

Reply #9 on: November 27, 2016, 03:29:26 am
You're misconstruing the form of the ball. Look at this sphere here, and pay special attention to how the shadows curve! The purpose of shading is to give the illusion of a 3d form, so try to think about how the sphere curves when you shade!

In this, there are four colors: one bright, where the light hits strongest, one dark, where the light hits it LEAST, and two shades providing a smooth transition between the two. Those mid-tones are what the dithering is for, it's a specialty tool used in limited-palette works primarily, to create the illusion of an extra color. I tried to keep that intact for my edit, but don't feel like you always need to use that in your pieces!
Also, as you've rendered it here, your ball comes off less as a sphere and more a folded octagon. To illustrate what I mean, I've highlighted the "folds" and rotated it slightly!

I left the colors intact, but a good rule of thumb: if you want a visible color contrast, try to use shades that are at LEAST five values away in brightness, or ten values in saturation.
PSA: use imgur
http://pixelation.org/index.php?topic=19838.0 also go suggest on my quest, cmon
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