Oh so you're a programmer? Do you practice any art at all? Perhaps you could start if not. I'll give you a hint though - don't start with pixel art. That would be like a toddler learning to walk with platform shoes on.
Yeah; I come from a programming background.
I initially thought that starting with pixels made a lot of sense. I'm already comfortable on computers. I understand that a pixel is a "square" dot (CRT, LCD aside) and I mostly understand how RGB mix to make other colors. I've been lurking on the forums for a couple weeks now and I've read about pixel clusters and how AA is part of the cluster, etc. I've looked at a lot of examples of pixel art. The small canvas size of pixel art and the restricted palettes were attractive because I thought it meant I had less to learn and could thus be "productive" quicker.
With programming, I have an assurance that every line of code I write is "correct". I don't mean that it's bug free, but as soon as it compiles, I know that the syntax is valid and that it mixes with the rest of the code base. In a sense, the rules that are enforced by the compiler guide me to my solution.
Art, as a process, seems a lot "messier". It really seems to be a process of refinement. Rough shapes, outlines, colors coalesce into forms with light and shadows over a process that might span hundreds of edits.
Believe it or not, that was not apparent to me until I saw how some of the pieces here were done. The WIP animations are invaluable. I'm really, REALLY, interested in "The Recorded Pixel Art Project" but the use of the TechSmith codec turns me away.
I'm sure there is probably a set of rules/procedures/best practices that people employ, but without having something to enforce them, they aren't easily discoverable. They either need to be taught or learned through extensive trial and error. The journey begins.
Thank you for the advice.