Pixel Tutorial by Derek Yu

***Ace Mercury*** · 12-30-2006, 03:39 PM

I was cleaning up my bookmarks; maybe someone will find this tutorial relevent to his or her interests.

Here is the link: Derek Yu

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://www.derekyu.com/extras/pixel01.html

Creating pixel art is a skill I picked up because I needed graphics for my games. After a lot of practice, I became rather handy with it, and started to see it more as "real" art rather than just a tool. These days, pixel art is quite popular for gaming and illustration. You can even find it in print magazines, like Wired and Electronic Gaming Monthly!

This pixel tutorial was created many years ago to teach people the basic concepts behind pixel art, but I've streamlined it a lot since its first incarnation. There are other pixel tutorials around, but I find them to be overly complicated and too wordy. Pixel art is not a science. You will never have to calculate a vector when doing pixel art.

In this 10-step tutorial, I'll teach you how to create a "sprite", which is a stand-alone two-dimensional character or object. The term comes from video games, of course.

(EDIT: Link updated - A.I.)

Dylan · 12-30-2006, 09:27 PM

Yes. Yes yes yes. I love you so much, Ace.

-Dylan

Spritedude · 12-30-2006, 11:59 PM

Probably the best tutorial I've seen. Thanks for posting this, Ace, you rule.

Mikhail Gorbachev · 12-31-2006, 12:20 AM

I used to know a good texture tutorial that had metal, wood, plastic, and a whole bunch of other things in excellent detail and with a ton of useful information.
If only I still had the link to it. Damn it all.

Well, at least we still have Ace.

***Ace Mercury*** · 12-31-2006, 12:31 AM

Yeah, I remember reading some tutorial on making things like tilesets (grass, etc.) and animation, but I guess that link has been lost in the mists of time.

Mikhail Gorbachev · 12-31-2006, 12:50 AM

You just made me remember another excellent one. I don't think this is the one you were talking about, though.
So You Want To Be A Pixel Artist?

***Ace Mercury*** · 12-31-2006, 01:58 AM

Oddly enough, that is what I was talking about. I've been trying to re-find this one for quite a while; thanks for pointing it out. ^.^()

[edit: I think I lost the link because the cjb.net domain expired. Also, the root directory for game design is awesome. (right-clicks, DownsThemAll!]

Dylan · 12-31-2006, 05:48 PM

Definitely stickying this beeyotch.

-Dylan

Seeking Attention is passe · 12-31-2006, 07:18 PM

I'll check it out later.

***Ace Mercury*** · 01-01-2007, 01:28 AM

Holy freaking crap, posting in a sticky!

Mikhail Gorbachev · 07-09-2007, 10:04 PM

I found another version of his tutorial- on a different site, and with four more chapters.
Last update February 2007.
So You Want To Be A Pixel Artist?

***Ace Mercury*** · 07-18-2009, 09:48 PM

I found a huge list of pixelling tools and resources while clearing out my RSS feed re: game design

Linky: Tools, Resources and Linkage.

Glux · 07-18-2009, 11:38 PM

Man, I have to have Photoshop?
Screw that.

SmithyGCN · 08-02-2009, 09:57 PM

No one really needs photoshp to be good at pixel art. I use mostly MS Paint and Graphicsgale for my spriting needs.

I honestly don't see how photoshop makes anyone better at this craft. Especially since photoshop is geared toward digital painting than spriting.

Mikhail Gorbachev · 08-02-2009, 10:48 PM

Yeah, Photoshop isn't very useful.
Photoshop is one of roughly 23 programs recommended there, about ~20 of which are free. Nowhere on that page, or on any of the linked tutorials, is it stated that you need photoshop, or that photoshop makes a huge difference. I have no clue what ^^ is talking about.
The folks on pixelation tend to recommend ProMotion. It actually seems much better than MSPaint, (from a trial I downloaded a while ago) but it's not free. There's probably something better that's free, though.
I don't use anything other than MSPaint. Several years ago I downloaded Graphics Gale, but it didn't seem very good to me.

***the Octopus*** · 05-25-2011, 02:15 PM

Just inspecting the old stickies, etc. The link in the first post has now been updated to the current address.

BTW, 2 year old discussion, but Photoshop and Imageready are incredibly useful for creating high-fidelity animation which can adapt to modern sprite work rather well. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to create what I do for the VGF RPG:

http://www.vgf.com/forums/vgf-rpg/77...ba-arshot.html

12-31-2006, 12:31 AM	#5
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,962 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Glad you are liking the link, yes? Yeah, I remember reading some tutorial on making things like tilesets (grass, etc.) and animation, but I guess that link has been lost in the mists of time.

12-31-2006, 01:58 AM	#7
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,962 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Oh em gee Oddly enough, that is what I was talking about. I've been trying to re-find this one for quite a while; thanks for pointing it out. ^.^() [edit: I think I lost the link because the cjb.net domain expired. Also, the root directory for game design is awesome. (right-clicks, DownsThemAll!] Last edited by Ace Mercury; 12-31-2006 at 02:24 AM.

01-01-2007, 01:28 AM	#10
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,962 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Oh wow. Stickied. Holy freaking crap, posting in a sticky!

07-18-2009, 09:48 PM	#12
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,962 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Prehistoric bump. I found a huge list of pixelling tools and resources while clearing out my RSS feed re: game design Linky: Tools, Resources and Linkage.

12-30-2006, 09:27 PM	#2
Dylan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Teenage Wasteland Gender: Posts: 7,790 Thanks: 1,632 Thanked 1,816 Times in 773 Posts	Yes. Yes yes yes. I love you so much, Ace. -Dylan

12-30-2006, 11:59 PM	#3
Spritedude Calibrating... Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: The Centennial State Gender: Posts: 1,330 Thanks: 49 Thanked 66 Times in 39 Posts	Probably the best tutorial I've seen. Thanks for posting this, Ace, you rule.

12-31-2006, 12:20 AM	#4
Mikhail Gorbachev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Gender: Posts: 9,659 Thanks: 31 Thanked 89 Times in 71 Posts	I used to know a good texture tutorial that had metal, wood, plastic, and a whole bunch of other things in excellent detail and with a ton of useful information. If only I still had the link to it. Damn it all. Well, at least we still have Ace.

12-31-2006, 12:50 AM	#6
Mikhail Gorbachev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Gender: Posts: 9,659 Thanks: 31 Thanked 89 Times in 71 Posts	You just made me remember another excellent one. I don't think this is the one you were talking about, though. So You Want To Be A Pixel Artist?

12-31-2006, 05:48 PM	#8
Dylan Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Teenage Wasteland Gender: Posts: 7,790 Thanks: 1,632 Thanked 1,816 Times in 773 Posts	Definitely stickying this beeyotch. -Dylan

12-31-2006, 07:18 PM	#9
Seeking Attention is passe Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Gender: Posts: 0 Thanks: 489 Thanked 185 Times in 153 Posts	I'll check it out later.

07-09-2007, 10:04 PM	#11
Mikhail Gorbachev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Gender: Posts: 9,659 Thanks: 31 Thanked 89 Times in 71 Posts	I found another version of his tutorial- on a different site, and with four more chapters. Last update February 2007. So You Want To Be A Pixel Artist?

07-18-2009, 11:38 PM	#13
Glux Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Home Gender: Posts: 7,042 Thanks: 612 Thanked 354 Times in 231 Posts Blog Entries: 3	Man, I have to have Photoshop? Screw that.

08-02-2009, 09:57 PM	#14
SmithyGCN Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Texas Gender: Posts: 170 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	No one really needs photoshp to be good at pixel art. I use mostly MS Paint and Graphicsgale for my spriting needs. I honestly don't see how photoshop makes anyone better at this craft. Especially since photoshop is geared toward digital painting than spriting.

08-02-2009, 10:48 PM	#15
Mikhail Gorbachev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Gender: Posts: 9,659 Thanks: 31 Thanked 89 Times in 71 Posts	Yeah, Photoshop isn't very useful. Photoshop is one of roughly 23 programs recommended there, about ~20 of which are free. Nowhere on that page, or on any of the linked tutorials, is it stated that you need photoshop, or that photoshop makes a huge difference. I have no clue what ^^ is talking about. The folks on pixelation tend to recommend ProMotion. It actually seems much better than MSPaint, (from a trial I downloaded a while ago) but it's not free. There's probably something better that's free, though. I don't use anything other than MSPaint. Several years ago I downloaded Graphics Gale, but it didn't seem very good to me.

05-25-2011, 02:15 PM	#16
*the Octopus* THE PRESIDENT OF FUN Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 27,475 Thanks: 1,973 Thanked 5,121 Times in 2,320 Posts	Just inspecting the old stickies, etc. The link in the first post has now been updated to the current address. BTW, 2 year old discussion, but Photoshop and Imageready are incredibly useful for creating high-fidelity animation which can adapt to modern sprite work rather well. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to create what I do for the VGF RPG: http://www.vgf.com/forums/vgf-rpg/77...ba-arshot.html